What Have I Been Reading in October?

1.  The Marine's New Family by Roz Dunbar - the first book I read this month was a sweet and easy read.  My coworker gave it to me to read after my surgery.  It was such a sweet book. The characters were good and I kind of want a sequel to see what happens to Luke and Tess.  Tess is a physicians assistant who was injured in a bombing while doing a medical mission in Afghanistan.  Luke is the marine that saves her life.  That's the last time they see each other until God brings them back together in a cozy little beach town in North Carolina.  Luke is stationed nearby but lives in the town with his son Caleb and Tess comes to recover from PTSD.  Her sister in law owns a cottage in town that Luke helps care for.  There is a cute pair of twin aunts who play matchmaker.  I really enjoyed this book.  I read it in a day.  A sweet romance I recommend if you need a quick, delightful, happy story.  I'd love to pass this on to someone who could use a light, happy, and easy read.  Let me know if you want it and I'll put it in the mail.

2.  Secrets of a Charmed Life by Susan Meissner has been on my must read list for a while.  In fact I got it from the library this summer and had to return it because I didn't get to it in time and it had holds on it.  I immediately put another hold on it and three months later it came back to me.  Again with the historical fiction set in the 1940s during World War 2.  I'm so glad I didn't give up on getting this book.  BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR!!  I loved this book so much.  I found myself unable to put it down and not picking it up before bed because I knew I'd be up until dawn reading.  I laughed, cried, shouted out loud, and found myself praying and cheering for characters.  Characters!  So yeah, if 5 stars are the highest rating - I give it a 10.  I gave Matt the entire run down of the book.  He has listened to me carry on for hours about this book.  I can't start another book yet, I just need to savor this story a bit longer. 

3.  Armor of God by Priscilla Shirer - I did this Bible study at my church with the ladies in the evening.  It is a great study!  Priscilla takes the book of Ephesians to teach about how to put on the Armor of God, specifically Ephesians 6:10-16.  The belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, feet shod in the peace of God, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit all activated by the power of prayer.  Some good thoughts about how we view the enemy.  Do we underestimate satan and his attacks on the world or do we give him too much credit?  I definitely fell into the underestimate category.  This study helped me learn how to recognize and pray against the devil's attacks on me, my family, friends, and the world.  I'm so glad I did this study.  I wasn't going to but kept feeling like I should.   Not only did I gain a greater understanding of the power of prayer, I learned how our faith should be less of an adjective that describes us but more of a verb that describes how we live and pursue the Lord.  Plus, I met some great ladies!

4.  The Holy Bible!  I did the Bible in 90 Days reading plan and finished this month.  I started in July so it took me longer than 90 days.  More like 107. But I did it.  From Genesis to Revelations. All I can say is wow. I'm so glad I did it.  This wasn't a study, no commentary, just reading God's word.  Something I've never done.  I've read books here and there and done studies of different books or topics.  This was a powerful experience.  I highly recommend it!  No shame if it takes longer than 90 days.  You won't regret it.  If you have a Bible app on your phone you can listen to it as well. That's what I did, I'd read a bit then listen in my car.  

5.  Play with Fire by Bianca Olthoff - What a great book!  This is a great memoir/Christian living book.  I'd put this more in the memoir category.  Memoir of a rockin' Christ loving, fierce woman.  Bianca chronicles her life as a pastor's kid in LA, her mother's illness, and how she turned to the Holy Spirit.  The byline of this book is Discovering Fierce Faith, Unquenchable Passion and  Life-Giving God.  I related to her desert times (for different reasons) that she felt were destroying her life and how God used that time to refine her.  I loved her thoughts on crying out to God, which I felt like could apply to praying out loud.  "God knows our hearts and hears the faintest whisper... But when we're desperate enough to cry out, we are humbled.... when we're humbled... God responds with saving power."  Another favorite reminder is that the enemy knows our name and calls us by our sin.  God knows our sin and calls us by our name. This is a book I wish I hadn't borrowed from the library because I would have highlighted many parts.  (But I'm thrilled my library is carrying new books by Christian authors).