Where Do You Look for Comfort in Times of Loss?

If death is as certain as taxes, why are we usually so ill-prepared when a loved one passes away? What do we say to comfort those who have suffered a loss? What do we want to hear when we have lost our loved ones?

Words of Comfort for Times of Loss is a compass to those being tossed upon the tumultuous waves of grief. Co-authors Liz Allison and Cecil Murphey each share insights from their personal losses as well as words of wisdom from their journey.

Michal Sparks serene water color illustrations grace each page of this 64 page book. Twelve chapters cover such important topics as getting the help needed so one can grieve the loss, feeling alone, feeling the pain and the special days like Christmas, birthdays and anniversaries. At the end of each chapter is a short simple prayer that invites God into the process.

The book encourages all who are grieving to come as they are. The authors clearly understand that a sovereign God can meet us where we are, no matter what we're feeling or thinking. He can comfort us and begin healing the heartbreak we feel. He alone can fill that void such a loss leaves in our lives.

If you have lost someone dear to you, or know someone who has, I encourage you take a moment to consider this book. It could be the lighthouse you seek, welcoming you to safe harbor.

Do You Know Patsy?

I once attended a Women of Faith gathering and was introduced, along with thousands of other women, to the spiritual firecracker, Patsy Clairmont. She reminded me of a tiny semi-grouchy neighbor who throws out one liners and comes off more comical than cantankerous and leaves you with a bit of wisdom to ponder over.

Although Kaleidoscope is the first book I've read of Patsy's it's not her first, and her inspired humor is as sharp as ever. Throughout the thirty-three chapters you’ll find plenty of little surprises, mined from the depths of Proverbs. Real gems, not broken bits of glass. I’ve come away with new perspectives on the jumbled book of knowledge.

The book could be read as a devotional, each chapter opens with an interesting title (Expiration Dates, Dem Bones Dem Bones, and Anxiety Alert to namea few) and a verse pulled from Proverbs and expanded as only Patsy can do. One of my favorite is Buggy, where she not only shares her outlook on the life of several ants, but Proverbs 30:25 which mentions them. If you're a journal keeper, the questions listed under Bits and Pieces at the end of each chapter are worth considering. And finally, she closes with several Bible quotes that bookend the opening verse.

She shares from different life points, mother, girlfriend wife, daughter and being female. In her chapter Loose Lips, and Proverbs 16:23, she lets us in on a conversation she has with her own lips. The book is uplifting and instructive. If you know Patsy, this is one book you’ll want to read. And if you haven’t met her yet, Kaleidoscope is a great introduction.

Thomas Nelson provided this book as a gift in exchange for my honest opinion of the author's work.

Where Would Women Be Without Girlfriends?

I came of age in a school rife with sniping and backbiting. To make matters worse, my home life was not much better. My only sister and I seemed to be arch enemies and my mother was her friend, not mine. My best friend Lisa was going through a rough time at home. But because of the way she acted out, my parents didn't want us in any classes together so we were separated.

Lisa and I may have been casualties of our culture if not for one other person who arrived on the scene. A social worker and mentor Mary Lou. Because of Mary Lou's intervention, Lisa and I are still friends today. But I wonder how much different life would have been for us if we had the book Why We Need Girlfriends.
Author Frankie Sherman takes us on a journey with two women: Elizabeth mother of John the Baptist and Mary, mother of Jesus. Although at times I thought they seemed an unlikely pair, how much must it have meant to Mary to have someone farther along in life to help scout the pitfalls of the journey she was on? Frankie shows how God faithfully walked them through each phase. As I consider my own history, I am amazed at the women who showed up, always at just the right time.

The study is designed to be read and pondered over the course of seven weeks. In week one, you Pack Your Bags. Each lesson interesting and insightful. Each day passages of scripture are laid out. There are questions to answer that will bring those scriptures into a new light and level of understanding. As one of my mentors used to say, "You get out of it what you put into it." I encourage you to invest the time.

In my early walk with the Lord, I didn't have a lot of girlfriends. The women I am closest to today are the ones who took the time to mentor and invest in me. Why We Need Girlfriends is like having a road map to all the best stops on your road trip. I recommend this bible study book for every woman who wants to deepen new and existing girlfriend relationships.

Whether you are just beginning like Mary, or have traveled a while, like Elizabeth, Why We Need Girlfriends helps each woman identify mentoring opportunities as she ventures through her life. It asks the deeper questions too, how to keep the lessons alive and active after you've laid down the book. I'm going to get a few more of these because I want to be sure my girlfriend Lisa gets one!

This book was given as a free gift in exchange for my honest opinion of the author's work.

Where Will You Find God?

Do you believe in God? Maybe you doubt God. Maybe you've wondered why God lets evil co-exist with good in the world? Have you walked away from God? Is God really out there? Maybe you have always believed in God. Maybe you’ve crashed headlong into circumstances that just have you second guessing that He is for you. Maybe you’re wondering is God really good? Does He really have things under control? Maybe to you, God feels as though he is far away.
Or possibly, you’ve just wondered about God. You hear the stories, seen people pray to Him and you wonder if He’s real or just hype. Is there a God? And if you wanted to, how can you get in touch with Him?

In the pages of Where is God? Dr. Townsend examines many common causes, catastrophes and disappointments that start us wondering where God is. Townsend uses personal illustrations and makes the information accessible without a lot of psycho-speak. The chapters, though at times overly long, are informative and relevant. Whether you're a non-believer, new believer or a steadfast believer, this book delivers the goods on where God is.

It is my hope that every reader would find what I did in these pages: some level of comfort and understanding. I have had some messed up ideas of who God was, thoughts I didn’t even know I was harboring. Thoughts that caused me years of unrest and doubt that led to distancing myself from Him.
If you have ever wondered where God is, this book could be what you’ve been looking for. Not only does it address several misinterpretations of God, it will lead you to a clearer understanding of His character and the many places where He can be found.
Thomas Nelson provided this book as a gift in exchange for my honest opinion of the author's work.

Have You Read Terror by Night?

Publisher: Tyndale
Hardcover: 288 pgs
ISBN-10: 1414334761
ISBN-13: 9781414334769
Retail: $22.99

About Terror by Night:

(Greenville, TX) – A father denied his daughter dating privileges with a certain young man. Typical teenage behavior might have included pouting, a bad attitude or perhaps even a yelling match. Never in a million years would Terry Caffey have suspected it would involve murder. Yet, in the early morning hours of March 8, 2008, Terry’s whole world turned upside down. His wife and two sons where brutally murdered and burned in the house they lived and Terry was shot twelve times…by his daughter and her friends.
Terry Caffey and James Pence reconstruct this tragic yet strangely beautiful true story of God’s sovereignty, forgiveness and grace in Terror by Night. As if the story of Caffey’s family wasn’t enough, readers will be captivated by the way God ordained the meeting between the Blind Sight author and Caffey with a burnt page from Blind Sight found at the crime scene.