Edge of Eternity

"Edge of Eternity" by Randy Alcorn

I wasn't to sure about this book and it took me about 5 chapters to really get into it but then I was fascinated. This book is about a man who gets a glimpse into the afterlife while he is still alive and then gets a second chance at life. It was a bit too much fantasy at first for me but then I realized that it was the authors take on what heaven would be like and I began to appreciate his analogies. "Was death a comma or a period-a pause in our existence or the end?" "There is no such thing as a private moment. The whole cosmos is our audience for everything we do in the dark" This quote resonated with me. It is scary but true. We think that we do things in private or secretly but God is always watching and everything we do has consequences, good or bad, in the next world. "You may or may not separate yourself from your possessions now, but you will surely be separated from them later. Do it now and you'll be free to serve the King." We cannot wholly serve God when we serve our possessions, drop them and serve with out burden. The author used the analogy of a tapestry to how we see our lives. While we are here on earth we see our lives like the back of the tapestry, with knots, frayed edges and lumps. When we get to heaven we are able to look at our lives from the top of the tapestry. We see the design and the beauty. "A short period of difficulty is a small price to pay for a clearer view of your King." If difficulty allows me to see Jesus more clearly than I don't want to complain about difficulties in my life again (although I know I most certainly will).

And If I Die

"And If I Die" by Jon Aubrey Anderson

I finally got to read the third book in The Black Or White Chronicles. I was a little dissapointed. I still think the first book was the best. And I didn't really like how this one ended, it left too much to the imagination, I needed a little more closure. It wasn't as exciting as book one but it did fill in some of the gaps by going back in the life of a few of the characters. I loved the main point of the book though. It being that God has ordained our lives from the beginning of time. What we are doing now He knew we would do. Sometimes we come to a moment in our lives and know that everything that came before, every moment, was leading us to that point. It makes my mind spin but it makes me smile. Smile that God is in control no matter what happens.

Wedgwood Gey

"Wedgewood Grey" by John Anderson

Alright, book number two, not quite as good as the first. It got good in the middle though. It added a few more characters and the previous main characters took a back seat. I think that is why it wasn't as compelling. But again I was amazed at the forces of darkness and the very real stance we need to take against them. "Don't waste today's fuel on yesterday's journey." This was a quote that I liked. So many times I spend today fretting or feeling guilty over yesterday. Yesterday is gone, move on and make today what it needs to be. Really, I only have enough energy for today anyway. I am looking forward to reading the last book but you will just have to wait as my mother has to finish it first. But trust me, I am breathing down her neck to hurry up!

Abiding Darkness

"Abiding Darkness" by John Anderson

This is the first in a three book series. The first chapter had me hooked! There should be a warning though as the first chapter is a little gruesome and if you are afraid of snakes you might not want to read it. But it is only the first chapter and it sets the stage for the rest of the book. This book is based in Mississippi in 1945. It is about a special little white girl and her black friend. They are smack dab in the middle of the first war, as in spiritual war. It opens your eyes to what really goes on in the spiritual realm and what we are up against. So often I forget. It is the author's first novel and very well written. I really couldn't put it down and I am already working on the second book. There is one main character that is in the midst of the spiritual war again and again. At the end of the book his angel said this, "The day is not far distant when he will be called upon to be stronger still." God calls us to be strong in the midst of the battle. We need to rely on Him for our strength because sometimes the battle seems too much, we are too weary. It is a powerful story and one that I guarantee you won't want to put down. Stay tuned for the other two books in the series.