"All Saints," by Michael Spurlock and Jeanette Windle

"All Saints," by Michael Spurlock and Jeanette Windle

The True Story Behind the Powerful Film ALL SAINTS
Newly ordained, Michael Spurlock's first assignment is to pastor All Saints, a struggling church with twenty-five devoted members and a mortgage well beyond its means. The best option may be to close the church rather than watch it wither any further. But when All Saints hesitantly risks welcoming a community of Karen refugees from Burma--former farmers scrambling for a fresh start in America--Michael feels they may be called to an improbable new mission.

Michael must choose between closing the church and selling the property--or listening to a still, small voice challenging the people of All Saints to risk it all and provide much-needed hope to their new community. Together, they risk everything to plant seeds for a future that might just save them all.

Discover the true story that inspired the film while also diving deeper into the background of the Karen people, the church, and how a community of believers rally to reach out to those in need, yet receive far more than they dared imagine.

When a book is turned into a movie, more times than not you lose a lot of the original feeling from the book.  So I like to read a book before seeing a movie.  I have not seen the movie "All Saints," but have now read the book.

The one thing I took from this book, things don't stay the same forever and you have to move and change with the times.  Also it takes all sorts of people and things to make a community.  This was the case with the All Saints church in Smyrna, Tennessee.  The book lays out the before, during and after of when the Karen refugees from Burma arrived in the community of Smyrna and how it changed not only their lives but the lives of the people in the area.  It was interesting to read the back story of some of the Karen people to see where they had come from and how they had come to America.

The "God works in mysterious ways," phrase comes to mind when I think back about this book, as he did indeed work many miracles in many ways over the years at All Saints Church.  This book also educates us on the Karen people of Burma.  I knew little to nothing about them prior to reading this book.  There are many articles about them, here is a link that you may find interesting.

Stars out of 5 : 4.5 It was a solid book that was interesting and a true story.  I will watch the movie when it comes out on dvd.  It is well worth the read.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. 

Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

"Gracelaced," by Ruth Chou Simons

"Gracelaced," by Ruth Chou Simons

This Journey Is As Perennial As The Seasons

GraceLaced is about more than pretty florals and fanciful brushwork—it’s about flourishing. With carefully crafted intention, this beautiful volume of 32 seasonal devotions from artist and author Ruth Chou Simons encourages readers in any circumstance to become deeply rooted in God’s faithful promises. GraceLaced extends a soul-stirring invitation to draw close to God while...

• resting in who He is
• rehearsing the truth He says about you
• responding in faith to those truths
• remembering His provision to sustain you, time and time again

I must say when I first saw this book I fell in love with it.  The artwork and photography is just gorgeous.  You could spend ages just looking at those.  However once you start to read the book, you know it's much more than a pretty coffee table.  This is not a book to read in one sitting, it's a book you pick up and read in stages, when you need to be uplifted and when you need to hear the right words........

Stars out of 5 : 5 This is a lovely book and one that you will read over and over again.  It truly is a beautiful book.

Book has been provided courtesy of Harvest House and Graf-Martin Communications 

"The Promise of Dawn," by Lauraine Snelling.

"The Promise of Dawn," by Lauraine Snelling.

Opportunities are scarce in Norway, so when Rune and Signe Carlson receive a letter from Rune's uncle, Einar Strand, offering to loan them money for passage to America, Rune accepts. Signe is reluctant to leave her home, especially as she is pregnant with her fourth child, but Einar promises to give them land of their own, something they could never afford in Norway.

But life in Minnesota is more difficult than Signe imagined. Uncle Einar and Aunt Gerd are hard, demanding people, and Signe and her family soon find themselves worked nearly to the bone to pay off their debt. Afraid they will never have the life they dreamed of, she begins to lose her trust in God. When the dangers of the North Woods strike close to home, will she find the strength she needs to lead her family into the promise of a new dawn?

This is the first book in the "Under Northern Skies," series.  I have to say I love Lauraine's books in general and this one was the same; but the first couple of chapters of this book were so confusing that I was very close to giving it up.  Once the story started in America then it got a whole lot better and easier to understand.

I loved the way it dealt with day by day life and how life was lived; and what a hard life they had.  The relationship with Rune and Signe and their aunt and uncle also was well written.  Lauraine truly made their world seem so real.  I think it's the little details that make a book and there were plenty of details in this book.

Stars out of 5 : 4.5, it lost half a star because of the beginning.  I am looking forward to the next book in the series which will be released in April of 2018.  Well worth reading in my opinion.


"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. 

Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".