2010 Reading Challenge

I'm joining the challenge to read 100 or more books in 2010. Click here if you would like to join in.

1. The Choice by Suzanne Woods Fisher
2. Two Brides Too Many by Mona Hodgson
3. Thicker Than Blood by C.J. Darlington
4. The Chic Shal Inherit the Earth by Shelley Adina
5. The Male Factor by Shaunti Feldhahn
6. A Stray Drop of Blood by Roseanna M. White
7. Jenna's Cowboy by Sharon Gillenwater
8. My Lady by Joyce Wheeler
9. The Bride Backfire by Kelly Eileen Hake
10. Corrigan's Pool by Dot Ryan
11. The Bride Blunder by Kelly Eileen Hake
12. Songs of Deliverance by Marilynn Griffith
13. Beautiful by Cindy Martinusen-Coloma
14. Love Finds You in Bridal Veil Oregon by Miralee Ferrell
15. Love Finds You in Hershey Pennsylvania by Cerella D. Secrhist
16. Katy's New World by Kim Vogel Sawyer
17. Spring Breakdown by Melody Carlson
18. Winter's Awakening by Shelly Shepard Gray
19. Third Time's A Charm by Virginia Smith
20. Dreams That Won't Let Go by Stacy Hawkins Adams
21. Anything But Normal by Melody Carlson
22. Thin Places by Mary DeMuth
23. Never Say Never by Lisa Wingate
24. Plain Perfect by Beth Wiseman
25. Plain Pursuit by Beth Wiseman
26. Camp Club Girls #1-The Mystery At Discovery Lake by Renae Brumbaugh
27. Swinging on a Star by Janice Thompson
28. A Kiss For Cade by Lori Copeland
29. Angel's Den by Jamie Carie
30. So Long Insecurity by Beth Moore
31. Listen by Rene Gutteridge
32. You Can Still Wear Cute Shoes by Lisa McKay
33. Abigail by Jill Eileen Smith
34. Out With the In Crowd by Stephanie Morrill
35. The Golden Cross by Angel Hunt
36. Becoming Lucy by Martha Rogers
37. Beneath A Southern Sky by Deborah Raney
38. Desert Fire by Shannon Van Roekel
39. Plain Jayne by Hillary Manton Lodge
40. Never Far From Home by Mary Ellis
41. Never Blame The Umpire by Gene Fehler
42. All Things Hidden by Tricia Goyer
43. The Country House Courtship by Linore Rose Burkard
44. Beaded Hope by Cathy Liggett
45. Screen Play by Chris Coppernoll
46. Sons of Thunder by Susan May Warren
47. Genoa Bay by Bette Nordberg
48. The Bride Collector by Ted Dekker
49. It's In My Blood by Shawneda Marks
50. A Distant Melody by Sarah Sundin
51. Yesterday's Promise by Vanessa Miller
52. Walking on Broken Glass by Christa Allan
53. Dead Reckoning by Ronie Kendig
54. The Right Call by Kathy Herman
55. Scars and Stilettos by Harmony Dust
56. Chosen by Ginger Garrett
57. Menu for Romance by Kaye Dacus
58. A Case for Love by Kaye Dacus
59. Scattered Petals by Amanda Cabot
60. Here Burns My Candle by Liz Curtis Higgs
61. Deliver Us From Evil by Robin Carroll
62. The Silent Governess by Julie Klassen
63. Cowgirl At Heart by Christine Lynxwiler
64. A Flickering Light by Jane Kirkpatrick
65. An Absence So Great by Jane Kirkpatrick
66. In The Midst Of It All by Tiffany L. Warren
67. The Promise of Morning by Ann Shorey
68. Songbird Under A German Moon by Tricia Goyer
69. Plain Paradise by Beth Wiseman
70. Once In A Blue Moon by Leanna Ellis
71. Disaster Status by Candace Calvert
72. Asking For Trouble by Sandra Byrd
73. Sworn To Protect by DiAnn Mills
74. Deadly Disclosures by Julie Cave
75. Too Close To Home by Lynette Eason
76. Forget Me Not by Vicki Hinze
77. Her Mother's Hope by Francine Rivers
78. A Stranger's Wish by Gayle Roper
79. Breathe by Lisa T. Bergren
80. Sing by Lisa T. Bergren
81. In Harm's Way by Irene Hannon
82. Bridegrooms by Allison Pittman
83. A Corpse at St. Andrew's Chapel by Mel Starr
84. Lonestar Homecoming by Colleen Coble
85. No Greater Love by Kathi Macias
86. Texas Roads by Cathy Bryant
87. Beguiled by Deeanne Gist and J.Mark Bertrand
88. The Hidden Flame by Davis Bunn and Janette Oke
89. Highland Blessings by Jennifer Hudson Taylor
90. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
91. Rebecca's Choice by Jerry S. Eicher
92. The Anonymous Bride by Vickie McDonough
93. Not A Sparrow Falls by Linda Nichols
94. Prevailing Love by Loree Lough
95. Witness by E.G. Lewis
96. Heading Home by Renee Riva
97. It Had to Be You by Janice Thompson
98. More Than Conquerors by Kathi Macias
99. Unwilling Warrior by Andrea Boeshaar
100. Finding Jeena by Miralee Ferrell
101. Indivisible by Kristen Heitzmann
102. Morning for Dove by Martha Rogers
103. Code Blue by Richard L.Mabry MD
104. This Fine Life by Eva Marie Everson
105. Betsy's Return by Wanda Brunstetter
106. Darlington Woods by Mike Dellosso
107. The Overseer by Conlan Brown
108. Refuge on Crescent Hill by Melanie Dobson
109. Rooms by James L. Rubart
110. Fit To Be Tied by Robin Lee Hatcher
111. The King by Linda Rios Brook
112. A Matter of Character by Robin Lee Hatcher
113. The Last Christian by David Gregory
114. Almost Forever by Deborah Raney
115. Wildflower Bride by Mary Connealy
116. She Walks in Beauty by Siri Mitchell
117. A Tailor-Made Bride by Karen Witemeyer
118. Hannah Grace by Sharlene MacLaren
119. Texas Roads by Cathy Bryant
120. The Ark by Boyd Morrison
121. Maggie Rose by Sharlene MacLaren
122. Abbie Ann by Sharlene MacLaren
123. The Poet Prince by Kathleen McGowan
124. A Slow Burn by Mary DeMuth
125. Life in Defiance by Mary DeMuth
126. Hurricanes in Paradise by Denise Hildreth
127. They Almost Always Come Home Cynthia Ruchti
128. Sins of the Mother by Victoria Christopher Murray
129. The Six Liter Club by Harry Kraus
130. The Unfinished Gift by Dan Walsh
131. Snow Melts in Spring by Deborah Vogts
132. The Homecoming by Dan Walsh
133. Seeds of Summer by Deborah Vogts
134. Love on a Dime by Cara Lynn James
135. The Confessions of Catherine DeMedici by G.W. Gortner
136. No Place for a Lady by Maggie Brendan
137. The Jewel of His Heart by Maggie Brendan
138. A Love of Her Own by Maggie Brendan
139. The Healer by Linda Windsor
140. Caleb + Kate by Cindy Martinusen Coloma
141. Claim by Lisa T Bergren
142. Victory Song by Jeri Doner
143. A Shore Thing by Julie Carobini
144. The Mailbox by Marybeth Whalen
145. Missing Max by Karen Young
146. Sixteen Brides by Stephanie Grace Whitson
147. Somewhere to Belong by Judith Miller
148. Hearts Awakening by Delia Parr
149. The Sheriff's Surrender by Susan Page Davis
150. The Gunsmith's Gallantry by Susan Page Davis
151. The King's Mistress by Emma Campion
152. Love's Rescue by Tammy Barley
153. Hope's Promise by Tammy Barley
154. Touching the Clouds by Bonnie Leon
155. Shades of Morning by Marlo Schalesky
156. David and Goliath by Bryan Hathaway
157. Perfectly Dateless by Kristin Billerbeck
158. Beautiful Bandit by Loree Lough
159. Sarah's Garden by Kelly Long
160. Nightshade by Ronie Kendig
161. Courting Morrow Little by Laura Franz
162. God Knows My Name by Beth Redman
163. Predator by Terri Blackstock
164. Ransomed Dreams by Sally John
165. Resurrection in May by Lisa Samson
166. Heart of Stone by Jill Marie Landis
167. Deceit by Brandilyn Collins
168. The Seeker by Ann Gabhart
169. So Over It by Stephanie Morrill
170. The Fence My Father Built by Linda S. Clare
171. Demon: A Memoir by Tosca Lee
172. The Bishop by Steven James
173. Ransome's Crossing by Kaye Dacus
174. Final Touch by Brandilyn and Amberly Collins
175. Katy's Debate by Kim Vogel Sawyer
176. Premiere by Melody Carlson
177. Simple Secrets by Nancy Mehl
178. Walker's Wedding by Lori Copeland
179. Catwalk by Melody Carlson
180. Vanishing Act by Liz Johnson
181. Catching Moondrops by Jennifer Erin Valent
182. With Hearts and Hymns and Voices by Pam Rhodes
183. Close to His Heart by Leonora Pruner
184. Doctor in Petticoats by Mary Connealy
185. Solitary by Travis Thrasher
186. The Way to a Man's Heart by Mary Ellis
187. Driftwood Lane by Denise Hunter
188. The Vigilante's Bride by Yvonne Harris
189. A Gift of Grace by Amy Clipston
190. Love Charleston by Beth Webb Hart
191. The Malacca Conspiracy by Don Brown
192. The Last Queen by G.W. Gortner
193. Love Finds You in Liberty, Indiana by Melanie Dobson
194. The Cool Woman by John Aubrey Anderson
195. Fear No Evil by Robin Carroll
196. A Love For Tomorrow by Vanessa Miller
197. Spring's Renewal by Shelley Shepard Gray
198. McKenzie by Penny Zeller
199. Love Finds You in Victory Heights Washington by Tricia Goyer and Ocienna Fleiss
200. Ashes to Water by Irene Ziegler
201. Tender Vow by Sharlene MacLaren
202. A Dream for Hannah by Jerry S Eicher
203. A Hope for Hannah by Jerry S. Eigher
204. Terminal Care by Christopher Stookey
205. Medical Error by Richard L. Mabry
206. Making Waves by Lorna Seilstad
207. Song of the Silent Harp by BJ Hoff
208. Immanuel's Veins by Ted Dekker
209. Heart of the Lonely Exile by BJ Hoff
210. Petra: City of Stone by T.L. Higley
211. Juliet by Anne Fortier
212. The Black Madonna by Davis Bunn
213. Whisper on the Wind by Maureen Lang
214. Her Daughter's Dream by Francine Rivers
215. Beyond Justice by Joshua Graham
216. Stay by Allie Larkin
217. A Very Private Grave by Donna Fletcher
218. A Promise of Hope by Amy Clipston
219. A Hope Undaunted by Julie Lessman
220. Where Hearts Are Free by Golden Keyes Parsons
221. The Miracle of Mercy Land by River Jordan
222. Love Remains by Kaye Dacus
223. Angel Song by Sheila Walsh and Kathryn Cushman
224. The Perfect Blend by Trish Perry
225. The House on Malcolm Street by Leisha Kelly
226. Arsenic and Clam Chowder by James D. Livingston
227. Judgment Day bu Wanda Dyer
228. Surrender the Heart by Marylu Tyndall
229. Code Triage by Candace Calvert
230. The Waiting by Suzanne Woods Fisher
231. The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson
232. Lady in Waiting by Susan Meissner
233. A Memory Between Us by Sarah Sundin
234. The Book of Unholy Mischief by Ellie Newmark
235. Up From the Blue by Susan Henderson
236. The Twelfth Imam by Joel C. Rosenberg
237. The Lost Dogs by Jim Gorant
238. Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball by Donita K Paul
239. Don't Look Back by Lynette Eason
240. Uncertain Heart by Andrea Boshaar
241. The God Hater by Bill Myers
242. What Good is God by Philip Yancey
243. Emily's Chance by Sharon Gillenwater
244. Red Ink by Kathi Macias
245. America's Prophet by Bruce Feiler
246. Heidegger's Glasses by Thaisa Frank
247. The Book of Eli by Sam Moffee
248. If I...I Will by Debbie Sutton Covington
249. The Sixth Surrender by Hana Samek Norton
250. Almost Heaven by Chris Fabry
251. The Portrait by Hazel Statham
252. Crestmont by Holly Weiss
253. Christmas at Harrington's by Melody Carlson
254. Finding Becky by Martha Rogers
255. Lost Lustre by Josh Karlen
256. Sarah's Christmas Miracle by Mary Ellis
257. The Mermaid's Pendant by Leann Neal Reilly
258. A Plain & Simple Christmas by Amy Clipston
259. The Snowflake by Jamie Carie
260. A Path Less Traveled by Cathy Bryant
261. Faith's Reward by Tammy Barley
262. Nightingale by Susan May Warren
263. Dining With Joy by Rachel Hauck
264. God Loves Single Moms by Teresa Whitehurst
265. City of Tranquil Light by Bo Caldwell
266. Maverick Heart by Loree Lough
267. Sounds Like Crazy by Shana Mahaffey
268. Deeper Than the Dead by Tami Haog
269. Secrets to the Grave by Tami Hoag
270. Queen Hereafter by Susan Fraser King
271. Love Finds You Under the Mistletoe by Irene Brand and Anita Higman
272. The Pirate Queen by Patricia Hickman
273. A Lady Like Sarah by Margaret Brownley
274. A Suitor for Jenny by Margaret Brownely
275. Within My Heart by Tamera Alexander
276. In Every Heartbeat by Kim Vogel Sawyer
277. Love's First Bloom by Delia Parr
278. The King's Daughter by Christie Dickason
279. The Clouds Roll Away by Sibella Giorello




Blessings

Kelly's Chance by Wanda E. Brunstetter

Kelly's Chance by Wanda E. Brunstetter is a beautiful and heart-warming story that I truly enjoyed.

I was never much of a fan of history when I was young, but now I love reading fiction that takes place in different eras with different ways of life. This story is unique to any I have read before because of the setting. It takes place on Pennsylvania's Lehigh Canal and it was fascinating to read about their way of life in that time and place.

It was a great story with characters that captured my heart and stuck with me even after I finished the book. I found myself wishing for more of their story.

Kelly's Chance is book 1 in her Brides of Lehigh Canal series and book 2 is Betsy's Return that is due to be released in March 2010. I will be looking forward to reading Betsy Nelson's story.

I would highly recommend this story for anyone. It's a wonderful story and a great picture of God's incredible love and mercy for all of us.



Book Summary:

Life for Kelly McGregor is a daily drudge of driving her overbearing father’s mules along Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Canal. She dreams of one day owning an art gallery where her own drawings and paintings are on display. But these dreams don’t include marriage. . .not after seeing what her father has done to her mother. How then can Mike Cooper, a general store owner, make her realize he is different than her father and wants to support her artistic talent? Will Kelly learn that dreams can walk hand in hand with a love created by God?


Purchase this book here.



Author Bio:

Award-winning, bestselling author, Wanda E. Brunstetter and her husband live in Washington State but take every opportunity to visit friends in Amish settlements throughout the States.


Visit Wanda's website here.




This book was provided for review by Barbour Publishing.




Blessings,

The Last Word by Kathy Herman

The Last Word is book #2 in Kathy Herman's Sophie Trace trilogy. I love the way the author combines mystery and suspense along with compelling family drama all together in this story.

In both of the books so far in this series I have really enjoyed getting to know the town of Sophie Trace and its people. It is a charming small town setting with wonderful characters that I have come to know almost as family.

Kathy is an extremely talented author of suspense. She grabs you at the start and you won't want to put the book down until the very end.

I really recommend this book, especially if you enjoy mystery and suspense. If you haven't read book 1, The Real Enemy, you could still read this one as a stand alone book. However, I think you get a much better appreciation for the characters by reading both books. I look forward to book 3, The Right Call, due out in March 2010.




Book Summary:

When Vanessa Jessup returns home from her sophomore year of college, her mother, Sophie Trace Police Chief Brill Jessup, is stunned to see that she's pregnant-by one of her professors. While Brill is glad her middle daughter rejected the father's abortion ultimatum, she's also hurt that Vanessa ignored her upbringing and angry that the professor has disappeared without so much as a nickel of child support.

But that's not all Brill's got on her plate. One of her detectives has been killed, and the attacker has threatened to come for her next. When a second cop is wounded, public criticism mounts as Brill attempts to stay alive long enough to catch the perp. And she's trying to find that deadbeat dad, while Vanessa struggles to make decisions about her future.

The killer seems to be everywhere and nowhere. How can a police chief—and a mother—do her job with her life on the line? In a show of grace under pressure, Brill will manage to have the last word, even if it kills her.

Purchase the book here.

Author Bio:

Kathy Herman has written fifteen novels, including CBA best sellers Tested by Fire, All Things Hidden, and The Real Enemy, since retiring from her family's Christian bookstore business. Kathy and her husband, Paul, have three grown children and five grandchildren and live in Tyler, Texas.


Visit Kathy's website here.




This book was provided for review by B & B Media Group.



Blessings,

The Husband Tree by Mary Connealy

The Husband Tree is Mary Connealy's book 2 in her Montana Marriages series. With her latest books, Montana Rose, Cowboy Christmas and now The Husband Tree, I become a bigger fan of Mary's with each new book. She has gone from an author I like, to being honestly, one of my favorite authors.

Montana Rose was book 1 in this series and I loved it so much that I was not expecting to like this book as much, but Mary totally blew me away and I truly loved The Husband Tree even more. I would not have thought that to be possible. And, honestly, after being introduced to our main character, Belle, in book 1, I did not think I was going to be able to relate to her and wasn't even sure I could like her that much. Boy was I wrong! I never would have dreamed I could so totally relate to a fictional character from the wild west in the 1800s.

Mary is a very talented author and she is just wonderful at writing this genre in that historical time period. She masterfully combines edge-of-your-seat suspense, with romance, and then gives you characters that you will completely fall in love with. And on top of all of that, she weaves in a wonderful message of God's love, mercy and forgiveness.

I highly recommend this book. In fact, I say do not miss this book, especially if you have read Montana Rose, but even if you haven't. It can be a stand alone novel but I recommend both books.



Book Summary:

Hit the trail into the Old West, where a tough lady rancher and a seemingly aimless wrangler attempt to avoid the matrimonial noose. When Belle Tanner hires Silas Harden to help her get her cattle to market, the last thing she’s looking for is romance. So why does she turn into jelly whenever he’s near? Silas wants nothing to do with women, but he can’t seem to resist the pull of love when it comes to Belle. Can they make it through this cattle drive without getting hitched? Or will they steer straight into a commitment neither one counted on?


Purchase this book here.


Author Bio:

Mary Connealy is an author, journalist, and teacher. She lives on a Nebraska farm with her husband, Ivan, and has four mostly grown daughters. If you hunt hard enough, you can find Mary on the Internet like a middle-aged, female “Where’s Waldo” at www.myspace.com/petticoatranch or www.maryconnealy.com.




This book was provided for review by Barbour Publishing.



Blessings,

The Blue Enchantress by M.L. Tyndall

The Blue Enchantress is an incredible book that hooked me from page 1. If I had been able to, I would have read this book in one sitting because I hated every time I had to put it down. You won't want to miss this wonderful high seas adventure.

This story is a great blend of suspense and romance along with compelling characters. The author swept me away to a far away land and another era. The story takes place in the early 1700s in the Caribbean and it's full of heroes and villains, ladies and nobleman, sailors and pirates, and as much adventure as you could possibly pack into one novel.

On top of all the adventure the author gives us wonderful characters that will capture your heart and will stick with you long after you've finished the book. Throughout all the heart racing action and adventure she also blends in a beautiful picture of God's grace and love for us.

I highly recommend that you do not miss out on this book. This is book 2 in her Charles Towne Belles series. Book one is The Red Siren, and the third book, The Raven Saint is due out on January and I cannot wait.



Book Summary:

Get swept away in a high-tide of romance and adventure from acclaimed author M. L. Tyndall. Attempting to forget about a painful past, Hope Westcott plunges into Charles Towne society trying to find love and acceptance. Captain Nathaniel Mason is determined to build his shipping business and doesn’t need a romantic entanglement—especially with a woman like Hope. When Hope’s adventure-seeking puts her freedom—and her life—in jeopardy, will Nathaniel turn his back or follow God’s voice and sacrifice everything to save her?



Purchase this book here.



Author Bio:

M.L. Tyndall, a Christy Award finalist, lives in California with her husband, six grown children, and four cats.



The book was provided for review by Barbour Publishing.


Blessings,

12 Pearls of Christmas: Celebrate

What Really Matters
by Dawn Meehan

In the hustle and bustle and commercialism of Christmas, take time to remember the real reason why we celebrate - the birth of Christ, our Lord and Saviour. May you all have a blessed Christmas!

I had a VERY long day with the kids doing little but fighting. By the time we left for church, we were all short tempered, snapping at each other, and not at all in the Christmas spirit. Thankfully, once at church, we calmed down. Things were put in perspective for us. We sang Christmas songs and began to smile at one another again. The kids didn't fight once while we were there. Well, they did use their battery operated candles as light sabers for a minute, but we'll forget about that part.

I never sent out cards (sorry to all my family and friends). It just didn't happen this year. I don't think I ever completely finished my shopping, but it's a little late now. Several items I ordered online have been back ordered. I just realized that the kids have eaten all the cookies I've made and there are none to put out for Santa now. I encouraged them to leave him a glass of wine instead. And I failed to read the Christmas story to the kids before they went to bed.

But you know what? None of that matters. It really doesn't. Christmas is here! Christ is born! And He doesn't care if we sent out Christmas cards. He doesn't care if we ate all the cookies we baked. He doesn't even care if we never got around to baking a single cookie at all! He loves us no matter how much we screw up.

Now that's worth celebrating!

_____________________________

Dawn Meehan (aka mom2my6pack) grew up in Chicagoland where she began her writing career at the age of 5 with her widely praised, The Lucky Leprechaun, an epic tale of a leprechaun who is- yes, you guessed it, lucky.

Dawn has six children, basically because she didn't want seven. She is the author of Because I Said So and spends her days blogging at BecauseISaidSo.com, changing diapers, cleaning pudding off her ceiling, tackling insurmountable piles of laundry, and explaining to her kids why they can't have a pet squirrel or an indoor slip-n-slide.

__________________________________

A three strand pearl necklace will be given away on New Year's Day. All you need to do to have a chance of winning is leave a comment here. Come back on New Year's Day to see if you won!

12 Pearls of Christmas Series and contest sponsored by Pearl Girls®. For more information, please visit www.pearlgirls.info

A Widow's Hope by Mary Ellis

A Widow's Hope is a sweet, heart-warming story that is a beautiful picture of God's love and mercy.

I truly enjoyed this book and was hooked from the start. I really loved the characters in this story, especially our heroine, Hannah. She has a wonderful heart for God and for others, but has a mind of her own and a stubborn streak that sometimes gets her in a bit of trouble. The story drew me in until I felt like this family was a family I actually knew.

The author makes me wish I was part of this wonderful Amish community. Her vivid descriptions made me want to jump in the car and drive to Amish country in Pennsylvania and Ohio.

It is a refreshing and wonderful story of loss, love, and forgiveness. It's a beautiful picture of God's faithfulness and putting our trust in Him. I really enjoyed the different relationships in this story between the characters and there is always just a bit of suspense that keeps you wondering what is going to happen.

I would highly recommend this book. I think it has a little something for everyone with a mixture of romance, drama, a solid Biblical message, humor and a touch of suspense that keeps you wondering how the story will turn out. This was the first book that I've read by Mary Ellis but I am a fan now, and I am anxious to read her next book in this series. Book 2, Never Far From Home, is due to release on 1/1/10.

Book Summary:

A bright new voice shares a tender love story set in the rolling green fields of Ohio Amish country.

After the death of her husband, Hannah Brown is determined to make a new life with her sister’s family. But when she sells her farm in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and moves with her sheep to Ohio, the wool unexpectedly starts to fly. Her deacon brother–in–law finds just about everything about Hannah vexing. When his widower brother shows interest in the young and beautiful widow, the deacon turns to prayer for guidance.

Hannah thought she could never love again, until she meets the strong, gentle farmer. Unfortunately, Seth Miller’s only interest is in Hannah’s sheep. He is content in his bachelor state and slow to recognize his daughter’s need for a new mother. Yet God offers Seth the perfect solution to their problems if he could only open his heart again...and love.

Read the first chapter here.

Watch the video trailer here.

Purchase the book here.

Author Bio:

Mary Ellis grew up close to the eastern Ohio Amish Community, Geauga County, where her parents often took her to farmers’ markets and woodworking fairs. She and her husband now live in Medina County, close to the largest population of Amish in the country. They often take weekend trips to purchase produce, meet Amish families, and enjoy a simple way of life.

Visit Mary's website here.

This book was provided for review by Harvest House Publishers.

Blessings,

12 Pearls of Christmas: Slow Down, Pray & Give Thanks

All Decked Out For Christmas
by Maureen Lang

One of the reasons so many of us love the holiday season is that it's just so...pretty! Twinkling lights, shiny ornaments, packages that glisten with bows and fancy wrapping. Our houses are trimmed with wreaths and glowing trees, and the neighborhood lights up the night with strands of icicles and glimmering reindeer.

Even we get decked out for the holidays! Chances are most of us will attend at least one party this season, and if we don't usually don clothing or jewelry with a bit of sparkle, now's the time to take a chance with something that reflects the holiday.

Smiles are another reason this season is such a popular one. They accompany that familiar greeting-Merry Christmas! Smiles go with the gifts we give and with the gifts we receive. Smiles go with the old Christmas carols and classic movies we watch every year.

The holiday season is a time when everything can seem amplified. But what if we're all decked out on the outside, from the sparkling clothing to our best effort at a smile, and on the inside we're anything but happy? If life isn't what we expected it to be, the gap between reality and our happy, hopeful expectations seem wider when everyone around us is laughing through the season.

I know there are as many reasons to be unhappy as there are to be happy, and I wouldn't begin to have the answer to make this season bearable for everyone. But I do know a few things that have worked for me:

Slow down. What? During the busiest time of the year? Yep. I know when I feel completely overwhelmed it's because I'm pressuring myself to do too much. So I try to plan ahead, settle for less than perfection, do my best without driving myself and everyone around me crazy. Choose what's really important and let go of the other things. And I've adopted my aunt's favorite saying: "However it turns out, that's how we like it." Works wonders on attitude!

Pray. As my pastor reminded me this weekend from Psalm 34:18: the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. God may not deliver us from our troubles, but He promises to stay beside us-in fact, closer than when everything seems hunky-dory.

Find a moment to give thanks for what you do have (without looking around at those who have more).

This last point deserves a moment of reflection, and is something I'm still learning to do. I have a child severely handicapped by Fragile X Syndrome, a genetic form of mental retardation. For years I thought I'd accepted his condition. I obediently said to God, "thank you even for this," since it taught me many things about adjusting to the life I've been given rather than the one I might have chosen.

But as my son gets older, I see new forms of acceptance making that feeling of gratitude more genuine. I think I'm finally letting go of some of the hopes and dreams I had for him, my oldest son. I can no longer imagine him any other way than the way he is, even though I'd be first in line if a cure is ever found.

I still think it's a good thing to give thanks in all things, even if it begins out of obedience rather than tender gratitude for whatever thorn we live with. But realizing it's okay to grow into that gratitude was a blessing to me.

Maybe some of the bruises on our spirit seem tender during the holiday season, a reminder that all the glitter on the outside might not light us up on the inside. My prayer is trust Psalm 34:18. Let's lean on Him this season-He's right here beside us!

______________________________

Maureen Lang grew up loving to tell stories, and God has blessed her immeasurably to be able to tell them to a wider audience these days. For the latest goings-on, please check her blog!

__________________________________

A three strand pearl necklace will be given away on New Year's Day. All you need to do to have a chance of winning is leave a comment here. Come back on New Year's Day to see if you won!

12 Pearls of Christmas Series and contest sponsored by Pearl Girls®. For more information, please visit www.pearlgirls.info

12 Pearls of Christmas: Wondrous Mystery

Magnificat
by Anna Joujan

Holy. Holy. Holy is the Lord. The familiar catch of breath. The sting in the eyes. And the tears begin to flow with the falling rain. Or do the tears fall with the flowing rain. What is it in these words that I whisper that wrenches at my heart so? Why does Mary's prayer touch the core of my being, so many centuries after it was spoken?

I think it must be because I know that she was just a girl, just a human being, with a woman's heart like my own. And so, when I hear her wondering words, I can feel with her the emotion she must have felt. To bear the son of God-what wondrous mystery, what glorious honour! And she was, like me, just a young woman-much younger, in fact, than I am now. And so, no matter how often I hear the story and read her words, it still has the power to bring abrupt and unsought tears.

What a gracious God, to work wonders with such frail and faulty creatures as us!

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Anna G. Joujan was born in South Dakota, as a Canadian citizen, and was raised in Zambia, the child of missionary teachers. Since her family's move to the U.S., Anna spent her childhood and early adulthood traveling throughout the world thanks to various educational and work opportunities . . . France, China, Peru, and Jamaica being some of the stops in her journeys. Her undergraduate degree in French Literature led to a Masters in Information Sciences, and to work as a college and high school librarian, and a cross country coach. She has also returned to Zambia multiple times to teach for individual families and for local schools. All the while continuing pursuing her passions of writing, artwork, photography . . . and running to a fault. She blogs at Full of Grace.

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A three strand pearl necklace will be given away on New Year's Day. All you need to do to have a chance of winning is leave a comment here. Come back on New Year's Day to see if you won!

12 Pearls of Christmas Series and contest sponsored by Pearl Girls®. For more information, please visit www.pearlgirls.info

12 Pearls of Christmas: Perspective

A Soggy, Jolly, Holly Christmas
by Melody Carlson

One of my most memorable Christmases started out as a natural disaster. But isn't that a bit how a pearl is formed? An oyster's soft easy life is disrupted by the invasion of sand, but something good comes out of it. When I was eight, we experienced the worst flood in recorded Oregon history. It was only a few days before Christmas when our streets became shallow rivers and the governor proclaimed a state of emergency. My sister and I assumed the flood was simply our new water-world playground and didn't understand the seriousness of washed out bridges and downed power lines and submerged homes. But when we realized this flood was about to nix our usual three-hour trek to our grandparents' home near the coast, we were not happy.

Naturally, our mom, a single parent, protested the sensibility of holiday travel (most of Oregon's rivers were involved in the flood). But Christmas at Grandma's house was our favorite event of the year. And thanks to our persistence, Mom finally gave in. We piled into the car and headed out. Flood waters climbed higher the closer we got to the coast. And at one point the road behind us was closed and the one ahead was flooded and about to be closed as well. The state policeman told us we could cross "at our own risk." We followed a Volkswagen Bug into the water-then we actually watched the bug floating away! Of course, there was nothing to do besides plow on through the water, which appeared to be nearly two feet deep! Fortunately we had an old heavy Chevy that did not float away, but the water seeped in and pooled on the floors.

Fortunately, we made it safely to the grandparents. But once we arrived, we learned there would be no Christmas tree because the road to the woods was closed. Then my grandpa picked up his ax and led us outside where he chopped down his prize holly tree planted in the parking strip. I stared in horror, thinking Grandma was going to have a fit. But then he explained the city had told him to remove the tree for traffic visibility. So we had a twelve foot holly tree for Christmas. It was a little prickly decorating it, but with its shiny green leaves and red berries, it was the most beautiful tree ever! So what started out as a disaster turned out to be a soggy, holly, jolly Christmas after all.

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Melody Carlson, author of Limelight, Love Finds You in Sisters, The Christmas Dog, 86 Bloomberg Place, Diary of a Teenage Girl, The Carter House Girls, and much more... http://www.melodycarlson.com

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A three strand pearl necklace will be given away on New Year's Day. All you need to do to have a chance of winning is leave a comment here. Come back on New Year's Day to see if you won!

12 Pearls of Christmas: Help & Support

Calling Elizabeth ... HELP!
by Tricia Goyer

Mary, the mother of Jesus is one of the most well-known women of all time. She was also a teen mom facing an unplanned pregnancy. This Christmas we will see evidence of Mary's story all around us. And as you hear it through Christmas songs and Christmas shows think of three things:

1. Mary was signed up for a big task she wasn't prepared for.
2. Mary no doubt faced criticism from people around her.
3. Mary found someone to turn to - a friend who could help Mary to succeed in her new role. It was Mary's older cousin Elizabeth.

Elizabeth played an important part in Mary's life. We know this because the book of Luke begins by telling us Elizabeth's story first. Elizabeth was the wife of a priest. She was very old and had no children, but God blessed her in her old age by allowing her to get pregnant. After Elizabeth's story comes Mary's story ... another surprise pregnancy. Can you imagine what a shock that was to everyone who knew both women? (Yes! I'm sure you can!)

The cool thing is that the angel Gabriel told Mary about Elizabeth's surprise pregnancy. It's as if he was saying, "Look, there's someone in your same situation. Turn to her. She can help you."

Mary did go to Elizabeth. In fact she lived with her older cousin for three months. Elizabeth was the first one who rejoiced over the child Mary held within her womb, and I imagine Elizabeth was there to encourage Mary as she coped with the idea of becoming a teen mom.

Like Mary, each of us should have people in our lives who we turn to for help, support and encouragement. Being a mom isn't an easy thing, and facing an unplanned pregnancy is even tougher.

When I had my son Cory I was 17-years-old, and there were a group of women from my grandma's church who supported me. They were the first ones who showed me that the child that was growing inside me was a gift. They gave me a baby shower, and they fought over holding my son after he was born.

As my son grew, there were other women I looked to ... and most of the time they didn't even know I was watching. One of them was Cheryl. Cheryl was patient with her children, she gave them big hugs, she laughed with them and played with them and I modeled myself after her. The thing about finding mentors is sometimes we can observe them without them even knowing. And if we're really lucky they enjoy their role of giving us advice.

Later, when I had two kids, I met a friend named Cindy. She and I were the same age and we became quick friends. Cindy was a support to me because we traded babysitting, talked about parenting problems, and we encouraged each other. She was someone who was walking the same road as me, and her advice helped more times than I can count.

No matter who we are, or where we live, each of us can look around and see the people we have in our lives. Some may cheer us on, some may guide our parenting, and others may just be there to walk along side us. If the mother of Jesus needed someone to look to for support ... shouldn't we? Everyone needs someone to provide a little help and support.

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Tricia Goyer is the author of twenty-one books including From Dust and Ashes, My Life UnScripted, and the children's book, 10 Minutes to Showtime. She won Historical Novel of the Year in 2005 and 2006 from ACFW, and was honored with the Writer of the Year award from Mt. Hermon Writer's Conference in 2003. Tricia's book Life Interrupted was a finalist for the Gold Medallion in 2005. In addition to her novels, Tricia writes non-fiction books and magazine articles for publications like Today's Christian Woman and Focus on the Family. Tricia is a regular speaker at conventions and conferences, and has been a workshop presenter at the MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) International Conventions. She and her family make their home in the mountains of Montana. Connect with Tricia at www.triciagoyer.com.

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A three strand pearl necklace will be given away on New Year's Day. All you need to do to have a chance of winning is leave a comment here. Come back on New Year's Day to see if you won!

12 Pearls of Christmas Series and contest sponsored by Pearl Girls®. For more information, please visit www.pearlgirls.info

12 Pearls of Christmas: God Intervenes

The Answer
by Susan May Warren

Whos, Here, we are Whos here, smaller than the eye can see. Whos here, we are Whos here, I'm a Who and so is she...

I've always wanted to live in a musical. When I was a kid, I loved Oklahoma, Sound of Music, West Side Story. I seriously thought that, if the moment was right, maybe the stars aligned, people would break out into song and dance.

I was sorta right. Because in my house, one needs to be able to talk in movie lines and song lyrics to effectively communicate. At any moment, someone might break out with a quip from the Princess Bride, or Finding Nemo. They might sing Tomorrow from Annie, or My Favorite Things like Julie Andrews.

But, most recently we've found ourselves speaking in "Suess"...

It's suppertime, son, and the time is near To call far and wide the sneetches who hear Just the sound of their bellies, the whir of their gear The Gurgles and Burbles that give them great fear Tell them all, tell them loud, tell them clear Their hands they should wash, check their face in the mirror Because the food is now ready and it's time to steer Close to the table, where they'll find hot gribbles here.

Why, you ask? Because David and Sarah are performing in the community theater's production of Suessical the Musical, a hilarious conglomeration of Dr. Suess' fun work, from Horton hears a Who to Horton Hatches an Egg.

As the Christmas season draws close (and the songs from the play linger in my head), one line has stood out to me... "We are here, we are here!" You know the story - that part where, after everyone has called Horton names and they're about ready to boil the speck that contains Who-ville, Horton calls out to the Whos to send up a cry to prove themselves as real. "We are here, we are here!"

It strikes me that sometimes we can feel like Whos...smaller than the eye can see. Tossed hither and yon by the wind, helpless and facing being boiled. Tired, perhaps, or alone. Wishing someone might find us and pay attention.

Someone has, and that's the good news about Christmas. Because we don't have to "make ourselves heard," like the Whos. In fact, even before we realized we were headed for the cauldron, God intervened. God demonstrated his own love for us in this - while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom 5:8). That's what Jesus is all about - he's the answer to even the unspoken cry of our hearts, saying, "I am here, I am here." Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

So as this season approaches with its whistles and bells I hope you hear the voice where the Mighty One dwells -- down deep in your hearts, so nothing can shake the knowledge of his love, given all for your sake.

Merry Christmas from Susie May Warren

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Susan May Warren is the award-winning author of twenty-one novels and novellas with Tyndale, Steeple Hill and Barbour Publishing. Her first book, Happily Ever After won the American Fiction Christian Writers Book of the Year in 2003, and was a 2003 Christy Award finalist. In Sheep's Clothing, a thriller set in Russia, was a 2006 Christy Award finalist and won the 2006 Inspirational Reader's Choice award. A former missionary to Russia, Susan May Warren now writes Suspense/Romance and Chick Lit full time from her home in northern Minnesota. www.susanmaywarren.com Check out her Christmas Novella, The Great Christmas Bowl.

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A three strand pearl necklace will be given away on New Year's Day. All you need to do to have a chance of winning is leave a comment here. Come back on New Year's Day to see if you won!

12 Pearls of Christmas Series and contest sponsored by Pearl Girls®. For more information, please visit www.pearlgirls.info

12 Pearls of Christmas: He is Always Enough

Christmas in a Barn
by Mary DeMuth

The Christmas of 2006 we were homeless. We didn't have keys. Not to a car, not to a home. We'd flown halfway around the world, leaving behind a ministry we toiled over. Much, particularly in our hearts, lay in ruins.

Some friends had a camp, and on that camp stood a barn. In the corner of the barn was a tiny apartment, flanked by this caboose and hundreds of acres of Texas pasture. We'd never been there before, so we followed directions at night, making plenty of wrong turns.

When we found the place, we drove a borrowed car over the cattle guard toward what would be our home for a month. String lights illuminated a small porch, a window and a door in the corner of an aluminum-sided barn. We hefted large pieces of luggage to the apartment.

And when we opened the door, Love welcomed us.

The place, usually completely unfurnished in the winter, was decked out with just the right amount of beds, couches and tables. The pantry was full. We had dishes and garbage cans, and cups and forks and food. But even more, we had a Christmas tree. Friends had hijacked the place, decorating it for Christmas. Cookies preened on the table.

I will never, ever forget that Christmas. We had so little. We felt the painful burden of failure. But we were loved, so terribly and wonderfully loved.

Christmas felt right there, in a barn. We heard the nickering of horses, the meowing of kittens, the clop of hooves against the barn floor. Chickens and goats and cows served as a holy object lesson of the incarnation. Although we were warm and clothed, we understood more keenly the Savior's homelessness, how He left the splendor of heaven for the sodden earth. We experienced barnyard life alongside him, without much to call our own except our Heavenly Father and our sweet family.

He was enough, that Christmas. And He will always will be.

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Mary DeMuth writes fiction and nonfiction. Her latest book, A Slow Burn released in October and she has a memoir entitled Thin Places coming out in February of 2010. You can meet her: http://www.marydemuth.com, http://www.thewritingspa.com, on Facebook and Twitter!

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A three strand pearl necklace will be given away on New Year's Day. All you need to do to have a chance of winning is leave a comment here. Come back on New Year's Day to see if you won!

12 Pearls of Christmas Series and contest sponsored by Pearl Girls®. For more information, please visit www.pearlgirls.info

12 Pearls of Christmas: Faith, Hope & Love

The Pearls We Pass Down
by Holley Gerth

Ten years ago my Grandma Frances went home to heaven in her sleep just before Christmas.

My Grandpa carefully handed me a brightly-wrapped box on Christmas morning and said, "This is her gift. Now I want you to have it."

I opened the lid slowly and tears came to my eyes as I saw a lovely string of pearls.

My Mom gently helped me fasten them around my neck. As I ran my fingers over each one, I thought of my Grandmother and all she taught me through her life...

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13

FAITH

At age twenty-nine, my Grandma contracted polio and learned she would never walk again. She had a husband, two little girls, and a future suddenly very different than she imagined.


A pastor came to visit her in the hospital. He said, "Frances, this can make you bitter or better." She often told that story with a sparkle in her eyes as she said, "I chose better." I learned through her example that faith is a choice and with God we can thrive through anything.

HOPE

My grandparents took a leap of faith and started the first Christian bookstore in their city with a small kiosk in the center of a mall. Over the next few decades that little kiosk grew into a large and successful store that touched countless lives.

Many of my favorite childhood memories are of curling up in the back room with a stack of books. My Grandma taught me hope is like a small seed and, watered with prayer, it can grow into a huge blessing for many.

LOVE

For fifty-six years my grandparents shared a life together. I adore these two pictures because one is taken when they were dating and the other just a few weeks before she died. The twinkle in their eyes is still the same-and that's not easy in this world. They faced their share of challenges, like my Grandma's disability, but always got through them together.


My Nana also loved her family deeply. When I went to college, she often wrote notes to me and signed each one, SCTH (Stay Close to Him). She showed me love is a commitment that begins with Christ and then overflows to everyone else in our lives.


I still miss my Grandma Frances, especially this time of year. Sometimes I pull out her string of pearls and hold them in my hands. Then I think about how we're all creating our legacy as we live. And while the difficulties we face may seem hard to understand now, God can turn each one into beauty that blesses our family for generations.

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Holley Gerth - Cofounder of (in)courage, editorial director for DaySpring, author of Rain on Me, wife of Mark, lover of Jesus, friend to YOU.

Visit Holley at Heart to Heart with Holley or follow her on twitter as @HolleyGerth.

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12 Pearls of Christmas Series and contest sponsored by Pearl Girls®. For more information, please visit www.pearlgirls.info

12 Pearls of Christmas Series and contest sponsored by Pearl Girls®. For more information, please visit www.pearlgirls.info

12 Pearls of Christmas: God Provides a Way

A Long Ago Christmas Memory
by Patricia Crisafulli

The old farm on a dirt road in the backwoods of northern New York State was described to me so many times, I can imagine the place, even though I never saw it: the big frame house with the wide porch, the pair of maple trees out front, and the barn in the back where my grandparents kept a cow or two, pigs and chickens, and a team of work horses.

That old house came alive for me in dozens of stories that my mother told, of how she and her sisters grew up there during the Depression. The stories had that long-ago feel not only because of the years that had passed, but also because of the era: tales of riding in a horse and buggy in the summer and a horse and sleigh in the winter. My grandfather owned an old Model A Ford, but the tires were patched beyond repair and there was no money for gasoline.

One story that has always stayed with me was of a particular Christmas in the early 1930s, a time my mother remember as the "depths of the Depression," and there was no money. In order to pay the interest on the mortgage, to keep the bank from foreclosing on the farm, my grandfather needed a relatively small sum. The amount I remember being told was $13, but for the little they had in those days it might as well have been $13,000.

Tested by trouble and sorrows, my grandparents relied on their deep and abiding faith. As Psalm 34 tells us, I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. The answer to their prayers was to be found right in their own backyard with gifts of the earth. My grandmother went into the woods to gather bushel baskets full of ground pine, with green sprouts like miniature boughs that spread in great patches along the earth. From willow branches she made hoops, around which she bound the ground pine to make wreathes.

She sat up all night making wreaths, enough to fill a large hamper basket, which my grandfather strapped to his back. At four in the morning, he hopped a ride on the milk train into Syracuse, where he went door-to-door selling wreathes. Night after night, my grandmother made wreaths, and day after day my grandfather sold them.

As Christmas approached, my grandmother had saved coupons that came in tins of coffee to get a Kewpie doll for her daughters. The only other things she gave them were mittens she knit herself.

Then on Christmas Eve, my grandfather came home from the last day of selling wreaths, exhausted but relieved. The farm was safe for another year. From what he had earned, he had a dime left over, which he spent on his beloved wife to buy her a powder puff. That night, my grandmother gave him her surprise: enough money from selling butter and eggs all year to buy four new tires for the Model A Ford.

Hearing this story as a child, my head was too full of the Sears & Roebuck "Wish Book" catalog to really comprehend it. As an adult, I try to fathom living with no money at all. What lingers in my heart, however, is the love of my grandparents for each other: the dashing young American soldier in World War I and the beautiful French girl he met overseas and then returned to her country to marry.

Many years, thousands of miles, and untold hardships later, that love continued. During a very dark December, they found a way together to keep the farm and the family together. And so it would always be for them.

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Patricia Crisafulli is a writer, published author, and founder of www.FaithHopeandFiction.com, a monthly e-literary magazine with stories, essays, and poetry to inspire and entertain.

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A three strand pearl necklace will be given away on New Year's Day. All you need to do to have a chance of winning is leave a comment here. Come back on New Year's Day to see if you won!

12 Pearls of Christmas Series and contest sponsored by Pearl Girls®. For more information, please visit www.pearlgirls.info