Counting My Blessings

This week we celebrated the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I am thankful for every lash of a whip He endured, every terrible word spoken to Him and His decision to die, to give me salvation. I am so undeserving of His mercy, grace and forgiveness. 

Has anyone died for you? Endured excruciating pain to give you a better, more abundant life? I didn't think so. I saw a quote on Instagram that said, "Silly rabbit, Easter is about Jesus." That little quote speaks such truth when it comes to the real meaning of Easter (We use the term Resurrection Sunday)

As I've watched The Passion of The Christ, I cry when I catch a glimpse (I usually cover my eyes) of those soldiers whipping "Jesus." I cry when I imagine how He must have felt to be spat at, have his beard ripped from His face and to be nailed to a cross. I know that what must have pained Him most was seeing a broken generation, lost in their sins and transgressions.When Jesus died, it may have seemed like all hope was lost. But it wasn't. He resurrected from the dead! HE IS RISEN! As a bonus, God even sent us someone who will always be with us. 

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever--

John 14:16

Jesus' death gave us hope, restoration and healing. 

He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.

1 Peter 2:24

Jesus' death also guarantees us another promise. He will return for those who are His.

I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

1 John 14:3

Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen. I am the Alpha and the Omega, " says the Lord God, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.

Revelation 1:7

I am thankful for the abundant life Jesus' death gives me. I am thankful for the Holy Spirit.  I am thankful for the forgiveness I have. I am thankful for access to the throne of grace. 

Giveaway Winner: The Bible

From Executive Producers Roma Downey and Mark Burnett comes The Bible — an epic 10-part miniseries retelling stories from the Scriptures for a whole new generation. Breathtaking in scope and scale, The Bible features powerful performances, exotic locales and dazzling visual effects that breathe spectacular life into the dramatic tales of faith and courage from Genesis through Revelation. This historic television event is sure to entertain and inspire the whole family! Where will YOU be 3.3.13?

I have enjoyed watching History Channel’s The Bible so far. I enjoyed their take on the flood and Noah, David and Goliath and other well-known Bible stories. Yes, there are several inaccuracies, like the samurai angels who rescued Lot from Sodom and the directors depicted some Bible characters is ways contrary to the great men of God we know them to be, but the essence of the Bible is there.

And the winner of one of the following books

• A Story of God and All of Us (HARDCOVER)
• A Story of God and All of Us (REFLECTIONS)
• A Story of God and All of Us (YOUNG READERS)

is... Sydney who wrote "Score: 97% I am looking forward to seeing the crucifixion scene!"

Congratulations Sydney! Please contact me here to claim your prize. 

Have any of you begun watching the series? What did you think about it?

Book Review: Grave Consequences

About the book:

For Cora Kensington, the journey of a lifetime takes unexpected twists. And her future—her very life—depends on the decisions she’ll make at each crossroad. As her European tour with her newfound family takes her through Austria, France, and Italy, an unseen enemy trails close behind. Meanwhile, a forbidden love continues to claim her heart, putting everyone’s plans in danger.

And as Cora stays one step ahead of it all, what might need the most protection is her own heart, torn between the dramatic pursuit of a dashing Frenchman and a man who has been quietly staking claim to her affections all along. Love has dangers all its own. She must escape the bonds of the past and discover the faith to make the right choices, as each one has grave consequences.

My Review:

Grave Consequences is book two of a three-part fictional series. I was thrilled (even shrieked with delight) when I saw that Lisa T. Bergen had finally released this book. Glamourous Illusions, the first book in the series, was a great read with well-deveoped characters and a romantic, yet mysterious plot. I enjoyed the first book and the last page had a cliff-hanger ending, leaving me craving for the whole story and with the desire to continue on the "Grand Tour" as well. I got that satisfaction with Grave Consequences.

Grave Consequences picked up right where it's prequel left off, so I found it easy to understand the locations, the character's feelings of fear due to unknown kidnappers who are still on the loose, the easing tension between Cora and her half siblings and references to before mentioned events. I think that the plot was very well-written with historical accents, great dialogue and enough twists and turns to leave the reader guessing. I had the feeling, more than once that Pierre was a character I couldn't trust but other times I wished Cora would indeed mary him.

Cora, Will and the diverse cast of characters in this book keep slower parts of the story interesting. I enjoyed understanding Cora's thoughts and getting to know her better. Ornery characters like Hugh and previously problematic ones like Vivian made the read worthwhile and added another layer of dimension to a great book.

Lisa did a phenomenal job with making the historical part of the book come to life. In between lectures and lessons from Uncle Stuart and vivid descriptions of castles and chateaus, it was easy to imagine such opulence of the twentieth century. Her verbal illustrations of so many places easily takes the reader's breath away.

I can only fault this book in one area and that would have to be the beginning. I found it difficult to really dive into this book at the beginning but pressed on because I just had to know what happened with Pierre and Cora. Lisa seemed to drag on in certain areas of the book and I actually found myself skimming a few pages ahead to get to the "good parts". I think that the untimely release of this book affected my experience because I read Glamorous Illusions in June 2012.

I enjoyed Grave Consequences immensely. The ending surprise both in action and in the character of Cora is a perfect transition to the next book! There was a balanced mix of romance, history and thrill all through out this book. I even picked up on fairytale-like occurrences of the book. If you're interested in reading Grave Consequences, be sure to first read Glamourous Illusions. You may feel lost and unfamiliar otherwise:) I rate Grave Consequences 4 stars.

I received this book from LitFuse Publicity in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Unglued Devotional

About the Book:

guest review by Sydney

This companion devotional to Lysa TerKeurst's best-selling book Unglued, provides encouragement to help readers handle emotional struggles. Including a daily opening Scripture, thought for the day, devotion and closing prayer. This book helps readers begin a 60-day journey in learning to positively process raw emotions, such as fear, anger and regret.

My Review:

This book includes 60 short and thought-provoking devotionals with extremely candid and relateable personal experiences from author Lysa Terkeurst. She allows us a sneak peak into her life, family and ministerial experiences by exposing her heart without holding back. While many of the topics discussed in this book make it clear that Lysa is writing to the hearts of women, I know that men would also be edified by the insight and Biblical truths that this devotional has to offer.

Each devotional is infused with hope along with a short prayer to guide the reader to accept the grace and mercy of God which is always available to us. As I read the allotted devotion for the day, I couldn't help but feel as though Lysa was writing to me. I felt connected to some of her struggles and her triumphs and knowing that she has been able to overcome, gives me encouragement.

I truly enjoyed this book and Lysa's writing style. She presents the reader with God-centered, authentic devotions and at the same time, addresses real-life challenges that we all face. Her honesty made this devotional relatable and the size of each devotion was perfect for busy moms.

Lysa reminds us that life isn’t perfect but in Him we can find the joy of the Lord that will give us strength in life's most hectic moments.

I'd recommend this devotional to everyone, young or old, who could use some encouragement and inspiration in their walk with God. You'll be encouraged and inspired to become unglued.

I received a complimentary copy of the above mentioned book from Booksneeze in exchange for my honest review.

The Bible {Giveaway}

From Executive Producers Roma Downey and Mark Burnett comes The Bible — an epic 10-part miniseries retelling stories from the Scriptures for a whole new generation. Breathtaking in scope and scale, The Bible features powerful performances, exotic locales and dazzling visual effects that breathe spectacular life into the dramatic tales of faith and courage from Genesis through Revelation. This historic television event is sure to entertain and inspire the whole family! Where will YOU be 3.3.13?

History Channel will give a copy of one of the official The Bible companion books to a Kianna's Korner reader. (Prize will be chosen randomly from the book titles below!)

• A Story of God and All of Us (HARDCOVER)
• A Story of God and All of Us (REFLECTIONS)
• A Story of God and All of Us (YOUNG READERS)

To enter, all you have to do is:

• Take the Bible-Scene Quiz and post your score.
• Share: What scene are you looking forward to?

Fine print:

The prize will be sent via FedEx or UPS. No P.O. Boxes please. The giveaway ends on 3.18.13 and the winner will be randomly selected. The winner must contact me via email with their address within 24 hours.

Book Review: Shattered

About the Book:

When her prodigal brother Reef's return to Yancey, Alaska, is shattered by his arrest for murder, Piper McKenna is determined to protect him. 

Deputy Landon Grainger loves the McKennas like family, but he's also sworn to find the truth. And he knows those closest to you have the power to deceive you the most. With his sheriff pushing for a quick conviction, some unexpected leads complicate the investigation, and pursuing the truth puts Landon's career in jeopardy.

When Piper launches her own investigation, Landon realizes he must protect her from herself--and whatever complications await as the two follow clues deep into Canada's rugged backcountry. Not only does their long friendship seem to be turning into something more, but this dangerous case is becoming deadlier with each step.

My Review:

I read the first book in this series, Submerged and loved it. As I went into reading Shattered I expected my feelings to reciprocate...and they did. 

Since I knew the majority of the cast of characters, I felt familiar with their personalities. Dani was consistent in the development of a very nosy Piper and a over-protective Landon in the first book that I was able to slip right into this read without having to decipher what they were really like. Though I enjoyed the characters, at the same time I found some of them lacking. Piper for example was naive. She allowed the desire to clear her brother's name to cloud out logic and safety precautions. The spiritual journey Landon takes is touching as he battles with feelings of anger, inadequacy, and ultimately, forgiveness. Landon's child-like faith reminded me that we should all come to the foot of the cross in such a manner of total surrender.

The romantic tension between Landon and Piper was a roller coaster ride I didn't want to get off of. It kept me up late at night, turning pages as fast as I could just to see what was going to happen next. It was interesting to read how Piper and Landon's newfound feelings for one another would develop when the odds were against them all throughout the story. 

If you haven't read Dani Pettrey's work, I encourage you to give Submerged and Shattered a try. Dani did an exceptional job at keeping the reader on the edge of their seats but also second guessing themselves just when they think they know all the answers. She also weaved in faith in ways that the reader can glean inspiration for their walk with God. I think this is definitely a book for someone who enjoys a good mystery with  plenty of romance. With mystery and danger lurking behind ever page, you will definitely want more!

I received this book from LitFuse Publicity in exchange for my honest review.