The Red Sea Rules by Robert J. Morgan

Morgan is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. A dear friend told me about this book and I kept thinking "Hmmm.. that name is familiar."  Well it should be!  One of my absolute favorite devotional types books is He Shall Be Called (based on the names of Jesus) and the author is Robert J. Morgan.  I also have a devotional that my husband and I gave his mother years ago entitled Then Sings My Soul which Morgan also wrote. Each devotional thought looks at a classic hymn.

The Red Sea Rules has 2 subtitles... 10 God Given Strategies for Difficult Times and The Same God Who Led You in Will Lead You Out.

Morgan looks at Exodus chapter 14 and gleans from it truths that most of us miss when reading. We see a story... we look at the action... but rarely do we look at the events and wonder what can I learn from this.  Morgan shows us just that.  Moses and the children of Israel were caught between the Egyptian army and the Red Sea... trapped.. overwhelmed... we have all been there! But God delivered them and He will deliver us too.

The Red Sea Rules shows the reader how to see God in the midst of turmoil.  How to trust Him and let Him guide you.  Morgan has ten strategies based on the Israelites' situation that will teach you to move from fear to faith.

An excellent read whether you are in the midst of a Red Sea moment or on the other side.  A reminder that God is in control and that "the God who led you in will lead you out."

(I stated at the beginning that Morgan was quickly becoming a favorite author. I am currently reading his book The Promise based on Romans 8:28.  A review will be coming soon.)

Colorado Crimes by Lisa Harris

A while back I discovered a series called "America Loves a Mystery." Each book consists of 3 romance mysteries set in a specific state. I have read one other in the series before this one.... Alibis in Arkansas  In Arkansas each story was written by a different author. In Colorado Crimes, Lisa Harris pens all 3 mysteries.

Pricilla Crumb, a widow and professional chef, has come to her son's hunting lodge to help out... permanently, she hopes!  What she doesn't plan for is a guest dying after sampling one of her salmon-filled tartlets.  Pricilla determines to save her reputation and find out the truth behind Charles Woodruff's death. Along the way romance is sparked for her son and for Pricilla. Maybe God has more for the rest of her life than just growing old after all!

Just as Pricilla is trying to learn to balance a long distance relationship while running the kitchen of a lodge, her favorite baker is found dead.  Once again Pricilla plays amateur sleuth in a search for the truth.  Can Max handle being in a relationship with such a risk taker? Or will they come to realize that it is too late to teach old dogs new tricks.

And in the final mystery, Pricilla is the emcee for a prestigious cooking contest. She and Max use this time to get away and explore the possibilities of their future. But when one of her former students is arrested for murdering one of the contest judges, Pricilla feels obligated to help out in the investigation.

The 3 mysteries in Colorado Crimes are "cozy" mysteries.. a bit like watching Murder, She Wrote (which I love!).  They are well written and very entertaining and fairly clever plot lines that will keep you guessing.

I will soon be reading and reviewing another of these "cozy" mysteries -- Mainly Mysteries by Susan Page Davis and Megan Elaine Davis.

The Lost Quilter by Jennifer Chiaverini

One of the Elms Creek Quilts' books, Chiaverini does a wonderful job of blending the old with the new.  Sylvia Compson and the reader are transformed back in time as she ponders and reads about Joanna, a runaway slave who made her way to Elms Creek Farm prior to the Civil War.  Wondering what happened to Joanna, who was captured by slave catchers and returned to her master, separated from her new born son, Sylvia delves into a bundle of letters she finds stuck in an old desk.  The tale woven through the pages of The Lost Quilter is one of sadness and hardship and also of perseverance and hope.  Learn of Joanna's life through slavery and the heritage she left behind.

Forgotten God by Francis Chan

Forgotten God is a powerful book about the Holy Spirit... the often forgotten part of the Holy Trinity.  It seems believers know all the right things to say about the Holy Spirit, but don't really understand who He is nor do they walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, which is available to them.  Chan shares how God puts the Holy Spirit in us to empower, guide, comfort, reveal and more.  We are not alone... we are not powerless.. so why do we act as if we are?