Author Archives: Susan Wachtel

Robert Whitlow – The Confession – Well Done

Posted in Book Review, BookLook by

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The Confession is the first book that I’ve read by author Robert Whitlow and I must confess, I’m hooked and look forward to reading more of books by this author.

The Confession tells the story of up and coming Assistant DA Holt Douglas as he stumbles across an old case, a murder that was quickly labeled suicide and the case closed.  But for what reason and who would stand to benefit from this cover-up?

Robert Whitlow has a very inviting style of writing.  He skillfully weaves a story through the lives and events of the characters.  He’s not in a hurry and takes time to develop both the story and let the readers learn about the characters as they go through everyday life and events that will change their lives.  Instead of a fast pace that leaves the reader exhausted, Robert unravels the story slowly.  In doing that I think he also gives the reader a chance to examine themselves and see how they would have responded when facing similar circumstances.

The Confession is not predictable; it had some twists and turns that I didn’t expect.  I appreciated the fact that Robert Whitlow doesn’t put his characters in jeopardy because they make stupid and illogical decisions.

One of the questions I have when reading “Christian Fiction” is what makes a book “Christian”.  I think Robert Whitlow has struck a fine balance of weaving faith and the Gospel message into his book.  It’s was not done in a contrived way, but faith, repentance and salvation was portrayed as several characters wrestle with their faith or recognize their brokenness and need for a Savior.  At the same time, the author doesn’t beat the reader over the head; instead he plants some Gospel seeds.

I give a big thumbs up and bravo to Robert Whitlow’s newest novel The Confession.

I would like to thank that people at BookLook for providing with a complimentary copy of The Confession to read in exchange for an honest review.  I was under no obligation to provide a favorable review.

Stand Strong by Nick Vujicic – A Powerful Read

Posted in Blogging for Books, Book Review, Nick Vujicic by

StandStrong

After hearing author Nick Vujicic on a number of radio programs I jumped at the opportunity to read his latest book Stand Strong – You Can Overcome Bullying (and Other Stuff That Keeps You Down).

Nick is both a compelling speaker and writer.  In Stand Strong he shares openly about difficult people (bullies) he’s encountered, how it’s impacted his life and what he learned from those trials.  It’s incredible how Nick has taken his pain and suffering and has used it to help, strengthen and encourage others.  His compassion and desire to help other people who are being bullied come through each page.  More than survive, Nick wants people to comes through victorious and allow God to use them to come alongside and help others.

Nick’s prescriptions to Stand Strong are powerful and when put into action they can be a game changer.  Some of the steps include figuring out who you are so no bully can tell you different, taking responsibility for your life, monitoring and managing your emotions to successfully deal with bullies and seeing that good can even come from something as evil as bullying.

Nick’s personality, humor and compassion comes through this book.  He shares openly how his faith in Jesus Christ and the love of his family helped him to overcome the bullies and be used of God to powerfully impact many people.

One thing I would have liked to have seen is Nick clearly presenting the gospel message of us being lost in our sin, the need for repentance and salvation through Jesus Christ alone.  Both the person being bullied and the person who is the bully need a Savior, as do we all.   Much of what he prescribed can only fully be achieved by Christ in us.  Nick tells of the love of God for us and how He can empower and enable us.

I wish, as a young person, I would have had the wisdom and counsel of Nick Vujicic.  Even now as an adult, I can see myself implementing some of his steps to overcome the bullies because they don’t all go away when you grow up.

I do recommend Stand Strong by Nick Vujicic, especially to teenagers and children who are encountering bullies and to parents who need to know how to come alongside their child and help them.

I would like to thank people at Blogging for Books for providing me with a free copy of Stand Strong in exchange for an honest review.  I was not required to give a favorable review.

I AM With You

Posted in God's Presence, poem by

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My precious daughter
I want to assure you
I AM right there with you
In your grief

As you weep
I weep with you
I desire to wipe your tears
With My nail pierced hands

Your tears are most precious to Me
I hold each tear that falls in a bottle
I understand your heart which is exceedingly sorrowful
Over the brokenness in this world

At times you may feel all alone
When you are crushed by the heaviness of sorrow and pain
Trust the promises in My Word
I AM with you and I will never leave nor forsake you

There is a day coming
In which there will be no more sorrow, death or pain
Until that day, My precious daughter
Rest assured, for I AM with you

Susan Wachtel
August 8, 2014

Murder at the Mikado – A Pleasant Suprise

Posted in Book Review by

Murder at the Mikado

Murder at the Mikado is the first book that I’ve read by author Julianna Deering and I got off to a bumpy start with this book.

As I was reading chapter one, I found the characters to be rather one-dimensional, boring, self-focused, vapid and empty.  I hadn’t connected with any of the characters at that point and didn’t particularly like or care about any of them.  When I put the book down for the night and was worried that it might be 300 plus pages of that.

But to my pleasant surprise things changed for me starting about page 20.  I found some people that were kind and decent, characters I might connect with, like Drew, Madeline, Nick and Aunt Ruth.  As the book continued I was able to get into the story and learn about the characters and their backgrounds and what motivated them as they were all interwoven in to a murder mystery that begged to be solved before the wedding day of Drew and Madeline.

I found the book to be a little confusing, especially at the beginning.  There are so many characters and it would have been helpful to have a page at the beginning of the book telling who the characters are and little bit about them.  The book seemed a little long.  I was surprised that after we learned who the culprits were, the book continued on for about 25 plus pages as it wrapped up some loose ends with two of the main characters.

But all in all, I found this to be an interesting book and period piece.  Author Julianna Deering is good at describing the people and scenes so I could almost imagine seeing the scenes take place like a movie in my mind.

I would recommend Murder at the Mikado.  Now that I am familiar with Julianna Deering writing style I would like to read more of her books.

One last note, or a question really, what make a book “Christian fiction”?  Is it the fact that the writer is Christian or that the Gospel and faith are shared?

I would like to thank Bethany House for giving me a free copy of Murder at the Mikado to read in exchange for an honest review.  I was under no obligation to provide a favorable review.

The Providence of God

Posted in Dallas Arboretum by

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Back at the end of March, when I stopped working, I thought it was because we wanted to restore order and sanity to our lives.  Little did I know that God had a whole different plan in the works.

I thought I would be clearing out the clutter, going through closets and cupboards and getting rid of things and reorganizing.  Indeed that’s exactly what I’ve been doing since April…but suddenly it turned out to be for a bigger purpose.

At the beginning of April, Chris and I were able to slip away for a little trip over to Arizona.  It was an enjoyable time away.  When we returned, Chris had a meeting at work where they announced transfer opportunities to the Dallas, Texas area for employees who were interested.  Surprisingly enough when Chris mentioned it I was game.

This would be a HUGE move for us in many ways.  So we decided to pray and think about it and make a decision before the deadline.  I could see the benefits both for moving to Texas and staying here in southern California.  As we got closer to the deadline, we decided it would be prudent for us to make a trip to Dallas and see if we liked it.  Whether we said yes or no, we needed to make an informed decision.

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In June…we flew to Texas.  To make the trip even better my sister-in-law Carol and her husband Ron drove over from Louisiana and were able to meet us for a couple of days.  That turned out to be one of the best things about the trip.  Not only where we able to spend time with them, but in their graciousness, they drove around and that allowed us the opportunity to look at houses and neighborhoods and get the lay of the land.

Through our real estate agent, Jim Sallinger, in southern California we were able to make contact to agents Andre and Kelli Kocher in Texas.  We asked if they would be able to show us some homes, even though we didn’t know if we would be moving.  Seeing homes proved to be valuable in helping us make a decision.

We looked at new homes and some existing housing.  Coming from California we were amazed at how much house you can get for your money in Texas compared to California.  Several of the cities we liked were Flower Mound, Lewisville and North Carrollton.

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The pressure to make a decision weighed even heavier when we returned home.  We knew the deadline was coming and we kept going back and forth on what we should do.  Do you ever wrestle with God?  Well I sure was wrestling.  But in some respects I felt comfortable with whatever decision we made.  But I also felt the Holy Spirit was challenging me to not cling to things and people and even our church.  As good and precious as our family, friends and church home are, we need to be willing follow God when He says go.

Finally, the day came when we made the decision to move.  It was a relief to finally make a decision and not waver back and forth between two good options.  It seemed like in retrospect God’s leading and direction to move was clear after we made that decision.  I think if we decided to stay, to some degree, that decision would have been based on fear and not trusting God.

Since that decision was made, we’ve been getting the proverbial ball rolling.  We contacted our real estate agent and have been getting some general repairs and maintenance taken care of before we put our home on the market.  Now all that’s left is to spiffy up the yard a bit with the help of a landscaper.  Once that’s done…we will be a go for having our home up for sale.  It’s looking like it will be within the next few days.

Golly…I’m sure glad that I didn’t know all the work that was involved in getting ready to put our house on the market.  It isn’t until you are faced with moving that you realize just how much stuff you have.  Oh my goodness…it has been positively daunting some days.  We’ve been filling up our trash cans to the brim each week.  I’ve made numerous runs to drop off clothing, books and home goods to a local charity.  Add to that the runs to Fed Ex to bring bags of papers to shred.  Just this week, I finally redeemed my change I’ve been saving for the last five years.  I had to do it on two different days because it was so heavy.  I’ll tell you…you don’t realize how much money you can save painlessly just by tossing change in to a jar.

Today our realtor was here taking pictures of the interior of our home.  Within the next couple of days, the yard work should be completed.  Before long we will have an open house.  I think it’s going to be a challenge for me to keep our home “show ready” every day.  Thank goodness I don’t have to work outside the home.  Because I’m at home…I can take the time to vacuum and make sure things are shipshape.  We’ve de-cluttered and have a minimal amount of things out.  The benefit is that it’s a whole lot easier to clean now.

I’m praying that our home sell quickly so that we can move on to this new chapter in our lives.  At the same time, I want to trust God with His perfect timing and plan.

We are already praying for the people that will purchase our home.  I would love for a Christian family to purchase our home to be a bright and shining light for the Lord in this neighborhood.  I’m praying that God is going before them and helping them to sell their home and have the finances that they need.  That the Lord will give them wisdom and that they will have peace and be in unity on the decision.  We’ve enjoyed our home.  It’s an older home from 1962 and thankfully we’ve been able to invest and improve our home.  I hope that whoever buys it is able to make it their own and enjoy this quiet neighborhood.

We are very excited at the prospects of moving to a whole new area of the country.  We are praying that the Lord will lead us, not only to find a new home, but a new church home.  We are already starting to look at some churches.

We will greatly miss our precious family and friends, but hope that they may be able to come visit us in Texas.

A couple pieces of counsel we received have stuck with me.  “Just because you move, doesn’t mean you lose friends.  You make new ones and keep in touch with your old friends.” – Ron Jackson.  “Moving to Texas will be good for Chris and Susan.  It won’t be Chris’ stuff or Susan’s stuff but it will be theirs together as a couple.” – Molly Connor.

Battle Lines

Posted in poem, Spiritual Battle, Uncategorized, Victory in Christ by

Today the battle is on
The fighting is fierce
My enemy is cunning and strategic

Help me to not fight alone
Or rely on my own strength, wisdom, power and might
May I have the victory in Christ alone

Before the battle begins let me prepare my mind
Thoughts taken captive in obedience to Christ
The victory will begin with praise and thanksgiving

Through this battle
May You be glorified, honored and praised
When the evening falls may I stand victorious in Christ

by Susan Wachtel
July 25, 2014

God vs. Giants

Posted in Uncategorized by

I think I’ve gotten my eyes off the Lord and have been focused on the giants in the land.  I see myself in comparison to them and see how weak and inadequate I am for the challenges ahead.  Lord…help me to lift my eyes unto You and keep my focus on You alone.

C. S. Lewis & Mere Christianity – Interesting & Insightful

Posted in Book Review, CS Lewis by

CS Lewis & Mere Christianity

It’s been my privilege to read Paul McCusker’s book C. S. Lewis & Mere Christianity.  I didn’t want to rush through this book because I was learning about C. S. Lewis, the events that help shape him and the formidable works he produced that would impact Christianity and the common everyday Christian, even up to this present day.

In the book, as the subtitle states, I was learning about “The Crisis That Created a Classic.”  I must confess I am woefully ignorant about much of World War II history.  It was very sobering reading about the long and great suffering that the people of Great Britain enduring during World War II.  I learned a lot and gained a new appreciation for the people, what they suffered, and the strength and character of the WWII generation.  How different our world would have been if they had not persevered and triumphed over evil.

One of the things I appreciated about this book is that the author interspersed sidebars with detailed information about people, places, and events that were part of C. S. Lewis’ life.  The reader will benefit and learn from the detailed research that went into this book.

I feel like I gained peek into the life of C. S. Lewis and I think that will help me as I read his work.  It was very interesting learning how some of his most well-known works came to be.

If you are an admirer of C. S. Lewis, apologetics or have an interest in World War II, I would highly recommend this book.  Paul McCusker did an excellent job of painting a picture of C. S. Lewis and Great Britain during this transformational time in recent history.

I would like to thank Tyndale House for providing me with a copy of C. S. Lewis & Mere Christianity to read in exchange for an honest review.  I was under no obligation to give a favorable review.

Scripture Art

Posted in Scripture Art by

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At church this summer the Women’s Ministry is offering a class on Scripture Meditation and Art Journaling.

Last week we had our first class and it was great fun.  It was a time to slow down and read through a passage of Scripture and ask questions and dig deeper.

After the studying the scripture we had time to learn how to do scripture art.

I’m not an artist by any means.  I love photography and I love to write…but that’s where my creative juices stop.  Nonetheless, I would love to learn how to do scripture art and journaling.  So I’m giving it a try.

This is my first attempt at scripture art based on a Scripture verse from our Sunday morning Bible study.  I hope to improve overtime.  One great thing about this technique you are writing out the Scripture verse several times so it will help with memorizing a verse.

I’m learning that just because I’m not great at something, especially when I first try it, doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t continue to work on it.  Hopefully, with time I’ll improve but more importantly that I will let the scripture work in me and change me as I focus on the Word of God.

Providence

Posted in A New Chapter, Faith, Obedience, Providence by

It seems Your hand of providence
Is best understood when looking back

As I move forward in faithful obedience
I see that You have prepared the way

I feel Your gentle hand guiding me
Directing my footsteps

With each step taken I can clearly see
That You have gone before me and prepared the way

Lord, I must confess that I don’t understand
The whys and wherefore of this new chapter

I’m not certain what You will be doing in me
Or how You might use me as part of Your plan

When I feel weak and overwhelmed
Help me to cry out to You for strength, wisdom and peace

Help me to not hesitate in fear of the unknown
But unwaveringly follow Your lead

by Susan Wachtel
July 10, 2014

Spoken For – A Great Pleasure to Read

Posted in Spoken For by

Spoken For

What a great pleasure it was to read Spoken For by co-authors Robin Jones Gunn and Alyssa Joy Bethke.

The subtitle, embracing who you are and whose you are, encapsulates what the book is about.  In each chapter, both Robin and Alyssa, share from scripture about what God thinks about you as a child of God and the bride of Christ.  The chapters tell you are wanted by God, pursued by Him, loved, have been called, are of great value, a peculiar treasure, set free, covered, promised and spoken for.

What I especially appreciated about the book is how transparent both authors were about what we feel inside about our worth, desires and insecurities.  They openly shared and were vulnerable about painful times in their own lives that included rejection, loneliness and the resulting pain that doesn’t go away and can continue to impact us years down the road.

There are some real gems of wisdom in this book.  I wish I had this book when I was a new Christian and learned to see myself through God’s eyes and not through the broken mirror of this world.

I highly recommend this book for young Christian women, teenagers, and even older women.  Goodness knows we don’t escape this life without incurring much pain.  I think this book can be used to begin healing the scars from the past and helping girls and women to make better choices because they can have confidence in who they are in Christ.

As I was reading Spoken For, I thought of a number of girls and women who could benefit from this book.  Don’t just buy one copy, but get a second copy because you will want to pass it along.

Spoken For is a book I will definitely read again.

I would like to thank the people at Blogging for Books for supplying me with a copy of Spoken For to read in exchange for an honest review.  I was under no obligation to give a favorable review.

Obedience

Posted in Uncategorized by

The price of disobedience is very high, much higher than we should be willing to pay. The rewards for obedience are wide and far reaching even into eternity.

 

A Deadly Business – Mixed Emotions

Posted in Book Review, BookLook, Lis Wiehl by

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I’ve watched her on Fox News and I’ve seen her mystery books in Christian bookstores, but this is the first novel I’ve read by author Lis Wiehl.

A Deadly Business in the second book in the Mia Quinn mystery series by coauthors Lis Wiehl and April Henry.  The main character Mia is mother of two children, widowed and a prosecutor in Seattle.

This is a fast-paced novel, filled with action from the get go.  Starting on page two, buckle you seat belts because you are on a roller coaster ride as Mia, her family and coworker are thrust into danger, mystery and intrigue.  Questions arise on her husband’s death seven months earlier, that may indicate murder not an accident.  In the middle of dealing with that duty calls as Mia is assigned a case prosecuting juveniles who critically injure a woman by dropping a shopping cart on her from two stories up.  Mia has to make the tough decision to prosecute these criminals as juveniles or as adults in a highly volatile and politically charged atmosphere.

Now what did I think of the book…well the book held my attention.  I found that I didn’t have a chance to get to know the main character early on because the action started so abruptly.  I connected with two of the characters, Detective Charlie Carlson and Mia’s fourteen year old son Gabe because they seemed good and real.  There were times I found myself put off by Mia’s thoughts and approach to the criminal justice system.  Rather than punishing criminals for their acts, the character approached it as a place to help rehabilitate criminals.  I wondered is that the authors view point or just what they wrote about the character?

Another question that came up, as I was reading this novel, is that I’m not sure what would qualify this book as “Christian Fiction”.  If a writer is a Christian does that mean what they write is Christian fiction?  I don’t think so.  There was precious little in the book about God, faith or prayer and nothing that would stand out to suggest it was a Christian book.  I wouldn’t have guessed this book was from a Christian writer unless I had known this was put out by a Christian based publisher.

Nevertheless, I did appreciate the fact that the book did not contain filthy language or promote sexual immorality, etc.

Would I recommend this book?  I would advise customers to read the book synopsis, reviews, and choose based on an informed decision if it sounds like something you might like.  I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it for someone who likes to read books that include characters dealing with God, scripture, prayer and wrestling their faith.  But if you are looking for a good mystery you might like it.

I would like to thank the people at BookLook for providing me with a free copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review.

I Bless You

Posted in Blessing, Faith by

For my precious friend, I pray and bless you

I bless you with faith that rises
Faith that burns brighter
In the darkness of trials

I bless you with faith like a jewel
A multifaceted diamond
Sparkling and reflecting the Light of God

I bless you with faith that takes God at His Word
“All things are possible to him who believes.”
A responsive heart that confesses, “I believe.  Help me with my unbelief.”

I bless you with faith that remembers
Your Savior suffered and was tempted
And is able to help and strengthen you today

I bless you with faith that trusts God
When all others tell you to abandon ship
You will remember that God still calms the stormy seas

I bless you to remember your Savior’s compassion
He stands ready to wipe away your tears
With His nail scarred hands

I bless you to praise God,
Unapologetic, out loud and with boldness
Though others may tell you to curse God

I bless you to know with confident assurance
That God is perfectly weaving your trials and pain
Into a beautiful tapestry of your life

I bless you to recognize
That God will never waste your trials
Be confident that He will use them to help others

I bless you to remember book by book
Who God has revealed Himself to be
In holy and inerrant Scripture

I bless you to recall the names of God
Reflect and remember
How He has proven Himself over and over in your life

I bless you to rejoice always
Pray without ceasing
In everything and for everything give thanks

Imperfect Forgiveness

Posted in Forgiveness, Sin, Sin Debt, Unforgiveness by

Just when I thought I’d moved beyond it
I see wounds from the past and brokenness
Still impacting me today

Time has moved on
As has the one who fell short
Leaving scars in their wake

This side of heaven
My questions will remain unspoken
“Why?” and “What were you thinking?” will not be answered

I wish I had been able to talk it through
Or hear “I’m sorry”
And confess my sins against them too

Lord I need to forgive completely
Not dredge it up again
Let the pain remain in the past, not feel it afresh

Lord, I need to follow Your example
Forgive completely, once and for all
Cancel their debt

Help me to remember
Not only did Jesus pay my sin debt in full
But He died for the sins of the world

You are lavish in grace, mercy and forgiveness
Not holding my sin debt against me
You have cast my sin into the sea of forgetfulness

I need to remember
Unforgiveness is a sin
Like all sin, I must repent of it

Show me how to live this out day by day
Help me to remember that You never waste my trials and pain
You are working things out according to Your perfect plan

Thank You God that Your forgiveness is not like mine
You forgive fully and completely, even to the uttermost
Heavenly Father, help me to be more like You

by Susan Wachtel
June 19, 2014

Small View of God

Posted in Sin by

A small view of God, an inaccurate view of God will lead to sin:

Sin against God

Sin against man

Fear

Anxiety

Worry

Doubt

Wavering

Double-mindedness

Unbelief

Prayerlessness

Neglect of the Word of God

Selfishness

Self-focus

Carrying a burden that God never intended for me to carry alone

Ceasing to praise and worship God

Overestimating myself

Underestimating others

Failure to put on the full armor of God

Fruitlessness

Bad fruit

Failure to take every thought captive…giving my thoughts free rein

Discouragement, not encouragement

Losing my focus that I am engaged in a spiritual battle every day this side of heaven

Listening to the lies and propaganda of the enemy

I’m sure that this list could go on and on.  Perhaps you have a few that you can think of too.  Please free to share them.

I think I’m safe in saying that nothing good comes when I have a small view of God.

Just Thinking on Unbelief

Posted in Doubt, Sin, Unbelief by

Lord, help me to remember that You are at work in our lives, even when I can see it and when the outcome is yet unknown.

What form does unbelief take in my life?  Fear, anxiety, doubt and negativity to name a few.

Unbelief is a sin!  When I recognize it help me to repent, turn and walk by faith and trust in the One True and Living God.

Help me to renew my heart and mind through Your Word oh God.

Lord, when I feel overwhelmed help me to reflect on Who You are and what You have revealed about Yourself in the Bible.

The Bridge Tender – Insightful

Posted in Book Review, BookLook, Marybeth Whalen, Uncategorized by

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When selecting a new book to read The Bridge Tender by Marybeth Whalen caught my eye.  First the beautiful cover picture, then comments from other readers and finally the storyline drew me in.  I’m not usually one to read romance books, so I wasn’t entirely sure if I would like this book by an author who is new to me.

The story starts out with Emily and her husband Ryan on their honeymoon in Sunset Beach filled with carefree days, romance and love.  Fast forward five years and we find Emily getting dressed for Ryan’s funeral.  In the ensuing chapters, we learn about Emily and how she handles overwhelming grief and how life moves on in spite her.

I found the author very insightful on relationships, friendships, grief, loneliness and learning to live again after a huge loss.  Many times I found what was shared evoked in me a desire to appreciate what I have been given and to recognize that I don’t know how long I will have those gifts in my life.  I appreciated how Emily reasoned through her way to be supportive of her friend Marta who had a budding romantic relationship in the wake of Emily’s loss of her husband Ryan.  God and faith were part of what Emily wrestled through, but I would have appreciated an even greater emphasis on faith.

There were many times, I didn’t want to put the book down when duty or sleep called.  All in all The Bridge Tender holds a special place in my heart and look forward to reading more books by author Marybeth Whalen.  I highly recommend this book.

I would like to thank the team at BookLook for providing me with a free copy of The Bridge Tender to read in exchange for an honest review.  I was under no obligation to provide a favorable review.