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In ancient Israel, Hadassah, a young widow, struggles to make a living for her father and herself, while facing an unwanted marriage and her father's recent strange behavior. Nathaniel, a mysterious new neighbor, engages her feelings in more ways than one. Meanwhile, the king of the war-torn southern kingdom makes an unwise alliance that will change their lives!

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KNOWING GOD Hosea 6:3 ESV Let us know, let us pr KNOWING GOD
 
Hosea 6:3 ESV
Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord. His going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.
 
This verse is among my favorites. To know the Lord, as well as I can know Him this side of paradise, is my life’s goal. I look for Him in His word, His creation, and His people.
 
So I make it a priority to memorize and meditate on his word. I have an app, “Bible Memory,” that allows me to save verses I want to memorize, and it recycles them to me regularly for review.
 
Frankly, I’m terrible at memorization, but I’m good at review. As I meditate on the “recycled” verses, they are sinking into my soul. Might this work for you? Or do you have another method to “press on to know the Lord?”
 
Lord, we want to know you better and better each day. Thank you for your promise—you will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth. We long for Your presence, your refreshment, and your direction.
 
 
We come before you in Jesus name. Amen.
GREEN PASTURES by Patricia Johns A MOST SURPRISIN GREEN PASTURES by Patricia Johns

A MOST SURPRISING STORY

First off, you’ll notice that, although I write Biblical Fiction, I’m reviewing an Amish book. Many years ago, I read two or three in the genre and decided I didn’t need to read any more. That changed when I came across a Facebook post by Patricia Johns with photos of crocheted frogs dressed in Amish clothing. I watched for more posts about the funny, intriguing frog family and their baby tadpole. I decided to read one of Ms. John’s novels. I think JEB’S WIFE, which I also recommend, may have been my first.

 Then I preordered GREEN PASTURES, about Tabitha Shrock, a strong young woman who “jumped the fence” of Amish-ness, married an “Englisher,” and trained to become a veterinarian. All problematic.

 Years later, now husbandless, she has come home at her father’s request. The first scene shows her trying to capture and treat a dangerous bull, enraged by the pain of a broken leg. Her aged father complicates everything by threating to jump in the pen and help. She attempts to block those unwise attempts without wounding his male ego. It made me smile. If you have an old father or grandfather in your life, you’ll smile, too.

 This is what Patrica Johns does. She makes every scene surprising, and sometimes smile-worthy, but never sickly sweet. There’s plenty of tension throughout, especially when you factor in her two sisters. Amanda, an “old maid” plain of face and speech, decides to set her “kopp” at a man with a shadowed past. Rose, the beautiful youngest daughter, is beautiful and has a perfect marriage. But is it perfect?

 I loved this book. How much? After I started reading my preordered paperback, I bought the audio version so I could keep reading on the treadmill and at bedtime. I listened to it three times. I heartily recommend GREEN PASTURES to lovers of Amish Fiction and general fiction. Be warned, however. Books by Patricia Johns are unputdownable and may be addictive.

#PatricaJohns #GreenPastures #amishfiction #bookreview #bookrecommendation #fridayreads
The Jerusalem Sage is a riot of yellow blossoms an The Jerusalem Sage is a riot of yellow blossoms and fuzzy gray-green leaves by our front door. We discovered this beauty at the Phoenix Botanical Garden’s annual plant sale.
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