La Belle Design

The Raven is here! This is another epic Christian medieval (Vikings) romance by Carrie Cotten. It is the third in the series and I highly recommend starting with The Huntress and then The Viking. Each of the stories is a beautifully written tale. In The Raven, the heroine, Revna, is filled with darkness and out for revenge against the Vikings who stole her people. Aksel is a Viking who’s lived an easy life despite having a father who is always disappointed in him. When the two meet they simultaneously bring out the worst and best in one another.  Both characters struggle with discerning right from wrong and truth from lies. Once they begin working together, the truths they find turn their lives upside down.  The banter between the two is top notch and a fun respite from the intense action. Carrie’s descriptions of settings and characters bring the story to life so perfectly you’ll feel like you’re there. Yet the best part of this book is the message of redemption and the internal

The Glory of Light by Hannah Hood Lucero is Christian Romantic Military Suspense that had me on the edge of my seat from page one. Be warned, it is intense and features some violence, but the darkness makes the faith shine bright.   Most of the story is set in New Orleans, the perfect place to feature a battle between dark and light. Iris is in the military and asked to serve her country by returning to her hometown of NOLA—the place that hardened her as a child. While there she meets Barrett, a student at Tulane whose twin brother’s death changed the way he looked at life. Meanwhile the past tangles with the present, foes masquerade as friends, and lies and truth are indiscernible. Danger lurks everywhere, leaving Iris and Barrett to make hard choices.  This book is filled with action, twists, turns, and romance, but it’s the faith message that rises above it all pointing to Jesus. This amazing story is worth your time! Get The Glory of Light here . Synopsis: He’s had everything

Emma Jane's Guide to Matchmaking the Mayor is a fun contemporary twist on Jane Austen’s Emma. Drew Taylor adds her characteristic wit, small town charm, and faith for a fun poignant story. Emma Jane is a barista searching for her purpose. She thinks she’s found it as a matchmaker, but her longtime family friend and widower, Knightley Austen disagrees.  Knightley has his own worries with the mayoral race heating up and thinks he may lose the position which he already holds. Emma decides the solution is for him to be seen in a stable relationship, and as a matchmaker she has the perfect person.   When both begin questioning if romance is in their future, they start to see each other in a different light. This book is a quick read packed with charm, relatable thoughtful emotions, and characters who are striving to honor God. I thoroughly enjoyed it! Get Emma Jane's Guide to Matchmaking the Mayor here . Book Synopsis It’s all fun and games until lifelong family friends acciden

The fall leaves of middle Tennessee have recently popped with color, revealing the beauty in God's creation. Peace Wrap Up As with love and joy, true peace has us looking to God. Often the peace that the world speaks of is false. In a world filled with sin and brokenness, earthly peace can only be temporary. Many times earthly peace is actually avoidance of the truth. Let’s review our homework and see that fleshed out. Review from the last lesson: Definition of peace : Freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions. 1 Luke 1:76-79 In these verses did you see that John the Baptist was the prophet of the Most High? His ministry began just before Jesus’ earthly ministry to prepare the Jewish people for the Messiah (Jesus) and their need to repent. It had been four hundred years since the Jewish people last had a prophet giving them the words of God. They needed to be reawakened to the things of God. Jesus was the sunrise giving light and leading to peace. What kin

  If you love deep, touching, heartfelt stories that include history and a beautiful faith story, you won’t want to miss this book. It’s based on the true story of a man named Rindy in Cambodia. I’ll be honest: there were times it got so heavy I had to put it down to process my thoughts. I never knew the people of Cambodia went through so much in the ‘70s and ‘80s. There was great darkness surrounding Rindy from the time he was a young boy until he was an adult. As a mom of four, I can’t imagine my young child facing the responsibilities, loneliness, torture, hunger, and emotional distress that he did. And yet, because the darkness was so great, the threads of light shone more brightly through at different points in his life until they culminated in a beautiful tapestry of hope, salvation, and future ministry opportunities. This book is long but worth your time. Not only will it remind you that there is hope in the darkest of places, but it is also a word of warning for us. The peo

  Joy wrap up : In wrapping up the study on joy , I want to clarify that when we find our joy in heaven, it is not that we are joyful because the streets are made of gold, or the gates are made of pearls (Revelation 21:21), or any of the other beautiful things that are there. We are joyful because we will finally be in the full presence of God. He is our treasure. Revelation 21:3 ESV - 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. For now, Christians have the Holy Spirit inside of us as a deposit and guarantee of what is to come, but in the end, we will be fully with God and no longer have the separation of our sin nature making it difficult to fully commune with him. 2 Timothy 1:14 ESV - 14 By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you. 2 Corinthians 5:4-7 ESV - 4 For while we are s