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Thankful Thursday ~ Great Books

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.
(Colossians 3:15 ESV)

There are many good books out on the market, but there are only a few great books. Of course the Bible still ranks for me #1 when it comes to books. But then again, the Bible is not only a great book; it is our guide to live a Godly life. Even though I have had many Bibles in my life, the latest edition is a Woman’s Study Bible that was given to me for review. You can read more about it in this post. It is a little different than the other Bibles I have. It has a ton of references, especially the history part I enjoy the most.

Harvest of RubiesThat brings me to another great book that I just finished reading. Although it is a novel, it has a great deal of history in it. The book is called “Harvest of Rubies” and I honestly finished reading it in 2 days. The author, Tessa Afshar, is bringing the Old Testament to life. Her main character, Sarah, has so much in common with me and my walk with God. I read the book via my Kindle App on my laptop and I have highlighted so many parts of the book. Yes, it is a novel, but Tessa added a lot of Psalms.

I think that the last time I read a great novel like this, was Randy Alcorn’s book “Safely Home“. Have you read that book?

I love to read and I wish I had more time for it. It is funny that when our son was little, it seamed I had more time to read. But then again, I was only working part-time when Daniel was under 5 🙂 .

Have you read any great books lately? Please do share with me in the comment section. I am always hungry for great books that have a great story line and writing. By the way, currently I am reading “Harvest of Gold“, which is the second part of “Harvest of Rubies”. Sarah is still the main character, but she will be going with Nehemiah to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall…

What are you thankful for this week? Please do share with us by leaving a link to your Thankful Thursday post below.

Thank you for stopping by today. Remember: Great books are out there, you just have to find them. Thanks for my friend Lori, I found these two great books.

Love & peace,
Iris

Thankful Thursday Participants

1. 4 Things Love Always Does–And Why It Matters
2. Your View of Parenting: Godly or Worldly?
3. Mia / The Shulamite and The Foxes
4. Uttley’s Take
5. Heather @ Becoming Titus 2 Women		 6. Feed A Family of 5 for $119
7. The Alarm
8. Sarah L — Heading Back to School Post Disaster Pt 3
9. An Impromptu Round Of Frisbee
10. Thankful Thursday		 11. The Glamorous French Housewife
12. Lorig / My Fragmented Journey
13. bp

Learn more about Thankful Thursday here.

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Thankful Thursday ~ Books

Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre;
make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!
(Psalm 33:2 ESV)

Some times I wonder if we will have real books in 10 or 20 years. I have to admit that digital books are great (don’t need much room for them except on your reading device). However, I still like to read real books. My husband smiled at me the other day as I was reading Iscariot by Tosca Lee. He said: “I like that you still read real books.” Me too honey 🙂 …

Well, I finally finished reading “Iscariot” and I truly enjoyed it. I would give it 5 stars out of 5, but I had trouble understanding some of the words. I never heard or read some of them before (e.g. mikva). But I still did not deter me to finish the book; it just took me a little longer. I really liked how Tosca Lee took a different look at Judas and his relationship with Jesus. Yes, it is a fiction book, but Miss Lee conducted extensive research before writing the novel. I truly recommend this book. I hope you will check it out.

So, this week, I am thankful for authors that still publish real books 🙂 . Have you read any good/great books lately?

What are you thankful for this week? Please do share with us by leaving a link to your Thankful Thursday post below.

Thank you for stopping by today. Remember: read a real books once in a while.

Love & peace,
Iris

Thankful Thursday Participants

1. Why I’m So Glad I Stepped Out Of My Comfort Zone
2. Guide Me in Your Truth
3. Rita@Following31
4. Pia’s Journal		 5. Are You A Gossip? Take The Test!
6. Heather @ Living In the Moment
7. LaughingLady
8. Ultimate Blog Party 2013		 9. bp
10. A Fruit of the Spirit Silly Song & Link Up

Learn more about Thankful Thursday here.

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Congratulations to Bethany and Joshlin

Congratulations to Bethany and Joshlin for winning a gift card to a book store of your choice. I have sent out an email to you to find out which online bookstore you prefer.

Thank you all for making my birthday month a memorable one. Not sure what my next year will bring; trusting God for His guidance.

One thing I am working on is my first gallery for Visual Peacemakers 😉 . Sure, I do not travel abroad, but I read a wonderful article by Jerod Foster that made me think of photographs that I took right here in Phoenix.

Thank you for stopping by today. Have a blessed week,

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September 2010 ~ Giveaway #1

***Comments closed – winner will be announced tomorrow, September 13th***

As many of you may know, September is my birthday month. Hitting the BIG 50 this year is something. Strange thing, I am more okay turning 50 than I was turning 40.

At any rate, to kick off my big celebration, I thought I have a weekly giveaway until my birthday. The first week I would like to give one of my readers a book that I have been reading over the last couple of weeks that really dug deep down into my heart. Later this week I will share a little more about a theme God has been impressing on my heart through this book and other means. The book I am talking about is Joanna Weaver’s book “Having a Mary Heart…”

Lori was surprised that I am just now reading the book (it has been on my wish list for 3 years – yikes). I truly wish I had more time to read, but my work-schedule and my photography do not leave room for much else.

There are many books out there that tell us how to keep focused on God in our busy lives; Joanna’s book is different. Joanna shares her own struggle keeping up with life’s demands. Her honesty encouraged me to say the least; I am not alone in the struggle finding time to meet with God. Don’t get me wrong, I get up early to get my ‘fuel’ for the day. To be honest though, some mornings I rather snooze 30 minutes longer…

What do you have to do to win the book? Simply leave a comment below (US, Canada, and APO Addresses only please). If you already have the book, please still enter for a friend/family member as a gift. I think that all women can benefit from this book no matter how long you are a follower of Christ. This week’s giveaway ends on Sunday, September 12th.