The Lord Is King!

God the LORD is a great God,

and a great King above all gods.

- Psalm 95:3 -

The Lord is King!

Lift up, lift up thy voice - sing His praise, sing His praise!

All heav'n and earth before Him now rejoice - sing His praise, sing His praise!

From world to world the joy shall ring, for He alone is God and King:

from sky to sky His banner fling - sing His praise, sing His praise!

The Lord is King!

Let all His worth declare - great is He, great is He!

Bow to His will and trust His tender care - great is He, great is He!

Nor murmur at His wise decrees, nor doubt His steadfast promises;

in humble faith fall on thy knees - great is He, great is He!

The Lord is King!

And bow to Him ye must - God is great, God is good!

The Judge of all to all is ever just - God is great, God is good!

Holy and true are all His ways: let ev'ry creature shout His praise;

The Lord of Hosts, Ancient of Days - God is great, God is good!

The Lord is King!

Throughout His vast domain He is all, all in all!

The Lord Jehovah evermore shall reign - He is all, all in all!

Through earth and heav'n one song shall ring, 
from grateful hearts this anthem spring:

Arise, ye saints, salute thy King - all thy days, sing His praise!

- Josiah Condor -

The Lord is King for ever and ever.

- Psalm 10:16 -

They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom,

and talk of thy power;

To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts,

and the glorious majesty of his kingdom.

Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.

- Psalm 145:11-13 -

And the seventh angel sounded;

and there were great voices in heaven, saying,

The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord,

and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

- Revelation 11:15 -

As believers of Jesus Christ

we are personally related to the Lord Jehovah,

who is King of heaven and earth and will reign forever.

Some day we shall see Him and begin to enjoy His eternal presence.

What a day that will be!

Have a blessed and joyous Lord's Day.

Love and hugs to you, friend!

Hannah's Choice - Book Review

When love and family conflict,
will she listen to her head. . .or her heart?

Hannah Yoder loves her quiet life on the banks of Conestoga Creek.
In 1842, this corner of Lancaster County is settled and peaceful-
yet problems lurk beneath the placid facade.
Hannah strives to be the one person who can bind the threads of her family together
in spite of her father's worries, her mother's depression,
and her sister's rebellious ways.
But her world threatens to unravel.

When two young men seek her hand in marriage-
on offering the home she craves 
and the other promising the adventure of following God's call west-
Hannah must make a choice.
Will she stay true to the faith of her family 
or defy her father and abandon her community?

My Thoughts
I am not quite sure where to begin with this review. . .
you see, I enjoyed this book and yet I didn't like some parts of it.
I found it engaging and frustrating at the same time. . .
maybe this is a good thing because it really made me fall in love with some characters
while getting upset and annoyed with others and that, my friends, makes for interesting reading.
I find it funny that I often think an author should do something drastic
and end the book the way a reader would not expect,
you know, the opposite of how a book should end.
Lets face it, when you get towards the end
it's usually pretty easy to figure out what will happen
and it almost always ends the way we think it should. . .happily ever after.
Don't get me wrong, Hannah's Choice didn't have a bad ending,
it simply ended in a shocking manner. . .
shocking in the sense that I didn't think what happened would happen.
I hope you're following me here {{smiles}}
I could think to myself that it didn't quite meet my expectations
or I could say that the author broke away from the usual pattern of "perfect" endings
and applaud her for her work. . .
I think I will go with the latter.
Jan Drexler really did a wonderful job
and her skill for writing a good historical story is evident.
While Hannah's Choice would not be my number one pick,
it would still be one I would read again.

Hannah's Choice is set in 1842 on the banks of Conestoga Creek
and the history of the Amish in that day was well-presented.
If you enjoy Amish, historical, and Christian fiction
than I would say you would enjoy this book.
While the beginning of the book started off a little slow and depressing
it picked up speed a little further on making for an enjoyable read.
All in all I would give this book 3.5 stars.

** I was given a free copy of this book from Revell Publishers for an honest review.

All thoughts are my own. No other compensation was received. **

About the Author
Jan Drexler's ancestors were among the first Amish, Mennonite, 
and Brethren immigrants to Pennsylvania in the 1700's.
Their experiences are the basis for her stories.
Jan is the author of several Love Inspired novels
and lives in South Dakota with her husband, their four adult children,
two active dogs, and a cat.

Read the review for Mermaid's Moon that I posted earlier today

by clicking here.

It's a book full of suspence and romance :)

Mermaid Moon - Book Review

Mallory's mother died fifteen years ago.

But her father's last words on the phone were unmistakable:

"Find. . .Mother."

Shame and confusion have kept Mallory Davis from her home

for the last fifteen years, but when her dad mysteriously dies

on his mail boat route, she doesn't have any choice but to go back to Mermaid Point.

Mallory believes her father was murdered and childhood sweetheart Kevin O'Connor,

game warden in Downeast Maine, confirms her suspicions.

But Kevin is wary of helping Mallory in her search.

She broke his heart and left - without a word - years ago.

When Mallory begins receiving threats on her own life -

and her beloved teenage daughter, Haylie -

their search intensifies.

There's a tangled web within the supposed murder,

and it involves much more than what meets the eye.

As answers begin to fall into place,

Mallory realizes her search is about more than finding her father's killer -

it's also about finding herself again. . .

and possibly about healing what was broken so long ago with Kevin.

She just has to stay alive long enough

to put all the pieces together.

My Thoughts

Mermaid Moon is the second book in the Sunset Cove series 

by Colleen Coble and my oh my was it a page-turner!

You can read my review for the first book here.

I love a suspense that has me sitting on the edge of my seat

trying to guess who the "bad guy" is and what his motive might be.

Mermaid Moon did just that and more.

Within the first couple of pages the reader will be thrown into action and suspense.

Colleen Coble does not hold back and grabs the reader's attention from the beginning.

Mallory has stayed away from her home for personal reasons. . .

reasons that are too painful to talk about.

But when her father calls her up on the phone and dies while trying to tell her something

she knows she must return to the place she has always loved 

and the people she deeply hurt.

One of those people being Kevin, the love of her life. . .

I loved the romantic tension between Mallory and Kevin.

It was very real and believable.

Here are two people that were meant to be together,

but after allowing a horrific accident to mislead her

Mallory walked away fifteen years ago never to talk to him again until now.

The author did a fabulous job with their chemistry.

I also enjoyed the setting of this book which is on the coast of Maine.

Colleen Coble did a great job of painting the beautiful scenes in my mind 

with her well-written words.

She had me itching to take a plane to see Maine in person :)

One thing I was a little disappointed with 

was the spiritual aspect as it seemed to be lacking.

I would have liked to have seen the Lord 

brought into the lives of the characters more.

Like I said, this is the second book in the Sunset Cove series.

You do not need to read the first book before this one

as Mermaid Moon could easily be a stand alone novel.

There are characters mentioned in this book that were in the first book,

but other than the brief encounter with them 

they did not have much of a role in Mermaid Moon.

There is suspense, drama, and romance. . .

three things that make for excellent reading.

This book gets 4 stars.

** I was given a complimentary copy of this book 

from BookLook Bloggers and the TNZ Fiction Guild for an honest review. 

All thoughts are my own and no other compensation was received. **

About the Author
USA Today bestselling author Colleen Coble has written several
award-winning romantic suspense novels including Tidewater Inn,
Rosemary Cottage, and the Mercy Falls, Lonestar, and Rock Harbor series.
Visit her website at www.colleencoble.com

Tea Time With Mother

Last weekend my dear mother hosted a lovely little tea party for my sister and me.

My sister lives a couple hours away 

and after she set off on her journey up the mountain

she called to say the traffic was terrible and that she wouldn't be able to make it.

Since my mom had everything prepared we decided to go ahead with the tea party.

My sister was greatly missed,

but Lord-willing we will get together for another tea time.

A daughter is someone you laugh with,

dream with, and love with all your heart.

Let me show you what my lovely mother prepared. . .

I felt completely spoiled by the love and care

that she poured into the decorations and food.

My mother's hands 

worked with love,

disciplined with love,

nurtured with love.

We enjoyed tasty little sandwiches.

One kind was curry chicken

and the other was sliced cucumber with cream cheese and avocado-

oh my, were they ever yummy!

Chocolate covered strawberries 

and sugar cookies were on the menu.

We also enjoyed some delicious cream-filled tarts.

My dear mom made the cream from scratch 

{{sigh}}

It was divine!

I won't tell you how many I ate, 

but it was definitely more than three :)

And of course a tea party would not be complete without scones.

Once again mom made these from scratch

and they had tasty cranberries in them.

We enjoyed some of sweet Kitty's Christmas jam on them.

When I sat down at the table 

this lovely sight greeted me.

Printed on the pretty pink heart is the history of tea bags

and inside the delightful pink purse was something very special. . .

My precious mother gave me one of her rings.

Here is the history behind the ring. . .

my dad would purchase a gold band with five diamonds in it every five years.

After their first five years of marriage she received the first band.

At ten years dad once again gave her a band with five diamonds in it

and the one pictured below is the one she received for their tenth anniversary.

They did this until their 25th anniversary.

They stopped after that because they could no longer find matching bands.

I am truly honored that she would give this to me.

Speaking of my mom, here she is :)

She was a lovely hostess. . .inside and out.

This tea was a reflection of her beautiful and selfless nature.

Every little detail spoke of sweet love and tender care.

Her love truly knows no bounds

and it is poured so freely from her heart onto those around her.

My sister and I are richly blessed to have such a God-fearing mother.

No one else will ever know 

the strength of my love for you.

After all, you're the only one who knows 

what my heart sounds like from the inside.

This quote is so true. . .

my dear mom has always been my closest and dearest friend.

Sweet friends,

thank you for stopping by for a visit.

Your comments are like rays of sunshine

and your kind words always put a smile upon my face :)

{{ hugs }}

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

I also wanted to show you some baby blankets I made

and added to my Etsy shop.

They have soft flannel on one side

and sweet minky fabric on the other.

Have a delightful weekend!

Roses of Inspiration #46

Blessings to you,
sweet friends!

It's a delight to have you here at Roses of Inspiration.
Thank you for stopping by and joining the party.

Before we begin I want to announce the winner of the book giveaway
that I had over the weekend.

The lovely winner of
The Forgotten Recipe is. . .
Anne from Writings From Home

Now let's get the party started. . .

Let's start with some beautiful features.

Roses of Inspiration Features. . .

If you were featured than please feel free to take the "I was featured" button.

Simply copy the HTML code and paste it onto your blog.

<div align="center">
<a href="http://theenchantingrose.blogspot.com" title="The Enchanting Rose"><img src="http://i1056.photobucket.com/albums/t377/peaches525/6d8b180b-b3b8-4065-9986-dcccb5a9f70e_zpsc65070e5.jpg" alt="The Enchanting Rose" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Please do not pin from my site!

Go to the original source and pin from there IF it is okay with the blog owner!

. . . { Linens and Doilies Inspiration } . . .

Bernideen's Tea Time

shared a lovely post filled with sweet linens, pretty doilies, and china.

Be still my heart. . .

Simple Amazing Grace

shared a beautiful Bible cover that she made.

I love the lace that she used.

. . . { Tablescape Inspiration } . . .

Virginia Retro

showed us her oh-so-vintage tablescape.

Love the tablecloth and dishes!

Everyday Living

showed us her lovely "Apples of Gold" tablescape.

The blues and greens are stunning together.

. . . { Spiritual Inspiration } . . .

A Vapor in the Wind

shared a very moving and emotional post.

Please. . . make a cup of coffee or tea and spend 5 minutes reading it.

. . . { Baking Inspiration } . . .

Delightful Repast

shared a delicious three ingredient chocolate tart.

With Valentine's Day just around the corner 

this tart would be the perfect treat to enjoy :)

. . . { Valentine's Day Inspiration } . . .

Southern DayDreams

showed us her sweet little heart pillow.

I love how she updated it with paint - clever lady!

If you are new to our party than here are the basics. . .

{ 1 }

You can link up anything that your heart desires. . .
{please keep it family friendly}

crafting - recipes - encouragement

Scripture - devotionals - photography

healthy living - gardening - home living

sewing - crochet/knitting - fashion

beauty - tea time - home decor 
and even giveaways.

{ 2 }

You can link up as many posts as you want

and they can be posts you have written today, last week, last month, or last year.

{ 3 }
There will be fun giveaways throughout the year.

I will simply add up the amount of people who participated in one of the link ups,
write the numbers down on paper and draw the number of the winner.
So if you link-up more than one post you will have a greater chance of winning.
These giveaways will be random
so you never know which link up I will choose for a giveaway.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Below is a button available for your sidebar
to let others know about Roses of Inspiration.

<div align="center">
<a href="http://theenchantingrose.blogspot.com" title="The Enchanting Rose"><img src="http://i1056.photobucket.com/albums/t377/peaches525/eca034cc-886a-4d9a-8e02-3a4f5bc60e74_zps45b994ad.jpg" alt="The Enchanting Rose" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Please take a few minutes to visit at least two blogs. . .
everyone loves a visit and comments.
I look forward to seeing what you share
and I will be around to visit throughout the week.
Have fun, sweet friends, and enjoy your day!

An InLinkz Link-up

God Is Holy

Holy, holy, holy,

Lord God Almighty.

- Revelation 4:8 -

God is holy, God is mighty,

And we praise His matchless name for He is worthy;

Let us worship and adore Him as we call upon His name,

God is holy, God is mighty.

We will praise Thee, loving Jesus,

With Thy blood on Calvary's cross Thou has redeemed us;

And the blood which Thou hast shed for us demands our fullest love,

We will praise Thee, loving Jesus.

Holy Spirit, cleanse and fill us,

Purge our hearts from every sin that hath beset us;

We need power to obey Thy Word and follow close to Thee,

Holy Spirit, cleanse and fill us.

Alleluia, Alleluia,

Let us all with one accord sing Alleluia;

'Tis the song of all the ages that we'll sing for evermore.

Alleluia, Alleluia.

God is holy, God is mighty.

- Frank Garlock -

Now unto the King eternal,

immortal, invisible, the only wise God,

be honour and glory for ever and ever.

- 1 Timothy 1:1 -

Holy, holy, holy!

Lord God Almighty!

Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee.

Holy, holy, holy!

Merciful and mighty,

God in three persons, blessed Trinity!

Holy, holy, holy!

All the saints adore Thee,

Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;

Cherubim and seraphim falling falling down before Thee,

Which wert, and art,  and evermore shalt be.

Holy, holy, holy!

Though the darkness hide Thee,

Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see,

Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,

Perfect in power, in love and purity.

Holy, holy, holy!

Lord God Almighty!

All Thy works shall praise Thy name, in earth and sky and sea.

Holy, holy, holy!

Merciful and mighty,

God in three persons, blessed Trinity!

- Reginald Heber -

O LORD, our LORD,

how excellent is thy name in all the earth!

who hast set thy glory above the heavens.

- Psalm 8:1 -

O come, let us worship and bow down:

let us kneel before the LORD our maker.

- Psalm 95:6 -

Who is the King of glory?

The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory.

- Psalm 24:10 -

Have a beautiful and blessed Lord's Day, sweet friends!

The Forgotten Recipe - Book Review and A Giveaway!

Veronica Fisher knows how lucky she is to be marrying her best friend.

Seth Lapp is kind, hardworking, and handsome-

but mostly, he loves Veronica.

When an accident on the job steals Seth away from her,

a heartbroken Veronica is certain she will never love - or be loved - again.

Yet when she discovers a batch of forgotten recipes 

and opens a bake stand to sell her Mammi's raspberry pies, 

Veronica picks up a regular customer who gives her heart a pause.

Jason Huyard was with Seth when he lost his life -

a memory the haunts him still.

So when he seeks out the grieving fiancee to convey his condolences,

the last thing he expects - or wants -  is to fall in love.

Nonetheless, Jason soon finds himself visiting Veronica's bake stand every week. . .

and it's for more than the raspberry pies.

Now, as Veronica's heart thaws, 

Jason can't bring himself to tell her he was there when Seth died.

Can he ever reveal where he was on the day her life derailed?

Or will his secret rob them of the second chance at love they both want?

My Thoughts

I was a little skeptical about reading this book as it began with a death.

I wondered how any book could be good 

when the main character loses the love of her life in the first chapter.

And then when I started in on the story and read of how much Veronica loved Seth

and the sweet memories she had of him and I thought there was no way 

Jason and Veronica could top the relationship Seth and Veronica shared. . .

Boy, was I wrong!

Amy Clipston did a beautiful job of portraying Seth's life 

through the eyes and heart of Veronica,

but she also did a phenomenal job of setting Jason apart 

with his tender heart, kind attitude, and compassionate ways.

It was easy to fall for his character all the while falling in love with the memory of Seth 

that lived on through Jason and Veronica.

As Veronica faces each day after the tragedy of losing her fiancee

she can think of doing only one thing:

getting through one day at a time.

She keeps herself busy so that she doesn't have to think about her loss,

but when she finds some recipes from her Mammi her whole world changes

and she realizes there might be a light at the end of the dark tunnel.

"Finding those recipes had awakened something deep inside her.

The idea of baking something new, 

something that was all hers, took hold of her.

And not only was it hers, but the recipe was a link to her grandmother.

The link of her family history was a balm to her grieving soul."

{ The Forgotten Recipe - pg. 17 }

The Forgotten Recipe is an enjoyable read though not very deep.

There is a tenderness in the relationship of Jason and Veronica

that will wrap around you and draw you in to their story.

I give this book 3.5 stars

. . . Beware . . .

You will crave raspberry pie while reading this book!

 ** I was given a complimentary copy of this book from BookLook Bloggers

and the Fiction Guild Team for an honest review. 

All thoughts are my own and no other compensation was received. **

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

I mentioned a giveaway and here it is. . .

I have been blessed with two copies 

of this sweet book

so I am giving one away.

Simply leave a comment sharing what kind of books you enjoy reading:

suspense, romance, historical, biographies, etc.

The winner will be announced on Tuesday the 26th.

Happy weekend, my friends!

Thin Ice - Book Review

If Ginny Reed is still alive-

who is the woman buried in her grave?

After losing her parents and her sister, 

Christy Reed has been mired in grief.

Now, life is finally starting to feel normal again-

until an envelope addressed in her sister's handwriting arrives in the mail.

And the note inside claims she is still alive.

FBI Special Agent Lance McGregor, a former Delta Force operator,

is assigned to reopen the case. . .

but he's coming up with more questions than answers.

Is Christy a pawn in a twisted cat-and-mouse-game-

or the target of a sinister plot?

As Lance digs deeper, one thing becomes clear:

someone in the shadows has a deadly agenda.

Best-selling author and three-time RITA Award winner

Irene Hannon pulls out all the stops in this high-stakes thriller

that races to a bone-chilling finish.

My Thoughts

Thin Ice is the second book in the Men of Valor series.

You can read my review for the first book Buried Secrets

by clicking here.

From the very beginning of this book 

the reader will be thrown into a fast-paced thrilling ride. . .

a ride that is intriguing, menacing, and at times downright terrifying.

The book begins with Christy driving out to her sister's house

only to find it on fire and her sister no where in sight.

"Despite the  waves of heat rolling off the collapsed house,

a numbing cold gripped her.

Tremors convulsed her body.

Blackness nipped at the edges of her consciousness.

And somewhere in the distance, screams ripped through the air.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Christy squeezed her eyes shut and pushed her hands against her ears,

trying to block them out.

But she couldn't.

Because they were her own."

{ Thin Ice pg, 13 }

This isn't a book about trying to figure out who is after Christy

because the author reveals him near the beginning,

but rather it's a twisting tale of why he is going after Christy.

You get bits and pieces of the villain's tale throughout the pages

and Irene Hannon does quite the incredible job of diving into his mind

and exposing it to the reader to show what makes him tick.

The suspense was good and had me up late at night turning page after page.

I also enjoyed the spiritual aspect of this book.

Christy has been through the ringer and through it all 

she continues to cling to the Lord;

He has been her refuge and strength.

Lance has been through such turmoil that he has hardened his heart

and isn't open to faith like he once was.

When he sees the love and faith Christy has for Jesus Christ

he is not only inspired and moved, but he is also convicted 

and made aware of the hope that is found at the feet of Jesus.

The romance was so-so.
From a Christian's perspective I don't need to hear about
"legs that go on for miles."
I understand there is physical attraction between couples,
but sometimes I think it can go too far in a Christian book.
It wasn't bad in this book, but it wasn't great either.

I will say that I greatly appreciate the fact
that Irene Hannon does not use foul language in her books.
It is refreshing to be able to pick up a book
and simply read knowing you will not run into any profanity.

Thin Ice is a suspenseful read filled with plenty of intrigue and drama.

All in all I give this book 4 stars.

** I was given a free copy of this book from Revell Publishers for an honest review.

All thoughts are my own. No other compensation was received. **

About the Author

Irene Hannon is the bestselling author of more than forty-five romantic suspense

and contemporary romance/women's fiction novels,

including the Heroes of Quantico, Guardians of Justice, and Private Justice series.

Her books have garnered dozens of honors, including two coveted RITA Awards

from Romance Writers of America.

She is also a two-time Christy Award finalist.

Learn more at: www.irenehannon.com 

Delightfully Sweet Hearts

Dear friends, 

it's always a pleasure to have you visit The Enchanting Rose

so thank you for stopping by and brightening my day.

With Valentine's Day just around the corner

I have something "heartsy" up my sleeve today. . .

delightfully sweet hearts hanging from a wooden hanger.

I had great fun making this little project 

and I have my mom to thank for the inspiration.

You see, my dear, sweet mom gave me a big ol' bag full of wooden hangers

and at first I thought, "What in the world am I going to do with these?!"

But with a smile on my face I told her "Thank you"

and tucked them away for. . .well, at the time I didn't know what for.

Now I am tickled pink that my sweet mother gave me the hangers

since they have proven to be useful and perfect for unique projects

such as the one that I'm going to show you today.

So yes, thank you mom, for the wonderful hangers {{smiles}}

Supplies Needed:

wooden hanger

fabric

tulle

lace

pearls

buttons

batting

satin seam binding or ribbon

shabby roses or fabric flowers

Cut out three hearts from your chosen fabric.

My hearts were about 5 1/2-inches in size.

With right sides together sew along the edges

and leave a small opening.

 Cut a slit up to the seam in the center of the heart.

DO NOT snip the seam!

Turn hearts right side out

and fill with batting.

Sew the opening closed.

Match the ends of two hearts

and sew together.

Go around with the needle and thread several times.

Knot the thread when you're done.

Repeat with remaining heart.

Cut small strips of tulle, lace, and seam binding or ribbon

and tie around the bottom of the hanger.

Sew on a strip of folded seam binding or ribbon to the end hearts

and tie onto the hanger.

Apply a button to the end of the seam binding

so that it covers the fold.

I added a shabby rose and a heart button to the top of the hanger.

I also tied some satin seam binding onto the metal part of the hanger.

Decorate your hearts as you so desire.

I applied a shabby rose to the center of each heart.

And you can see I put a heart button on the end hearts

where I sewed on the ribbon for hanging the hearts.

I also tied on long strands of seam binding

along with a strand of pearls to the ends of the hanger.

Wouldn't this look sweet in a nursery 

or young girl's room?

I have the hearts hanging in my craft room

and I must say that the soft pastel colors are a welcome sight

during the cold and "blue" month of January :)

Happy creating, sweet friends.

May you have a beautiful and blessed day!

Love and joy to you!

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, 

these three;

but the greatest of these is charity.

- 1 Corinthians 13:13 -

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I have a similar heart wreath available in my Etsy shop.

You can check it out by clicking here.

Sharing with these lovely parties:

Tuesdays With a Twist

Share Your Cup Thursday