Picture a Day - Peaceful Place

When staying at the Back Bay Inn you may find some peace and quiet.  Just looking at this picture brings me back to that peaceful place.

Picture a Day - Favorite Drive - California's Central Coast

Driving up the coast on Highway 1 in central California is one of my favorite drives.  The fresh air, colors and beauty of God's creation is awe inspiring.  

Picture a Day - Favorite Places - Back Bay Inn

When I think of favorite things...I think of some of the places we've been blessed to visit.  The Back Bay Inn, located in Los Osos CA, is at the top of my list of favorite places.  

A Severe Mercy

When adversity tempts me ask why

Lord, may I instead ask what

What work are You doing in and through these trials

Hard circumstances and difficulties abound

The Lord has allowed, designed and purposed each one

He is using them to accomplish His good work

You help me to see my weakness

Profound needs that only God can meet

I recognize the foolishness in what I once thought was wise

You’ve exposed lies so cleverly disguised as truth

Revealed the brokenness of my heart, mind and soul

The utter depravity of my heart and desperate need for a Savior

All these and more drive me to You, O Lord

The world may be out of my control

But it’s firmly in control in the hands the LORD God

Lord, help me to trust You

To trust Your character

Believe what You’ve revealed about Yourself in Scripture

May I not doubt You O Lord

For You alone are truth and grace

Righteous and just in administering a severe mercy

Susan Wachtel

January 12, 2018

If I Live by Terri Blackstock – You Won’t Want to Put It Down

I love reading Christian mysteries and suspense novels and Terri Blackstock is one of my favorite writers.  That’s why I jumped at the opportunity to read her newest book, If I Live, which is being released March 6, 2018.

This is the third book, in the If I Run series, which tells the story of Casey Cox who has been on the lamb since her friend Brent Pace was found brutally murdered.  She is the chief suspect because her DNA was found all over the crime scene.  Dylan Roberts, who was hired by Pace family to bring Casey to justice, now believes she is innocent.  So much so that he has been working with Casey to compile evidence that will break open this case wide open and allow the guilty to be exposed.

From the opening chapters of If I Live, the reader had better be strapped in because it takes off and doesn’t let up until the very end.  Each chapter in the storyline is told from a different character’s perspective.  It’s a different technique and almost makes you feel like you are in the character’s head and seeing things from their point of view. 

I really liked If I Live, it’s full of suspense and intrigue.  It’s fast paced.  I appreciate how the Christian faith has been woven in to several characters.  Casey become a Christian during the course of this book and it’s interesting to see all that happens to her from the point of view of a new believer.  I especially liked how Casey recognized that though it was tempting to be angry and unforgiving towards those who had done evil, the Holy Spirit was showing her that a Christian doesn’t respond the same way as the world does.  I liked the developing relationship between Casey and Dylan.

As a Christian, I appreciate how author Terri Blackstock tells a good story without including sexually explicit scenes, filthy language and shows the Christian faith in the lives of characters. 

After everything that Casey has been through, will it all be for naught?  Will she make it out of this alive?  Will she be free or spend the rest of her life in jail?  Just how much evil can one person get away with?  How widespread is this corruption and how many lives have been affected?  Who is clean, who is dirty and most importantly who can be trusted?   

Well to find out the answers to those questions and more, you’ll need to read Terri Blackstock’s newest book, If I Live, which I highly recommend. 

I would like to thank NetGalley and Zondervan Publishers for the opportunity to read If I Live in exchange for an honest review.  I was under no obligation to give a favorable review.