La Belle Design

  A couple of weeks ago I returned from a fabulous time with some of my favorite people at the Christian Mommy Writer's retreat! We have around 100 of us scattered around the world, though we're primarily in the USA, and it's such an amazing group of authors who are navigating juggling family life, serving the Lord, and glorifying Him in our writing. Many of the books I review and recommend are by these amazing ladies. At the retreat we had classes where we heard from a number of different authors who spoke on our writing craft, marketing, and balancing all of our jobs. One of the most special times we had each day was our morning devotional and worship time. We also spent plenty of time catching up in person on life and writing, sharing ideas, and of course writing. As ladies love to do, we had a Gala evening where we all dressed up, went out for dinner, presented awards, and celebrated our writing journey.  As for the title of this post, the travel to and from this event ...

James 3:13-18 ESV - Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle , open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits , impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. Meekness has overlapping meaning with gentleness, so in this James passage we see gentle used two different ways. Each way comes from a different Greek word in the original scripture and in this translation they are translated as meekness and gentleness. Let’s look at those definitions before we examine the passage. In verse 3:13 the word meek...

Reverie is a Christian fiction book intended to explore how single Christians deal with attraction, desire, and lustful thoughts within a relationship. It’s a heavy topic and one that’s not often discussed in Christian circles. Drew Taylor has taken the topic and wrapped it in a storyline that will entertain while making you think. The story within a story will have you second guessing and flipping back and forth to see what was real and what was imagined. And it has a different twist on amnesia than I’ve read before, so it kept me turning pages to see what was next. Drew has a way of making hard topics fun and she has done it again here. The vacation vibes with Bora Bora make me want to head to the beach. She also showcases the fact that Christians aren’t perfect. They may desire to follow God’s instructions, but the execution isn’t always straightforward or pretty. Drew does give content warnings regarding the topics of love, lust, and boundaries and please take them seriously. There...

Forget Me Knot by my friend B.R. Goodwin delivers everything you want in a romcom—laughs, swoons, and just the right amount of surprises—while also offering unexpected depth. Dinah is an absolute delight—her vibrant personality shines through in every scene, from her mood-matching tennis shoes to her hilarious T-shirts that had me grinning more than once. I couldn’t help but hum “Someone’s in the kitchen with Dinah…” as I read! And then there’s Jack. He’s completely adorable and the perfect match for Dinah—even on the days he’s not so sweet. You’ll have to read to see why. I don’t want to spoil all the delightful twists, but their journey to happily ever after is oh-so-sweet and worth every page. B.R. has crafted a heartwarming, clean romance set in the charming small town of Honey Hill, where quirky neighbors and a tight-knit community make the story even richer. While faith isn’t the central focus, it’s beautifully woven into the characters’ lives in a natural, authentic way. ...

Psalm 86:15 ESV - 15 But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness . God’s steadfast love and faithfulness are mentioned numerous times in Old Testament scriptures.   The original Hebrew word used here for faithfulness is: ʼemeth, eh'-meth; contracted from H539 ; stability; (figuratively) certainty, truth, trustworthiness:—assured(-ly), establishment, faithful, right, sure, true (-ly, -th), verity. 1 Another word used in the Old Testament for faithfulness is: ʼĕmûwnâh, em-oo-naw'; or (shortened) אֱמֻנָה ʼĕmunâh; feminine of H529 ; literally firmness; figuratively security; morally fidelity:—faith(-ful, -ly, -ness, (man)), set office, stability, steady, truly, truth, verily. 2 Review from the last lesson: 2 Thessalonians 3:3 ESV - But the Lord is faithful . He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. Psalm 111:7 ESV - The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are...