"The Stars Shine Bright" by Sibella Giorello

Special Agent Raleigh Harmon has made some mistakes in the past, mistakes that now threaten her future in law enforcement. Sent undercover to discover the reasons behind the mysterious deaths of several leading racehorses, Raleigh seeks to discover the truth while working through her own personal struggles and questions.

I know very little about horses. I know even less about the FBI and law enforcement, but after reading The Stars Shine Bright I feel like I had a small glimpse into that world. I enjoyed Giorello's writing style and found the story to be very interesting. I have not read any of the other books in the series, and although the book can stand alone to a certain extent, I think I would have benefited from reading the previous books in the series (this is the fifth book). The author tries to discreetly fill you in on what you missed in case you haven't read the others, but it's not quite the same as living the story along with the character.

I'm usually pretty picky, but I liked this book. I think Giorello did a great job weaving the story together. I was hooked from the first chapter. I love this genre of mystery/suspense. The author does an exceptional job of weaving intrigue and information. The book was well done and I look forward to reading more of Giorello's work in the future.


Novelist Sibella Giorello is celebrating the release of the latest book in her praiseworthy Raleigh Harmon series by giving away a Kindle Fire! 

Find out what the reviewers are saying here!

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A brand new Kindle Fire
• The entire 5-book Raleigh Harmon series.

Hurry, the giveaway ends on 8/25/12. The winner will be announced on 8/27/12 on Sibella's blog!

Just click one of the icons below to enter. Tell your friends about Sibella's giveaway on FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.

We're Better Together

I sink down onto my living room couch surrounded by seemingly endless mounds of laundry.  Cheerios are ground into my carpet. "Bob the Builder" plays on Netflix for the fourth time this morning. There is not another toilet-trained human being in sight. This is my life. This is my current season. I'm the mother of two preschoolers. I'm exhausted.

When I'm home, it's easy to think that I'm the only one who feels like an inadequate mother, who knows that my housekeeping has not quite obtained June Cleaver status, who honestly would rather eat a donut than run a mile at the gym. But I've learned that I'm not alone. We're all in this together and it's that togetherness that makes the unending days of laundry and diapers bearable.

We were created for community, especially during the difficult days of early motherhood. There is truly no other time in life where we are more exhausted, more vulnerable, and more in need of a friend to come alongside us and help us carry the load - even if it's nothing more than saying "Hey, it's OK, I haven't taken a shower today either."

Sweet mom, you're not in this alone. We've been there too. Not one of us is perfect. Our children are not perfect. Our husbands are not perfect. We are a beautiful mess, but ya know what? God is pleased when we come before Him in all of our messiness and say "I may not be perfect, but You are - and that is more than enough."

God loves using imperfect people. The Bible is full of examples of flawed, imperfect people who were used by God simply because they were available and willing. Moses stuttered and had a bit of a temper. Abraham lied on more than one occassion because he was scared. Rachel and Leah battled insecurity and jealousy. Naomi struggled with bitterness.

The only perfect person in the Bible was Jesus. Even the disciples who hung out with him for three years still managed to mess up on more than one occasion. That is encouraging to me. I don't have to be perfect for God to love me. I don't even have to be perfect for God to use me. I just have to be willing and ready. To be obedient to His voice when I sense His leading.

I'm typing this post from a cozy hotel room in a glorious resort BY MYSELF. Pre-kiddo days,  I would have thought "Why would anyone want to go somewhere without their family?" Two kids later and I'm basking in the unknown glory of an uninterrupted shower. My kids are tucked in safe and sound at Grandma and Papi's house. My husband is back in New Mexico holding down the fort while I am in Dallas for the MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) conference surrounded by 2,000 of the most incredible women you'll ever meet.

It has been such an encouragement to be here at the MOPS convention. I've been surrounded by so many amazing moms who understand my stage of life and this season of mothering. I've listened to encouraging speakers who have reminded me that even from my tiny living room, surrounded by toddler chaos, I can still impact the world.

From my cluttered couch it's hard to see the big picture. Sometimes I forget that I'm not alone in my fight against laundry and in my crusade against crushed cheerios. I'm not the only woman struggling to know how to blend who I am as a woman with who I am as a mother. We're in this together and we're better together.

I don't hate gay people

Before you read the rest of this post, I want to make a few quick disclaimers: This is a controversial topic and I know that people are very passionate about both sides of this issue. Please understand that the purpose of this post is not to start a heated debate or to make anyone upset. If you agree or disagree with me, that's okay, but please don't be disrespectful to anyone. This is something that's been on my mind a lot lately, and I feel the need to share my personal point of view.  


I don't hate gay people. That might sound shocking coming from a southern preacher's wife who grew up smack dab in the middle of the Bible Belt, but in light of the whole recent Chick-fil-a controversy, I felt compelled to clear the air. Do I disagree with homosexuality based on my religious beliefs - yes. Does disagreeing with someone's lifestyle mean that I hate them? Absolutely not.

I can't help but feel a bit defensive when Christians are labeled as ignorant, bigoted, homophobic morons. I can't speak for everyone (I'm sure that there are some angry, extreme people wandering around out there), but the majority of us choose to respectfully disagree. I never, ever, ever, ever, EVER think another human being deserves to be mistreated, ridiculed, or abused. Ever. That type of behavior should never be tolerated and it's not what the message of Christianity is about. I will fiercely defend any human being who is being bullied or abused regardless of their gender, race, or sexual preference.

Here's the deal - I know there's a lot of debate over the whole marriage issue. For me personally, I believe that God created marriage to be a symbolic image of the relationship between Christ and the Church. From the very beginning, the marriage relationship was meant to image divine realities, so when people want to "redefine" marriage, it's natural that those who adhere to these religious teachings feel the need to become defensive of the traditional definition of marriage.

As a Christian, I have chosen to live my life according to the teachings of the Bible. I do not have the freedom to pick and choose what I agree with and what I do not. I've heard the argument on more than one occasion that if we choose to label homosexuality as a sin then we need to adhere to all of the Levitical law (in regards to facial hair, skin conditions, diet, etc.).

The Israelites of the Old Testament (of which the book of Leviticus is a part) entered into a special covenant with God. God gave them a series of guidelines and laws which were intended to set them apart from the other nations around them - to make them a distinct group of people. Some of those restrictions included dietary law, punishments for those who broke the law, and guidance for daily living. These were special instructions to a designated people at a designated time. The Israelites and God entered into this special covenental agreement in which God agreed to bless and be with them if they kept their side of the promise.

The modern day church is not a part of the same covenant that God made with the nation of Israel. The church is a part of the new covenant that took place after the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection of Christ. In this covenant we gain access to God through faith in Jesus, and although we are still called to live life differently from those who do not believe, it has more to do with inward character and behavioral changes than any peculiar outward manifestations.

I have also heard on numerous occasions that Jesus said "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." Yep, that passage is in the Bible, but strangely enough, no one bothers to quote the words that immediately follow. Jesus then turns to the woman who was caught in the act of adultery and tells her to "Go and sin no more." Implying that what she was doing was not right and she needed to stop. Jesus didn't just say, "Hey, it's OK, no one's perfect, do whatever you want to do." He dispersed an angry crowd whose sole intent was to trick Jesus into doing something that they could use against him and turned it into a moment for redemption. He didn't condemn her to death, he tried to lead her to life by urging her to stop a behavior that could cause her harm.

With that being said, I do not expect  non-Christians to adhere to the same types of standards and values that I do. Why would they? I do believe that living your life according to Biblical principles is the best way. It's what I plan on teaching to my children. I have no control over the choices that other people make. If someone disagrees with what the Bible says they have the freedom to do so.


I don't believe it's intolerant and hateful to disagree with someone's choices. Lest you think that the Bible only singles out homosexuality, it also says that heterosexual sex between an unmarried man and an unmarried woman is also a sin (regardless of if you're a teenage couple or a 30-something.) I'm just as much opposed to premarital sex as I am to any other sexual sin. Is it old-fashioned? According to today's standards, probably so, but that's ok. I wholeheartedly believe that the standards set out in the Bible were created for our own well-being, not because God is some cosmic kill-joy. We all sin. Each and every one of us. No one is perfect. I'm not going to condemn, but I will stand by what I believe is right. 


Here's my summary:
1) It's OK to disagree with another person's choices. It's OK to express your own personal convictions. It is not OK to ridicule, abuse, or mistreat another human being because they make choices you disagree with. Just because someone disagrees with you doesn't mean that they hate you. They just disagree. 


2) I do believe that homosexuality is a deviation from God's plan for human sexuality - that the original design was for marriage to be between a man and a woman and that marriage was designed to teach us more about our relationship with God.

3) ALL sin separates us from a relationship with God. Adultery, sex outside of marraige, lust, and homosexuality are equally prohibited in the Bible.
  
4) Because we live in America, where we have the freedom to vote based upon our own personal beliefs and opinions, I have the right to support or oppose legislation that contradicts my personally held convictions. People who hold different opinions are equally entitled to make their voice heard through their vote. Because we live in a democracy, each individual has a say.  


I know this is not a popular opinion. I know that some people might label me as ignorant and hateful, but I'm really not, and honestly, those type of stereotypes are hurtful. I don't hate gay people. God has given us the free will to make our own choices, and people are free to choose whatever they want to. He's not going to force us to be holy robots, but as a good parent, he has also given guidelines for those who claim to be his children. Homosexuality, according to the Bible, is something that those who claim the name of Christ are not to participate in.

Tolerance is America's new holy grail. We are supposed to be tolerant of everything - even if it's in opposition to our religious beliefs. We're not allowed to respectfully disagree. You know what, I think love should be our new catch phrase. I can disagree with you and still love you in the process. You can disagree with me and that's fine. I'm not going to label you as bigoted and "Christ-tophobic." I'm not going to feel threatened when someone holds a differing viewpoint. I'm going to stand by what I believe in, just as you choose to stand by what you believe in.

Maybe you'll want to boycott me. If so, I guess I have no control over that. Maybe you'll stop reading my blog or tell all your friends to unlike my facebook page because I'm one of those crazy Christians who disagrees with your point of view. You have that freedom, but I hope you'll stick around. 


Thanks for hearing me out. I just felt like I needed to express what was on my heart and mind. If you're a homosexual who has been mistreated by those who claim the name of Christ, I apologize. That is not the message of Christianity. Christianity is about redemption and love - a God who pursued us even when we were opposing Him at every turn. He doesn't waver on His standards for holiness, but he welcomes us as we are and continues to shape and mold us into His image.

Where is God when tragedy strikes?

Something deep within our souls tells us this is wrong. Parents should not have to bury their children. Infants should not struggle for their lives. Mothers should not be taken away from their children. Toddlers should not have to battle cancer. These things cause pain because deep within us we know that this is not the way that things were meant to be. We feel the "lostness" of the situation and it grieves us.

Beloved, we live in a broken world, but this is not the way things were meant to be. God is not the source of these heartaches - the enemy is.

Jesus said that "The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." (John 10:10).

Later, the apostle Peter describes our enemy as a roaring lion "seeking someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8). 

His aim is to cause us to doubt the goodness of God. This is not a new scheme. He's been at it since the beginning of time. He was able to tempt Adam and Eve by leading them to question whether or not God was really looking out for their best interests. 

"Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”“You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:1-5)

Precious ones, it's hard to understand why tragedies happen. There is no easy explanation or cliche answer you can give to take away the heartache and pain. We live in a broken world full of sickness, pain, and death. Unfortunately, as a result of the fall, we do know both good and evil. . . and it's the evil that's in this world that breaks our hearts. 

There is comfort in knowing that God is a God of justice, and that one day, each person will give an account before God for their actions. Even those who seem to escape justice in this lifetime will not escape His justice. The enemy has free reign of this world for the time being, but his time is running out.  

God hears the cries of the brokenhearted. The book of Revelation states that one day, "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Revelation 21:4

It grieves my heart to see the seemingly senseless suffering in the world around me, but I'm reminded that this broken world is not my home. God has a rescue plan to restore the brokenhearted, to bring beauty from ashes and the oil of gladness to those who mourn, a spirit of praise instead of despair.

Where is God when tragedy strikes? I assure you, He is there in their midst, providing comfort and strength to those left behind, redeeming what the enemy intended for destruction.

One day things will be as they were always meant to be. Death will be destroyed. There will be no more suffering or pain. Until then, we pray -asking our God of mercy and peace to fill hearts and minds with a sense of his presence, to bring healing to bodies and minds, and for his kingdom to come, on earth as it is in heaven. 

Nature's Sleep Memory Foam Slippers - Review and Giveaway

I'm a mom. A busy mom. I don't usually have a lot of time to just put my feet up and relax at the end of the day. My solution? Wear comfy slippers while I'm busy running around the house. Nature's Sleep, the folks who bring you fabulous mattresses have adapted their memory foam technology to cushion your tootsies.

I had the opportunity to try the closed toe Nature's Sleep Memory Foam Slippers in blue. I loved the memory foam in them. They form around your feet to provide you with a comfortable fit. They are nice and warm which will be absolutely wonderful for cool mornings and evenings.

They have a very durable rubber sole. I wear them outside to go check the mail or grab something from the car. I like that there are treads on the bottom of the slipper to help provide a bit of traction.

I've been wearing them for a few weeks now and they've held up to the challenge. My oldest son spilled a glass of milk on them. My youngest son has tried to eat them, but they've still held up to the test.

Nature's Sleep offers a variety of products: mattresses, toppers, pet beds, and even foundations and frames.

One lucky reader will have an opportunity to win a pair for themselves. (Giveaway open to US only and ends on 7/25).

Check out the Rafflecopter form to enter (if it takes a while to load, try refreshing the page).

Best of luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway




 I received a complimentary pair of slippers from Nature's Sleep to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed are my honest thoughts of the product. I was not obligated to give a positive review. 

$200 Amazon Blast Free Blogger Event Sign-Ups

Are you looking to gain more Facebook fans or publicity for your blog? There's a new $200 Amazon Blast giveaway starting on July 15th and ending on August 15th.

Event Details:

*The giveaway will go live on July 15, 2012

*Open Worldwide
*Prize: $200 Amazon Gift Card *1 winner*
*To participate, all you have to do is share the sign-up info in a blog post and fill out the form here. 

Sign Up Fee & Info:

- NO COST for the first link (Facebook Page only) (additional links are $3 each)

There are also a few co-host spots available for those who might be interested! 

Lover of Emptiness

"This lover of emptiness, of nothing, is so out of touch with reality, so far gone, that he can't even look at what he's doing, can't even look at the no-god stick of wood in his hand and say, "This is crazy." Isaiah 44:20 (The Message)

In Isaiah 44, God brings this charge against his people: You are worshiping unworthy things - things made with human hands, things that are not gods at all. They were so blinded by what they were doing, that as another translation states, they can't say, "Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?" (Isaiah 44:20, NIV)

In the previous chapter, God challenges His people to take him to court and evaluate what He has said and done for them. No other god has told them what was to come. No other god has provided forgiveness and a way of escape. God says that they have proven themselves to be no gods at all.

It's harder to pinpoint idols these days. I doubt the majority of us are going into our backyards, hacking down a tree and carving it up into something we kneel before and pray to. But the comparison is not totally lost.

In the illustration God gives in Isaiah 44, He describes a man who goes out, cuts down a tree and uses part of the wood as fuel to cook his food over and then uses the other half of the wood to make something to worship. For some reason it doesn't dawn on him that he's essentially worshiping firewood.

It's really not so different from what we do. With part of our money we go out and buy food to feed our families and with the other portion we turn it into something we worship. We each have our own gods of choice - a nice home, cars, the latest gadgets and technology, a beautiful appearance, a big bank account etc. We may not physically bow down in front of them, but we worship them with our hearts, with our thoughts, and with our time.

We look to them to satisfy and to save us, but in the end they will only disappoint. But somehow, like the man in the illustration, we don't notice that the thing we're holding onto in our right hand is a lie. It has no power to save us. It cannot tell us what will happen tomorrow, and it's certainly not looking out for our best interests. It's a created thing: with half, we eat our food and with the other half we bow down and worship.

God calls them on their foolishness, but he doesn't just leave them in their current condition. He admonishes them to come back to their senses:

"I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you. Sing for joy, you heavens, for the Lord has done this; shout aloud,  you earth beneath. Burst into song, you mountains, you forests and all your trees, for the Lord has redeemed Jacob, he displays his glory in Israel." Isaiah 44:22-23

Lord, 
Help me to recognize when I'm worshiping something that has no power to save me. Help me to recognize that the thing I hold in my right hand is a lie. Thank you for being a God who sweeps away my offenses like a cloud and my sins like the morning mist. You alone have the power to save. You have done great things. Thank you for being a God who calls us out when we're in the wrong and restores us to a right relationship with you.