Sun Stand Still by Steven Furtick

Do you long for divine intervention? To move mountains? Or to see God work supernaturally in your life? In Sun Stand Still, Steven Furtick challenges you to “ask God for the impossible.” Using Joshua 10 as an example, Pastor Furtick demonstrates that “if you have the audacity to ask, God has the ability to perform.”

In Joshua 10, Joshua and his troops are in a battle and Joshua prays "Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon." And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies.…The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. (verses 12-13)

Using Biblical references and real-life examples, Pastor Furtick walks you, the reader, through how to pray your own “Sun Stand Still Prayer.” By having audacious faith, praying specifically and according to His will and character, and approaching the throne of grace boldly, you can revolutionize your faith by believing God for the impossible. Then, you will see the mountains move.

Despite initial wariness that it might be a bit too “prosperity theology” for me, I loved this book! It in no way implied that God would give you a million dollars just because you asked. Rather, it talked of seeking God’s will for a vision for your life and then praying for the impossible in accordance with that vision. I found it to be Biblically sound, challenging, and encouraging. Let’s move beyond the ordinary, the easy faith of the American Christian, and dare to live the extraordinary, abundant life that God wants for us.

Great book! I highly recommend it for any believer who wants a transformed prayer life!

I received this book free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Judgment Day by Wanda L. Dyson

Missing teens. Sensationalist journalism. False Accusations. Murder. Mystery. Motive. Suzanne Kidwell and her stretch-the-truth reporting land right in the middle of all of it. She is forced to turn to a private investigator, her ex-fiancé, and his wealthy female partner for help.

A fast-paced story of suspense, Judgment Day is full of twists and turns, well-developed characters, and layers of mystery. While the "whodunnit" seemed evident fairly early on, there were enough rabbit trails to make the reader doubt his or her conclusions.

This was a good mystery and I enjoyed some of the unique characterization of Marcus, Alex, and Razz, the private investigators and their tech guy. Stand-alone sequels using the same team of investigators would be well received.

Love's First Bloom by Delia Parr

To protect her, a minister accused of murder sends his daughter, Ruth, into hiding with a false identity. As she tries to survive the blemish on her father's name, the lies weigh heavily upon her. Comforted by the love and acceptance of the young girl placed in her charge and the family who took her in, Ruth manages to hold onto a thread of hope and faith. When tragedy strikes and Ruth realizes that she may never be able to return home, she doesn't know who she can trust. With reporters trying to locate her, she lives with constant fear of discovery. One of those reporters, Jake, is trying to redeem himself and hides behind a false identity as well. As he gets to know Ruth, he faces a difficult choice.

More entertaining than challenging, this historical romance was an enjoyable read. Navigating the many complications surrounding the main characters kept the story fresh and intriguing. The characters were well-developed and likeable. Though I did keep waiting for the "truth will set you free" message, Jake and Ruth eventually knew the truth about each other. A little romance, a little mystery, and enough minor character revelations to lend itself to a stand-alone sequel, I would recommend this book.