Living and Breathing the Psalms James Edwards

Released August 2016

Living and Breathing the Psalms is a raw and very personal prayer journey. Here are the Old Covenant prayers, poems and songs to the Lord, reframed through intimacy and relationship with each member of the Trinity. From this perspective the Psalms break open in a simple, fresh and dynamic way. Key life themes lie in these ancient songs of worship, at the very heart of Old Covenant experience, belief and ritual. Exploring them, we find them unlocked through an intimate relationship with our Saviour and King, Firstborn Son of our Heavenly Papa God, as revealed to us by Holy Spirit. Here unashamedly viewed through faith and trust in Mighty King Jesus, Mashiach, the Anointed One, is pain, hurt and grief, side by side with fire, passion, love, thanks, praise and worship. As you put your hope and faith in Him, may you find here your heart's cries to our High King of Heaven and Earth.

364 pp

978-1535590730

Print: $8.60/ £7.25

Buy the book:

Amazon US

Amazon Canada (currently unavailable)

Amazon UK

About the Author

Jim Edwards is a passionate lover of Jesus, living on the South Coast of the UK, with his wife Val. This year with their four amazing children they celebrate 40 years of marriage together. 'Living and Breathing the Psalms' is his third published book, with more to follow. His heart is to peel back religious tradition, to reveal the Mighty, Powerful, live and heart changing Love of Jesus, in fresh ways, with fresh language for today. Repeated visits to the USA and to Bethel Church in Redding, over the last 9 years, have been a source of much encouragement and inspiration.

Lisa’s review:

Truly unlike anything I’ve ever experienced, Edwards’s passionate exploration of the Psalms for contemporary people of faith will refresh every reader with his heartfelt reframing. Not a rewrite, not a paraphrase, not an attempt to simply update language, the author invites you to pray with him through the Psalms, using the name of Christ freely where the original authors back to Moses, David, and Asaph and others, would have, had they physically walked alongside of Him.

I was admittedly unsure of what the author’s goal was all about until I began to read with him, for that’s what readers have to do—read with him—in order to appreciate the rendering. Living and Breathing the Psalms is a prayer walk, a cry, a jump of joy and leap of faith, but most of all, a call to worship in a way that has never had to change because we worship an unchanging and unchangeable God. The text is rich with usually frowned upon devices such as ALL CAPs, multiple exclamations and plenty of “Yeah!” that cannot contain the typed letters.

From Edwards’s query in Psalm 8, “When I look up at the night sky and see the amazing Hubble telescope pictures of galaxies so distant it hurts my brain to comprehend—I wonder at YOU! Did You throw them into space or set each of them in their place? If You planned the details of all of these billions of stars, how come You even spare a thought for each one of us?” to the jazzy upbeat of Psalm 45, “I’m cookin’ today! I’m bubbling over with some amazing ideas for a new song of praise to our wonderful King Jesus” to unadulterated joy in Psalm 135, “Oh, but You who love Jesus—give me a ‘J!’” readers will find new reasons to fall in love with the Psalms all over again.

Cuban Christian Reflections

The Lighthouse of Asaph

Roberto Ornan Roche

Every year, with the arrival of terrible and threatening hurricanes to the Caribbean, I lose both sleep and joy, fearing that the strong winds might destroy the trees that my father planted almost forty years ago. Already some have been blown down, but others remain, and these trees are among my fondest memories of him. I can recall many occasions when my mother and I were by the door, praying, while the destructive winds outside continued to roar.

When I think of such things, I feel that our faith is like those trees, nurtured by other people. At the same time, new trees are starting to grow, like fresh ideals and good deeds, and perhaps some of these spring up from the seeds that have been stored in those old, demolished trees.

The most important thing in my book is always to discover a new way to rescue faith in the midst of the pain that exists all around.

Buy the Book on Amazon US

eBook .99

Paperback 6.50

ISBN-13: 978-0987901118

132 pp

Review by Lisa Lickel

It’s refreshing and energizing to read about the development of a faith life from a different perspective, one that comes from a different culture in another arena. I am too comfortable in my lifestyle and I need to step outside that zone on occasion to truly appreciate what I have been given.

Roche’s joy, fear, and desire to grow and practice his faith glow from the pages. Told through anecdotes, personal revelation, stories of meeting people on the streets where they are, and reflections on Bible verses and stories, such as that of Job (Our Job does not have a story to be told because we spend all day long rejecting it.), The Lighthouse of Asaph will give Christian readers pause. Am I living to my potential where I am, here and now? Roche will help you answer that question as you walk with him in his life as a Cuban Christian living in a land that long despaired yet retained pockets of joy.

About the Author

Roberto Ornan Roche, a Christian writer from Cuba, is an internationally recognized author with stories published in English and Spanish. His book, A Lighthouse of Asaph, is a story collection capturing the emotions and longings of a Cuban heart. The stories were written in an attempt to reconcile the author’s life of faith with a society that discourages it. Born out of fear and sadness, sadness from praying for dreams that were never realized, A Lighthouse of Asaph is a book to encourage you and help you find meaning in your circumstances.

http://unforgettablereflections.com

"My Father's House, a novel" - by Rose Chandler Johnson - Enjoy This Short Excerpt

Chapter One

“Go on, Darling, and see about the colt,” I said.

He stirred a cup of steaming coffee, and then handed it to me. When my hands wrapped around the warm ceramic mug, he leaned down and gently pressed his lips to my forehead. I closed my eyes, grateful for his touch.

“I love you,” he said, while taking me by the shoulders and gently pulling me into the circle of his arms. I laid my head against his chest and felt its rise and fall.

“Go,” I whispered. “I’m going to take a walk and look at the gardens.”

He rubbed my back in wide slow circles.

“I’m grateful she died in the spring,” I said.

“I know,” he said. “I won’t be long. I imagine I’ll find you sitting under the magnolia when I return.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I’ll join you there,” he said.

I followed him out onto the porch and watched him walk to the truck, stop, and turn. He fixed his gaze on me, and I knew he didn’t want to leave. I smiled then, and he nodded before getting in and backing down the driveway. He waved, and something about his smile and the gentle blue of the sky strengthened my heart. I watched him disappear down the street before I turned and walked back inside.

Yesterday we buried the woman who raised me, tethering my heartstrings to both heaven and earth. Full of simple goodness, her love never let me go. She wanted to be buried next to her husband, and so she is, and before we lowered her body into the red Georgia clay, we read the 23^rd Psalm. The words flowed like a soothing balm.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

This morning the words are whispering to my soul, and I can’t help remembering.

*~*~*~*~*

You can connect with Rose Chandler Johnson on Facebook at 

www.facebook.com/rosechandlerjohnsonauthor

and blog at

www.writemomentswithgod.blogspot.com

Twitter: @rechanjo 

To purchase My Father's House: A Novel, from AMAZON click here

Rose Chandler Johnson's award-winning devotional journal, God, Me, and Sweet Iced Tea: Experiencing God in the Midst of Everyday Moments released in July 2013 from Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. Her devotions, poems, short stories and articles have appeared in numerous publications over the years. My Father' House is Rose's first novel. Rose has lived near Augusta, GA for the last twenty-nine years. For the last twenty plus years, Rose has been a French and English teacher. Currently she is an adjunct English instructor at a technical college. Rose enjoys baking, gardening, and spending time with her six children and their families. Another devotional is in the works and another Southern lit novel.

A Life Transformed, Memoir by Sana Edoja.

I (Lorilyn Roberts) have known Sana Edoja for several years and am glad she wrote her memoir to help others. Memoirs are powerful, and I look forward to reading hers.  I hope you enjoy this short excerpt.

STRUGGLES

Going through tunnels,

I can’t see the light.

Surrounded by darkness,

who will save me?

Who will say,

This is the way; walk in it?

Who will hold my hand

to tame my fear?

Who will even say?

It’s over. I am here,

to be your guide.

From beginning to end,

Earth to Heaven.

I will never leave you, nor forsake you!

Island of plenitude,

Encounter with the light

is what I desire

most in my life.

The fields are white to be ripe.

My Savior has come.

My struggles are over.

I was born into a modest family in France. My dad is French. He is a non-practicing Catholic. He was baptized as a baby and received his First Holy Communion. Catholicism was practiced as my grandfather was Protestant, and my grandmother was a non-practicing Catholic. My grandmother was very strict; when her children misbehaved she used a whip. They lived in the countryside near a small village called “Saint-Léger.” My dad and his siblings dropped out of school at the age of 12 to work in the fields to earn wages for the family.

A few years later, my dad travelled to Morocco where he met my mum; they married and moved to France. They lived in Toulouse, the south of France where my dad worked as a builder. Later on, he trained to become a quantity surveyor to provide for our family. My dad was exhausted when he came home from work and barely spent time with us.

I was the eldest of five children (three girls and two boys). He always wanted to watch the news in silence on TV before going to bed. He would only intervene in our upbringing if we needed to be disciplined. He rarely asked us questions about school or life. On a few occasions, he would take us on bike rides and to the fair, but he usually only played with us on Christmas Day. He never had time to develop a proper relationship with his children. I saw him just as a disciplinarian. My parents usually sent us to summer camps on holidays.

My mum had been a primary school teacher in Morocco who taught nine and ten year olds. She had four brothers. Her dad worked in a factory, and her mum raised the kids at home. Her father was also a disciplinarian. Her younger brother used to misbehave. One day, her dad hit him on the arm so strongly causing him to bleed. The wound became infected, and he died at a very young age.

My mum’s uncle controlled the family’s decisions. Children had to financially support their family. My mum’s wages were shared between family members. She wanted to work in research labs, but her family forced her to become a teacher. Her uncle was a tailor; he made the uniforms for the Moroccan army. He made my grandma sew a few uniforms, but he hardly paid her. My mum had to dress poorly because she had to give most of her wages to her family.

This caused strife in the family. Her father performed a lot of Moslem rituals in order to please his Moslem god. My mum described a family environment of strife, poverty, violence, oppression, greed, stinginess, and unhappiness due to money issues. My mum’s dad used to beat his children when they misbehaved.

I concluded that there was a lot of unhappiness, poverty, and violence in my dad’s and my mum’s families. I now understand why my siblings and I had a harsh upbringing.

From a very young age, I longed for a better world, one filled with angels, peace, and love. Deep inside, I always knew that Heaven might be somewhere, and I wondered how to reach it. I believed in a better life after death, free from oppression, fear and suffering.

Disappointed by the world around me, I desperately needed to find meaning and decided to search for the truth. I tried all sorts of things to make my life better. I went as far as doing things like making a wish when losing an eyelash, reading my horoscope, and visiting fortune-tellers. The predictions turned out to be all lies—not one of them has come to pass. The most amazing thing is that none of these practices were able to tell me that I would one day have a personal encounter with the God, who would give meaning to my life.

I remember coming back from school, completely depressed. I had enough of my family and the cruelty at the hands of my classmates. I lay on my bed, crying and thinking about going to a better world with angels. I wanted my life to end on that day. I managed to pull myself together when my sisters came home from school.

I enjoyed scaring my sisters and brothers by hiding in their cupboard. One day I even scared my dad by hiding in the dark as he came back from work. He didn’t find it very funny and scolded me by telling me it was very dangerous, and that I could cause somebody to have a heart attack. Scaring my family was a way to bring a bit of fun in my life, to forget my own problems.

One day, I hid in my bedroom cupboard for a game of hide and seek. Unfortunately, my dad saw the door of the cupboard wasn’t locked properly, and turned the key to lock it. I’m grateful that my sisters came home. As I shouted for help, my sisters heard me and opened the door. Maybe I was looking for help and didn’t really want to die.
I enrolled at a university in France in business administration, which I found extremely boring and a waste of time. I chose this path for the sake of achieving something, but did not really know what I wanted. Most of the things I had wished for, such as a career, a boyfriend, a loving home, and friends, had not happened. I was so unhappy that I often thought about committing suicide. Life at home was very tense because my parents were always arguing. I had to find a way to get away from my depressing life.

To learn more about Sana, you can visit her website by clicking here.

To purchase A Life Transformed on Amazon, click here.