Why?

~Saturday Stories~ 

Sometimes
I don't understand WHY
And I think
I understand WHO
So I blame
The Creator for WHAT
We have messed up

Look to
The Bible WHERE
God tells you
That He saved us WHEN
We were in sin

HOW? Love
His amazing love

How about you? Have you ever struggled with something and wondered why God would let such a thing happen? 

"Admitting it shows courage" and more quotes

~Saturday Stories~ 

"Everybody does things that they regret, Beka. Making a mistake and admitting it shows courage." - Renee, The Masquerade

"When you say 'If God loves me - if Jesus loves me,' that means you have some doubt. As long as you have that 'if', you're going to doubt the opportunities that Jesus puts right in front of you. I'm sure that bums him out. ... God loves you. There is no 'if'... That's why he sent Jesus to show us the way - he loves you that much. He's our Father - and you know how much a father loves his kids." - Dr. Peter, Sophie's World

"True peace only comes when God dwells within thee." -Mrs. Fry, The Thieves of Tyburn Square

"Prayer. When all else fails, or even succeeds, prayer can change things." -Pastor Ray, Faded Denim

How about you? Have you done things that you regret? Do you trust that God loves you? Have you experienced true peace or felt the power of prayer? 

Why?

~Saturday Stories~

Why is there so much trouble on earth?
Why can't we all simply live merrily?
Why does life seem pointless sometimes?
Why is earth such a disaster? Why? Why?

Because everyone has sinned, all, all
Have fallen short of the glory of God.
Oh, I so long to be perfect, but no!
It is impossible. God is perfect.

Yes, only He, only God is perfect.
He wants us to follow the Only God.
I tell you, life might be hard at times.
But in the end He will come and win! Yes!

I look forward to that, but now I will
Follow Him my entire life, my whole life.

"Prayer is a strong wall" and more quotes

~Saturday Stories~

"Prayer is a strong wall and fortress of the church; it is a goodly Christian weapon." -Martin Luther

"The Christian life is not a constant high. I have my moments of deep discouragement. I have to go to God in prayer with tears in my eyes, and say, 'O God, forgive me,' or 'Help me.'" -Billy Graham

"If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one." -Mother Teresa

"A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling 'darkness' on the wall of his cell." - C.S. Lewis

How about you? Which quotes do you like best? Which topic is closer to your heart? Can you share some quotes that touch you?

Purple Moon by Tessa Emily Hall

~Saturday Stories~

Typical Selena: If people really got to know me—my weaknesses, my pain, my “bad habits”—they’d reject me in a heartbeat. That’s what I fear. But whether or not it’s true, it’s just safer not giving them the chance. Easier for me just to allow people to only know what I reveal to them about myself. Nothing deeper... Once I begin to trust people enough to give them the key to my heart, they have access to knowing all about me—and permission to make fun of my flaws. That’s when I get hurt. Then I’m scarred forever.

Her father rejected her. Her boyfriend hurt her. Now Selena longs for a new start. She and her mom move from New York City to a small town named Lake Lure for the summer - a new beginning for both of them. But can it really work this time? Can Selena find something new and refreshing in this life that has only thrown her problems? Will there ever be a fairy tale just for her?

Purple Moon is a story of healing, a story of learning to trust again. Selena's father is a pastor and after he throws her mom and her out of the house, Selena finds it hard to even come near Christians. They're way too "perfect" for her. Anyway, it's God who caused all the problems, right? With the help of new friends and experiences, Selena comes to learn more of the awesome God who has a very special plan for her future.

Selena's back story affected who she became; believing in Christ wasn't easy for her. I admire that Tessa Emily Hall wrote a story so full of brokenness and yet spilling over with hope also. I felt that the beginning was slow and the ending was stretched. Also, Austin sometimes seemed to perfect of a guy. But, overall, this is a story of someone who was broken healing - with Christ. Because Christ's the only One who can truly heal.

For more on Tessa Emily Hall, visit her website, Facebook page, and blog.

Shadow of Doubt by Terri Blackstock

~Saturday Stories~

Typical Celia: Celia reached for a tissue next to the bed and blew her nose. "I read about all those martyrs in the Bible who walked into furnaces and lions' dens and were crucified and beaten and beheaded... and I kept wishing that I had some greater purpose for my suffering, too. ... But there isn't any grand purpose here, Allie. There's no greater good. It's all just a mistake."

Celia's husband had died of arsenic poisoning.  And she was accused - though not convicted. And just when Celia thought the nightmares were over, her second husband gets poisoned too. Who is the killer and why would he want to do this to her again? Doesn't anybody believe that she's innocent?

Shadow of Doubt is not only a mystery but a Christian one. Throughout the story, Celia learns to trust God with the battle instead of trying to do fight it herself.

I wasn't ready for the length of the book -370 pages - and would have liked a faster-paced novel. However, I'm not the targeted audience, which would probably find the length acceptable. The story is told from multiple points-of-views. About halfway through I thought about it, figured out who the murderer was, and later had the satisfaction of saying "told ya." I wasn't prepared for how smart he was, though.

This is the second in the Newpointe 911 series. The first is Private Justice, and the rest are Word of Honor, Trial by Fire, and Line of Duty.

For more on Terri Blackstock visit her website and Facebook page.

Revolutionary (Anomaly) by Krista McGee

~Saturday Stories~

Typical Thalli: I wish John were here. The Designer would listen to him. Or, at the very least, John would know what to do in the face of the Designer’s silence. I feel so very alone.

Thalli is held hostage by Loudin as he makes Kristie work on the oxygen in the State. As Thalli learns more and more about his dark plans to change the world in unstoppable ways, she knows they have to stop him. But how can they, when Loudin seems to have everything - absolutely everything - under control? And why is the Designer not doing anything?

Revolutionary is the last book in the Anomaly trilogy. This story is like the first two - Anomaly and Luminary - in that it has plot twists you would have never imagined and is written in a way that will keep you turning pages. It shows you that, even when you don't feel that God is near you, He is, and He'll turn everything that seems to be going wrong into something beautiful.

Personally, I thought the ending could have been bigger, but that does not stop me from eagerly awaiting Krista McGee's next book.

Krista McGee has written the Anomaly trilogy as well as three other books: First Date, Starring Me and Right Where I Belong. For more on her visit her website and Facebook page.

God is consistent!

You know the feeling when life is so confusing? So inexplicably CONFUSING. What is the truth? What's not? Who can I lean on? How should I behave? What should I do? What is right and wrong? Why is life so unfair?

It's scary to think this way. It's scary not to know what to think, what to believe.

But there is good news.

No matter how confused we are, GOD IS CONSISTENT. Even when we're doubting the world, ourselves and Him. He is ALWAYS, ALWAYS God.

Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. Psalm 90:2