The Saturday Six

One.

 Maybe it's the book nerd in me, I don't know, but I found this post fascinating. Behind the scenes look at the design of a book cover. (And also - I wanna be a book cover model!! And also also - yes, I know I'm not a model.)

Two.

Last year, I did Erica Wiggenhorn's Bible Study, "An Unexplainable Life" twice. Once on my own and once leading the small group with Ryan's work friends. It really changed the way I view my relationship with the Lord and with the local church body. Well, Erica has a sequel study coming out NEXT MONTH, and I cannot wait to dig into it! It's called "The Unexplainable Church," and I hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiighly recommend it, based on what I know of the first study!! If your small group is scoping out studies to go over this fall, PICK THESE! 

Three.

 Garage sale season is upon us, and I found this article chronicling some of the best things to hunt for at these sales! Good ideas!

Four.

 Maybe THIS is why my running speeds aren't as fast as some??? I am not using these? (Although I did have a really good mile this week. Second mile was terrible, but mile one was AMAZING!)

Five.

 I have a lot of teacher friends, and I know they are weary at the end of this school year. (And every school year.) I used to want to be a teacher, so I have a tender place in my soul for them and the work they do, especially when feeling so restricted by goals to achieve things that go far outside their intended subject. That's why this post is so perfect. If you're a teacher (or know and love one), read it!
 
Six.

 
Often when I tell you about a book I've read, I am quick to gush about how I flew through it. Couldn't put it down. I guess in my mind, that is one of the great compliments to a book: this one was so good, I just couldn't put it down. And probably for fiction, especially, that is true. But this week I learned the opposite can also be a high compliment to a book. Messy Beautiful Friendship was that book for me this week. It was so good, I had to keep putting it down so I could chew on the words and let them wash over me before I continued.

Christine Hoover is a Texas-loving pasttor's wife who left her beloved Texas roots (and friends) to follow her husband's ministry call to Virginia. This is not her first book, but it was my introduction to her, and my goodness, do I ever appreciate the heart, soul, and deep transparency she put into this book!

It's hard to write about friendship. I think it's harder now than ever, because friendship is so confusing (thanks, social media!) anymore. Facebook has redefined the word "friend" entirely, and we all have to stop and translate in our heads to know for sure where each person in our "friend" life actually fits.

Friendship is hard because we can be catty. Friendship is hard because we compare. Friendship is hard because we're busy. Friendship is hard because we're prideful. But friendship is a gift from the Lord designed (amazingly enough) NOT to fill our social media feed, but to fill our souls and push us closer to Him.

I've heard that about marriage before. I've never thought of it being the same for friendship until I read Christine's book. If we're doing friendship the way the Lord designed, we are friends filled with grace, we aren't afraid of conflict, we dig deep, we walk through the hard stuff just as faithfully as the fun stuff, and in the end, we both know we're nearer to the Lord because this friendship exists.

Christine shares many vulnerable stories from her own life and shows through her own successes and failures how to have honest conversations, move past assumptions (and their lies), walk through valleys, and believe the best from friends.

This book was very convicting to me. I'm not always the friend I want to be, and I read many reminders of why I need to do some things differently, as well as many convicting words about the proper role of friendships in my life.

This book isn't a fast read, and I mean that as a high compliment. If you do blow through it, I think you'll miss so many key points you should pause to digest, savor, and even implement.

If you're frustrated by your friendships, whether the lack or state of them, pick up this book. She has many wise nuggets to share (even a list of them in the back!) and she's safe to learn from, because she's not a perfect friend either. (And what a relief that was to know!)

* Baker Books sent me a copy of this book; all opinions are my own!*

The Saturday Six

One.

Listen here.

This week marked a debut book release for my new friend, Christy Cabe. My review of the book is below, but here is a link to our conversation about Brownie Crumbs and Other Life Morsels. (How can you NOT love a book with that title?) Christy's book is a memoir, but it also offers wonderful, non-preachy life advice, and to talk with her further about her experiences of losing her mother when she was young and walking through three years of cancer treatments with her toddler son was a privilege. Christy is a great story-teller; take a listen!

Two.

 I've shared with you before (on the blog and on a podcast) about the RAD-JOY Surrender Crosses and why I love them so much. Ryan and I have one of these crosses hanging in our home, and I love nailing my burdens to it! The creators of these crosses just released a new item in their shop: a set of prayer cards with 31 little cards on a ring to give you one prayer focus per day. I always love passing along new finds that might help you increase your prayer life, so I wanted to share these with you! 

Three.

 The season of outdoor entertaining has returned, and KariAnne has some great tips for how to do it well. Her ideas remind me very much of my cousin's graduation party last summer, which was much fun. (I especially loved the dish towel tip. Genius!)

Four.

Oh my. A wood wick candle with Be Still on the jar? All my happy places colliding. Great job, Dayspring!

Five.

This blogger writes for one of the same websites I do, and she recently had quite a scary health situation. She writes about it here, and her perspective on illness and the Lord is so beautiful. 


Six.

A few weeks ago, a whole big group of my friends started chatting on social media about a soon-to-be released book written by their friend. Obviously I was interested immediately, and a couple of them connected me with the author, Christy Cabe, who sent me an advance copy of the book, so I could read it, too!


After I read the book, one of my friends, who has known Christy for years, asked if I laughed and cried like she did when she read it. Here's the great news: I did! I just met Christy, so all her stories were new to me. I wasn't there walking alongside her through the real-time ups and downs of her life, but her manner of story-telling was so inviting that I crawled right into the stories with her, and I did laugh and cry. And immediately, I felt like Christy was my new friend.

Brownie Crumbs and Other Life Morsels tells snippets of stories from Christy's life - going all the way back to her younger days, when (at age eleven) she had to say goodbye to her mother, who passed away unexpectedly in her 30's. Already wise and rooted in the Lord (much more so than most her age), Christy recognized the deep gift she had been given in even those few short years with her mom, and she opened her heart to love a second mother, who married her dad just a few months later.

After Christy grew up and got married, she faced another life-altering storm when her two-year-old son, Karson, was diagnosed with leukemia. Christy and her husband spent the next three years fighting alongside Karson, and learning a whole new language of medical jargon as they waited to see if the years of treatments would bring health and healing to their son. (He is now a thriving young man, praise the Lord!)

Maybe you didn't lose your mom when you were a kid, and maybe you've never heard a cancer diagnosis for your child. But I'm certain you've faced trials of some kind, and that is enough to allow you to relate to Christy's journey and to learn from the morsels of wisdom she offers throughout the pages of her book. Christy doesn't water down the hard parts of her story, but the book isn't heavy all the way through. She intersperses humor with the hard, giving healthy glimpses into both sides of life.

Unlike many similar books, Christy's pages are filled with pictures, so you can get to know her and the family members she loves. There's a discussion guide at the end, making it perfect for book clubs and small groups.

Bake a pan of brownies before you start reading; you'll want a snack to munch on while you read and make a new friend in Christy Cabe.

* Christy provided a digital advance copy of this book to me, but all opinions are my own! *

The Saturday Six

One.

 I was excited to stumble upon this article of places to eat around Indiana. (Places with spectacular patio dining!) We have actually been to the very last one on the list and loved the food AND the view. And now? We have more places to try!


Two.

 Love these words from Holley Gerth. If you're struggling to forgive yourself of your past, or if you wonder if Jesus meant that He loves you, read her words.

Three.

 Did anyone try the new Unicorn Frappe from Starbucks this week? I am not even REMOTELY tempted by this, and of my social media friends, I only saw one thumbs up. I will just go ahead and stick to my caramel delights, thankyouverymuch.

Four.

Since I'm not a parent, I do try to limit my parental advice on this blog. I know I am not a reliable source. But I happened upon this post through Twitter this week, and out of curiosity, I read it. AND I TOTALLY AGREE. I actually have a couple of friends (meaning one couple married to each other) who parent this way, and it actually works. Their kids are well-behaved, innovative, creative, and in my non-parental opinion, balanced and healthy. So I think there might just be something to this madness!  

Five.

This is kind of a throw-back to an old post, but I'll tell you why I'm reminding you of it! Last year, I shared this post of how I'd started making my own marinara sauce. (It was a by-product of the 21 Day Fix lifestyle and learning to eat less processed foods.) I've used this sauce many times in lasagna and other such dishes, but I made a new batch a few days ago and pulled some out for Ryan to use as dipping sauce for some bread he had. I clearly underestimated how much he would love it and had NOT reserved enough. He told me he was done with all pre-packaged sauces. This was it for him from now on. So in honor of that, here's a link to the recipe! 

Six.

THIS. IN EVERY WAY: THIS. (Pause: it is true that there is no book review this week. I read two books but neither has been released yet, so I can't review them. Believe me. It's killing my OCD as much as it's shocking you right now. I'll be back with a book next week. PROMISE.) Okay back to this point.

I have had so many conversations lately with friends, fellow-believers, fellow entrepreneurs and small business owners and my brain spins over this entire conundrum. As Beth says so much better than I can, we are living in a world where we are taught and encouraged to promote ourselves. If we have something to offer, we have to make graphics and videos and do blog tours and podcasts and push, push, push to get our name and offering out to every soul we've ever met. We beg for retweets and reposts and stalk our social media numbers to make sure they're growing.

I don't like any of it. It's not how I was raised, it wasn't what I saw modeled, and it's not how I want to live. I share what I have to offer, because I want you to know it's there. I want you to know if you need a laugh, you can listen to Spill the Beans and chances are good we'll make you giggle. I want you to know if you want to read about the randomness of our lives, you can come here every day and find something to munch on for a minute. I want you to know if you need a devo, I've written a couple, I believe in their message, and I hope they'd be an inspiration to you. So I let you know when something's here. I want you to know that I love to share the messages God has given me with groups of people, so if you need a speaker, holler, and we'll talk. But oh my word, I never want to be the girl that shoves any of it down your throat.

I don't want to be the girl who gets hidden from every Facebook feed because my every post, even if shrouded in some fun story about my life, is somehow going to turn into a desperate plea to hire me or buy something I've written. I agree with Beth 100% and I am in her camp. I don't want to be about the Bekah Shaffer brand. I want to be about Jesus and hope you see Him through these outlets I have the chance to offer.

Stepping off soapbox.

Being Still

This has been a weird week. Ryan's work schedule has been packed with no breathing room. And off the clock, he's spent every evening running to help various friends with various needs around their houses. I've entered the zone of final preparation for a huge handful of speaking coming my way in May, and a few other projects that extend beyond that.

Yesterday, as I took Ryan's lunch to work so we could eat together in the 13 minutes (I'm not kidding) allocated for such frivolities, my mind felt like it might just explode. I wasn't mad, I wasn't sad, I wasn't anything except full. So much to think about, and I wasn't sure where to direct my mental energies first.

I left Ryan while the practically-still-whole quesadilla I inhaled in less than 13 minutes rattled around most uncomfortably in my stomach and tears rolled down my cheeks. He kissed my forehead and told me to go home and do something for me so I could find a sense of calm in the mind-storm.

So I pulled out the chalk and made the "open" sign for my office door, cleaned out my inbox, washed the sheets, and tried to think about what to write today.

That's when God directed my attention to this little book sitting over on the shelf.

Ahh yes. I believe I know that book.

And yesterday, I needed it myself. Yesterday I needed to stop, sit, and be.

Reminders of Tuesdays in the prayer chapel when I went without an agenda and just sat before the Lord to hear Him.

Reminders of assignments that seemed silly but were oh-so-necessary for my soul.

Reminders of His plan being more important than my own perceived plan.

So I skimmed through its pages again. I relived those Tuesdays and the heart lessons that taught me so much.

And then I put aside the work and went for a walk. While on the walk, I got a text from a friend who had asked me to help her that day but decided she was good on her own. With extra time, I went home and sat on the front porch, feet up, coffee in hand, and was still.

Cars drove by, the boys down the street played basketball in their driveway, Braeya cried from the other side of the window screen, and I could hear faint thunder in the dark blue distance.

But I just sat and was still.

 When I got up a while later, the day ahead remained busy. Ryan still had to work late, I still had kiddos to watch, the sky still got darker, and the list of to-help chores on Ryan's list was still long. But after being still, I could breathe again.

Maybe you need to breathe, too?

Beautiful Despite the Limitations

We've pulled together a whole host of fun stories for you this week on Spill the Beans! An Easter recap complete with my "dress up day." (Ryan's favorite.)

Take a listen here!

I've been so excited about the arrival of spring, because all my favorite trees have been flowering in their respective white and pink blossoms, and of course, the air is getting warmer, which is amazing beyond words.

Over the weekend, Ryan and I went to the store to get flowers for our landscaping, but we were a tad on the early side. The greenhouse was still filled with tulips and hyacinths. We'll have to go back later to get the complete landscaping gear, but last night I went out into the yard with my little trowel and bucket of dirt to plant the few things we had gotten.

A smattering of plants for the window box (which to be fair, is really a railing box, but since that's not a real term, we'll go with window box) and some petunias for the front of the little red wagon I converted into a planter last year.

I'm not a plant guru. In fact, when Ryan and I collapsed on the porch after our run last night, I looked in horror at the little yellow pansy plant our friend Ronda brought to us last week. I've been watering it (regularly, I thought), but it was all limp in its pot with the petals face-down on the table. I sprang out of my chair (as fast as my post-run jello-legs would spring) and watered it. For the rest of the evening, I kept one eye on that plant and watched with intense relief as the little stems slowly lifted to attention once again.

Yes, plants are not my thing. I love them, but I have to keep on a strict maintenance schedule to make sure I don't kill them.

But despite my limitations in knowing what looks good where, I love our little limited landscaping. I love the little red wagon, the various planter pots, and the giant ferns that remind me of palm trees. I love the small handful of statues and stones we've been gifted, because they represent stories of our life together and the people who have invested in us. This is what I love about our little spot of landscaping.

My sisters are great with flowers (like they're great with laundry and many other things that are not my strength). But I'm not going to let my limitations keep me from loving my pretty little plants. I'm going to keep going back to the store until I find enough things to fill the naked dirt of the planters, and I'm going to do my best to get regular drinks of water to each of them before they follow the pansy's lead and go petal-down in the dirt.

Maybe plants are not your thing either...or maybe you're afraid to try. Give it a shot! You just never know. You might not be hired as chief landscaper of a major corporation, but you can sit back and enjoy the beauty in front of you. I know I sure plan to!

The Saturday Six

One.

While I do not currently have a "formal" mentor in my life, I have many women whose lives and walks with the Lord provide mentorship to me, and I appreciate that. I have also had seasons when I met with different women to allow them to mentor me, and I've served as one before, to a younger friend. It's such an important role, and I fear too many think they are not qualified because they are not perfect. And that's why this article by Carol Kent speaks such life and truth over that myth!


Two.

Last week on the Six, I shared with you a post by my friend Sarah Forgrave that gives healthy(ish) options to choose when eating fast food. (Because we all know fast food happens!) This week, she continued her series on healthy options, but she offers the same advice for sandwich and deli-style restaurants. Thought I would pass it along to you!

Three.

 This article was fascinating to me. The guy is a photographer who builds sets out of miniatures and random props he makes by hand, but the finished photos look like absolute, full-size, real life.

Four.

This article CRACKED me up. 25 random (and may I add - WEIRD) things church members have said to pastors.  

Five.

Still looking for a last-minute Easter dish? Looking for one that has some healthy qualities to it? 30 options here from Dashing Dish. (We've had three Dashing Dish recipes this week, and ALL have been keepers in my opinion. 2/3 keepers in Ryan's opinion.)

Six.

In a weird blog twist, I'm telling you about four books today. WHAT?!?!! I know! I was so busy reading advanced copies of books to help some authors that I didn't have time to read a whole extra book, but it's high time I reviewed these four on the blogaroo, so here you go! I've actually mentioned all of these before in suggested reading lists, but I've never officially told you all about them.

If you heard Tuesday's podcast, you heard about our trip to hear our friend Brent Vernon in concert. Brent is a multi-talented guy. He can sing and play the piano, he's a ventriloquist, but he's also an author and illustrator of children's books! I had owned two of his four books already, but you know me and incomplete collections: shiver! So at that concert, I rounded out my stash and purchased the last two books. And now I shall tell you about them!

The first three books are all part of a series called the Audrey Amaka stories. Audrey Amaka is a neckless giraffe who wears blue sparkly high heeled shoes to help in the height department. Also featured in these books are her two friends, Nelson and Doodle. (Nelson is terribly accident-prone, and I so identify with the poor guy!)

Each book features an important virtue from the Bible, told through creative story. In Neckless, the first book of the series, Audrey learns that she is fearfully and wonderfully made, even if she looks different from everyone else. And she learns that sometimes the very things that make you different can actually make you valuable and special. In book two, Curiosity Crescent Audrey and her friends take a special trip with Mr. Amaka, but they learn the importance of obedience and the consequences that result from disobedience. And in book three, The Okapicat Audrey meets her cousin Ornela, who turns out to be more of a copycat than an Okapi. During Ornela's week-long visit to Audrey's house, both girls learn important lessons about being content with who they are and how attitudes and actions make a big difference!

The stories are all 32 pages long, fun to read, the lessons are well-taught, and the illustrations are amazing. I could just sit and look at the pictures all day! :)

The fourth and newest book Brent wrote is called The Gingerbrood, and it's a Christmas book written in rhyme. I'm always in awe of those who can write poetry, since I have zero skills in that department. :) This book tells the story of a batch of gingerbread cookies that escape from Mrs. Claus's oven, believing if they don't, they'll end up as Santa's snack. The book follows them on their adventures through the North Pole, and is fun to read out loud! (Also amazing illustrations in this one. And if you want a page count - it's 23 pages.)

If you have kiddos in your life, these books would make fun gifts for them. If you don't have kiddos, these books make a great resource to have on hand when some show up at your house and expect you to have books for them to read! (Our niece and nephew loved them when I read them during a stay at our house.)

You can find all four books (plus Brent's music!) in this online store. Totally recommend all of it! 

The Saturday Six

One.

Listen to the podcast here.

So if you hang out on Pinterest much, I'm going to guess you've seen one of the creations from this week's Conversation Cafe guest, Shannon Long. She is a blogger over at Sweet Blessings, but she has created these Scripture writing plans that are all over Pinterest. I've been using them this year (they're just collections of Scripture references for each month, and you look them up and write out the verses) and have been learning much through this practice! I wanted to hear the story behind them, so she was kind enough to join me, tell a bit of her story and how Scripture writing impacted her during a really severe health crisis! We talked for about a half hour - hope you can take a listen and check out her plans!

Two.

 What a beautifully and succinctly written post that addresses the truth that God is using each of us RIGHT NOW. It's not about grand dreams of how He may use us in the future, though certainly He will use us then, too. But now matters just as much! I loved this, Jessica! Thanks for writing it!

Three.

 If you're a book lover, do you love finding out little snippets of the story behind the story? This week I read A.H. Gabhart's newest novel, Murder is No Accident (review below) and I stumbled upon this article that gives a peek into how she chose one of the main settings for the book. It gives no spoilers, I promise, and is fun to read!

Four.

This 3 minute video parody showed up in my Facebook feed this week, and maybe it showed up in yours too. But if not, and if you're a fan of the HGTV show House Hunters, you've got to watch it! 

Five.

So, last weekend (as you saw), Ryan not only surprised me with tickets to see the GVB - with David one last time! - but he also treated me to David's brand new CD, which is a hymns project. I was raised on hymns and certainly went through my rebellious teen phase when I felt they were so not cool and didn't want to listen to them, but apparently I'm old now or something, because I dearly love them again, and this album is SO GOOD. Hymns projects always interest me because it seems there are about a dozen hymns that are must-have-standards, and you're guaranteed to find at least three from that list on any collection. And that's true of this one. He's got How Great Thou Art and Amazing Grace on the list. But he also has several that I've never heard on any hymns project, and that's what I love about this one! Only Trust Him and Until Then and Victory in Jesus, which is Ryan's favorite. (David does a duet with his equally talented daughter on that one!) So of course I have to say if you're looking for some new music, PICK DAVID!!!!

Six.

Source

After a few weeks of reading and reviewing non-fiction  books, I was excited to slip over into the world of fiction this week. Anyone else ever need a virtual vacation to a book world now and then? And Hidden Springs would be just the kind of town I'd love to visit for a low-key vacation, but my goodness. Seems like every time a new book comes out, someone's died in town, so maybe I don't want to visit!

Except I do dearly love this little fictional town and all the people in it. It's the kind of series that makes me giddy to see a new book coming out, because I so want to go back and see everyone again! Murder is No Accident is the third book in A.H. Gabhart's series (Hidden Springs Mysteries) and it was as suspenseful as books one and two! (Follow the links on "one" and "two" to read my thoughts on those books.)

In this third installment of Hidden Springs life, we meet teenager Maggie Greene, a budding writer who finds much joy in tip-toeing into the tower room high above Miss Fonda Elwood's grand old house. Miss Fonda is in a senior living facility now and is not always accused of being lucid, but before her mind slipped entirely, she'd told Maggie she was welcome to go into the house anytime she wanted. Maggie feared the rest of the town (starting with her mother, who was hired to keep the house clean, and ending with law enforcement, who are hired to keep trespassing at bay) won't see the invitation from the dementia-riddled lady quite as openly as she does, hence the tip-toeing.

Sneaking in and out works well until the day she Maggie hears a scuffle on the floor below the tower and emerges to find a body at the bottom of the stairs. She calls 911 to report it, but quickly panics at the idea of explaining how she came upon the body, and flees the scene.

That puts Deputy Michael Keene back on the murder-mystery-solving scene, which he rather hopes will end soon so he can start feeling like life in the little town is uneventful once again. He'd rather reserve the title "eventful" for his love life, but unfortunately that's the part of life that seems to be at a standstill.

As the days go by, Michael becomes increasingly aware that the woman at the bottom of the stairs did not trip on her high heels and fall to an untimely, but natural death. A second body, some threats, and a whole lot of suspicious folk leave him scrambling for answers before things get any worse. And while he wishes the happenings of the town would leave him too busy to think about the lovely Alexandria and her confusing waffling of interest/non-interest in him, she seems to override every thought he has.

The book packs a lot of action into a short amount of time, and it also brings in great faith and life lessons alongside the suspenseful mystery. (Full disclosure. I started this book after lunch one day and promised Ryan I would not stay up late to finish it. And then I couldn't put it down. He laughed when I read the last page before going to bed. I couldn't help it!!! I had to know who did it!!) I hope there is at least one more book to take me back to Hidden Springs! I still have a few questions I'd love to see answered!

* Revell send me a complimentary copy of this book but did not require a review in exchange. All opinions are my own! *
 

The Saturday Six

One.

If you struggle with the need (not a desire, but a need) to never disappoint anyone, well, you're probably going to disappoint yourself, because that's just pretty much impossible. But I get the whole people-pleaser mentality. Have that bug myself! This post is beautifully worded, offering freedom from an impossible goal!

Two.

Gone on a good virtual home tour lately? I hadn't, so I read this post from Between Naps on the Porch. THREE homes on one property. I love the guest cottage the best.

Three.

Ryan!?!!?!?! This one's for you! Remember when we got our Surrender sign, and you said you wished you knew how wood burning art worked? Found a tutorial! It's not written by the lady who made our sign, but I'm guessing the technique is close enough!{And anyone else intrigued by how wood burning works...check it out!}

Four.

A short, but meaningful read about the importance of making memories with your kids. I have great childhood memories and hope Ryan and I provide good memories for our nieces and nephews!

Five.

Any Aldi shoppers out there? This is a cute way to keep track of your quarter! 

Six.

Source

Last summer, I read Lynette Eason's book Without Warning, which was the second book in a series called Elite Guardians. I'd missed the first book, but easily jumped into book two, and it was a heart-stopper for sure! I read the book in the car as Ryan and I drove home from Kansas from my niece's wedding, and I kept jumping every time he slammed on the brakes!


So when I saw that book three in the series, Moving Target, was releasing this winter, I had to get it. To refresh your memory, these books tell the stories of a group of young women who serve as bodyguards. Each book focuses on a different member of the Elite Guardians, and this time, it was Maddy McKay's turn.

Maddy and the guy she's been dating {he stops just short of willingness to define the relationship further}, Quinn Holcombe, vanish one evening after having dinner together. Their friends discover the news a day later when both of them fail to show up at Quinn's birthday party and they all realize no one has heard from them in a full day.

Though Maddy is a bodyguard and Quinn as a muscle-laden investigator, they've both been abducted by a mysterious {and apparently very strong!} man. They awaken from their drugged stupors and begin a fight to stay alive and figure out who has targeted them, and more importantly, why. They suspect their abduction is related to a string of deaths, and they're determined to not become the next victims, but instead bring justice to those who have already died.

Much like the second book in the series, this one is full of twists, nail-biting moments, surprises, and I would highly recommend not reading it right before you go to bed. {I finally closed it because it was so real, I knew I'd have nightmares if I kept going! But when daylight returned, I cracked it back open and read ferociously until I finished the book!}

Also like the second book, Moving Target had a clear faith base to it, but the storyline wasn't cheesy or watered down. I appreciated the author's ability to weave the two so well. And I learned at the end that the fourth book in the series comes out later this year, so I'm looking forward to that! {One other note: if you've not read the first two books, you won't be confused when you pick this one up. Though I recognized characters from the previous book, the storyline itself stands alone enough that you won't be lost.}

* Revell provided a copy of this book to me at no charge. All opinions are my own. *