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Grace For The Broken by Philippa Cleall

Jul26

God At The Centre

Grace For The Broken by Philippa Cleall is a powerful contemporary Christian novel that I just could not put down.

It is beautifully and sympathetically written whilst dealing with the difficult topics of domestic abuse and judgment; counter balanced by restoration and the goodness of God.

Domestic abuse is not just punches thrown. It is voices raised and words that tear down. We meet characters who have been broken by the very men who were supposed to love them. We witness lives being rebuilt with love and support.

We also meet the men who have been the abusers, who have to learn to repent and to make better choices in the future. “Accountability says: I did this. And now I choose to do and be something else.”

In order to rebuild relationships, trust must be earnt. It starts with baby steps. “God’s grace is free. Trust… is earned.” God’s grace covers us all.

We learn that “our calling is grace, not judgment.” Our job is to extend grace and to reach out in love. It is God’s job to judge.

God never sleeps. “Remember, God is never away on holidays.” God is always just a prayer away.

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The Bookshop Of 99 Doors by Jaime Jo Wright

Jul26

Seek The Light

The Bookshop Of 99 Doors by Jaime Jo Wright is a powerful and compelling Christian dual timeline novel that consumed me from the start.

The action is set in 1888 and in present day in an old house with 99 doors but there is rumoured to be a hundredth door with a portal to another world. Where is it? And what lurks behind it? The narrative in both time periods is similar but different.

Spirits walk amongst us. Characters are searching for answers. They need to put their faith in God and not dabble with the spirits. “Isn’t it safer to reach out to God? Isn’t He the one who created everything? Why give them [spirits] the power over my curiosity when God could have it?” We need to put our trust in God for He is good. Spirits can be meddlesome, and once we open the door, there is no telling who will come in or what they will do. “Even God warns us not to summon the spirits.”

Pray against the spirits, and pray to God. “Her prayers were stilted, her faith uncertain, but when she finished, Millie felt better.” Prayer connects us with God. He renews our minds when we focus on Him.

We meet troubled minds within the book. They have been dabbling in medication which is addictive. Terrible things were seen in the American Civil War. “The war may be over… but it is not silenced.” Minds were broken. “He had seen enough evil… to convince him that if God existed, then God had turned a blind eye to humanity and given them free reign to war against one another.”

It is easy to believe that God has abandoned us but God walks beside us whether we ‘feel’ Him or not. “When you have nothing left… He [God] is all you can rely on.” We can trust God at all times.

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A Song In The Dark by Kimberley Woodhouse

Jul2

For Such A Time As This

A Song In The Dark by Kimberley Woodhouse is a powerful historical Christian novel that I could not put down. I read it in just two sittings, pausing only to sleep.

The action is set in Europe during 1938 as the world watches on as Hitler’s Nazi Germany consolidates its’ evil regime. This evil radiates outwards from his seat of power in Berlin.

The leading lady is a blind pianist who uses her God-given talent to bring joy to others. As the months count down, she realises that she, too, is one of Hitler’s ‘undesirables.’ “Because I’m blind… I could be seen as less than worthy. Unfit to live.” This opens the eyes of her soul as she does everything in her power to rescue and help those who are viewed as ‘less than’, especially the children. “I can’t sit by and do nothing.”

She is not alone in her endeavours, as her grandmother also has a heart for the persecuted and hurting. “She was willing to use the wealth and resources God had given her to help.” Her age does not stop her from acting.

We witness a life that realises their need for Jesus. “The Lord felt so distant. But she’d been the one to stop communicating.” Now is the time to return to Him. When we know Jesus, we can have peace despite our circumstances. “I’m in the Lord’s hands, and that’s the best place to be.” No Jesus, no peace. Know Jesus, know peace.

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A Writing Upon The Sand by J M Kirkley

Jun29

Trust Him

A Writing Upon The Sand by J M Kirkley is a very charming Christian historical novel that I adored. It is grounded in facts as we witness and learn about, the Galveston disaster of 1900.

There is the theme of taking care of the orphans. Under the right conditions, they will thrive.

We see the importance of living well. It is said of a grandmother, “She traded a privileged life for serving in ministry… She lived generously, despite hard times.” Generosity is more than just money. It is about time – where we spend our time shows where our hearts are.

We learn the importance of being correctly grounded. “May your character be not writing upon the sand, but an inscription upon the rock.” We need good foundations in our lives. We need to build our lives on Jesus so that when the bad times come (and they will), we need to keep our eyes fixed firmly on Him.

What do we do when God is silent? We trust. “Emily found no shred of consolation the longer her prayers went unanswered, when God remained silent.” Sometimes there are no answers, and we must just trust and hold on to the hem of His garment, figuratively speaking.

“Maybe God wanted her to desire knowing Him more than having answers.” God longs for us to come to Him and to rest in Him. “Whatever happens, may God’s peace comfort us.” God’s peace will still our hearts, even when all around us is crumbling.

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