It is with much regret that I have to write you this note. I am taking time off from the book club until further notice. As many of you know, I am going to school more than full time in addition to working full time. I am beginning my senior year classes at Troy University online and it is getting tough as I am seeking my Bachelor’s degree in History. I am squeaking by with my assignments and I don’t have time for additional leisurely reading and meetings. I will be taking a break from coordinating book club for at least the next year. I plan to graduate May 2013 (fingers crossed!) so hopefully after that is complete I can re-evaluate my time and see about getting things going again.
Of course with all this being said, anyone who would like to volunteer and take over the book club is welcome to volunteer. If you are interested in organizing the book each month just let me know and I can get you all the e-mail and book club information. Just a few benefits include great conversation with wise women, encouragement in your walk and an ever expanding love of our community of faith.
I know how much many of you enjoy reading new books with the knowledge others are reading right along with you. I feel confident that those of you who have had your love of reading re-kindled will continue reading and reaching out to each other for book ideas. During this time if you read something that is just fantastic, send an e-mail and I’ll share it with the group and write it down on my future reading list.
Below are just a few of the book titles that have been recommended to me for book club in the past couple months in case you are interested. Disclaimer: I have not read any of these.
A mother’s Hope by Francine Rivers
Even Now Ever After by Karen Kingsbury
Margaret of Molokai by Mel White
May’s Boy: An Incredible Story of Love by Shirlee Monty
Deadline by Randy Alcorn
The Walk Series by Richard Paul Evans
The Harbinger by Jonathan Cahn
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
Crazy Love by Francis Chan
This present Darkness by Frank Peretti
With all this being said, the April Book Club meeting for the book, Choosing to See by Mary Beth Chapman is this upcoming Saturday April 28th at 8:30 AM. Please RSVP and let me know if we are going to have a turnout. Unless someone else comes forward to volunteer, this will be the last meeting until further notice.
Thank you for your time, encouragement and patience with me. Please say a prayer for me and my family as I work to finish up my degree.
Many Thanks, Much Love and Happy Reading to you!
Amber Warner
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Thursday, March 15, 2012
April Book Selection
The April selection was passed along from Jessica Smith of Swift Church. We will be reading Choosing to See: A Journey of Struggle and Hope by Mary Beth Chapman. The book is 273 pages and is Christian Non-Fiction and here is a brief description from Amazon:
I've told my kids for years that God doesn't make mistakes," writes Mary Beth Chapman, wife of Grammy award winning recording artist Steven
Curtis Chapman. "Would I believe it now, when my whole world as I knew it came to an end?"
Covering her courtship and marriage to Steven Curtis Chapman, struggles for emotional balance, and living with grief, Mary Beth's story is our story--wondering where God is when the worst happens. In Choosing to SEE, she shows how she wrestles with God even as she has allowed him to write her story--both during times of happiness and those of tragedy. Readers will hear firsthand about the loss of her daughter, the struggle to heal, and the unexpected path God has placed her on. Even as difficult as life can be, Mary Beth Chapman Chooses to SEE. Includes a 16-page full color photo insert.(end quote)
I'm really excited as I have heard many great reviews on this book and am a little familiar with the Chapman's story.
The April Meeting will be on Saturday April 28th. Mark your calendars!
Please call or e-mail me with any questions, suggestions or comments.
Happy Reading!
I've told my kids for years that God doesn't make mistakes," writes Mary Beth Chapman, wife of Grammy award winning recording artist Steven
Curtis Chapman. "Would I believe it now, when my whole world as I knew it came to an end?"Covering her courtship and marriage to Steven Curtis Chapman, struggles for emotional balance, and living with grief, Mary Beth's story is our story--wondering where God is when the worst happens. In Choosing to SEE, she shows how she wrestles with God even as she has allowed him to write her story--both during times of happiness and those of tragedy. Readers will hear firsthand about the loss of her daughter, the struggle to heal, and the unexpected path God has placed her on. Even as difficult as life can be, Mary Beth Chapman Chooses to SEE. Includes a 16-page full color photo insert.(end quote)
I'm really excited as I have heard many great reviews on this book and am a little familiar with the Chapman's story.
The April Meeting will be on Saturday April 28th. Mark your calendars!
Please call or e-mail me with any questions, suggestions or comments.
Happy Reading!
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Mark of the Lion Series
This past February meeting was cancelled because everyone was a little too busy or didn't have enough time to read the book. Just in case you didn't know I wanted to share with you that there are two more books that complete this series. After reading, A Voice in the Wind, you can continue reading in this Mark of the Lion series. All the books are available at the public libraries.
In this final installment of the Mark of the Lion series, Atretes, the
Germanic warrior, returns to play a central role in the story. Hadassah is confined to the cells below the arena and is facing death once again. Marcus, shattered by the loss of Hadassah, goes in search of God, while his sister Julia lies dying of a strange new illness, longing for a forgiveness beyond her reach. Meanwhile, Atretes vows to move heaven and earth to find his son—the baby he thought was dead, and whose life Hadassah has saved—and take him back to Germania. Only one thing stands in his way: Rizpah, a Christian widow who has cared for the baby since his birth. Atretes has not counted on Rizpah’s fiery resistance to having “her son” taken away, nor is he prepared for the woman’s strength and beauty. From their first meeting, the two are caught in a stormy battle of wills. Marcus and Julia and, finally, Atretes, come to realize that God’s love can heal all scars and bring forth a new dawn. (from author's website)
An Echo in the Darkness (2)
Book 2 in the Mark of the Lion series, An Echo in the Darkness picks up
where A Voice in the Wind leaves off. A year has passed and Hadassah has donned veils to protect her identity as well as the scars that now mark her body. Believed dead, Hadassah finds employment helping a doctor in the poor section of the city and develops a knack for healing through the power of her faith. When Julia falls ill, Hadassah is forced to confront another difficult decision: should she return to the Valerian household, risking exposure and death, to help her former tormentor in the Christian tradition? The flame between Hadassah and Marcus is ultimately rekindled, though Marcus continues to search for meaning and faith. Turning away from the opulence of Rome, Marcus is led by a whispering voice from the past into a journey that could set him free from the darkness of his soul. Will he find God and spiritual fulfillment, becoming the man Hadassah knows he can be? (from author's website)
where A Voice in the Wind leaves off. A year has passed and Hadassah has donned veils to protect her identity as well as the scars that now mark her body. Believed dead, Hadassah finds employment helping a doctor in the poor section of the city and develops a knack for healing through the power of her faith. When Julia falls ill, Hadassah is forced to confront another difficult decision: should she return to the Valerian household, risking exposure and death, to help her former tormentor in the Christian tradition? The flame between Hadassah and Marcus is ultimately rekindled, though Marcus continues to search for meaning and faith. Turning away from the opulence of Rome, Marcus is led by a whispering voice from the past into a journey that could set him free from the darkness of his soul. Will he find God and spiritual fulfillment, becoming the man Hadassah knows he can be? (from author's website)As Sure as the Dawn (3)
In this final installment of the Mark of the Lion series, Atretes, the
Germanic warrior, returns to play a central role in the story. Hadassah is confined to the cells below the arena and is facing death once again. Marcus, shattered by the loss of Hadassah, goes in search of God, while his sister Julia lies dying of a strange new illness, longing for a forgiveness beyond her reach. Meanwhile, Atretes vows to move heaven and earth to find his son—the baby he thought was dead, and whose life Hadassah has saved—and take him back to Germania. Only one thing stands in his way: Rizpah, a Christian widow who has cared for the baby since his birth. Atretes has not counted on Rizpah’s fiery resistance to having “her son” taken away, nor is he prepared for the woman’s strength and beauty. From their first meeting, the two are caught in a stormy battle of wills. Marcus and Julia and, finally, Atretes, come to realize that God’s love can heal all scars and bring forth a new dawn. (from author's website)I am currently reading the second book because I really wanted to keep going to see where this story takes us. I have heard so many rave reviews about the series that I don't want to miss out!
I also look forward to reading the March book, The Devil in Pew number 7, and I hope that you do too! Our March meeting will be on March 31st, same time same place. As always, send me in your book suggestions as I barely have time to pre-read books.
Happy reading!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
March Book Selection
*********Reminder!!! The February meeting is this upcoming Saturday 2/25 at Chick-Fil-A in Foley at 8:30 AM - 10:00AM. I need YOU to RSVP!*******
The March selection was recently read by Nancy Hope of Swift Church. We will be reading The Devil in Pew Number Seven by Rebecca Nichols Alonzo. The book is 288 pages and is Christian Non-Fiction and here is a brief description from Amazon:
“When the Lord gets ready for me to leave this church, He won’t send the message by the devil.” Robert Nichols, 1975
Rebecca never felt safe as a child. In 1969, her father, Robert Nichols, moved with his family to Sellerstown, North Carolina, to serve as a pastor. There he found a small community eager to welcome him . . . with one exception. Glaring at him from pew number seven was a man obsessed with controlling the church and determined to get rid of anyone who stood in his way. The first time the Nichols family received a harassing phone call, they dismissed it. The same went for the anonymous letter that threatened they’d leave “crawling or walking . . . dead or alive.” But what they couldn’t ignore was the strategy of terror their tormentor unleashed, more devastating and violent than they could have ever imagined. Refusing to be driven away, Rebecca’s father stood his ground until one night when an armed man walked into the family’s kitchen . . . and Rebecca’s life was shattered. If anyone had reason to harbor hatred and seek personal revenge, it would be Rebecca. Yet The Devil in Pew Number Seven tells a different story. It is the amazing, true saga of relentless persecution, one family’s faith and courage in the face of it, and a daughter whose parents taught her the power of forgiveness. (end quote) I'm really excited as I have heard many great reviews on this book and read numerous articles online about this true story. An e-mail will be sent with ordering information but I do know there is one copy in the Public Library.
The book suggestions have been slow going.... To make this year's book club work I need YOU to e-mail me your favorite books that you think our group will enjoy. Please Please Please, e-mail me your ideas, whether you are a regular attendee or you just read along with us and don't attend the meetings, it doesn't matter!!! I need you to keep this year going. I barely have time to read other than a textbook so I can't do near the research as usual right now. The March Meeting will be on Saturday March 31st. Mark your calendars! Please call or e-mail me with any questions, suggestions or comments.
Happy Reading!
Thursday, January 26, 2012
February Book Club Selection
February's selection was recommended by Christy Bledsoe of Swift Church. We will be reading A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers which is the first book in the Mark of the Lion Series. This is a favorite author among the book club so I'm sure we will have no trouble with this one. The book is 515 pages and here is a brief description:
“The city was silently bloating in the hot sun, rotting like the thousands of
bodies that lay where they had fallen in street battles.” With this opening sentence, A Voice in the Wind transports readers back to Jerusalem during the first Jewish-Roman War, some seventy years after the death of Christ. Following the prides and passions of a group of Jews, Romans and Barbarians living at the time of the siege, the narrative is centered on an ill-fated romance between a steadfast slave girl, Hadassah, and Marcus, the brother of her owner and a handsome aristocrat. After surviving the massacre of her family and the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, Hadassah is captured and sold to a well-to-do merchant’s family. Brought to Rome, she is pressed into service as a personal slave to hedonistic Julia Valerian. Hadassah struggles to walk in the footsteps of Jesus and to treat her masters in a manner in keeping with His teachings, but she is forced to keep her religious identity a secret in order to survive. Confused and alone, she has only her faith to cling to as she tries to subtly bring God into the lives of her captors. Reckless, impulsive, and villainous, Julia tries to undermine Hadassah at every turn. But Julia’s brother, Marcus, is a different sort altogether. Is it possible for a love between Hadassah and Marcus to flourish considering not only their differing stations in life, but also the gap between Hadassah’s unrelenting faith and Marcus’ lack of belief in anything? Simultaneously, Atretes, a captured soldier from Germania, is forced to become a gladiator. This is the time of Rome's decline and the decadence of a civilization on the verge of self-destruction serves as a powerful backdrop to the Barbarian’s struggle for survival in the arena. (end quote)
I'm really excited as I have heard many great reviews on this book and it's series.An e-mail will be sent with ordering information but I do know that copies are available in the Public Library. The book suggestions have been slow going.... To make this year's book club work I need YOU to e-mail me your favorite books that you think our group will enjoy. Please Please Please, e-mail me your ideas, whether you are a regular attendee or you just read along with us and don't attend the meetings, it doesn't matter!!! I need you to keep this year going. I barely have time to read other than a textbook so I can't do near the research as usual right now. Please call or e-mail me with any questions, suggestions or comments.
February Meeting will be on 2/25!
Happy Reading!
“The city was silently bloating in the hot sun, rotting like the thousands of
bodies that lay where they had fallen in street battles.” With this opening sentence, A Voice in the Wind transports readers back to Jerusalem during the first Jewish-Roman War, some seventy years after the death of Christ. Following the prides and passions of a group of Jews, Romans and Barbarians living at the time of the siege, the narrative is centered on an ill-fated romance between a steadfast slave girl, Hadassah, and Marcus, the brother of her owner and a handsome aristocrat. After surviving the massacre of her family and the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, Hadassah is captured and sold to a well-to-do merchant’s family. Brought to Rome, she is pressed into service as a personal slave to hedonistic Julia Valerian. Hadassah struggles to walk in the footsteps of Jesus and to treat her masters in a manner in keeping with His teachings, but she is forced to keep her religious identity a secret in order to survive. Confused and alone, she has only her faith to cling to as she tries to subtly bring God into the lives of her captors. Reckless, impulsive, and villainous, Julia tries to undermine Hadassah at every turn. But Julia’s brother, Marcus, is a different sort altogether. Is it possible for a love between Hadassah and Marcus to flourish considering not only their differing stations in life, but also the gap between Hadassah’s unrelenting faith and Marcus’ lack of belief in anything? Simultaneously, Atretes, a captured soldier from Germania, is forced to become a gladiator. This is the time of Rome's decline and the decadence of a civilization on the verge of self-destruction serves as a powerful backdrop to the Barbarian’s struggle for survival in the arena. (end quote)I'm really excited as I have heard many great reviews on this book and it's series.An e-mail will be sent with ordering information but I do know that copies are available in the Public Library. The book suggestions have been slow going.... To make this year's book club work I need YOU to e-mail me your favorite books that you think our group will enjoy. Please Please Please, e-mail me your ideas, whether you are a regular attendee or you just read along with us and don't attend the meetings, it doesn't matter!!! I need you to keep this year going. I barely have time to read other than a textbook so I can't do near the research as usual right now. Please call or e-mail me with any questions, suggestions or comments.
February Meeting will be on 2/25!
Happy Reading!
Thursday, January 5, 2012
January 2012 Selection
Happy New Year! It's time to begin another year of Book Club. We are on our 4th year! Can you believe it? As many of you know, I am currently enrolled more than full time in school and work and have difficulty finding time to read anything other than a textbook much less try to pre-screen books. It is with this concern that this years book club selections will be selected by YOU or others in the church who would like to share their favorite selections. Each month the selection will be a featured favorite, still in the category of Christan or Inspirational. 
This month's selection is one passed along from Samford Turner, Executive Presbyter of the Presbytery of South Alabama. We will be reading The Noticer by Andy Andrews. This does happen to be one that I have read and had been thinking about doing for book club for quite some time. It is inspirational fiction (although you will recognize a lot of truth in it too) set in Orange Beach, AL. The book is 176 pages and here is a brief description:
Orange Beach, Alabama is a simple town filled with simple people. But like all humans on the planet, the good folks of Orange Beach have their share of problems - marriages teetering on the brink of divorce, young adults giving up on life, business people on the verge of bankruptcy, as well as the many other obstacles that life seems to dish out to the masses. Fortunately, when things look the darkest - a mysterious man named Jones has a miraculous way of showing up. An elderly man with white hair, of indiscriminate age and race, wearing blue jeans, a white T-shirt and leather flip flops carrying a battered old suitcase, Jones is a unique soul. Communicating what he calls "a little perspective," Jones explains that he has been given a gift of noticing things that others miss. "Your time on this earth is a gift to be used wisely," he says. "Don't squander your words or your thoughts. Consider even the simplest action you take, for your lives matter beyond measure…and they matter forever." Jones speaks to that part in everyone that is yearning to understand why things happen and what we can do about it. (end quote from Amazon.com)
I'm really excited about this book to start off the New Year, maybe it will make us all notice things a little more often throughout the year. An e-mail will be sent with ordering information but I do know that copies are available in our Church Library and the Public Library.
The Chick-Fil-A meeting was a nice change and we are going to meet there again this January 28th at 830 AM and will meet until 10AM. Invite your friends and family, the more the merrier. If you would prefer us keep meetings at the church, let me know. Your opinion counts, no feelings hurt here!
Now one last thing I need from you. To make this year's book club work I need YOU to e-mail me your favorite books that you think our group will enjoy. Please Please Please, e-mail me your ideas, whether you are a regular attendee or you just read along with us and don't attend the meetings, it doesn't matter!!! I need you to keep this year going. I have provided a list of books we have already read at the bottom of the email so you can see what has already been done.
Happy Reading!
Past Book Selections
2011
January – The Help by Kathryn Stockett
February – The practice of the presence of God by Brother Lawrence
March – Left to Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza
April – Have a little faith by Mitch Albom
May – Heaven is for real by Todd Burpo
June – Under the overpass by Mike Yankoski
July – Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
August – What different do it make? by Ron Hall & Denver Moore
September – The Book of Ruth (The Bible)
2010
January – The Ultimate Gift by Jim Stovall
February – The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer
March – God’s Smuggler by Brother Andrew
April – A Lineage of Grace by Francine Rivers
May – Candle in the Darkness by Lynn Austin
June – The Measure of a Lady by Deanne Gist
July – A shepherd looks at the 23rd Psalm by Phillip Keller
August – Redemption by Karen Kingsbury
September – For One More Day by Mitch Albom
2009
January – Traveling Light by Max Lucado
February – Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
March – Same kind of different as me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore
April – The Shack by William P. Young
May – Having a Mary heart in a Martha world by Joanna Weaver
June – The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
July – The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
August – The Five people you meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
September – One Tuesday Morning by Karen Kingsbury
This month's selection is one passed along from Samford Turner, Executive Presbyter of the Presbytery of South Alabama. We will be reading The Noticer by Andy Andrews. This does happen to be one that I have read and had been thinking about doing for book club for quite some time. It is inspirational fiction (although you will recognize a lot of truth in it too) set in Orange Beach, AL. The book is 176 pages and here is a brief description:
Orange Beach, Alabama is a simple town filled with simple people. But like all humans on the planet, the good folks of Orange Beach have their share of problems - marriages teetering on the brink of divorce, young adults giving up on life, business people on the verge of bankruptcy, as well as the many other obstacles that life seems to dish out to the masses. Fortunately, when things look the darkest - a mysterious man named Jones has a miraculous way of showing up. An elderly man with white hair, of indiscriminate age and race, wearing blue jeans, a white T-shirt and leather flip flops carrying a battered old suitcase, Jones is a unique soul. Communicating what he calls "a little perspective," Jones explains that he has been given a gift of noticing things that others miss. "Your time on this earth is a gift to be used wisely," he says. "Don't squander your words or your thoughts. Consider even the simplest action you take, for your lives matter beyond measure…and they matter forever." Jones speaks to that part in everyone that is yearning to understand why things happen and what we can do about it. (end quote from Amazon.com)
I'm really excited about this book to start off the New Year, maybe it will make us all notice things a little more often throughout the year. An e-mail will be sent with ordering information but I do know that copies are available in our Church Library and the Public Library.
The Chick-Fil-A meeting was a nice change and we are going to meet there again this January 28th at 830 AM and will meet until 10AM. Invite your friends and family, the more the merrier. If you would prefer us keep meetings at the church, let me know. Your opinion counts, no feelings hurt here!
Now one last thing I need from you. To make this year's book club work I need YOU to e-mail me your favorite books that you think our group will enjoy. Please Please Please, e-mail me your ideas, whether you are a regular attendee or you just read along with us and don't attend the meetings, it doesn't matter!!! I need you to keep this year going. I have provided a list of books we have already read at the bottom of the email so you can see what has already been done.
Happy Reading!
Past Book Selections
2011
January – The Help by Kathryn Stockett
February – The practice of the presence of God by Brother Lawrence
March – Left to Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza
April – Have a little faith by Mitch Albom
May – Heaven is for real by Todd Burpo
June – Under the overpass by Mike Yankoski
July – Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
August – What different do it make? by Ron Hall & Denver Moore
September – The Book of Ruth (The Bible)
2010
January – The Ultimate Gift by Jim Stovall
February – The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer
March – God’s Smuggler by Brother Andrew
April – A Lineage of Grace by Francine Rivers
May – Candle in the Darkness by Lynn Austin
June – The Measure of a Lady by Deanne Gist
July – A shepherd looks at the 23rd Psalm by Phillip Keller
August – Redemption by Karen Kingsbury
September – For One More Day by Mitch Albom
2009
January – Traveling Light by Max Lucado
February – Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
March – Same kind of different as me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore
April – The Shack by William P. Young
May – Having a Mary heart in a Martha world by Joanna Weaver
June – The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
July – The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
August – The Five people you meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
September – One Tuesday Morning by Karen Kingsbury
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Holiday Break!
Our book club is on holiday break until January 2012. We finished up our Book Club year this month with a meeting at Chickfila! Jody Beth led a great mini study of The Book of Ruth. THANK YOU JODY BETH!!! We had 6 people in attendance. It was a good meeting and it was nice to have the new atmosphere. Please be sure to give me feedback on what you thought of the meeting at Chickfila, Like or Dislike?
I hope you have enjoyed reading along this year. Here is a list of all our book selections for 2011 just in case you missed one and would like to catch up:
January – The Help by Kathryn Stockett
February – The practice of the presence of God by Brother Lawrence
March – Left to Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza
April – Have a little faith by Mitch Albom
May – Heaven is for real by Todd Burpo
June – Under the overpass by Mike Yankoski
July – Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
August – What different do it make? by Ron Hall & Denver Moore
September – The Book of Ruth (The Bible)
As many of you know I am in school full time right now and I am extremely busy with school work and that absorbs most all my "extra" reading time right now. Please be sure to share with me good books that you have read or read during this time of break from the club. I'm trying to listen to books on CD to get in my non-school related reading. I will probably need a lot of help and suggestions to really get 2012 off to a great start!
I pray that each one of you has found something good and unexpected from our readings this year and have been blessed in some way by being a part of this club. I pray that each of you have a peaceful and wonderful holiday season. Thank you for your participation, attendance, opinions, suggestions and words of encouragement. I truly appreciate each and every one.
Happy Reading!
With Love,
Amber
I hope you have enjoyed reading along this year. Here is a list of all our book selections for 2011 just in case you missed one and would like to catch up:
January – The Help by Kathryn Stockett
February – The practice of the presence of God by Brother Lawrence
March – Left to Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza
April – Have a little faith by Mitch Albom
May – Heaven is for real by Todd Burpo
June – Under the overpass by Mike Yankoski
July – Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
August – What different do it make? by Ron Hall & Denver Moore
September – The Book of Ruth (The Bible)
As many of you know I am in school full time right now and I am extremely busy with school work and that absorbs most all my "extra" reading time right now. Please be sure to share with me good books that you have read or read during this time of break from the club. I'm trying to listen to books on CD to get in my non-school related reading. I will probably need a lot of help and suggestions to really get 2012 off to a great start!
I pray that each one of you has found something good and unexpected from our readings this year and have been blessed in some way by being a part of this club. I pray that each of you have a peaceful and wonderful holiday season. Thank you for your participation, attendance, opinions, suggestions and words of encouragement. I truly appreciate each and every one.
Happy Reading!
With Love,
Amber
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