Tag Archive | Rhoda Hardie

The Elusive Truth Of Lily Temple by Joanna Davidson Politano

Dec16

The Gardener Is Waiting

The Elusive Truth Of Lily Temple by Joanna Davidson Politano is an enchanting Christian historical novel that I thoroughly enjoyed.

The novel is written with elements of traditional story telling interspersed with actual historical figures. Over everything, God awaits, with His love and His heart calling each and every one of us.

Much of the book revolves around a garden. The reader recalls the Garden of Eden where God walked with Adam and Eve in His creation. God lives in our hearts as we read “from somewhere deep within the core of him, where God dwelled.”

Sometimes life happens and we lose sight of God. “Regret was a poison that never left the bloodstream.” Letting regret live in our hearts is not good for us. Anything that takes our focus from God, needs to be got rid of.

When we have known God, there will always be that longing for Him. “I’d cried out to God, begged for Him, and felt nothing.” Just because we feel nothing, does not mean that God is not there. God works in our lives. He sends people across our paths to point the way to Him. “He [God] uses people at times to set things right.”

God can clearly be seen in some people. “He ushered in the presence of God wherever he went… where Gordon Makepiece was, there also was God.” We are called to preach the Gospel at all times, and if necessary to use words.

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The Sands Of Sea Blue Beach by Rachel Hauck

Dec8

Immanuel, God With Us

The Sands Of Sea Blue Beach by Rachel Hauck is the most delightful contemporary Christian novel that I savoured and never wanted to end.

The novel is about family and love; and the love that God has for His children. The action is seen through the eyes of the two lead characters, mainly in ‘now’ but we also glimpse ‘then.’

There is a wonderful air of love pervading the whole novel. The lead characters offer delightful banter as they tease each other, producing smiles from the reader.

There is a pain in love associated with loss as a character feels rudderless and afraid to love, as she never wants to experience loving and losing again. “Love is a bit scary. You never know when the one you love could be ripped away from you.” This fear follows her from childhood and into adulthood. “I can’t go through life fearing the people I love will die.” She remembers her mother, “Mom always chose to love.” Love is always worth the risk.

A character withdraws from God. “God didn’t feel near when Mom was dying.” Even if we do not see or feel God, He always walks alongside us.”

In Sea Blue Beach there is the story of Immanuel, God with us. God is very much at the heart of the town. He needs to be at the heart of our lives too. “I didn’t need music to feel worthy because I’d found the One who made me worthy.” We find out who we are, by knowing whose we are.

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Until Leaves Fall In Paris by Sarah Sundin

Dec2

Extraordinary Acts Of Bravery

Until Leaves Fall In Paris by Sarah Sundin is a powerful Christian historical novel that I loved.

The action is set in Nazi occupied Paris as we follow two Americans who are both working against the Nazis in their own individual ways. Both guard their lives as they work in secret.

Factory owner, Paul, appears to be a Nazi collaborator but he holds a secret. His outward appearance earns him hostilities from his Parisienne neighbours. In contrast, God sees his heart and knows that he is working for the greater good. We need to be ware of making judgments on what we can see because it could be far from the truth.

Ballerina, Lucie, fights a very different war. She surrounds herself with books. Her bookshop is the perfect cover for her resistance work.

People have prejudices against others, even within church but “the church needed all the different gifts working together.” If we have not walked a mile in their shoes, we should not criticise the lives of others. We have no idea of the inner battles that are raging.

Four-year-old Josie is shunned as she is judged by her father. This is wicked as she is an innocent in all this. “The poor little thing shouldn’t suffer because her father was a heel.”

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The Bitter End Birding Society by Amanda Cox

Nov12

His Eye Is On The Sparrow

The Bitter End Birding Society by Amanda Cox is a powerful and heartfelt dual timeline Christian novel that I never wanted to end.

The action is set in present day and 1959. The young girls in the earlier period are now old ladies. For almost a lifetime they have been estranged. Guilt and secrets have weighed heavy. Instead of building a treasured friendship, they chose to tear it down.

In contrast to their daughters, we witness fathers who practice sacrificial love. Family first, no matter the personal cost. Outsiders may judge motives but God knows their hearts. Silence is kept in order to preserve and protect the innocent.

Characters are struggling with guilt that they were never meant to carry. “I need to step outside the walls I’ve built and remember who God created me to be.” When we erect walls around our hearts for protection, they have the opposite effect and they imprison us. We then lose sight of who we were created to be.

We see that a character who is actually behind physical walls, is living in greater freedom because his heart belongs to God and he, therefore, knows just whose he is.

Characters have huge hearts for people, and go where God calls them to be. “Lord willing, I’ll pastor a church someday and play a small role in bringing hope to weary souls.” We all need hope. Without hope, the people perish.

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