Story Behind The Book
I wrote this because I see too many unhappy people in the world and too many that think they are "victims". It is in memoir form addressed to my family showing them how I overcame obstacles, learned to make a living and achieve sucess. It is about living a life that is happy, joyous and free, which includes inner peace, others' centered purpose and making a living so we can be free. It is a peed into the average guy next door's life to show that we all have obstacles to overcome and can indeed be happy with God's instructions. It is a very short read, and is being used by high schools, treatment centers and churches as a discussion guid
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<h2 class="date-header">By Gina Burgess <a href="http://uponreflectionblog.blogspot.com/">http://uponreflectionblog.blogspot.com/</a></h2> <h2 class="date-header">Friday, February 5, 2010</h2> <div class="post hentry"><a></a> <h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="http://uponreflectionblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/hidden-flame-by-davis-bunn-janette-oke.html">A Hidden Flame by Davis Bunn & Janette Oke</a> </h3> <div class="post-header-line-1"></div> <div class="post-body entry-content"> <p></p> <div style="text-align:center;clear:both;" class="separator"><a style="margin-bottom:1em;float:right;margin-left:1em;clear:right;" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZsqfSdP0zYo/S2yYdD5JY6I/AAAAAAAAAmQ/WNvyHq_PwwI/s1600-h/hidden+flame.jpg"><img border="0" alt="hidden+flame.jpg" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZsqfSdP0zYo/S2yYdD5JY6I/AAAAAAAAAmQ/WNvyHq_PwwI/s320/hidden+flame.jpg" /></a></div>This second in the Acts of Faith Series is truly a work of art. I love everything that T. Davis Bunn has written. He has a flow to his writing that draws the reader in and he paints the imagination with words and phrases which makes it so easy to read. Add his ability to that of Janette Oke's romantic largess and you have a wonderful read. This is well worth the money and it is a keeper.<br /><br />Even though this is the second novel in the series, you do not feel like you've walked into the middle of a movie or that the story opens in the middle. Almost before you realize it the story of Ananias and Sapphira unfolds. Peter, James, Stephen, and all the others have cameos and you find yourself smiling because the way they are depicted you think, "Ah, yes. That is how I pictured them."<br /><br />I found the second one so much better than the first one was. This story runs smoothly like a well-tuned, high performance car. It is fresh and breezy as if you've let the top down and the sun is warmly caressing you as you speed down the storyline. You can purchase it <a href="http://www.bethanyhouse.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=0477683E4046471488BD7BAC8DCFB004&nm=&type=PubCom&mod=PubComProductCatalog&mid=BF1316AF9E334B7BA1C33CB61CF48A4E&tier=3&id=A9373872FF1948C98D2DFCE7C0790462"><font color="#336699">here</font></a>.<br /><br />ABOUT the STORY...<br /><span style="line-height:18px;font-size:14px;"></span><br />In first-century Judea, the followers of the Way have burgeoned into a vibrant, growing community that cannot be ignored. Jerusalem is in turmoil as its religious leaders on one side, and their Roman rulers on the other, conspire to stamp out the fledgling Church. And Abigail, who thought she had finally found home and safety, is caught between the opposing forces.<br /><div style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"></div> <div style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;">Two suitors desire the lovely Abigail's hand in marriage. Ezra, a successful Hebrew merchant and widower with important connections among the Sanhedrin, is looking for a mother for his children. The Roman soldier Linux is fascinated by her winsome charm and possibly could offer the sanctuary--maybe even the love--for which she yearns. But her heart has been captured by neither of these. Will her faith and courage survive a heartbreak beyond comprehension as the followers face a gathering storm of persecution they never could have foreseen?</div> <p></p> <div style="clear:both;"></div></div> <div class="post-footer"> <div class="post-footer-line post-footer-line-1"><span class="post-author vcard">Posted by <span class="fn">Gina Burgess</span> </span><span class="post-timestamp">at <a class="timestamp-link" title="permanent link" href="http://uponreflectionblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/hidden-flame-by-davis-bunn-janette-oke.html"><abbr class="published" title="2010-02-05T16:29:00-06:00"><font color="#336699">4:29 PM</font></abbr></a> </span><span class="post-comment-link"><a class="comment-link" href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=440323790277965567&postID=4585451053570580843&isPopup=true"><font color="#336699">0 comments</font></a> </span><span class="post-icons"><span class="item-action"><a title="Email Post" href="http://www.blogger.com/email-post.g?blogID=440323790277965567&postID=4585451053570580843"><img class="icon-action" alt="" src="http://www.blogger.com/img/icon18_email.gif" /><font color="#336699"></font></a></span><span class="item-control blog-admin pid-2074727310"><a title="Edit Post" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=440323790277965567&postID=4585451053570580843"><font color="#336699"><img class="icon-action" alt="" src="http://www.blogger.com/img/icon18_edit_allbkg.gif" width="18" height="18" /></font></a></span></span><span class="post-backlinks post-comment-link"><a class="comment-link" href="http://uponreflectionblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/hidden-flame-by-davis-bunn-janette-oke.html#links"><font color="#336699">Links to this post</font></a> </span></div> <div class="post-footer-line post-footer-line-2"><span class="post-labels"></span></div> <div class="post-footer-line post-footer-line-3"></div></div></div> <h2 class="date-header">Wednesday, February 3, 2010</h2> <div class="post hentry"><a></a> <h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="http://uponreflectionblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/mission-possible.html">Mission Possible</a> </h3> <div class="post-header-line-1"></div> <div class="post-body entry-content"> <p></p> <div style="line-height:normal;margin-bottom:0in;" class="MsoNormal"><br /></div> <div style="text-align:center;clear:both;" class="separator"><a style="margin-bottom:1em;float:left;clear:left;margin-right:1em;" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZsqfSdP0zYo/S2ntaz_E8WI/AAAAAAAAAmI/j_GE9mf_7-I/s1600-h/Deb+photo+small.jpg"><img border="0" alt="Deb+photo+small.jpg" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZsqfSdP0zYo/S2ntaz_E8WI/AAAAAAAAAmI/j_GE9mf_7-I/s320/Deb+photo+small.jpg" /></a></div> <div style="line-height:normal;margin-bottom:0in;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;background:#ffff00;color:#000000;">Brief Author Bio</span> <p></p></div> <div style="line-height:normal;margin-bottom:0in;" class="MsoNormal"><br /></div> <div style="line-height:normal;text-indent:.5in;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:10pt;">Deborah began her journey of creative writing soon after coming to know Jesus as her personal savior in 1989. She uses her spiritual gifts of encouragement and teaching in her home church. She also enjoys in-depth bible study in her personal time, and is a small business owner of over twenty years. Her love of the Holy scripture and bible study are evident in her poetry and literary works. She and her husband attend Hibernia Baptist Church in Green Cove Springs, and reside in Fleming Island, Florida. Her primary goal is to share her personal testimony with others while bringing hope and practical help through her books. </span> <p></p></div> <div style="line-height:normal;margin-bottom:0in;" class="MsoNormal"><br /></div> <div style="line-height:normal;margin-bottom:0in;" class="MsoNormal"><a style="margin-bottom:1em;float:right;margin-left:1em;clear:right;" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZsqfSdP0zYo/S2ntTygpK-I/AAAAAAAAAmA/bVFxCmnLpY4/s1600-h/Small+book+image.jpg"><img border="0" alt="Small+book+image.jpg" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZsqfSdP0zYo/S2ntTygpK-I/AAAAAAAAAmA/bVFxCmnLpY4/s320/Small+book+image.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-size:12pt;"> <span style="background:#ffff00;">Intro</span></span> <p></p></div> <div style="line-height:normal;margin-bottom:0in;" class="MsoNormal"> <p style="text-align:center;margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#333333;"><font size="3">Rob Severson's sage wisdom expressed in this compact book will help others to see how giving up manipulative control, forgiveness, and being others-centered leads to a life full of peace and purpose. (Paraphrase of the first paragraph.)<br /><br />Severson says in the preface that he wrote this for his children not to tell them how to live their lives, but to pass along the fundamentals of survival. I believe he managed that purpose. Even though this isn't an epic by any stretch of imagination, it is packed with wisdom and examples of how choices we make affect our lives. I wish I'd had this book when I was twenty. I don't know that it would have made a drastic change in my choices and decisions, but learning from other's mistakes as well as successes is so much easier than the hard-knock experience.<br /><br />This is not an in-your-face Christian book. He doesn't preach at you or beg to to "find Jesus". However, Severson does draw you closer to Biblical principles and this helps you to see how those principles can alter a life when applied to the decision making process. <br /><br />There are two pages in this book than need to be expanded into a text book for employees and employers. <em><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Developing Transferable Skills, </span></strong></em>in my opinion, has the absolute best advice and is worth the whole cost of this <em><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Surviors Guide and Memoir. </span></em>Managing and improving our skill sets yields an excellent payoff in our ever changing job market. If employers could just recognize that round pegs really do fit into square holes if the square is just a bit broader than the peg. I believe a lot more people would be at work today if employers would broaden the hole that needs to be filled with some creative thinking and application.<br /><br />This is a keeper and needs to find a place on your bookshelf. To order go to Severson's </font><a href="http://www.robseverson.com/book/"><font color="#800080" size="3">book page.</font></a></span></p> <p></p><br /><br /></div></div></div>