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Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts

Saturday, February 8, 2020

The Dangers of Making Assumptions


   by Pearl Nsiah-Kumi 

An assumption is defined as the acceptance that something is true, or is certain to happen, without proof. Needless to say, it’s risky when we assume and present false information as truth, based on what we think or feel. We need to be certain about the information we choose to believe and share, by first verifying our facts, and then being patient–not rushing to accuse, judge, or condemn people.

What is at risk if our assumptions turn out to be wrong? When we make assumptions, we falsely accuse others, which can destroy their reputations, even if only temporarily, jeopardizing our own in the process. In fact, if what we say turns out to be false, whatever we say in the future could be taken with a grain of salt.  

Click to Tweet: So, before we jump to conclusions and accuse others, let’s research our facts and have proof, and even then be very unhurried to speak.

The Bible teaches this lesson in the story of Job, who was described this way: “blameless, a man of complete integrity, feared God, and stayed away from evil” (see Job 1:1). 

If you are familiar with this story, you’ll remember that the devil was permitted to bring misfortune into Job’s life, to prove Job’s loyalty to God. He lost his ten children, property, and health; and, needless to say, he was heart-broken and in anguish. He tried to figure out why God would cause him such distress. As far as he knew, he had done nothing wrong to warrant that kind of punishment. Even his wife did not console him. She said to him: “Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die” (Job 2:9 NLT). Wow!



Job’s three friends, who knew nothing about the conversation that took place between God and the devil prior to Job’s troubles, chided him (see Job 4:3-6), and then jumped to conclude that Job’s suffering was the result of sin in his life. “Stop and think!” Eliphaz, the first friend, said, “Do the innocent die? When have the upright been destroyed? My experience shows that those who plant trouble and cultivate evil will harvest the same. A breath of God destroys them” (Job 4:7-9 NLT). Sadly, his conclusion was partially based on his personal experience. If we are honest, we’ll admit that we all do occasionally jump to conclusions about issues we know nothing, or very little, about. God help us.

Job’s second friend Bildad’s assessment of the situation was this: “Your children must have sinned against him, so their punishment was well deserved. But if you pray to God and seek the favor of the Almighty, and if you are pure and live with integrity, he will surely rise up and restore your happy home” (Job 8:4-6 NLT). “WELL DESERVED.” Really? Talk about jumping to conclusions. 

As Bildad continued to ramble on, he said, “The hopes of the godless evaporate. Their confidence hangs by a thread. … The godless seem like a lush plant growing in the sunshine, its branches spreading across the garden… But look, God will not reject a person of integrity, nor will he lend a hand to the wicked” (Job 8:13-20 NLT). Unbelievable. This was like adding insult to injury.

Zophar, friend number three, finally chimed in. “Listen. God is doubtless punishing you far less than you deserve!” Then he adds, “Get rid of your sins and leave all iniquity behind you. Then your face will brighten with innocence” (Job 11:6 and 14 NLT). Such boldness.

Elihu, another character, younger than Job and his three friends, finally responded. He rebuked all four men. He was angry with Job for insisting he was innocent, instead of admitting wrongdoing, and admitting God was just in punishing him. He was angry with the three friends for making God appear to be wrong by their inability to answer Job’s arguments. 

Elihu’s assessment of the situation, however, was just as bad. One of his many accusations was: “Be on guard. Turn back from evil, for God sent this suffering to keep you from a life of evil” (36:21). 

When Job tried to defend himself, these friends would have none of it; they were 100% sure Job’s troubles were the result of his sin. These were friends who had come to comfort one of their own. No wonder Job referred to them as “miserable comforters” (see Job 16:2). He told them, “If it were me, I would encourage you. I would try to take away your grief” (Job 16:5 NLT); “Have mercy on me, my friends, have mercy on me” (19:21 NLT).



God finally entered the conversation and challenged Job: “Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer me” (38:3). Then He rebuked Eliphaz: “I am angry with you and your two friends, for you have not spoken accurately about me as my servant Job has … My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer on your behalf. I will not treat you as you deserve” (42:7-8 NLT).

Let’s not jump to conclusions! If we choose to offer our opinion, it should be clear to our listeners that it’s strictly an opinion and not necessarily facts. These four men really hurt Job with their ignorant statements, and by so doing displeased God. Let’s be careful, quick to hear, but slow to speak!


♱♱♱♱♱


Friday, September 30, 2016

Lorilyn Roberts Answers Questions About Writing, Family, John 3:16 Network , and Future Books - Part One

QUEST



LORI       


Question:  How do you find time to write: 

Lorilyn:  Until recently, as a single mother, most of my time revolved around my family. My youngest daughter just started her first year of college this month, and my oldest daughter recently moved into her own apartment. I feel like I've entered into a new chapter of life and am still adjusting to the change. The home is much quieter, but it does allow me more time to write 

Several years ago, recognizing how involved I was in their lives as a single parent, I felt it was important to pursue my own dreams when they became older. 

I also work very strange hours as a full-time broadcast captioner. I half-heartily think about how many people have read my captions around the world and imagine what it would be like if that many people were reading my books.

When we were doing book launches in the John 3:16 Network, that took up much of my free time. I love doing TV and radio appearances, but they are also time consuming, so I haven’t done as many as I would have liked.

Sometimes I’ve focused more on charitable pursuits. In the fall of 2014, my younger daughter and I took books to orphans in Nepal. Over the last two years, the John 3:16 Marketing Network has donated books to the Wakulla Correctional Facility near Tallahassee, Florida. Prisoners have read and reviewed about three hundred books.

Question:  How many books do you write in a year?

Lorilyn:  This last year I wrote two books, but it left little time to do other things. I plan to take a break before writing the next book in the Seventh Dimension Series, so I will probably write only one book in the next several months

Question:  Tell us about your John 3:16 Marketing Network of Christian Authors.

Lorilyn:  Currently, the John 3:16 Marketing Network is closed to new members. Once we stopped hosting book launches, I realized there were other groups more beneficial to new and upcoming Christian authors. Promoting books, whether mine or others, and writing simultaneously is hard, and as much as I enjoy marketing, my passion is writing.

A core group of authors in the network continues to encourage each another in marketing and writing. Many blessings come from the members who are active, and even those who have moved on still connect in various ways.

If a new author or wannabe author wants to join a Christian group or receive mentoring, I would recommend for nonfiction writers, Shelley Hitz, who has a “Training Authors for Success” website. For fiction writers, I would recommend Jerry Jenkins’ new writers guild. Both groups help authors with writing and marketing.

If you are an author with some history of writing books and want the camaraderie of other authors who have been at this for a while, contact me and we can talk. I occasionally bring in authors free of charge.

My original desire, once we stopped doing launches, was to provide one‑on‑one mentoring for new writers launching their first book. Many “roaches” out there promise the universe and give little in return. They often involve the outlay of too much money, and authors are burned because they don’t know any better. Unfortunately, I haven’t found the time. I prefer to think of marketing as a ministry, not a business endeavor, and I’ve struggled to make that switch to a business model, but that could always change.

Question:  Tell us about your newest book this year.



Lorilyn:  I just published the fourth book in my Seventh Dimension Series, The City.


Question:  Tell us what brought about the creation and writing of the Seventh Dimension Series.


Lorilyn: After I published The Donkey and the King, I wanted to do a series of picture books, but picture books are expensive to produce, especially when you hire an illustrator. Publishing them is not economically viable as a POD book. I found it hard to sell at a price point that people would pay, and I couldn’t afford not to recoup the costs on future books. I also knew I needed to wait to write more books until Joy was older. She was only seven at the time, and I realized that it was unfair to devote that much time to writing books when she was still so young.

When Joy was eleven, I wrote Children of Dreams. Even though I had kept all my notes from both my daughters' adoptions, I was afraid if I waited any longer, I would forget the story. Over a decade had passed since I had adopted Manisha. 




After the thrill of writing my adoption memoir, I wanted to write more books, but I recognized I didn’t have the expertise to write fiction. Some things I wanted to write about from my life could only be told as fiction.

Once I saw my limitations as a writer, I went back to college to obtain my Masters of Art in Creative Writing from Perelandra College. In order to graduate, I had to write a full-length novel. From my coursework, I developed the first book in the Seventh Dimension Series that included the animal characters from The Donkey and The King.

I included issues from my life—bullying, abandonment, failure, and fighting. I was a pretty wounded kid. I can identify with that kind of teen. At the same time, I also had a deep longing for God.

I didn’t grow up in a Christian home, but I had some Jewish friends, and their sense of community was something I wanted. I was jealous for their God.

The little dog from The Donkey and the King, Much‑Afraid, was also my childhood pet. The real Much‑Afraid, Gypsy, came to me during a

thunderstorm. When we buried her many years later, a sudden thunderstorm appeared out of nowhere. We had to hurry as lightning flashed all around. I promised at that moment, when I was fifteen, someday the whole world would know about Gypsy—the dog God gave me. I share her story in my adoption memoir Children of Dreams. I could say more, but I’ll let readers read the book rather than summarize it here. (Children of Dreams is a 2016 Readers' Favorite Award Winner in the Memoir category.)

I have written four books in the Seventh Dimension Series. One or two more books remain to be written. A great deal of research goes into my writing. Even the second book, The King, required research into chariot racing in the first century.
  
The words I write will live on after I’m gone. Someday I’ll stand before God and give an accounting for every book I’ve written. I’m intimately aware of the importance of making sure I draw people to God, giving hope, and showing that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. The concepts of forgiveness, hope, and purity find their way into the fabric of my stories, pregnant with suspense, mystery, and hopefully, twists and turns that keep the reader guessing.

Who wants to read a predictable book? I must make the reader read until the very last page to know how the story ends. 

*~*~*~*



Part two of Lorilyn's interview will be posted in a follow-up blogpost. Visit http://LorilynRoberts.com to learn more about her books.

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Get a Head Start on Christmas - Comparison Book Selections to Make Shopping Easy






Get a Head Start on Your Christmas Shopping

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Sometimes it's hard to pick out
new books from unknown authors,
yet we all long to find fresh treasures
to add to our Kindles or our bookshelves.
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Below is a wide selection of John 3:16 books to help you with your Christmas shopping.BEll.jpg
We have compared books that you may not have discovered
with more well-known books that have a similar style or flavor.
Enjoy perusing these 40 plus books which are linked to Amazon for easy purchase.
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And don't forget,
Jesus is the reason for the season.
Merry Christmas! Christmas.9.gif


Be sociable - please share.

    


Nonfiction


If you were helped by "The Highly Sensitive Person" by Elaine N. Aron, Ph.D....
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You will be helped even more by "The Mystery of Spiritual Sensitivity" by Carol A. Brown because of its Christian Perspective.
To learn more or to purchase, click here.
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Fiction


If you liked "The Lake of Dreams" by Kim Edwards...
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You will love "Crooked Lines" by Holly Michael.
To learn more or to purchase, click here.
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Memoir


If you liked "The Hiding Place" by Corrie Ten Boom...
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You will love "Children of Dreams" by Lorilyn Roberts.

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Fiction


If you liked "Finding Rebecca" by Eoin Dempsey...

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You will love award-winning "The King, A Young Adult Fantasy" by Lorilyn Roberts, with its faith-based overtones.
Click here to learn more or to purchase. 

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Creative Nonfiction


If you liked "Two From Galilee: The Story of Mary and Joseph" by  Marjorie Holmes...
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You will love "Come to Me" by Laura J. Davis.
Click here to learn more or to purchase
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Fiction


If you liked "The Choice" by Nicholas Sparks...
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You will love "Meander Scar" by Lisa Lickel.
Click here to learn more or to purchase.
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Fiction


If you liked "True Believer" by Nicholas Sparks...
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You will love "Healing Grace" by Lisa Lickel.
Click here to learn more or to purchase. 
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Fiction


If you liked "The Hobbit" by JRR Tolkien...The_Hobbitt.jpeg

You will love "Prisoner of Reign" by Emma Right.
To learn more or to purchase, click here.
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Children - Fiction


If you liked "Frozen" by Random House Disney...
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You will love the "Princess Castle Adventure Mystery Series" by Emma Right.
To learn more or to purchase, click here.
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Fiction


If you liked "Redeeming Love" by Francene Rivers...
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You will love "The Redemption of Caralynne Hayman" by Carole Brown.
To learn more or to purchase, click here 
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Fiction


If you liked "Beguiled" by Deeanne Gist and J. Mark Bertrand...
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You will love "With Music in Their Hearts" by Carole Brown.
To learn more or to purchase, click here. 
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Nonfiction


If you liked "The Five Love Languages" by Gary Chapman...
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Then you will love "How to Restore Your Marriage and Fall in Love Again" by Krystal Kuehn, MA, LPC, LLP, NCC.
To learn more or to purchase, click here. 
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Nonfiction


If you liked "The Prayer That Changes Everything" by Stormie O. Martin...
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Then you will love "God Restores" by Violet James, MSN.
To learn more or to purchase, click here. 
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Nonfiction


If you liked "Prayer" by Charles F. Stanley...
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You will love  "Feed Your Spirit - A Collection of Devotionals on Prayer" by Kimberley Payne.
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Nonfiction


If you liked "Reshaping It All" by Candace Cameron Bure...
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You will love "Women of Strength" by Kimberley Payne.
To learn more or to purchase, click here.
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Nonfiction


If you liked "Healing Path" by Dan Allender...
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You will love "From the Other Side of the Couch" by Judy Lair, LPCC.
To learn more or to purchase, click here. 
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Nonfiction


If you liked "Rees Howells Intercessor" by Norman Grubb...
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You will love "One Lamb Redeemed" by Shoshana Goldberg.
To learn more or to purchase, click here
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Fiction


If you liked "Fangirl" by Rainbow Rowell...
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Check out a great Christian equivalent that's receiving rave reviews, "Summer's Winter," by Robin Johns Grant.
To learn more or to purchase, click here. 

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Fiction


If you liked "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte...
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You will enjoy "Gatehaven" by Molly Bull with its Christian influence.
Click here to learn more or to purchase.
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Fiction


If you liked "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman...
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You will love "Spiralling Out of Control" by Michelle Dennis Evans.
Click here to purchase or learn more. 
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Fiction


If you liked "Anna and the French Kiss" by Stephanie Perkins...
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Don't miss "Spiralling Out of the Shadow" by Michelle Dennis Evans.
Click here to learn more or to purchase.
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Fiction


If you liked "Mind's Eye" by Douglas E. Richards...

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Then you will love "Wake the Dead" by Victoria Buck.
Click here to purchase or learn more. 
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Nonfiction


If you liked "The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous & Broke" by Suze Orman...
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Check out this Christian alternative, "Financial Empowerment, Realign Your Finances to God's Will" by Pamela Carmichael.
Click here to order or learn more.
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Fiction - Children


If you like "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe" by C.S. Lewis...
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You will love the award-winning book, "The King of the Trees," by William D. Burt.
To order or to learn more, click here 
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Fiction - Children


If you liked "The Berenstain Bears' God Made You Special" by Jan and Stan Berenstain...
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You will love "Tadeo Turtle" by Janis Cox.
Click here to learn more or to purchase.
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Fiction


If you liked "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" by Jamie Ford...
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You will love "Under the Silk Hibiscus" by Alice Wisler.
Click here to order or learn more.
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Fiction

If you liked "Truth Stained Lies" by Terri Blackstock...
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You should check out "Shadow Stalker" by Barbara Ann Derksen.
Click here to learn more or purchase.
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Nonfiction

If you liked "Experiencing God" by Richard and Henry Blackaby...
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You will love "Do You Know the Names of God?" by Paul Muinde.
Click here to learn more or to purchase. 
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Fiction

If you liked "She's in a Better Place" by Angela Hunt...
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You will love  "Lake Surrender" by Carol Grace Stratton.
Click here to learn more or to purchase.
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Fiction

If you liked "Unlucky 13" by James Patterson...
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You will love "Essence of Evil" by Barbara Ann Derksen.
Click here to learn more or to purchase. 
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Nonfiction

If you liked "Your Best Life Now" by Joel Osteen...
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You will love "When Will My Life Not Suck" by Ramon Presson.
Click here to learn more or to purchase. 
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Fiction

If you liked "The Shack" by William P. Young...
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You will love "The Invitation" by Jim Edwards.
Click here to learn more or to purchase.
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Fiction

If you liked "Like Dandelion Dust" by Karen Kingsbury...
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You will love "The Grace Assignment" by Terri Nighswonger.
Click here to learn more or to purchase.
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Fiction

If you liked "Bourne Identity" by Robert Ludlum...
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You will love "Brother Half Angel" by Martin Roth
Click here to learn more or purchase. 
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Fiction

If you liked "Batman" by Frank Miller...
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You will love "The Good Fight" by Matthew R. Horn.
Click here to learn more or to purchase. 
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Fiction

If you liked "Watchmen" by Alan Moore...
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You will love "Nothing Good is Free" by Matthew R. Horn.
Click here to learn more or to purchase.
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Fiction - Children

If you liked "God Gave us Christmas" by Lisa Tawn Bergren...
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You will love "Santa's Birthday Gift" by Sherrill S. Cannon
Click here to purchase or learn more.
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Fiction 

If you liked "Split Infinity" by Piers Anthony...
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You will love "Seventh Dimension - The Door" by Lorilyn Roberts
Click here to purchase or learn more 
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Nonfiction

If you liked "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young...
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You will love "Journaling with Jesus" by Carol Round.
Click here to learn more or to purchase. 
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Nonfiction

if you liked "The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle...
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You will love "Prayer Never Fails" by Berney K. Dorton.
Click here to purchase or learn more. 

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Fiction

If you liked "Indelible" by Karin Slaughter...
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You will love "One Smoothe Stone" by Marcia Laycock.
Click here to purchase or learn more. 
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