Peering Through Life's Window

More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website Amish Romance: Lessons in Love by Kelly s. Irvin -- Lenora Byler's life feels stuck in sacrifice—first for her grandfather, now for her brother’s family. Just as she rediscovers joy in teaching twenty lively students, her sister-in-law’s dangerous pregnancy drags her back into caregiving. Torn between duty and passion, Lenora finds unexpected purpose in tutoring widower Malcolm King’s two children. Their bond awakens feelings she thought she’d buried, but Malcolm’s grief and fear of loving again keep him distant. With everyone pulling at her heart, Lenora must lean on faith to uncover God’s plan. Only through courage, sacrifice, and trust can a love powerful enough to heal be embraced. (Amish Romance from Barbour Publishing) Children’s/Picture Books: Poppy Possum and the Midnight Forest Games by Josie Siler -- Poppy is a sweet and determined possum who wants to be part of the Midni...

A Warm Welcome to Karen Cogan See below to snag your free copy of Forget Me Not . Devotional Lesson From a Christmas Tree After discussions about the pros and cons, we finally bought an artificial Christmas tree. In the long run, it is not as expensive as buying a fresh tree each year, nor is it as messy. I can  put up the synthetic tree and take it down without thousands of needles covering the floor. It  does not prick me, and it never dries out from lack of water because it was never alive. It is  simple and convenient. However, I miss the fragrance of a live tree and the spicy aroma of pine that filled the house. One year, I bought a can of spray, thinking to duplicate the scent. Yet, it was not the same. I still prefer the real tree, even though it comes with a price. I began to compare it to an  authentic Christian life. In order not to dry out, believers must refresh themselves by communion with Christ, the Living Water. We are called to carry the fragrance of...

More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website Children’s/Middle-Grade Chapter Books: Charly’s Volcano by Lorisa D. Wiedenheft -- It’s the fall of 1993 in small-town North Carolina. Twelve-year-old Charly is in seventh grade and excited to be in junior high. But then her best friends start trying new things. Wya joins the basketball team, and June decides to be a cheerleader. Charly feels left out and can’t shake the anger simmering inside her. One minute she’s fine, and the next she’s blowing up at the people she cares about most.. (Children’s/Middle Grade, Independently Published)   Contemporary Romance: Falling into Us by Denise Hunter -- When a reluctant woman travels to Gibson, NC to deliver her late mother’s final letter to the grandmother she’s never known, she strikes a deal with a widowed journalist seeking a career-making story—only to discover that healing old wounds might require risking their hearts. (Contemporary R...

  A Taste of Fall Fall brings yellow, orange and red leaves, football, arts and crafts festivals and apple cider with mulling spice, which originated around 500 BC when the Greek Physician Hippocrates mixed wine with spices to treat various physical ailments. The Romans adopted the practice to mask spoiled wine and add flavor. By the Medieval Period the idea had spread to Northern Europe as a way to improve the taste of wine and promote health. Those in Victorian England used the spices for their drinks at holiday gatherings. There are many recipes for mulling spice. Here’s one given to me by a friend years ago. Mulling Spice Recipe Ingredients: 1 cup of sugar, 2 tsp. cinnamon, 1 ½ tsp. cloves, ¼ tsp. allspice. Enough equal portions of tea, apple and orange juice to make a gallon or half gallon of liquid. If making a gallon add four tablespoons of mulling spice. If making a half gallon, add two tablespoons. Mix the spice and liquid and heat in a pan on the stove, the microwave or a...