Fiction Review: Oath of Honor (Blue Justice, book 1) by Lynette Eason

Book Description:
Police officer Isabelle St. John loves her crazy, loud, law-enforcement family. With three brothers and two sisters, she's never without someone to hang out with--or fight with. And she knows they'll be there for her when things get tough. Like when her partner is murdered and she barely escapes with her own life.

Determined to discover exactly what happened, Izzy's investigation sends her headfirst into a criminal organization, possibly with cops on the payroll--including someone from her own family. With her dead partner's handsome homicide detective brother Ryan shadowing her every move, Izzy's head is spinning. How can she secure justice for her partner when doing so could mean sending someone she loves to prison? And how will she guard her heart when the man she's had a secret crush on for years won't leave her side?

With her signature fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat action, Lynette Eason invites readers into a captivating new series where justice is a family affair.

My Review:

I love a good heroes versus villain story. And that's what you get in Oath of Honor, a gripping book and the first installment of the Blue Justice series. This book sets the stage for what looks to be an excellent series. The big family working together in law-enforcement  remind me of the television show Blue Bloods, with a few twists. Throughout the story, I could easily picture this large family getting together for Sunday dinner and ribbing each other, off the job. Izzy is, as you'd expect, a strong female character who can take care of herself, yet has a tender side. I enjoyed the underlying romance theme between Izzy and her secret crush. But that's not the best part. From the beginning, the book is filled with twists, turns, and unexpected moments. Eason's writing offers action, suspense, and edge-of-your-seat excitement. I received this book from Revell Publishing. 

Kindness in the New Year

Ephesians 4:32
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

It's that time of year when the excitement of Christmas is rolled up and put away. I have mixed feeling about the week after Christmas. Being off work with a few days to do whatever I want makes me happy. But my heart breaks a little that Christmas is over. Although it took months to prepare for, I love this time of year. In the next week or so, I'll pack away the Christmas tree and decorations. The stores will pull out their Valentine items and maybe even Easter. I'll go back to work and life will be "normal" again.

Even though much of the holidays will be tucked away. I hope a few things continue. Christmas time brings out the kindness and thoughtfulness in people. Dare I say the magic of Christmas sprinkles over people and makes them more aware of helping others, perhaps. But I truly believe people recognize the reason for the season. No one on this earth showed kindness the way Jesus did. He healed the hurting, gave to the needy, and shared with his friends and family. Jesus showed more compassion than anyone. So much so, he gave his life for sinners like me. Whether we want to believe this or not, Christmas draws attention to the kind of man Jesus lived as. He gave kindness and compassion, forgiveness, and hope. So no, kindness and compassion don't grow from magic. Instead they spread because of Jesus. So while we put away Christmas, let's keep the spirit of kindness out and pour it over the people around us. In 2018, share kindness and compassion as part of the everyday. Love God, love people.

Enlightened by Hope

Calm and Bright

The day after Christmas—a day to re-coop, relax and reflect. For three days we had a whirlwind of family gatherings. Saturday, we spent time with Tim's family and my family. The older I get, the more I enjoy visiting with my nieces and nephews, catching up with their lives and seeing the little ones grow and change. Sunday was a quiet day, as we traveled to Columbus to spend time with Kati. On the way there, we stopped by the Rivers Crossing church for the Christmas service. We were blessed by an excellent message and a beautiful candlelit moment. Being with Kati reminds us how thankful we are for her health and fitness. We about lost her a few years ago, praise God for her recovery and resurgence. Monday, we traveled to Adam's and shared gifts with him and Brenda and four of our grandkids. What a delight! Sara, Maggie, and Hannah and their families spent the evening at our home. We had so much fun.

After months of preparation, Christmas has come and gone, again. And I feel good. God gave me great health to celebrate his birth. Even though Tim was a bit under the weather on Christmas Day, he enjoyed most of the weekend activities. God gave us a beautiful family to share life with, good food and people who cooked it, and the spirit of gratitude. Every Christmas I pray my family sees Jesus in me. I hope this year was the same.  Some years, Christmas brings on a lot of added stress. I think that's why I can appreciate the holiday seasons that are calm, like this one.

This morning I dropped off our youngest daughter, who caught a ride back to South Carolina. Many times I cry when she goes back. But today, I just felt peace. We had a great visit, and I know God has wonderful things in store.

I pray 2018 is a year of serenity, if not in the world then at least in my soul.  

Merry Christmas!

Wonder and Celebration!

Luke 2:11
Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

Celebration and wonder. Two words I think of at Christmas.

I tend to wonder if all the celebration I generate glorifies Jesus. This year, I started in September. Since I create some of my gifts by hand, I have to get an early start. I make my lists, I search for bargains (we have a big family!) and I wrap. For two days, I wrap. The tree sparkles in the corner (thanks to Maggie) and the manger scenes are scattered around the house.  I make fudge, cookie dough, pizza dip, cheeseball, and cranberry cake. And oh yes, a birthday cake for Jesus. I clean my house—company's coming. The cards are in the mail and the Facebook greetings are posted. Did I miss something? Probably.

So much celebration for a tiny King.

Are you exhausted after reading my Christmas to do list? I am. Until I remember why I overextend myself this time of year. Jesus walked on earth for me. He came as a baby, grew into a man, then sacrificed his life for my sin. He did all of that for me and for you. What I do to honor his birth is minuscule compared to what he has done for me.

The hustle and bustle can be overwhelming. But for me, every cookie I bake, package I wrap, gift I buy reminds me of Jesus and his love for me. Yes I can get caught up in the chaos and forget the reason for the season. But I've learned—and it's taken years—to stop, even for a moment and think about why I celebrate my Savior's birth as I do. I want to  let the pure intention of showing Jesus to the world shine through my traditions. I want everyone to know how much Jesus loves them.

 Jesus is why I celebrate Christmas, I want to let that be known in all I do.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas filled with joy, peace, hope, and wonder!

Christmas Celebration

To all our family and friends...

Jolly Old St.Nicholas or Not?

Santa Claus was introduced to America in 1823 when Clement Moore put a fresh image of giving on the face of Christmas. In A Visit from St. Nicholas also known as, The Night before Christmas, Moore created a story for his children based on a man named Nicholas, born around A.D. 280 in the small town of Patara (Turkey). As a believer in the Bible, Nicholas showed great compassion for others. He gave so much to so many that legends spread about him. Eventually, Saint Nicholas became an icon of generosity.

Growing up, my family celebrated the birth of Jesus by reading the Christmas story and attending church services. The stereo played Perry Como’s rendition of the holiday hymns. Mom positioned a crèche on the mantel and one year we even had a live nativity on our porch. So I knew that Christmas honored Jesus birth. On the other hand, I remember my delight when I found packages that appeared on Christmas morning from “Santa”. The magic and wonder that surrounded the mystery gift giver added a sparkle of fun to the day.

When my children were old enough to understand the traditions of Christmas, I puzzled over whether to introduce Santa Claus into the gift giving. I wanted them to know that Christmas centered on the birth of Jesus, but I also wanted them to be acquainted with the kind, caring legend of Saint Nicholas.

So much of the modern version of this December holiday centers on retail sales. Rather than focus on receiving gifts from Santa, I taught my daughters about his giving spirit.  We read the story of how he gave gold to the daughters of a widower in the middle of the night and how he cared more about others than himself. We also shared the story of Jesus’ nativity and talked about why we set aside Christmas to observe his birth.

I wanted my daughters to recognize that giving was more important than receiving. St. Nick’s story offers hope in mankind, Jesus story offers hope for mankind. Joy fills my heart as I hear my children teaching their children about the spirit of giving and the wonder of the season.  What a blessing to share the joy of Jesus and the legend of Santa.

Christmas Wonder

A Season of Hope

Matthew 12:21
And Jesus name will be the hope of all the world.

Christmas is a time of joy, but it can also be a season of sadness. This past week we lost two wonderful men. My uncle Floyd and our dear friend, John, left this earth.

I'll always remember my Uncle Floyd's ornery smile. He never failed to ask me, when I was a teenager, if I had a boyfriend yet. He embarrassed me, but I loved him anyway. I'm thankful that years later he got to know my husband, Tim. Even more important, he grew to know Jesus.

We met John and his wife Jessica at church. One of the first things we knew about John was how much he loved his family and his Savior, Jesus. John suffered with physical pain for years, but it didn't stop him from serving at the church and giving his all to the people he loved.

Knowing these men loved God fills my heart with hope. I've no doubt Jesus has opened his arms to them. Because Jesus came to earth as a precious baby, lived a life sharing his story of faith, and died on the cross to be raised back to life—we have HOPE. Floyd and John's families and friends anticipate seeing them again in heaven. That's a hope that blesses us here on earth.

If this holiday season is a time of sadness, believe that hope in Jesus soothes the soul. Jesus loves us and desires his children to trust in him. I pray he has all the folks who are hurting wrapped in his arms of hope.

With Jesus, hope shines through the darkness of despair.