Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Thursday, December 26, 2013
The Scent of Fear Blog Tour
Bloggers love writing and bloggers love books... well, most of us do! Susan Reinhardt sets the tone when it comes to writing a fabulous blog and she sets the pace when it comes to publishing books :) yes, she has done it again!
First came The Moses Conspiracy, now comes..... The Scent of Fear.
The Zimmermans enjoy the tenuous peace in the wake of their hair-raising year battling the New Patriots. Unexpected visitors once again throw them into turmoil.
Jim Kenneman, Director of National Security, masterminded the plan to break up a hate group ravaging the Christian community. Now, his enemies are out to eliminate him. Should he make a run for it or stick by his tried-and-true negotiating skills?
Monty Addison, a topnotch operative, carried out his assignment in Bird-in-Hand. A plot to destroy his boss sends him on a mission. Without agency sanction, it may cost him everything - his career, his family, and maybe his life.
Dr. Abby Weaver strives to save infants and toddlers in Holmes County, Ohio. When she meets two strangers, she can't get the tall, handsome one out of her mind. Will their paths intersect again or will dangerous times keep them apart?
The Scent of Fear is available at:
~~~Amazon~~~
~~~Barnes and Noble~~~
Susan J. Reinhardt's publishing credits include her debut novel, The Moses Conspiracy, as well as devotionals, short articles, and contributions to anthologies. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers.
A widow, daughter, stepmom, and active church member, Susan resides in Pennsylvania. When not writing, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, couponing, gardening, and finding small treasures in antique shops.
~Karen Korb, http://stillmagnolias.
The Giveaway
Open to US addresses only. One person will receive a $25 Amazon GC and a copy of The Scent of Fear. Please use the Rafflecopter below to be entered:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The winner will be chosen from those entries and announced January 17, 2014. Good luck!
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code. Winning entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and announced here as well as e-mailed, and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Diane at That’s What I’m Here For… and sponsored by the author, Susan J. Reinhardt. The author provided me with a free copy of The Scent of Fear to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a giveaway in return for the free book.VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Trees can talk
Well, yeah... it's the month of December. That calls for rummaging through old notebooks and journals... just for remembrance sake. It also calls for short blog posts, because no one has time to read them.
I just LOVE going through old spiritual journals. Reading the old entries takes me back to the excitement of being a new believer. It takes me back to discovering truth and reading the Bible with eyes open for the first time. The other day I was going through some of my musings and found something that, I believe, is worth sharing...
The few lines I wrote down that day capture the essence of fresh faith: being surprised and excited about everything that can be learned from His Word! And that excitement captures the birth of this weblog Fresh Insights on Ancient Truths as well.
March 7, 2005
"Lord, what do I know about you? What do I really understand about everything You created? According to your Word stones can listen (Joshua 24:27) and trees can talk (Judges 9:9). That goes against everything I know to be the truth. Just because I never heard a tree (or a donkey for that matter) speak, doesn't mean it is impossible. Everything is possible with God!"
Just being curious:
Do you use this month to look back on the past year, and do you ever go through old journals?
Friday, December 13, 2013
Devout
'The book of Acts is about the actions of the apostles, not about their intentions', I heard someone say. That is a good reason for Christians to read that book regularly. It shows how believers under the New Covenant can and should live.
Besides it being a practical book, it is also a book full of colorful characters. The other day I was reading about this Italian guy Cornelius (who invited Jewish Peter for a not-so-kosher meal at his house). The Bible says about him: He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly (Acts 10:2).
Well, there you have it again; a sentence, a single verse that really makes me think. Cornelius was a devout man. What exactly is a devout man? I am asking myself. Being devout has often kind of a negative religious sound. Devout people are fanatic, hypocrite or narrow minded... But what does the Bible say about being devout? Cornelius and all his family were God-fearing, he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.
Looking back at one of my previous posts I noticed that the fear of God is a condition for church growth. Fear of God is also an attribute of devout people. God-fearing is being translated in this verse as being a person of:
- generosity and
- prayer
A devout (God-fearing) person prays much and opens his/her wallet with joy to give GENEROUSLY to those in need. I think this is truly something we have to learn as believers! Recently we asked everyone in our church this question: Make a rough inventory of your expenses (apart from home payments and food). Think about: memberships, magazines, clothes, gadgets, snacks, vacation etc. How does this stand in relationship to your investments in God's Kingdom?
Well, needless to say that it brought about much discussion and comments :) But believe me, it is a great exercise to find out where our heart really lies.
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Inexpensive yet valuable Christmas presents
Yeah, I have decided to do it this December month. I have been asking myself whether 'doing it' would be considered spamming... but I have to come to the conclusion that promoting my own books falls in the following category recommendations and tips :)
And why not? The books have been and still are a blessing to readers worldwide. The award winning book Grace of Giving has been translated in German and Italian and is currently being translated in the Spanish and Macedonian language. I am thrilled to see this book going all over Europe, changing lives of believers, especially during this time of economic uncertainty. I am thrilled that pastors, leaders, missionaries and churches all over Europe are embracing the principles in the book. But, I wrote it first of all for the American public...
So, if you are looking for an inexpensive, yet valuable Christmas present for your loved ones... Please consider ordering one of my books. They're easy to read, but loaded with nuggets of truth and wisdom. They can be ordered from most internet book sellers for less than 10 bucks. I am looking forward to hear which one you all liked most!
Order now in time for Christmas!
Tuesday, December 03, 2013
Church growth
Last month we were in Israel, for the umpteenth time :) It has been more than thirty years ago that we first set foot in that country. And yet, each time we go again we discover new places; villages, beaches, forests, parks and excavations that we skipped during previous visits.
This is so much like my travels through God's Word. I am currently reading, for the umpteenth time, through the book of Acts... and yet, I discover news things again. In chapter nine, verse 31 I read the following: Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.
We have come to believe that the church grows best during times of persecution and crisis. This is a principle of all times and places. But here it clearly says that the church grew during a time of peace. So, that is a possibility we should not ignore. It seems to me a great encouragement for the church in the Western world. We do not have to wait for persecution in order to grow.
I have been reading many articles recently about a general decline in church membership. But something has to be wrong in the way we think. From a biblical point of view the number of believers can grow in a country where there is freedom of religion and peace. According to the above scripture there are only two conditions:
- living in fear of the Lord, and
- encouragement by the Holy Spirit
The NKJV says in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied. Well, that is surely good news for all churches decreasing in numbers. Let's put aside our plans, ideas and strategies and designate a few (Sun)days for all members to fall on their knees and to cry out to the Holy Spirit to do His work.
I would love to hear good reports.
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