BODIE & BROCK THOENE

This committed, talented and loving couple have written a raft of  well-researched and exciting stories. I was spellbound when I read my first book written by them.

BODIE AND BROCK THOENE (pronounced Tay-nee) have written over 65 works of historical fiction. Over thirty-five million of these best-selling novels are in print. Eight ECPA Gold Medallion Awards affirms what millions of readers have already discovered—the Thoenes are not only master stylists but experts at capturing readers’ minds and hearts.

Bodie began her writing career as a teen journalist for her local newspaper. Eventually her byline appeared in prestigious periodicals such as U.S. News and World Report, The American West, and The Saturday Evening Post. She also worked for John Wayne’s Batjac Productions (she’s best known as author of The Fall Guy) and ABC Circle Films as a writer and researcher. John Wayne described her as “a writer with talent that captures the people and the times!” She has degrees in journalism and communications.

 

Brock has often been described by Bodie as “an essential half of this writing team.” With degrees in both history and education, Brock has, in his role as researcher and story-line consultant, added the vital dimension of historical accuracy. Due to such careful research, The Zion Covenant and The Zion Chronicles series are recognized by the American Library Association, as well as Zionist libraries around the world, as classic historical novels and are used to teach history in college classrooms.

Bodie and Brock have four grown children—Rachel, Jake, Luke, and Ellie—and eight grandchildren. Their sons, Jake and Luke, are carrying on the Thoene family talent as the next generation of writers, and Luke produces the Thoene audiobooks.

 

If you are looking for a good read you can find all their books on Amazon or the Thoene's website (as in their name.) I assure you each of their titles are page-turners. They are truly inspirational.

Inspiring Book for Families

At a time when families seem fragmented, author Lynne Burgess wrote an inspiring book to help a family enjoy special times of fun and fellowship together.

Lynne and her husband, Chris, have raised five children who are now adults. Lynne's practical experience comes from the quality time spent with her own children. She successfully implemented her All-In Night for over 16 years using simple yet productive activities that included the whole family. She now shares these ideas at speaking events and through her book.

           

About the book
All-In 2 Night is a family routine. For one night of the week everyone stays home. By spending ten to twenty

minutes together, you can learn and talk about the things 

that really matter. 

Following on from Lynne's original book this set of new

activities is designed especially with Christian families in

mind. An activity or discussion point each week. The book

includes 40 weeks of activities, designed as 1 per week of

the school year. Activities include love languages, listening

for God, self-esteem, the fruits of the spirit and many more.

These simple family activities provide an opportunity to grow values, goals, hopes, feelings and the foundation for

a Christ led life.  All-in 2 Night works with two kids or 

ten. Let it become the heart of your family's life.

The Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance shares books, both fiction and nonfiction in a blog tour to showcase an author's work.

Lynne's book s available at Light the Dark, your specialist bookstore for Australian and New Zealand books. To order, look up:

www.lightthedark.com.au

SACRIFICE of LOVE

I read about an incredible sacrifice today... a sacrifice of love.

"He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces.

"Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him to be stricken by God, smitten by him and afflicted.

"But he was pierced for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

"We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each has turned to his own way; and the Lord as laid on him the iniquity of us all.

"He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.. . . .
                                    
"After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied;by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. He bore the sins of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

The words of this amazing sacrifice come from the OLD TESTAMENT book of the BIBLE in Isaiah Ch.53.
They were written hundreds and hundreds of years before the NEW TESTAMENT was written.

When you read it you will see for yourself...That's Jesus. He was the one God chose to die in our place to wash us clean from all our sins! That's why he willingly gave himself to the horrors of the cross. What incredible love!

FINANCIAL INFIDELITY

First Comes Love... and what else?
Bethany and Scott Palmer saw the need and wrote about it. This duo have hit on a real problem marriage couples face today.

Financial infidelity is any financial decision you make without the knowledge of consent of your partner. Conflicts about money are one of the primary reasons why relationships end. It usually starts with one little half-truth and one little betrayal of trust that leads to the next, and the next.

Couples can end up spending every moment talking about money, fighting about money, crying about money. Or stop talking about it altogether because it's too painful.

In this book they discuss every facet of the problem with such topics as, Discovering Your Money Personality  and When Money Personalities Collide.

The former shows how one is a spendthrift type while the other may be a real cautious saver. And the next explains how difficult it is for these opposites to work this out. However the following chapters point out how couples can understand each other and become more united in money matters.

My take on this is that even when a couple agrees to work together they should be extra careful that accumulating money does not become the main focus of their marriage. Far too many young couples plan to get enough money to be able to have everything, and do everything in order to be fulfilled. Even so the word of Jesus stands true when he said the love of money is the root of evil. It can never be enough and can never satisfy the longing of a soul. Only God  forgiving our sins through Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross can bring true, lasting peace and give our life real purpose.

* Bethany  Palmer graduated from Westmont College in California. She can also say that she is a stage-three breast cancer survivor. She has been in the financial planning industry for more than 18 years.


* Scott Palmer is a Colorado native who is a commercial instrument rated pilot, and an Eagle Scout. Palmer is also a Certified Retirement Specialist, a Certified Senior Advisor, a popular motivational speaker, and a frequent guest on radio and television programs across the country.

FIRST COMES LOVE THEN COMES MONEY  is published by Harper Collins.

JOEY'S QUIET WAR

On her parents' death, Josefina was brought up by her grandmother on a coconut plantation in the Philippines.
When she grew she went to live with an uncle in Manila. There she met a young doctor who fell in love with the lively girl. She reciprocated and they were married.

But in the winter of 1941, when her daughter Cynthia was two years old, Joey began to lose strength and her appetite. Swellings appeared. Her anxious husband called a specialist. As gently as he could he told her the truth. "It is in an early stage, and there are promising treatments, but your child could be susceptible, so you must leave her." For hours she sat in the doctor's office praying to God for the surpassing self-control she would need for so many years in the future. Cynthia was sent to her great grandmother.

Husband & wife then began to plan their fight against the disease and against the ostracism of the dreaded leprosy. They learned she needed good medical care and rest.

There was to be neither. Three weeks later came the destruction of Pearl Harbour. Soon Japanese soldiers swaggered on Manila's streets. A contact of her husband told her  the Filipino underground was sending information to General MacArthur in Australia. "Will you join us?" he asked. "I can't do big things, but every little thing helps, " Joey said. "Okay!"

Joey was permitted to bring food to starving Filipino and American prisoners. With disease advancing, she radiated courage and faith to the hollow-eyed troops, some of whom gave her information they had gleaned from talkative Japanese guards. Once a suspicious guard menaced her with a bayonet and then tugged at her braided hair. Her hair ribbon concealed a prisoner's report, but thankfully didn't slip off.

She experienced scores of close encounters but the Lord watched over all her attempts to help the underground. Once she was given a bag of "vegetables" by her husband who also belonged to the underground. She learned later that the exploding Japanese ammunition dumps had been given the "vegetable" treatment. As time passed her face became scarred and bloated and sores appeared. Many a guard stopped her as she carried on her work but shrank back at the sight of her.

At the war's end she was decorated by the US government with the Medal of Freedom with Silver Palms - the highest award for war services by a civilian. She was also presented with a medallion in recognition of "Christian fortitude and concern for fellow sufferers."

Joey Guerrero finally arrived in the the United states for successful treatment of her leprosy.

 (Story from Thomas Johnson)

Occult Almost Destroyed Marriage

 Chris still wonders how her marriage got to the point of nearly being torn apart. Not just by their arguments over important issues, but their continual bickering over insignificant things.

They were both Christians but had quit going to church and reading their Bibles. They'd grown cold toward God and anything to do with Christian gatherings of any sort.

It had only been a few years since they had exchanged wedding rings in a lovely service in their local church. Now that seemed like an eternity away from where they were in their present marriage.

Their interaction soon ceased and to her it seemed they were engaged in a cold war. Two strangers living together under the same roof, but millions of miles away in spirit. Even so they stayed together as if only by a thin thread of loyalty.

Her emptiness and sense of unfullfilment pushed her into seeking something to satisfy her emotional needs. That's when she turned to the occult. Even though she knew it was wrong and against what the Bible taught, somehow she began to feel empowered after delving into book after book on everything to do with the dark arts. In fact, Chris admits she became a witch.

This worried her husband and he confronted her about it. She laughed at his concerns and continued further in her dabbling into the occult.  At the same time her husband, knowing this was anti-Christian and fearing for her sanity, turned back to God and repented of his cold heart. Then he began to earnestly pray for his wife.

Chris was asked by a local para-normal group to help them in casting out a presence ina haunted house. She was excited at this and took up the challenge. As she and a couple of others walked through the house she suddenly remembered how Jesus cast out demons. So she cried in a loud voice..."You're not wanted here. I command you in Jesus's Name to go where He would have you go!'

It seemed as if nothing had happened, but they had recorded the session and she took the recording home with her. Her husband who happened to be a radio technician over heard the replay and froze as he heard the results. An awful piercing scream was heard right after her command. Chris was shocked.  "We never heard that,' she said. He wasn't satisfied that someone hadn't doctored the tape even though she told him she'd brought it straight home. He played it on a digital machine where sounds show up in digital markings and nothing was visual at the point where they heard the unearthly scream.

Only then did Christine realize Jesus's power was greater than the demons and it hadn't been her power, but the power of  God who had acted in casting out the evil spirit. At that, Chris renounced everything to do with the occult and repented before the Lord.

Yes, her husband's prayers were answered, and she was reunited with him in body, soul, and spirit from that day on. Now she has a ministry warning others to stay away from such evil things.

STRIKE the ORIGINAL MATCH

Amanda and Morry at home with friends

Picture this: warm bath filled with rose petals, service of sparkling apple cider and chocolates, mellow music playing in the background - yep, that was my welcome home from work today. My hubby is a keeper!!!!! 

Love you, Morry Deed.  ♥♥♥ 

Fellow author Amanda Deed has good reason to appreciate her husband's thoughtful ways. Hey fellows, don't forget to treat your wife to something special every so often. Just as a reminder she is special to you. Both husbands and wives need to stir the embers and keep the fire stoked!

Amanda shares her life story: 

To some I am a mother, a daughter, a sister, a wife. To others I am a friend, a mentor, a leader, an employee, a member. I cook, I clean, I write novels, I sing, I play the piano, I play games, I nurse little injuries, I laugh, I love, I keep accounting records, I teach. But, above all of these things, I am a child of God and I live to serve Him in whatever I do.

I grew up in the South Eastern suburbs of Melbourne in a Christian home, where I found faith at an early age. By the time I was fifteen, I was involved in the church worship team, which lead to a passion to serve the Lord through music and worship. At the age of twenty-three, I had the opportunity to tour Australia with Pastor John Segond, which was an unforgettable experience. 

In 1997 I married my husband, Morry, and our first little girl was born in 1999. Soon after that we moved to Darwin for five years, where I was privileged to serve further in music ministry which sometimes took me into beautiful and remote areas of the country, and opened my eyes to the miraculous ways God can move.

It was during this period that I discovered a passion for writing and began to seriously pursue it. It has been through much encouragement that I have stepped out in this area and endeavoured to have my work published. Thanks to the Lord, He has made a way for this to be possible, and I now have several Australian historical romances published. My debut novel, The Game, was awarded the CALEB Prize for Fiction 2010, a great surprise and honour. I look forward to many more novels in the future and to where the Lord can take me in this season of my life.

Amanda's trilogy: Ellenvale Gold, Black Forest Redemption, and Henry's Run are intriguing historical romances that take the reader back into the early times of Australia's past. Amanda is very particular in researching all her stories which almost convinces the reader it is nonfiction. However a good deal of the content is based on factual places or events.

Amanda's blog, 
Romancing the Rock, is worth a look:  amanderings.wordpress.com/