Until My Name is Known – Sonya Contreras

Posted on by August 31, 2015
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Deb’s Dozen: Moses called by God, Zipporah left behind, but God’s Will Be Done.

Until My Name is Known by Sonya Contreras retells the familiar story of Moses from the time he saw God in the burning bush until he led the Israelites across the sea bed to safety—but with a twist.

Contreras personalizes Moses in a way I’ve not seen before. By starting at the burning bush, we see a Moses who has lived contentedly in the desert for forty years. He and his wife, Zipporah, and their sons, Gershom, have tended sheep and lived well. The new baby, Eliezer, is growing strong and healthy. When Moses comes back with the incredible story of the bush and the mission God has given him, Zipporah scoffs—why should God choose him? They’re comfortable where they are, why should they leave? Despite her desires to stay in their home, Zipporah packs up and journeys with Moses as they begin their trek toward Egypt. The night after they receive leave from her father, an angel of the Lord appears demanding that their sons be circumcised, something Zipporah has forbidden. Afraid the angel will kill her sons, she takes a knife and does the deed herself, but she is very bitter. Moses realizes what this cost her and also that the best place for her and their sons is with her father, so he sends them back home.

Aaron is a prominent swne, or healer, in Egypt. One evening he hears a voice telling him to go and meet Moses. Aaron and his trusted slave, along with their guard, head out to meet Moses. Meanwhile, in Egypt, the high priest of Amon-Ra, Badhu, also hears a voice, “Beware of one who seeks to take all of the power of Egypt from Pharaoh.” The stage is set; the die is cast; the Lord God is on the move.

The difference in this book is that Contreras takes us into the everyday lives of the Hebrews and Egyptians. She shows us what their lives were like. We care for these people and are saddened when the plagues begin to strike the land. The ordinary people didn’t really understand—much as so many people today do not understand that God is not to be mocked—He is in charge of this universe. Dinah and Adlai and General Chike and Hannah and Nathan and Carmel—all people you will get to know who are affected by this strange battle between God and Pharaoh. You may like this retelling of such a familiar story though the device of the ordinary people caught up in the conflict. Until My Name Is Known (Tell of My Kingdom’s Glory).Three stars.

Sonya says of herself on her webpage, “I’m Sonya Contreras. Author of Biblical Fiction. Married to my best friend. Challenged by eight sons’ growing pains. Enjoying the moment. Writing about my family, reading and life.

Childhood with five sisters could never prepare me for the future God had for me. Graduating from Cedarville University with a major in comprehensive science education failed to fully equip me for my future. Teaching two years in Christian schools only showed me how much I needed to know.

While attending Institute for Creation Research Graduate Program, I married my husband of 23 years. Whatever training I received had to be enough for the eight boys that God gave to us.

No amount of sisterly interaction prepared me for a boy’s mind searching for adventure. No degree of college could help me stay one step ahead of the creativity and ingenuity of a boy on a mission. But all that training established my roots deeply on the Bible and enabled my searching heart to keep their wanderings grounded in truth, love and God’s Word.” Walk well, Sonya!

Bull Head Press gave me a copy of this book in exchange for my candid review.

Forgiven, Favored, & Free: Living as Sons and Daughters of the King

Posted on by August 30, 2015
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Deb’s Dozen: Forgiven, Favored, & Free: Living as Sons and Daughters of the King.

Forgiven, Favored, & Free is a worthy follow-up to Jill Tomlinson’s book No More Lies. Jill tells us beautifully how valued we are by our God. She goes on to tell us just how to appropriately live because we are His. I find it sad so many people don’t know how to be free in their Christian walk—people who are tied up in “do’s” and “don’ts.” People who are unaware of the freedom we have because of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Jill tells us, “As God’s child, you are forgiven, favored, and free—whether you realize it or not.”

We are created for intimacy with the Lord. “God loves intimacy with His sons and daughters; He always has. Separation from His children was never His plan.” We all know the story of Adam and Eve—their sin separated us from God, but the sacrifice of Jesus and His resurrection has restored us to that intimate walk. “He wants good things for you and He wants you to come to Him just to hang out.” Jill goes on to explain that we can hang out with Him anytime and anyplace—on our knees, in the car, doing dishes, walking on the beach—anywhere!

Through chapters such as “Starting Where Jesus Finished” and “The Power of Wisdom and Protection,” Jill takes us on the journey to realizing Whose we are and who we are because of Him. She teaches us about caring for the earthly bodies we have along with caring for our hearts and souls. She tells us of the authority we’ve been given and how to pray effectively.

If we seize our Freedom, realizing we are Forgiven and Favored, we can have victory and peace no matter our circumstances. Jill takes us on this journey through Scripture and wisdom. If you’re yearning for a more intimate relationship with God, read Forgiven, Favored, & Free: Living as Sons and Daughters of the King. Four stars.

I asked Jill how she came to write her two books: No More Lies and Forgiven, Favored, & Free. She told me she had a radical encounter with Jesus after she had been sexually abused. She realized she was living the lies and birthed a desire to help others to be free. In No More Lies, she tells us God is always moving us forward from glory to glory, but He can only take us as far as we’ve gone. No More Lies is an uprooting of ourselves from where we’ve been buried. She wrote Forgiven, Favored, & Free to teach us how to pick up the abundant life.

Jill was raised in Georgia, but has moved to Colorado. She and her husband, Jimmy, a street evangelist have founded Transcend Ministries—they have a passion to empower people to move forward in their lives with Christ. The Tomlinson’s have four “amazing” children: two daughters, a son, and a son-in-law. Jill likes cooking and golf and travel, but most of all she loves people and wants them to be free and living abundantly.

Carpenter’s Son Publishing gave me copies of No More Lies and Forgiven, Favored, & Free in exchange for my candid review.

Extra! Air Evac EMT Mercy Smith Rescues Sheriff Josh Wellman: Sheriff Will Survive

Posted on by August 27, 2015
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Deb’s Dozen: Extra! Air Evac EMT Mercy Smith Rescues Sheriff Josh Wellman: Sheriff Will Survive.

Mercy Smith has seen her share of trauma. As an Air Evacuation EMT on the trauma team, she has seen the worst situations life has to offer. In her personal life, she has seen them, too. Both her father and her fiancé, David, were gunned down in freak shootings. She’s never recovered from losing them and has lost her faith as well. After all, God allowed them to die.

Called out to a rescue, the helicopter crew arrives at the scene only to find only one person to transport; the other has already died. Mercy’s heart breaks a little more as she works to stabilize the living patient as they fly rapidly back to the hospital. While caring for the Sheriff (or so his uniform implies), she finds herself transfixed by the bluest eyes she’s ever seen as he comes to. She asks him to squeeze her fingers to determine the extent of his injury—he holds on for the remainder of the flight.

Her shift ends after a couple of additional rescue flights and somehow Mercy finds herself seeking out the Sheriff. He awakens to see her and calls her his angel. She is torn: she has no need to be on his floor or in his room, but he makes his “angel” promise to return.

Shortly thereafter, Mercy and her team are called away to fly rescue flights in a wildfire area. Six weeks later, she returns to find the patient has been released only to run into him at the drugstore—an awkward meeting.

Then her mother surprises her with the announcement she is getting married again. Mercy is invited to dinner to meet her mom’s fiancé and his son, who is … you guessed it! Sheriff Josh Wellman in the flesh.

Mercy’s devastated heart wants no part of romance, but she and Josh keep getting thrown together. Josh knows in his heart of hearts his life changed when first he held her hand. Will he be able to break through the walls Mercy’s built around herself?

More rescues, a Vegas wedding, and a persistent suitor. Will Josh win? Will Mercy unbend at last? Will Mom’s wedding actually take place? Read Mercy’s Rescue to find out.

Debra Holt has written a wonderful story of loss and hope and redemption. You will enjoy the twists and turns and the thrills of rescues and the chase! Four stars.

Bling! an imprint of Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas gave me this copy of Mercy’s Rescue in exchange for my candid review.