Book Review: It's a God Thing!

Inside the front cover of my copy of It's a God Thing!, I found a notation stating I won this book at the 2001 Write-to-Publish Conference. I know I read the book back then. Still on my bookshelf, I picked it up again to supplement my daily devotional reading. What an inspiring book for anyone who wishes to spread the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ! (2 Cor. 2:14) That sounds like Larry Baker's theme verse.

I started to explain that Larry runs a salon and cuts hair in Fort Collins, Colorado. Then, I decided to Google him. Oh, my! What sad news! Last June, Larry went missing and his body was found in Watson Lake. I found a You Tube video of a news clip highlighting how dear and personable Larry had been. How wonderful that his message still resonates through his book, It's a God Thing!: Inspiring Stories of Life-Changing Friendships.

Larry used his fun and friendly personality to woo and win others to Christ. He greeted others and became a true friend to them. He did not immediately pressure them by sharing the gospel, but waited until they asked him the source of his joy and peace. Even then, he walked gently into the question, offering to give them only as much explanation as they wanted. The stories Larry shares in his book prove that being a friend is the thing of first importance. Whether connecting with addicts or jet-setters, Larry offered a hand of friendship and a heart for God. Without building a bridge, you cannot meet on the same side. I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone wanting inspiration for forming relationships that effectively change lives through the knowledge of Christ.

Losing Our Precious Son

Parenting a wayward child is an exhausting and distressing role. We have gone back and forth trying to determine what is the best way to respond and help our addicted son, Trevor. I will admit, we have not always been in agreement. Much of this stems from my husband's personal experience with an addicted sibling who took his life. I think he was desperate to come to a different conclusion with his son.

From day one, Trevor was very much like his Uncle Rob. He did things with vehemence. Most recently, his driven, give-it-all mentality zeroed in on his bodybuilding. Here is a photo of him flexing:

Unfortunately, he relapsed at the end of May. At 2 a.m., there was no way to take him to a treatment center, so we took him to the ER. They would only release him into a residential treatment center (good for them!) At first, still under the influence of the drugs, he refused to stay for the 28-day treatment. He wanted to leave after the initial 7-day detox period. My husband wanted to let him come back home. In my opinion, that would only enable him to go back to using (our home is where this all began). I began to pray importunately for God to change their minds. Praise God! My husband told him he couldn't come home and Trevor decided he would stick out the program.

Of course, he had to detox from everything (including the Retitrutide weight loss drugs he was injecting and the steroids he was taking to enhance his bodybuilding). He said they had snacks available everywhere and he had to get some dopamine somehow, so he ate himself into a 60-pound weight gain. The relapse was a crushing blow! The loss of his intentions to participate in a bodybuilding competition in August was a devastating blow! From there, things continued to spiral.

He moved from the treatment center into a halfway house in Indianapolis. We knew this wasn't the best plan (after all, he knew where to access drugs in Indy), but he wasn't moving home, either. He was living in Indy, working at a Steak 'n Shake in Brownsburg, and visiting his girlfriend in Kirklin. Many miles driven at a time when gas prices are high. He couldn't even break even.

Then came some relationship difficulties. I think his girlfriend had made it very clear to him that she was clean and she would not remain with someone who uses. The friction and pain escalated. He responded in very unhealthy ways. When he posted something on Instagram saying, "Hope you all enjoyed the sh!t show," we were terrified he intended to find drugs.

Then, on July 3rd, he was coming to our home to pick up some food. He said he was crying and couldn't see clearly. He plowed into the front end of another vehicle that had turned into a subdivision just in front of him. His car was totaled and he knew we had vowed not to replace it (we'd already helped him purchase 3 vehicles). I'm sure his mind was reeling. No car. No way to get from Indy to his job or to visit his girlfriend. Not to mention, the possibility that the other driver might sue him for his fault in the accident. He was suicidal. He did not want to live. I took him in my arms and he just sobbed. We prayed with him. He agreed to go to a psych hospital as soon as his girlfriend could take him after she finished work. While waiting, he called and learned the commitment time was 7-14 days. He decided he didn't want to lose his bed, his job, or his upcoming court date, so he found an outpatient psych therapy that he could do in the halfway house from his phone.

On July 4th, he posted photos of himself at a party holding a beer can. His younger brother tried to tell him these decisions were unwise. On July 5th, I drove to his halfway house to take him to work. I bought him a pizza because his house meeting had gone long and he'd had no dinner. That's the last time I saw my beloved boy.

On July 6th, he took an Uber to work. While at work, he kept going to the bathroom. Finally, he went to the bathroom and did not come out. A coworker knew Sean's phone number because Sean used to work there. She called to tell him there was an incident with Trevor and they needed a family member there immediately. After my husband headed to the restaurant, the coworker called back. Sean said he knew it was bad when she couldn't talk. He then came in to gently wake me and share that "there was an incident at the Steak 'n Shake, and he's gone." I shot up. My initial thought was I wanted to see him and hold him one more time. I didn't think I could drive, so Sean drove me over. They would not let me near his body. We were there until midnight speaking with detectives, officers, and the coroner.

This week has been a whirlwind of planning and details. It feels like every minute I have something else to think about or address. I'm holding together fine (probably helped by the antidepressant medication I'm on), but my husband is grieving intensely. I'm glad Trevor is no longer in the intense emotional pain he was carrying. I'm glad he no longer has to struggle and fight this demon.

If you want to view his obituary, a photo slideshow, and a remembrance journal, you can follow this link. We also set up a Trevor Hill Addiction Memorial Fund. Now begins the dreadful process of learning to live without him. After picking our oldest son, Bryce, up from the airport, we stopped to get Chinese carry-out. As I went in to pick up the food, I realized we will never be able to eat inside that restaurant again. Trevor loved to eat there and ate with gusto. Then, on Thursday, I finally managed to get in a walk. I used to always spend most of my walks praying about Trevor. That was a crushing moment.

Please pray for our family as we walk this difficult road. Even though I had irrationally wanted to see him on the night of his death, I know that the most difficult moment will be when we come for the visitation and see him laid out, a shell of the person he once was, devoid of his spark. I have asked to speak a few words. I am praying I am not incapacitated with grief. Pray we will hold up as they lower his body into the ground, in a finality that cannot be erased. We are heart-sick and deeply saddened by the loss of our precious son.

Book Review: Project Hail Mary

Occasionally, an author will self-publish a book that goes so viral it lures a traditional publisher. This is what happened for Andy Weir with his first book, The Martian. I read that book for book club a decade ago. Since I put Project Hail Mary on my 2026 movie bucket list, I wanted to read the book prior to seeing the movie. The movie must be outstanding. My youngest went to see it twice within less than two weeks. I will admit, the science kept me bogged down during the read. I would have been fine to see the movie without reading the book. But, if you have more scientific acumen than I do (most probable), you might enjoy reading prior to watching the movie.

Project Hail Mary is, as the title suggests, a story of a last-ditch effort to save Earth and humanity. Ryland Grace is an unlikely candidate to save the world. He is a junior high science teacher sent into space on a mission to tackle a pressing problem threatening the sun. He wakes with amnesia from an induced coma. Through flashbacks, the reader and the astronaut come to understand his identity and his mission. When Grace meets an alien, Rocky, battling the same problem, they form a friendship and tackle the problems together.

I still give kudos to Weir for his great skill in explaining science in simple terms. The relational bond between human and alien is touching. The stakes continually escalate. I imagine (for me, anyway) the movie will be easier to follow than the book. I'm looking forward to it, but will admit I'm waiting until my library has a copy of the DVD. A Great Awakening was a movie that demanded viewing on the big screen (I saw it twice and would have happily paid to see it a third time). I'm not feeling as strong a pull for this movie adaptation.

Book Review: Launch Out into the Deep

I discovered Sarah Trent on Facebook. She interacts with scripture passages and provides inspiration and encouragement to those of us struggling in deep waters. The pace of her poetic offerings amazes me. She has a photography business and raises 3 children on their family farm. So many of her posts resonate deep within me and I've shared a few of her posts to my Facebook wall. As young as she is, she is clearly no stranger to suffering, yet relies on God to get through everything.

Launch Out into the Deep is a 31-day devotional. Each entry is followed by reflective questions to consider. I wanted to enter her contest to win a paperback copy of this book, so I purchased the ebook, read it in 3 installments, and left a review. [Side note: I have been frustrated by Amazon's review policies. Up until this point, I believed I could only leave reviews on my ebook purchases. Amazon requires a certain purchase amount to leave reviews, but always offered a review form at the completion of ebooks I read on my Kindle app. I would love to support authors I appreciate but my husband does not like me using his Prime account to leave my reviews. I rarely purchase from my Amazon account because he has Prime. Now, I discover that even those ebook reviews I thought I was leaving are not airing as expected because I have not met the purchase requirement. Frustrating!] 

I plan to revisit this book, reading through the devotions one day at a time next month. It is so good, it needs to be savored. Plus, I did not take time to ponder or write answers to the questions posed at the end of each entry. However, here are some snippets I gleaned to share:

- "In a world that tries to define you by your failures, your status, or your scars - Jesus defines you by your Father."

- "When I'm too tired to hold on, You don't shame me - You hold me."

- "He does not ask me to explain what aches beyond language. He knows."

- "Sometimes, the miracle isn't in the multiplying. Sometimes, it's in the offering."

Sarah has a beautiful way with words. Each sentence reverberates in my soul. She articulates what many of us feel but cannot adequately express. Her pieces are rich with biblical foundation and spiritual insight. I will continue to follow this author on Facebook and in her books.

* Yay, I won the contest! Sarah sent a copy of this devotional to me. I was able to send it as a gift to my dear friend, Lisa, who is struggling in very deep waters. How I pray it ministered healing to her weary soul!

Book Review: A Sketch of the Life and Labors of George Whitefield

After experiencing A Great Awakening in the theater, I returned home raving about the powerful movie. It provided such a clear and accurate presentation of the gospel. Though your sins be as scarlet, Christ offers to wash them white as snow if you accept His free gift of salvation, bought for you in a transaction on the cross. George Whitefield was a revival preacher during America's Great Awakening (1734-1743). His story is fascinating and I wanted to delve deeper. A commenter on Facebook mentioned J. C. Ryle's book, A Sketch of the Life and Labors of George Whitefield. Ryle is the author of one of my favorite pamphlets, Do You Pray? I couldn't wait to explore his research into Whitefield. I borrowed it in audio form on Hoopla the next day.

I believe J. C. Ryle presented this as a lecture at some point. He gives a very direct description of Whitefield's life and ministry. He affirmed something mentioned in the movie, "He was immortal until his work was done." Whitefield preached a clear and concise gospel. He addressed man's complete ruin by sin, man's complete redemption by Christ and complete justification before God by faith in Christ, and man's need of regeneration by the spirit. His cry was convicting, "While ye were sinners, Christ died for you." He explained the transaction: the just for the unjust. He asserted even the vilest sinner could stand complete and righteous before the throne of God through Jesus' sprinkled blood that washes the blackest sins away. One has only to believe and be saved, to ask and receive, to wash and be clean. This is the pure and true gospel.

One thing I loved about the movie was the clear doctrine of the new birth. Once saved, as is evident in baptism, one is buried with Christ, washed and cleansed, and raised with him, a new creature. The Holy Spirit enters in and guides one in sanctification. The presence of the Holy Spirit is a seal of inheritance, proving one is born into God's family. Physically and spiritually, you cannot be unborn after He has sealed you with a promise of eternal life. How I want to emulate Whitefield's persistent goal, that his own name perish, so long as Christ only is exalted!

Book Review: Once and Again

I first encountered Rebecca Serle in 2022 with her book, In Five Years. Then, last year, I read One Italian Summer. Both of these books contain cautionary content I would normally avoid, but her writing is so good and stories so intriguing I'm willing to skim that content for the sake of learning from her writing skills. Serle creates wonderful alternative realities. She uses magical realism and plausible conflicts to hone in on truly interesting what-if scenarios.

In this book, Once and Again, the women in Lauren's family have a special coin that allows them one do-over. Before I even knew of this novel, I had actually started writing a short story with this idea but my skills will never match Serle's. She ferrets out the myriad of conflicts this ability would summon: What is significant to warrant the coin's use? Once used, how does one live with the normal inability to intervene in life's trials? Who can be trusted with the secret? Are other lives influenced by the do-over?

My mind thought of the despair if your alteration didn't accomplish what you had hoped. Lauren only learned about the coin at age fifteen, when her mother turned back time to avoid her father's death. Like One Italian Summer, this book considers mother-daughter relationships and the frictions that can develop. The reader cannot help but think about what they would like to do-over if they had such a coin. This was a quick and entertaining read.

2026 - Second Quarterly Review

To assist my blog readers, I summarize my reading four times a year, providing a brief description, genre, the page count, and a grading scale (💖5 page-turner - highly recommend, 4 page-turner - enjoyed, 3 page-turner - good, 2 page-turner - meh, and 1 page-turner - regret, wishing I could get back the time invested). I read the following books during the second quarter of 2026 (links to full reviews can be found in the side-bar, or after 2026, found through the search bar):

The Life She Forgot by Joanna Davidson Politano - Merryn suffers from amnesia and hopes her new husband A.J. can help her reclaim lost memories. But when she remembers images from another wedding, she is concerned. Historical Fiction. 358 pages, 📃📃📃📃

Triumphs of the Heart: The Promise of Joyful Living by Cheryl Ford - Each mini-biography focuses on a woman of the Bible whom God used in mighty ways. Great addition to my morning devotional time. Christian Living. 222 pages, 📃📃📃📃

The Battle of the Bookshops by Poppy Alexander - Author of The Littlest Library offers up another book about getting books into the hands of readers, full of obstacles and romance. British Romance. 352 pages, 📃📃📃

Declutter Your Heart and Your Home: How a Minimalist Life Yields Maximum Joy by Julia Ubbenga - If you're a Christian and want to go all in for minimalism as a dedication to focus on God more and things less, this is a motivating book. Christian Self-Help. 256 pages, 📃📃📃

The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt - Sobering exploration of the fallout from our dependence on devices. How I wish this book had come out a decade ago, when I was stumbling through the parenting portal of a technological age. Nonfiction. 400 pages, 📃📃📃📃

Reports of His Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated by James Goodhand - A delightful consideration of a life, after mistakenly being presumed dead. I'm rethinking my own life after watching Ray's. British General Fiction. 336 pages (I listened on Hoopla, 10-1/2 hours), 📃📃📃📃-1/2

The Bookshop of Hidden Dreams by Karen Hawkins - A little bit of magical realism in this story of a researcher seeking answers to Dove Pond's pressing mystery and falling in love in the process. Romance. 366 pages, 📃📃-1/2

The First Time I Saw Him by Laura Dave - This sequel to The Last Thing He Told Me keeps you turning pages, in hopes of finding out what happened to the husband, and if the wife and daughter will ever be safe. Thriller/Mystery. 288 pages, 📃📃📃📃

The Well-Watered Woman: Rooted in Truth, Growing in Grace, Flourishing in Faith by Gretchen Saffles - God has repeatedly brought the woman at the well into my line of sight, now again, through this book. Excellent tips and encouragements for living a life tapped into God's living water, to grow and be fruitful. Christian Living. 304 pages (I listened on Hoopla, 7 hours), 📃📃📃📃-1/2

The English Masterpiece by Katherine Reay - My first by this author, but won't be my last. Compulsively readable. This novel slowly uncovers the truth about an alleged, forged Picasso painting. Mystery. 286 pages (I listened on Hoopla, 10 hours), 📃📃📃📃-1/2

Strangers in Time by David Baldacci - Two very different teenagers, Molly Wakefield and Charlie Matters, find friendship and support with the owner of a London bookshop during WWII. Historical Fiction. 433 pages, 📃📃📃📃 

Between the Mountain and the Sky: A Mother's Story of Love, Loss, Healing, and Hope by Maggie Doyne - A young girl takes a gap year and ends up rearing over 50 children in Nepal. A fascinating and heart-rending story. Memoir. 272 pages, 📃📃📃-1/2

31 Days of Praise: Enjoying God Anew by Ruth Myers with Warren Myers - Great devotional resource for exploring praise during morning quiet time with God. Devotional. 158 pages, 📃📃📃

The Lawyer and the Laundress by Christine Hill Suntz - Amid political rebellion in 1837 Canada, a lawyer marries a laundress to provide care for his ailing daughter. Christian Historical Romance. 368 pages (I listened on Hoopla, 10 hours), 📃📃📃

Marked by Prayer: Five Traits of People Who Pray by G. Dwayne McCrary - Small book that outlines five distinguishing traits of people who spend time communicating with God. Christian Living. 84 pages, 📃📃📃

Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy - The unlikely connection between an elderly woman and a mouse. Delightful story! Novel. 226 pages (I listened on Hoopla, 5 hours), 📃📃📃📃

Wings of Faith: The Remarkable Life of Harry Read by Dawn Volz - I encountered Commissioner Harry Read's poetry on Facebook several years ago. Then, I thrilled at the story of his parachute jump at 95-years-old. Biography. 232 pages, 📃📃📃-1/2

The Elsewhere Express by Samantha Sotto Yambao - Two individuals board the Elsewhere Express, a philosophical train built from people's daydreams wishing they were somewhere else. Fantasy. 416 pages, 📃📃📃

Tupelo Grove series by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker - What We Hide, Where Secrets Lie, and When Justice Comes. Savannah Webster and her ex-husband Hez try to track down the criminals framing her sister for murder while trying to save the Tupelo Grove University. All 3 books are fast-paced and compulsively readable. Christian Thriller/Romantic Suspense. 1088 page, total (Read 368 pages, listened on Hoopla, 20-3/4 hours), 📃📃📃📃-1/2

Humankind: Changing the World One Small Act at a Time by Brad Aronson - This is a beautiful book about the opportunity to speak into the life of another through small acts of kindness. Would that everyone read and implemented the truths in this book! Inspirational/Self-Help. 256 pages (I listened on Hoopla, 6-1/2 hours), 📃📃📃📃

💖This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page - Absolutely amazing trip through a year of books as Tilly Nightingale learns to read and live again after her beloved husband's death. I loved this book! I wish I could read it again for the first time. Fiction. 403 pages, 📃📃📃📃📃

The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline - From early 19th-century London to Australia, this story follows the hardships of two transported convicts and an Aboriginal girl. The bonds of friendship hold women's lives together. Historical Fiction. 400 pages (I listened in audio form, 8 CDs, 10-1/2 hours), 📃📃📃📃

Hearts in Circulation by Sarah Monzon - Hayley Holt is trapped in Turkey Grove until a rockslide can be excavated and her bookmobile repaired. Theological insights flow naturally from this story. Christian Rom-com. 279 pages, 📃📃📃📃

💖God's Smuggler by Brother Andrew - What an impressive story of faithfulness, both by Brother Andrew and by God! It is sure to ignite a fire of faith among anyone whose embers are fading! Christian Autobiography. 240 pages, 📃📃📃📃📃