YBC Book Review - "The Returning" by Rachelle Dekker

"It's in the forgetting that we remember."

"Life is a cycle of forgetting and remembering."

This is what I feel is the main theme of The Seer Series by Rachelle Dekker.

And "The Returning" is the exceptional end to an amazing story.

The Returning

The story starts 20 years after Elise had been kidnapped from Remko and Carrington Brant while they were fighting the darkness enveloping The Authority City.  A lot had happened in those 20 years, and since Elise was just a baby when she was taken, she has lots of questions of her past, but no answers.  But, there is a light in her, that has always been in her.  Just as it is always in each one of us.  The light of the Father that loves us and created us, and has a destiny for each of us.

That's why the theme, forgetting to remember, is so important.  We must forget what we think we are to remember what He knows we are, forget what others call us and remember what He calls us.  And we need to forget what we tell ourselves, and remember to hear His voice amongst the clamor of our lives.  I don't want to give away details, because this story is so worth savoring, but I can tell you that just like the first 2 books, this is full of love, action, romance, fear, and a calling to us, the reader, from our Father.  Just listen and remember.

Here's a few facts about the author, Rachelle Dekker.  If the name sounds familiar it's because she is the uniquely talented daughter of Ted Dekker.  I say uniquely because while you can see traces of her dad in her writing, Rachelle is a talent all her own.

Let's look at some answers that Rachelle provided for this book review tour.

What themes are explored in this book?

Identity is something I am always exploring, so that’s no different in The Returning. But in this

novel I took a really hard look at forgiveness and how that relates to our journey of discovering

who we really are.

How have Carrington and Remko developed as characters throughout this series?

Well, we meet them as young adults, just out of their teen years, and we find them middle-aged in

book three. So we’ve journeyed quite a bit of life with them. They have grown and changed, as

people do, and even in this last novel they struggle with remembering their true identities. I

believe life is always stretching us and showing us different ways to love, so their growth reflects that.

You talk about the power of belief in the book. What is the purpose of faith, and what

makes faith so powerful in people’s lives?

Belief and faith are everything. We form our own realities. We make judgments based on the past

and what we think the future will bring; then we shape our idea of what we are capable of around

those beliefs. Imagine if we truly believed we were infinite sons and daughters of the creator. How 

different would the world look then? When we believe and have faith in who the Father calls us, then the world looks pretty different.

How do you hope this book will resonate with your readers?

I hope, as with both of the other books, that the reader sees themselves in the characters and

that the story causes them to look inward. To ask hard questions like, Who am I? What am I

capable of? Do I see myself the way the Father does? Can I? I hope it challenges their idea of

identity and then gives them hope to see themselves and others more clearly. Because that’s

how these stories have impacted me, and we are all really just the same.

I resoundingly give this novel 5 thumbs up....5 stars....and and enthusiastic yahoo.

Be blessed,

Debbi

*I received a copy of this book from Tyndale House for my honest and original review,*

YBC Book Review - The Calling by Rachelle Dekker

It's that time again.  Time for another Yankee Burrow Creations book review.

Today I just finished Rachelle Dekker's "The Calling".  It's the second book in her Seer Novel series.

I read the first book "The Choosing" last May for Tyndale House, (you can read that review here),  and enjoyed it so much, that I actually purchased "The Calling".  Money well spent!

Here's a quick recap...in "The Choosing" Carrington had lost her place in the new society that had been set up by The Authority, and lived the hard life of a lint.  A society worker.  She met a security guard named Remko, but according the The Authority, they were not allowed to be together.  Then she was chosen to be the wife of an Authority leader.   The man was a serial killer, and crazy.  

After twists and turns, Remko managed to rescue Carrington, and they slipped out of the city and ran away to join The Seers.  A group of people who were following the teachings of Aaron.

Teachings of peace, love, and freedom.

(Sound familiar?)

"The Calling" opens up with Remko and Carrington married, and the parents of an infant.  Remko is the defacto leader of a small band of seers, and he leads missions into the city to rescue others that are answering the call of The Father.  The story line has great twists and turns, enough tension to keep you on the edge of your seat, and enough emotions to make you feel connected to the characters.  And the end of the book is a great cliff hanger, and makes me glad that I had already ordered book 3 from Tyndale House for review.

The quality of this story in not surprising, considering that Rachelle is the daughter of famed author Ted Dekker.  But don't be fooled, while there are similarities in genre, Rachelle is an author with her own style.  Complicated yet simple.  Exciting yet soft.  And easy to read, because the story lines just flow.  You get pulled in, feel a connection with the characters, and forget all about the rest of the world.  If you haven't checked out Rachelle's talent, get going!

You can meet up with her on FaceBook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.

Now I'm off to devour "The Returning".

Be blessed,

Debbi

YBC Book Review - "More" by Todd Wilson

Do you ever wonder why?

Why are you here?

What are you supposed to be doing?

Is there more?

Than maybe this book is for you.

Todd Wilson asks, and answers, these questions, and many others in his book, "More".

More is full of scriptures and ideas for those who are looking for their place in God's world.  How to be an effective witness.  How to bloom where you're planted.  And how to find your personal calling from God.  We all have one, but many of us don't know what it is or how to look for it.

More not only describes what a calling is, but helps us to ask ourselves questions to find our own.

The main questions of our lives is BE - DO - GO, and these represent the core dimensions of our personal callings.  Not everyone is called to the mission field, or to the pulpit, but we are all called to be His Hands and Feet wherever we are in life.

Personally,  I found this book a bit dry, but then again I am not questioning my calling anymore.  I have read and studied and applied many books on that subject already.

But this book would be great for new christians, and as a group study, or school curriculum.  You can purchase this book (and request an exam copy) direct from Zondervan here.

So, until next time,

Be blessed,

Debbi

*I received a free copy of this book for my honest review from Zondervan and BookLookBloggers.*

Why We Did What We Did

How do you feel about your life?  Good?  Surrounded by family?

A strong roof over your head?  Food on your table?

Happy?

I am.  But I also know that many are not happy.  And that's why Chuck and I did what we did for 10 years.  And 15 kids later, I would do it again.  So please, watch this video, and prayerfully consider what you can do, are called to do.

Be blessed,

Debbi

Spiritual Warfare

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Ephesians 6:12

Be blessed,

Debbi

Living By Faith

Living by our faith is not always easy.  Life itself can be hard.

Hard to understand.

Why do good people die?

Why does evil triumph?

Why does my tv station always go out when I finally sit down to watch Dr. Phil?

Why?

Why?

Why?

Why do we kick against the goad?

Why do we question God????

Why not?

In the story of Job, satan had to ask for permission to test him.

In fact, it was God who pointed Job out to satan.

"Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them.  And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?”

So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”

 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?”

When I read this, my mind sees that not only was God proud of Job, but God TRUSTED Job.

He trusted Job's faith.

How awesome is that?

The Word says that God would never test us beyond what we can handle, and look at what Job handled.  And look at how God blessed him when the test was over.

" Now the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning.

After this Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children and grandchildren for four generations. So Job died, old and full of days."

So, if your life is in the middle of the story, full of ups and downs, just hold on.

That's living by faith.

Be blessed,

Debbi

Here's music to bless your soul.

Let His Love flow over you today.

Be blessed,

Debbi

YBC Book Review - The Tank Man's Son by Mark Bouman

I enjoy meeting new people and learning how God can, and does, change them.

And that's what I found from my latest book,

"The Tank Man's Son" by Mark Bouman.

This book was totally engrossing, and I found it hard to put the book down.  I really enjoyed Mark's style of writing, it made me feel for him, and his whole family.

The beginning of the book gives you the back story of his parents lives before they met, which gives a good foundation to help you somewhat understand the behavior of his Dad.  And his Mom.  And Mark does not just tell of the dark parts of his life, but also pulls you in with the lighter side, and the fun, every child can find in difficult situations.

The story wraps up with Mark as an adult, and how God turned his life around, and helped Mark not only forgive his father, but to reconcile with him.  The only down side to this story is I would have loved to learn more about Mark's life as an adult, his college years and the struggles he faced himself as an adult.  It almost seemed like the part of his life where God was working was just an afterthought in this book.  He could have gone more into depth, and even if it made it a larger longer book, it would have been worth it.

Mark Bouman and his family served as missionaries to Cambodia for more than 20 years.  

Here's a video trailer for the book.  

watch on tyndale.com

I give this book 5 stars.

Be blessed,

Debbi

YBC Book Review - The Miracle In The Middle, Finding God's Voice In The Void by Carlotte Gambill

I've "discovered" another good book to help you get through the tough times.

"The Miracle In The Middle" by Charlotte Gambill

We have ALL had times in our lives when it feels like we are getting nowhere...fast.  When we first make that choice to follow Christ, we are all excited and ready to move out and do anything God asks us to do.  And God lets us know where to go and when because as babies, we need that moment by moment guidance.  But then the growing pains start.  All of a sudden the road looks long, and hard, and lonely.  And then you begin to doubt, and question, and whine.  Yes, whine.

But with lots of scripture and stories, Charlotte helps us to look around us, and in us, during these times in our lives, and to see that we are not as lost as we feel.

I turned my life over to God waaaaay back in 1982, and during the past 33 years, I have spent too much of my time lost and whining...all because I jumped ahead of God, or totally chose a detour from what He told me in the beginning.  So I had plenty of growing time, learning to trust my faith, my God, and myself.  And it's during these "God, why aren't you talking to me" times that our faith grows.

Charlotte is the pastor (with her husband Steve) of the Life Church in England, and has written this book with not just stories, but also with study helps at the end of each chapter.  I enjoyed this book, and will be keeping (or sharing) it.

Here's part of the description from the back cover...

"Where most beginnings start with energy and expectation for all that is ahead, and endings bring the joy of completion as you arrive at your desired destination, the middle is very different. This midpoint can too quickly become a low point, as energy is lacking and enthusiasm wanes. Yet how well you handle the middle reveals what is in the middle of you.

The disciples found-in the middle of a lake-a revelation of Jesus that they had never seen on the shore. In the middle is where new navigational skills are found. It's also where some of the most significant lessons are learned."

I give this book 4 stars.

Be blessed,

Debbi

Some Sunday Worship

I pray this day finds you blessed.

If not, take time and worship....it will change everything.

How comforting it is to know that He knows me, and loves me.

He knows and loves you too.

And He's just waiting for you.

Be blessed,

Debbi

YBC Book Review - "Miracles From Heaven" by Christy Wilson Beam

Do you believe in miracles?

I do, but if I didn't, this book

"Miracles From Heaven" by Christy Wilson Beam would make me think twice.

This is the incredible real-life story of a young girl with a big health problem, Pseudo-Obstruction Motility Disorder.  But Anna and her family were not about to let this disease define their lives.  I was encouraged by how this family depended on God and each other to get through every struggle and challenge put before them.  And this book would have been complete with just that story.

But God...

God had other plans for Anna's life.  And He used a big hollow tree and another crisis to bring about His plan.  Without giving away too much of the story, little Anna found herself in a difficult position, and it was during this time that she visited heaven.  And after her rescue, began the real story of her miracle, her healing.  I especially love how her parents, Christy and Kevin, didn't let this miracle take over their lives.  It would have been so easy for them to jump on the publicity bandwagon, but they didn't, they took their time before they even called Anna's improved health a healing, a miracle.

As you read this you'll also meet Anna's sisters and extended family.  What a wonderful bunch of believers.  Every one should have friends and family like that.

And the buzz is that T.D.Jakes will be making a movie from this story and will be released Spring of 2016.  So go now and get this book and read it.  You'll love it too.

Be blessed,

Debbi

He Knows Me By Name

One Word!

That's all it took.

One Word.

And Mary's life was changed....forever.

Mary had gone to the tomb and found it empty.

And I imagine she "lost it".  I would have....

3 days with little to no sleep or food. 

Memories replaying in her mind of THAT day when everything seemed lost.

Now to find that His body also was lost.

Can you imagine that?

The person you loved most died, and you go to the cemetery, and the grave is empty?

How do you respond?

How would YOU respond?

Then she hears a voice.

And talks to that man....not knowing.....

until He says one simple word.

"Mary"

Her name.

And that is all it took, she knew Him, and her heart was healed, and her life reborn.

It's like that for us.  Sometimes we are so busy "looking" for him in our distress, in our crisis, in our chaos, that we don't see him.

There.

Right there.

With us.

Waiting.

For us to turn....

when He calls our name.

Yes, our name.

Yours.

Mine.

He know us.

Intimately.

He never left us.

And He never will.

Be blessed,

Debbi

YBC Book Review - Counter Culture by David Platt

I just finished reading "Counter Culture" by David Platt for Tyndale House Publishing, and I really like it.  It was kind of hard to get into at first, because it talks about difficult subjects, but I'm glad I finished it.  You will be too.

In this day and age, I think we can agree that things are not going well.  At all.  We have a society of people who are only concerned with themselves, and that selfishness has always been the downfall of civilization.  But it's not too late.  We can change ourselves, and we can, and must, change the world around us.  Here are a few of my favorite parts in this book.  Parts that really spoke to me, or made me question my own outlook.

Where rich and poor collide: the gospel and poverty...."Giving to those in need is not about sharing handouts; it's about sharing life.  Helping those in need doesn't consist of throwing our money at something; it involves investing our lives in someone, which is much, much harder to do."  In other words, while it may be easier to give someone a fish, it is better, and longer lasting, to teach someone to fish.  So instead of just donating canned goods to your local food bank, volunteer at the local shelter to teach job skills.

Modern Holocaust: the gospel and abortion....."Across the world, over 42,000,000 million abortions occur every year.  That's 115,000 abortions every day."  This is such a hot hot topic, with no real easy answer, BUT we much reach out, not only to end abortion, but to offer healing and understanding to those who felt there was no other option.

Christ in the public square; the gospel and religious liberty...."The denial of this freedom affects people of different faiths, yet followers of Christ are the most widely persecuted religious group in the world.  According to the US Department of State, Christians face persecution of some kink in more that sixty different countries today."

Here is a list of the subjects confronted in this book....

poverty

abortion

orphans and widows

sex slavery

marriage

sexual morality

ethnicity

religious liberty

the unreached

And I have to say my favorite parts are at the end of each chapter.  David gives us steps to help us counter the culture of each subject.

Now for a little background on the author David Platt.

Beginning in 2006, he served as the pastor of the Church at Brook Hill in Birmingham AL.  Today he is the president of the International Mission Board (imb.org) and the founder of Radical (radical.net), a rescource ministry serving the church to accomplish the mission of Christ.

Here is a cool video....

Be blessed,
Debbi

YBC Book Review - "A Father's Love" by David Miles

Today's book review is going to be short and sweet because this book is short and sweet.

I requested the book, "A Father's Love" by David Miles specifically for my 6 year old grandson.

I thought with it being a level 2, and he is only in kindergarten, we could practice his reading together.  Well, he sped through this book without needing any help what-so-ever.  Now I am not saying this book is too easy, I'm saying my Owen is too smart! hahaha

He enjoyed the story, but once read he didn't bother with it again.  But when I told him that we could give it to church, he said no, he wanted to keep it here at my house.  So I'm pretty sure he will read it again.  Now for my take on the book.

I found the story, while true to scripture, a little soft.  Since it is for small children, it is probably ok, but I would have liked it to be longer and with a little more detail with more of a look on the moral aspects and more comparison to God's love for us.  The artwork is very nice, and the colors are bright, perfect for little eyes.

I give this 3 stars, but mostly because, for us, it was a one read time book.

Be blessed,

Debbi

*while I received this book free of charge from booklookbloggers, the opinion is completely my own.

The First Day Of My New Life

It was in August of 1982.

I was a single mother of 2 living with my mother in Tonawanda NY.

My husband had left for Texas to find work, and to be honest, our marriage needed the break.

I knew about God, and Jesus.

But they were mostly just someone I prayed to when I needed something.

My mom had a relationship with them, but didn't push them on me.

Sometimes I wish she would have, my teen years were...well...difficult.

Anyway, here I was with 2 young children and only 23 years old.

No college, no job, and no prospects.

BUT GOD...

He had a plan for my life,

but first I needed to meet Him.

Really meet Him.

Personally.

A dear friend from the church I attended off and on invited my mom to a special  church service.

So, like most everything else, all us girls went with my mom.

To a Messianic Jewish Temple.

Where my destiny awaited.

What I am about to tell you is the absolute truth.

While I can't remember much about the service, 

the songs, or the sermon.

I will remember this until my dying day.

I was standing next to my mom, realizing that my life was in a mess, and I couldn't fix it.

The preacher was telling me about someone who knew me, and loved me, 

and still chose to die for me.

Then the preacher directed everyone to bow their heads and close their eyes.

That's when I felt Him.

With my head down and eyes closed, I swore someone put their hands on my head.

My eyes flew open, and I looked around, but there was nobody near me.

So I closed my eyes again.

And again, someone put their hands on my head.

They were heavy.

They were warm.

And they felt good.

And I knew they belonged to Him.

The one I had been looking for all my life, I just didn't know it until then.

When the preacher asked all those who raised their hands to come down to the alter.

I froze.  Literally.  I could not move.

An usher came up and asked me if I wanted to go down.

I yelled at him for peeking when the preacher told everyone to keep their eyes closed.

There was a woman sitting next to me.

I had not noticed her when we first got there.

She calmly took my hand, and walked to the alter with me.

Turns out, she was the preachers wife.

On the ride home, my sisters kept teasing me, but it didn't matter.

I felt lighter, and happier.

And I couldn't stop smiling.

For months.

In fact, I still smile every time I remember this day.

It's been 32 years since then, and my life has been up and down.

I had a third child.

That marriage ended in divorce.

I met a wonderful man and remarried.

And through it all....

I could always feel those hands.

Thank you Jesus for loving me.

Be blessed,

Debbi

A Book Review - Motivate Your Child by Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller

As a mother of many children, of all types (bio-step-foster-adopted), I am always looking for support, encouragement, and advise.  So when the book "Motivate Your Child" by Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller because available for review, I grabbed it.

There are many pages of this book where I highlighted, stuck post it tabs, and wrote notes...it was that helpful to me.  One of my notes was from the chapter on discipline...how, and how much.  For a time out, I had always gone by 2 minutes per year of life, but this book talks not about obedience, but about there being a heart change in your child.  Which is much more desirable in a person.  So there is no time limit, but let the child work the issue out in their own hearts and time.  Then when they can understand what they did, and why they did it, they are better equipped to allow God to change their behaviors.  I like that!

There are 2 major sections in this book...
Moral Development In Children and
Spiritual Development In Children.

Now while there are 2 separate sections, so this book would be helpful to non-believers as well, I personally feel that separating the moral from the spiritual will still leave your child empty.  For our world to change, we need to change, and to help our children to change, thereby leaving a lasting legacy in our world today.  Let me share with you a great quote I saw the other day...
"Lasting change does not come only from laws and legislation, but from the hearts produced by spiritual revival."  Bobby Jindal
How true is that!  This book is a great first step in changing the world, starting in your own hearts and homes.

An added plus in this book is the interactive supportive website, The 414 Family Challenge, for those willing to take up "The Family Challenge" given in this book.  I have bookmarked it and can't wait to start implementing all I have learned between the pages of this book.

Here's some information on the authors.

Scott Turansky has been a pastor and missionary for more than 33 years and is an author of several books. In addition to pastoring full time, Scott also conducts parenting seminars on Saturdays around the United States (http://www.effectiveparenting.org/). He is the cofounder of the National Center for Biblical Parenting (www.biblicalparenting.org) and has co-authored four books.

Joanne Miller is a pediatric nurse with 26 years of experience and the cofounder of the National Center for Biblical Parenting. She is the coauthor of seven parenting books.

So now I challenge you, be the start of something new in your home and family.  Pick up this book and embark on a new path today.

Be blessed,

Debbi

* While I received a free copy of this book from BookLook Bloggers, the opinions are completely my own.^

Head Colds....Yuck!

Want to know what I hate?

Colds.

More specifically....head colds.

They make me feel all stupid and slow.

Want to know what I love?

God.

More specifically....The God.

The God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob.

The Great I Am.

And His Son.

Jesus Christ.

Fully man, and yet fully God.

And it makes me feel good knowing that while Jesus was fully man, He struggled.

With hunger, and pain, and

head colds.

:0)

Be blessed,

Debbi

"Great is His faithfulness; His mercies are new every morning."

Lamentaions 3:23

Amazing Grace....

I have often been asked about my religion and my usual response is

"I don't have religion, I have a relationship".

Someday I will tell my story

but for today...

enjoy...

Be blessed,

Debbi

Rush of Heaven by Ema McKinley - a Zondervan book review

Today I am going to tell you about an excellent book...

Rush of Heaven by Ema McKinley with Cheryl Ricker and published by Zondervan.

It was uplifting and very well written.  I had trouble putting it down!  First a little background of the story.  It's a true story of Ema McKinley and the health issues she suffered with after a severe work related accident.  I enjoyed the fact that while she was honest about her anger and frustration, she did not dwell on the part of the story where she had problems with insurance companies and the medical community.  It could easily have become a "woe is me" and a Me against Them kind of dark book, but it wasn't.  It was a truly inspiring story on how God allows us to feel angry and hurt and confused, and to even ask him "why" and still feel His Love and His Comfort in all situations.

There is a wonderful section in the middle full of pictures of Ema before her accident, and after her miraculous healing.  Ema never portrayed herself as a saint, or a "special" child of God, just as a woman dealing daily with pain.  And through it all, she kept her faith in God, and her joy.

"The Joy of the Lord is our strength."

I won't tell you much about her healing, so you can enjoy the miracle yourself.  But I will tell you this, this is a story you will want to re-read, and to share.

Be blessed,

Debbi

Agents of the Apocalypse by Dr. David Jeremiah - A Yankee Burrow Book Review

After I requested my free copy of "Agents of the Apocalypse" by Dr. David Jeremiah for my next review for Tyndale House Publishers, I started to hear a lot of buzz about it on several media sites, so I was excited to have the opportunity to review it.  And I was not disappointed.

I have to admit that it was a little slow for me in the beginning, but I have been studying Revelations and end time events for years, and I think I expected something "deeper".  But then I realized, I was not the target audience for this book.  This book was written for the person just starting to wonder about everything that is going on in the world around us, and what does our future hold.  So with that in mind, I changed the way I approached this book and

I THOROUGHLY ENJOYED IT!

Dr. Jeremiah begins each chapter with a fictional story about a certain end times event, then he explains that event based on scripture.  So, the signs become something that every Biblical "novice" can grab onto first and then learn the scripture that supports it.  And every chapter flows from the preceding chapter, so it is a full story that will keep your attention.  It did mine.

It was an easy read, no big long religious words or phrases, just simple and straight forward.  So I highly recommend this for everyone who not only studies end times events, but everyone just starting to think "what does the future hold for our world".

I received my copy of this book free from Tyndale House Publishing, but this review is totally my own opinion.

If you are interested in reviewing great Christian books, check out The Tyndale Blog Network.

Be blessed,

Debbi