Sunday Words of Encouragement April 28, 2013

Our guest evangelist shared a good message this morning.
He has been ministering in Viet Nam for conferences the past several years.  He shared that he was impressed that the people he preached to there are eager and thirsty. They come ready to hear the word and share from their own meager resources in giving tithes and offerings. They pray for their leaders that they will see the light thru them.  Brother B calls this attitude a “Caleb Spirit.”

[As usual I have added just a bit to the message for clarity and my interpretation.]
Caleb had a different spirit than the other spies who reported back from investigating the Promised Land. Numbers 14:6-9.  ‘He whole-heartedly followed God.’ Numbers 14:24. 

God had taken the Israelites out of bad place to bring them to a good place. (That is another example of redemption.) God has a plan for each of our life's. His plan doesn’t change except to adjust to roadblocks we might put in the way. (Jonah is an example)

Brother B shared three obstacles to wholly following God’s plan for your life.
Obstacle 1.   Self. We might allow the lies of the enemy to defeat us with reminders of wasted years and unworthiness. But God has said that He will restore the years and He has made us worthy through the sacrifice of His son.

Obstacle 2.  The Enemy. Satan will lie and tempt you. It may be just to distract you or keep you in a state of doing nothing. [“For evil to prosper all it needs is for good people to do nothing.” Attributed to Edmund Burke.]  The devil is always seeking those he can devour and he works continually to keep people from fulfilling God’s plans. The saying “The Devil made me do it” is a lie. The devil can't make you do anything if you have accepted the Power of Christ in your life. Colossians 2:15.

Obstacle 3. Redeemed people. Others around you (like the other 10 Israelite spies) will tell you it can’t be done. 

Don't let self, enemy or others steal your faith and trust. Do not allow doubts to control and discourage you from fulfilling the plan, and receiving the promises, of God.

I had a different song in mind at first but this one fits the message so well:

Standing on the Promises:

Verses for Today
Numbers 14:8-9 NIV
8 If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. 9 Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.”

I pray, Lord, that I will have a Caleb Spirit to do whatever you direct me to do.

Winners: Jake, Wedding in Springtime and Angel by Her Side

CONGRATULATIONS TO WINNERS!

Giveaway Ending April 19, 2013

ARC Copy: Jake (A Wyoming Sky Novel)

by R.C. Ryan

WINNER: Entry #1 Carol L!

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Giveaways Ending April 26, 2013

Giveaway- Print from Publisher: A Wedding in Springtime by Amanda Forester

WINNER: Comment #1 Bookishqueen!

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Giveaway Print from Publisher: An Angel by Her Side by Ruth Reid 

WINNER: Entry #28 Andrea!

Carol L, Bookishqueen, and Andrea please fill in the Winner's Acceptance Form or email me at mesreads AT gmail.com to confirm the win and I'll get the book mailed/ and or notify the Publisher for mailing.  Please reply within 72 hours!  

Sharing Beyond Books #97 Comment Giveaway April 27, 2013

Hello; Welcome to SBB, Sharing Beyond Books.

Hi Friends. Happy Saturday night! Is Spring finally getting to most of you? Except for those on the other side who are starting to get Autumn.
I have had an oddly busy week. Family visited for nice, but tiring dinner tonight so we could have official BD cake for the 2 year old.
Thank you to all who shared last week.

We had a good response last week and 22 out of 33 people will, at least sometimes, look up events mentioned in books. Eleven do not look up events although several of you qualified that with expecting the author to sufficiently explain the event and LindaK acknowledged that she would look up unusual words. 

It sounds like many of us did learn some instrument as a child but we did not keep it up. The most played instrument is the piano with 11 people having had lessons at some point. The other instruments include guitar, flute, cello, synthesizer, flutophone, djembe (I had to look it up), clarinet, trumpet, french horn and school age recorder. And we actually have a classically trained pianist and singer in our midst - very impressive, Meghan! I almost forgot to mention that Lisa said what my DH always says - all they can play is the radio. :-)

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The Winner from SBB #96 comments is: #21 Meghan who can make a GC choice if international or book choice from the ARC/Review titles, Christmas titles or Love titles - all linked near the end of the post.  Please let me know your choice by completing the WINNER FORM.

WEEK #97 Questions

Q1. Faith, Hope and Cherry Tea asks:  What is your favorite Genre? Who is your favorite author in the Genre and do you have a favorite book in the Genre??

A: This is very hard to answer as I enjoy reading a variety. I think my favorite genre has shifted over the past year or so. I used to always say that Historical Romance was my favorite but as they have gotten more sexually explicit I have enjoyed them a bit less than I used to.
I really enjoy action, fantasy and space adventure. Romance is good too if there is a strong story that is the focus over the sexual interaction.
I am unable to pick one author or one favorite book -- there are just too many and it changes as I read. :-)

Image found at Twisty Noodle.

Q2. My non-bookish Question this week: Is your inbox in or out of control??

A: I am afraid that my inbox is definitely out of control. I do have my work inbox down to under 100 -- with just a few there reminding me to handle something.  But my blog email is in the thousands and just keeps growing. Plus I am now getting about 10 anonymous comments a day - ugh.
I think I need to take a whole day to clear out emails!

Image found at Irenic Thoughts.

Thanks to those who are sending in Questions. DON'T BE SHY! Surely everyone has a Q or two you'd like to ask. Input suggestions in this Suggested Question Form. At the end of each month I draw from the suggestions I used during the month and that person will get a book choice or GC. I thank everyone for submitting questions. Thanks for sending in questions! We can always use fresh questions. I do have a group of questions from the same submitters so if you have a question don't be afraid to ask!
Those who contributed Qs in April were: Abby, Mary P, Miki andFHCT. The winner of a free book/GC for April is FHCT.

Your turn to share:

Q1.  Faith, Hope and Cherry Tea asks: What is your favorite Genre? Who is your favorite author in the Genre and do you have a favorite book in the Genre??

Q2. My non-bookish Question: Is your inbox in or out of control??

SBB Comment Winners can choose a selection from the new Valentine and "Love" books or the new Christmas Giveaway Books. Also I have added the Updated ARC/Review List now.

SBB Rules:
a) Must be a follower.
b) Share a comment on any (or all) of the two/three questions above.
Open internationally and an international winner may get a smaller book or a $5.00 GC if I decide the mailing is too much.

I will pick a Comment winner from all comments made by Friday, May 3, 2013 at 10 PM central.

Saturday Snapshot (April 27, 2013) Fuzzy Bird and Squirrel

I wish these pictures were better. I took them through our bedroom window to the birdfeeders which are about 15- 20 feet away. The screen and zoom make them really fuzzy. I was not able to spot the bird again with a clearer shot. 

I noticed the blue on this little bird at our new gazebo bird feeder.

Here I zoomed in to try to get a better shot but it is still quite fuzzy.

Below the bird feeders this little fellow was picking up dropped goodies until our dogs took chase.
Our Princess is able to see them when she stands on the chair by the window and she will take off racing.

The squirrel paused on the tree to scold the dogs.

To participate in the Saturday Snapshot meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky hosted by Alyce of At Home With Books. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don’t post random photos that you find online.

Audio Book #Review: Hunter by Robert Bidinotto

If you like thrillers don't miss this engaging and thought provoking story.
Hunter: A Thriller 
by Robert Bidinotto

• LENGTH
  11 hrs and 50 mins
• RELEASE DATE
  09-13-12
• Program Type
  Audiobook
• PUBLISHER
  Robert J. Bidinotto

Genre: Thriller
My Rating: 4.75 of 5.0
Highly Recommended

Publisher's Summary
A Wall Street Journal Top 10 national best seller
Number one Kindle best seller in "Mysteries & Thrillers"
Who is hunter?
Who is Prey?
Who will survive?

Award-winning true-crime author Robert Bidinotto makes his stunning fiction debut with a best-selling thriller that has earned more than 200 "5-star" rave reviews from readers.

Two people, passionately in love.
But each hides a deadly secret.
He is a crusading vigilante, on a violent quest for justice.
She is tracking this unknown assassin, sworn to stop him.
Neither realizes the truth about the other.
And neither knows that a terrifying predator is hunting them both....

From its first moments, Hunter takes you on a nonstop thrill ride: from the top floor of the CIA, to the marbled corridors of Capitol Hill...from the posh hotels of downtown Washington, to the city's mean, violent streets. It introduces a colorful new hero for our time - and a dazzling heroine every bit his equal.

A spy mystery...a crime thriller...a passionate romance: Hunter is a genre-bending novel unlike any you've read. Deviously plotted, filled with vivid characters, and propelled at a breakneck pace, it's a tale as memorable for its provocative ideas as for a rousing climax that has readers cheering.

If you enjoy the thrillers of Lee Child, Stephen Hunter, Brad Thor, and Vince Flynn, you'll love Hunter.

©2011 Robert Bidinotto (P)2012 Robert Bidinotto

Review:
Dylan Hunter is a complex, mysterious man. He is a hard hitting reporter who goes after injustice in his articles. He exposes criminals and the prosecutors, judges and psychiatrists who help them go free or get out of prison when they should have stayed behind bars.  He doesn’t let people close as he has a past and secrets to protect. Then he meets Annie Woods at a funeral. She has secrets too and trust issues resulting from her cheating ex-husband. Not to mention her wariness due to all the crime she sees in her work with the CIA.

Dylan convinces Annie to go out with him. He is open and warm and has a valid explanation why there is no record of him prior to two years back.  Their friendship quickly moves to a love affair and then develops more deeply. But neither one knows the past or truth about the other and Annie’s past is soon to collide with Dylan’s present in a way that is hazardous to all involved.

Annie introduces Dylan to a group of hurting crime survivors – people who have lost a loved one to brutal criminals.  Dylan writes about the horrible and tragic deaths and then the vicious perpetrators begin to show up dead with copies of his articles placed at each crime scene. There are no leads to the vigilante killer and, needless to say, the police aren’t too broken hearted about the deaths. A special task force is set up to investigate and Annie is connected to the task force due to a murder of a government traitor before he could be brought to justice.

This story kicks off with intrigue and it continues at a steady, high pace. I liked how Mr. Bidinotto presented the stake outs and the murders with methodical detail that built the tension for each scene.  The characters are well developed and it was hard not to like Dylan even though his actions are outside of the law. The ideological arguments are interesting: that misguided sympathy and well-minded idealists are enabling the criminals and making the judicial and penal system completely ineffective in fighting true criminals. This is really a great thriller that keeps your attention from beginning to end as you wait for the collision of secrets to hit Annie and Dylan.

Audio Notes:
I enjoyed the narration by Conor Hall.  He does a fairly good job with the different voices although the females were a bit rough. This didn't distract from the overall effect though. Mr. Hall does a good job of conveying the sense of tension and danger and carries the intensity throughout the reading.

I received this Audible download, for an honest review, from Robert Bidinotto through Audiobook Jukebox.

This is set in Washington DC, Virginia and Maryland for my 2013 Where Are You Reading Challenge. This is also a New Author for me.