Return to Me by Lynn Austin

I've read a lot of Lynn Austin's books and loved them, this one did not disappoint.

Return To Me is set in the time of the Jew's return to Jerusalem, following their exile in Babylon, to rebuild the Temple.  Iddo, a priest, is sure this is a sign of God's favor.  Many have lost their faith, which is what sets them apart.  His wife, Dinah, does not want to leave their home and children, whom are not ready to leave their comfortable lives.

Iddo's oldest grandson, Zechariah, goes with them.  He feels torn between his family he left behind, and his grandfather's faith.  But, he has a life changing encounter with The Holy One that changes him forever.

I have found that I love Biblical fiction.  It really makes me think beyond the black/white we have in the Bible....in the sense of how did these people live, what did they have to go through?  The day to day events that can shape you over time.  Reading this book was no different.  What it must have been like to have to live among people that really hated you, have to fear what would happen when you went to the well to retrieve water, or watched over your flocks?  They return to the land given to them by God, but the Samaritans have taken over this land in the previous seventy years and are not happy, not willing to share.  They also have the daunting task of rebuilding the Temple, which is in total ruins.  What great faith they must have had to take the long journey from Babylon to Jerusalem, arrive to what has become a waste land filled with inhospitable neighbors, and to begin the rebuilding. 

I believe this to be a must read, and look forward to more in this series!

Grandkids

Those that know me, know that my "first" (biological) grand baby was born this past halloween.

There is no grandma in the world that is more proud than I.

The above picture was done by his other grandma, Angie Gage.  (my boys' step mom)

She did a great job!  I had it blown up to an 8 X 10, and it proudly sits on my shelf above my desk.

Scream by Mike Dellosso

This is the first book of Mr. Dellosso's I have read.  I love a good Christian Suspense story and I have to say "I'm hooked"!
From the book:
Otherworldly Screams... — A Madman on the Loose... — This Time the Stakes Are Higher Than Ever — While talking to his friend on the phone, Mark Stone is startled by a cacophony of otherworldly screams. Seconds later, a tragic accident claims his friend's life. When this happens several more times -- screams followed by an untimely death -- he is compelled to act.
Battling his failure as a husband and struggling with his own damaged faith, Mark embarks on a mission to find the meaning behind the screams and hopefully stop death from calling on its next victim. When his estranged wife is kidnapped and he again hears the screams as she calls from her cell phone, his search becomes much more personal and much more urgent.  

I love the fact that the hero, Mark Stone is human...he owns his own Auto Repair Shop, struggling to deal with the fact that he betrayed his wife, and his faith that seems to be failing.

 The villain, Judge, is not as cold-hearted as you would expect.  He's kidnapping women, yet shows a compassionate side as well.

As the story unfolds, the reader knows what Judge plans, so the suspense continues through the story.  I definitely had a hard time putting this book down!  I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.