The Caregiver by Shelley Shepard Gray

Wounded hearts find hope and healing in the Amish village of Jacob's Crossing. The Caregiver to her cancer-stricken cousin, widow Lucy Troyer is struggling after suffering spousal abuse. When she meets Calvin Weaver, she wonders of God has brought him into her life for a reason. But can she ever trust a man again?

This book is the first book in Families of Honor Series. This book was a GREAT book in my opinion. Lucy Troyer has endured so many trials through her first marriage, with the abuse of her husband. When her husband accidentally is killed, she feels like she is free. I know I would be that way if I endured all that she did. After this happens, she finds out her favorite cousin and friend has cancer in Jacob’s Crossing. So, Lucy boards a train and goes to Jacob’s Crossing to help her out.

When Lucy boards a train, she meets Calvin Weaver and Katie,his sister. Lucy thinks the world of Katie but she is afraid to trust another man. But, when arrives in Jacob's Crossing, things change. It is a GREAT story, one that I think anyone would like, even if you like Amish or not. I am reading the 2nd book at this time.

I would suggest this book to my friends and family. I could not put this book down, you will love it.

The Amish Nanny by Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould

This Book was sent to me by Harvest House Publishers in exchange for a Review.

Amish-raised Ada Rupp knows it’s time to make a commitment to the faith and join the church, especially if she wants a future with the handsome Amish widower Will Gundy.

But when she has the chance to travel to Switzerland as the caregiver of a young child, she leaps at the opportunity.

This book is the 2nd book in “The Women of Lancaster County” Series. This was such a good book as you go with Ada Rupp in her adventures of her life. As Ada finds out in the first book, she is adopted and has the opportunity to go to Switzerland along with Alice who is Will Gundy’s grandmother.

They try to help Daniel and George to find an agreement on the land in Switzerland and this land is very important to Ada and Alice, since their ancestors had a part in the land originally. Ada also meets her birth mother and at first I was really mad at her birth mother, Giselle, because she didn’t want anything to do with Ada. My heart went out to Ada.

Daniel has feelings for Ada but it is not the same for Ada. The only man she loves is Will Gundy. As the book goes along, Alice collapses and is in the hospital so Will needs to know this and then he shows up to help out.

Ada and Daniel keep on looking for information about their ancestors and it is quite a journey for both Ada and Daniel.

This is a great book in trying to find their history and it is one you will thoroughly enjoy. I sure did enjoy it, wouldn’t it be something to find out about your ancestors? I have wanted to know more about my ancestors also.
I would recommend this book to all my friends and family.

Bible Reading-Saturday, July 23, 2011

Luke 10:25-37 (NRSV)

Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he said, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" He said to him, "What is written in the law? What do you read there?" He answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." And he said to him, "You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live."

But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he
took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, 'Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.' Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?" He said, "The one who showed him mercy." Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

Bible Reading-Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Psalm 130:1-8
New International Version (NIV)


Psalm 130
A song of ascents.
1 Out of the depths I cry to you, LORD;
2 Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.

3 If you, LORD, kept a record of sins,
Lord, who could stand?
4 But with you there is forgiveness,
so that we can, with reverence, serve you.

5 I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits,
and in his word I put my hope.
6 I wait for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.

7 Israel, put your hope in the LORD,
for with the LORD is unfailing love
and with him is full redemption.
8 He himself will redeem Israel
from all their sins.

Bible Reading-Monday, July 18, 2011

Romans 8:31-39
New International Version (NIV)


More Than Conquerors
31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”[a]

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[b] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Footnotes:
a.Romans 8:36 Psalm 44:22
b.Romans 8:38 Or nor heavenly rulers

Bible Reading-Sunday, July 17, 2011

John 2:1-11
New International Version (NIV)


John 2
Jesus Changes Water Into Wine
1 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”
4 “Woman,[a] why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”

5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.

7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.

8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”

They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”

11 What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

Bible Reading-Saturday, July 16, 2011

Romans 5:1-11 (NRSV)

Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Learning by Karen Kingsbury

Zondervan Publishing has Provided Me with A Complimentary Copy of this Book in exchange for a Review.

Bailey Flanigan is growing closer to her dream to be an actress and dancer in New York while Cody coaches a small high school football team . on and off the field. But neither feels complete without the chance to share their dreams with one other.
Can distance truly make the heart grow fonder? Or will Cody learn to turn to others to share in his happiness? And when tragedy strikes? Who will be there to provide comfort in the face of loss?

As Cody's past catches up with him, he must learn to reach out for help or risk withdrawing permanently inside himself. Both Bailey and Cody find themselves learning significant life lessons in this poignant love story, featuring members from Karen Kingsbury's popular Baxter family.

This is the second book in the “Bailey Flanigan Series” by Karen Kingsbury. I have read almost all of Karen’s books and they are GREAT. This book is no exception, it was so good, I have had a hard time putting it down. Bailey Flanigan is now in New York City and on the cast of “Hairspray” and she has to go through a lot of issues, I really felt sorry for her that this had to happen to her.

Then, in Indiana, Cody Coleman just falls into a new position, Coaching a High School Football team. He has gone on with his life and has to deal with his friend, Cheyenne Williams, in ICU at the hospital, but God brings him through this and realizes he has feelings for Chey. I won’t say anything more, it’s great how God works through Cody.

Landon and Ashley Blake are in part of the book also. Landon is having Lung problems and has to deal with issues relating to this. He has to lean a lot on Ashley’s family, the Baxters and him and Ashley have to deal with so much.
I will definitely suggest this book and this series to my friends and family.