BOOK REVIEW - "EVERY CHILD EVERY NATION EVERY DAY" BY ROBERT J. MORGAN WITH REESE R. KAUFFMAN

 "Every Child Every Nation Every Day" is the story of Child Evangelism Fellowship (afterward referred to as CEF), introducing us to the founder of the ministry and the person who served as President from 1990 to 2022 (this book was published in 2015), as well as CEF's work around the world.

This volume is divided into four parts. "Jesse Overholtzer and the Message of Child Evangelism Fellowship" gives a  short biography of CEF's founder, from childhood to serving as a minister to being convicted that children are as capable of believing in Christ as an adult. It follows the founding of CEF and how the ministry expanded through the U.S.A. and the rest of the world. The final chapter in this section gives a recap of the ministry from Overholtzer's death in 1955 till 1990.

"Reese Kauffman and the Mission of Child Evangelism Fellowship" tells of Kauffman's early life, focusing on his spiritual and career growth, and his 4+ decade ministry with CEF, from being in a local chapter to being President over 30 years. Among the things it mentions is their goal to have CEF ministry in every country by its 80th anniversary in 2017. As of the book's writing, there were 13 countries left, and it's been down to one since at least 2018.

Part three is "Jesus Christ and the Miracle of Child Evangelism Fellowship, with chapters on Child Evangelism in the Bible, Child Evangelism in the home, and how to lead a child (or adult) to Christ. This is followed by "Biblical Convictions and the Ministry of Child Evangelism Fellowship," we see how this ministry is empowered by leadership, giving, prayer, and enthusiasm. Finally, the last chapter deals with the importance of reaching children through a pair of anecdotes.

I found this book inspiring and encouraging, and I highly recommend it.

BOOK REVIEW - "COLD CASE TARGET" (BOOK 2 OF TEXAS CRIME SCENE CLEANERS) BY JESSICA R. PATCH

 Who was murdering widows whose husbands died in accidents, and why? Can private investigator keep Sissy Spencer, his ex-girlfriend, from being the next victim, or at least earn the respect of Sissy's brother Stone?

Can you judge a book by its cover? Sometimes. "Cold Case Target," book two of the Texas Crime Scene Cleaners by Jessica Patch is an example. There are few covers as exciting as this one (Jodie Bailey's "Undercover Colorado Ambush" is another). The plot is just as twisted and unpredictable as the garden maze pictured.

Patch's characters often stand out, easy to enjoy and fall in love with, whether they be main characters or supporting cast. However, some of her villains can give you the creeps, and this is an example of this as well.

This is the second book in this series, as I mentioned above. Can you enjoy this book without feeling lost or spoiling the previous story? I believe so, though it's easier to keep up if you have read the first one, "Crime Scene Conspiracy," which introduces you to the Stone family. I do recommend this book.

BOOK REVIEW - "GHOST JACKET: COVENANT OF LIGHT AND SHADOW" BY JOHN DOWNING CROW

Is there a meaning to the terrifying nightmares 14 year old Asher is having? Is it a coincidence that his father has been in the hospital in a five year coma and Asher and his mom were in a car accident? Does this jacket he's been given have anything to do with it?

"Ghost Jacket" is a fascinating Young Adult fantasy by John Downing Crow. The subtitle is "Covenant of Light and Shadow;" I'm guessing that "Ghost Jacket is the first in a series. 

I enjoyed Asher's interactions with his buddies and the girl he has a crush on. It has a great theme of Spiritual Warfare in it. The plot is very engaging, with me wondering what will happen next.

I received a copy of this book for my unbiased opinion. 

 

FAVORITES LISTS, AND THE SONGS I LISTENED TO MOST ON SPOTIFY - TWO DIFFERENT VIEWS!

David Pataconi (with the red hair) and friends at Kingdom Come Festival, June 21, 2025. The singer at the moment is Monica Soe, who is Pataconi's co-laborer in TheoTerran.

Yes, I had recently posted my favorite songs, fiction, and non-fiction for 2025. It is interesting to compare my list with what Spotify calls my top songs of the year. I'll share why later, but let me start with some thoughts.

I'll go ahead and mention - there were songs I was excited to hear last year, like "Atonement" by I Am The Pendragon, "Enough" by TheoTerran, "Resistance" by Divine Martyr. None of those made the Spotify list, but the reason was simple - they came out at the end of the year and competed with songs out for at least six months. A related issue - I usually have a book I didn't read till the end of the year, and I don't get to reviewing it until after I list it as a favorite! 

So I'll start by telling you what I'm going to do: I'll make December 1st the cut-off, and put December's in with the new year. I did think of that this year, but Divine Martyr didn't release "Resistance" until December 19th, and I wanted to allow them to get a song on the list before the year ended. It was a little crazy. 

But now, what about my Spotify list? Well, it depends on if you're talking about the Spotify list on my computer, which is my long-time and typical usage, or if it is the one I have on my cell phone, a recent development, which is predominately used for listening to worship songs on the list, though I do listen to contemporary songs I'm trying to decide if they make my year's end favorites list.

I chuckle when I see my Spotify's "Top songs" list, because there are many I don't remember or thought I listened to that much. (I'm speaking of the computer list, not the worship driven phone list.) For example, I look at the artists that had the most on the list (three had 4, one had 5). I could correctly guess on the four songs of one artist, but the others I could only guess two each. 

Let me start with the worship list. By the way, 91 of the songs on that list were hymns, choruses, and other worship tunes. 46 of the 58 artists on the list had one song on that list. Another 9 had a pair. Matt Redman had 3, Keith and Kristin Getty and Chris Tomlin had 4 each, and Twila Paris and 2nd Chapter of Acts both had 5. Sovereign Grace had 7, and there were 10 Maranatha music Praise choruses. Top 10 on that list?

1. "All I Have is Christ" - Sovereign Grace Music.
2. "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name" - Trace Balin
3. "Truth I'm Standing On" - Worshipwired. (I recently learned Leanne Crawford also does that song.)
4. "You Never Let Go" - Matt Redman
5. "Great is the Lord Almighty" by Dennis Jernigan
6. "Behold Our God" by Sovereign Grace Music
7. "Holy" by David Pataconi
8. "Glorify Thy Name" by Maranatha Music
9. "Morning Comes When You Call" by 2nd Chapter of Acts
10. "All Creatures of our God and King" by Sovereign Grace Music.

Now, to the laptop. This list had 67 artists, 50 of which only had one song. With two songs each were Southbound, Sovereign Grace Music, End of I, Cosmic Cathedral, Autumn Eve, and Trace Balin. The seven artists with three each were XIII Minutes, Tierra Vacia, Divided Me, Devin Williams, Amy Shreve, Hello Luna, and Counter. 

The Band JAREN, Filthy Rags, and Rosalie Hovencraft had four each. The ones by JAREN weren't a surprise, but I could only name two songs I expected for Filthy Rags, Rosalie, or the artist that led the pack with five entries; David Pataconi.

For this list, I'll make it a countdown. Ready?

10. "Holy" by David Pataconi (#8 on my favorites)

9. "Hope Found Hope" by Mad At The World (#15 on my favorites)

8. "Dear Martyr" by Behold the Beloved (#2 on my favorites)

7. "All Aboard" by Rusty Shipp (not on top 20)

6. "More" by Autumn's Descent with Meredith Dunkel of Undefeated (not on top 100)

5. "Hold Your Light Up" by Jenny Colquitt (not on top 20)

4. "Stay" by XIII Minutes (#1 on my favorites).

3. "Cult Leader" by XIII Minutes (not on top 20).

2. "It Wasn't For Nothing" by The Band JAREN (#10 on my favorites list).

And the song that Spotify identified as #1? "Laodicea (Unplugged)" by Tierra Vacia (11 on my favorites).

Yes, there were surprises, but out of the top 10 on Spotify, 9 were NOT a surprise. (I'm not mentioning which one that is - this is my secret. Hint, though - it's not one that made it to the top 20. 

Hope that was interesting. I will say, though - I plan on the phone list to not be as much worship songs as last year, though I'll still be listening to worship in the morning.

BOOK REVIEW - "K-9 RANCH PROTECTION" BY DARLENE L. TURNER

If Police Constable Izzy Tremblay's father died in an accident as everybody but Izzy believes, then why is she threatened if she doesn't stop her investigation? What happened in the three hours of which she has no memory? Can her ex-partner Austin Murray and the K-9s he's training keep her safe in her quest for truth?

Those who are aware of either my love for dogs or how I tend to read a lot of K-9 stories would have 0% surprise to know this title interested me, and it did not disappoint. True, one dog of the group is the top dog in attention given, and happens to be the Malamute on the cover. However, this novel is full of suspense and intrigue. And as you'd expect from the Love Inspired Suspense series, you have an interesting couple wrestling with their past, their fears, and their current mutual attraction.

I recommend this book.

 

2025 TOP TEN FICTION AND TOP TEN NON-FICTION

Promoting a book I enjoyed by a favorite author, as well as promoting one of my favorite bands.

Yes, I usually like posting my favorite lists BEFORE the new year, and I did manage to get my favorite songs list done Monday. Better late than never, in this January 3rd blog I'll be looking at my 20 favorite books, 10 each between fiction and non-fiction. Unlike yesterday, I'll be starting with #1 instead of counting down. And why am I doing both today? Just because I have other blogs for this week.

For those who want to read my review of 19 of these books, I'll be including them on the title. I'm a little behind and still have some reviews to write, including one of the fiction books.

So let me start with the fiction: 

1. "Gazing Into Darkness" (Queen City Heroes Book 1) by Heidi Glick.
2. "Colorado Conspiracy Ambush" by Jodie Bailey.
3. "Rhats Free!" (Muto Chronicles Book 4) by Kerry Nietz.
4. "Double Protection Duty" (Dakota K-9 Unit Book 7) by Sharon Dunn.
5. "Standing Watch" (Dakota K-9 Unit Book 3) by Terri Reed.
6. "Texas Smoke Screen" (Quantico Profilers Book 3) by Jessica Patch.
7. "Big Bluff" (Katy Russell Mystery Book 2) by Jackie Zack. NOTE - I also read books 3 and 4 in this four part series this year. Often, if I have read more than one book in a single author series, I'll just count those books as one. However, while I think all three are good, "Big Bluff" stood out as a favorite. 
8. "Hidden In The Canyon" by Jodie Bailey.
9. "K-9 Ranch Protection" by Darlene L. Turner. 
10. "Tracing Killer Evidence" (Dakota K-9 Unit Book 5) by Jodie Bailey. 

Now, let me leap to non-fiction. Again, I'll update this with links. So here we go.

1. "A Year of Prayer: Appoaching God With an Open Heart Week After Week" by John MacArthur.
2. "Simplify Your Spiritual Life: Spritual Disciplines for the Overwhelmed" by Donald Whitney. Second time I read this book.
3. "Killing Calvinism: How To Destroy a Perfectly Good Theology from the Inside" by Greg Dutcher. And for those who see this title for the first time, it's not anti-Calvinist, but written by a Calvinist for Calvinists.
4. "Faithfully Different: Regaining Biblical Clarity in a Secular Culture" and "When Culture Hates You: Persevering for the Common Good as Christians in a Hostile Public Sqare" by Natasha Crain. I read both books this year, but I thought they were close enogugh to each other I'm including both. The first focuses on being a distinct light to the world by our beliefs, our thinking, and our living. The latter gives advice on dealing with those opposing us on worldview issues. I highly recommend both.
5. "The Indomitable Mr. O" by Norman Rohrer: the biography of Jessie Overholtzer, founder of Child Evangelism Fellowship. It also tells how CEF is fulfilling the vision since Overholzer's death.
6. "Transforming The Culture With Truth" by Les Munsil (President of Arizona Christian University, which is my alma mater).
7.  "Fritz and the Midnight Meet-up" by Megan Hill. Yes, this is a children's story book, but I'm including it because it tells a true story. Hill also has written a non-fiction book on the same subject (praying together).
8.  "A Clear and Present Word: The Clarity of Scripture" by Mark Thompson.
9.  "Jacob Arminius: The Man From Oudewater" by Rustin E. Brian. This is one I've read a second time.
10.  "Ask, Seek, Knock," a devotional by Josh Stone. Yes, devotionals make the top and bottom of the non-fiction list.

FINAL THOUGHTS ON 2025, AND HYMNS TO SING ON NEW YEAR'S DAY

From the 1st annual Missions Fair at Northside Baptist Church

Yes, I'm doing my look back at '25 on the first day of '26. Sorry. My original goal was to have my list of favorite books posted on Tuesday, Dec. 30th, this blog done yesterday, and part one of a two part look at '26. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough computer time to keep up with the plan. So the look back is today, the look ahead is now one part and will be tomorrow, and the favorite book lists will be on January 3rd.

This year had several things going on. I judged NCFCA speech and debate contests on-line and at a live location in Fishers, IN, and the year ended judging the first of three on-line tournaments in the '25-'26 cycle. I celebrated my 25th anniversary at MACL/Quest in March. I won the women's Final Four pool by having a perfect final four (meaning I correctly picked the four final teams, the two semi-final, and UConn winning it all). I got to attend my 3rd Kingdom Come Festival. I helped with the 1st Annual Missions Fair at Northside Baptist Church in September.

There are five people who went home to be with the Lord that saddened me. These were Author/Pastor/Lightning Rod John MacArthur, Chuck Girard of Love Song, Author/Pastor Voddie Baucham, Political Activist Charlie Kirk, and novelist Jackie Zack. Of course, Kirk got the most attention. Three weeks after his death, there were a trio of musicial tributes on my Spotify Release Radar. Jackie was the only one I had any interaction with, and in this case it was in on-line writing groups. 

But now, let's move to this year. Or more technically, let's move on to New Year's Day 2026. Becky and I have been singing hymns together since '98, and today, she suggested that we sing "Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus" every New Year's Day. I agreed that was a great choice, and suggested my all-time favorite hymn to join it: "I am Resolved." Becky agreed with me. After all, one is looking at great resolutions for any year and the other is looking at Christ's coming.

But what about what lies ahead? Well, I'll save that for tomorrow. Then, I'll have my book reviews on January 3rd.

 

TOP 20 FAVORITE SONGS OF 2025 (MY OPINION, OF COURSE)

XIII Minutes at Kingdom Come Festival, June 20, 2025. Lead vocalist Jerrod Cunningham also does vocals and guitar for I Am The Pendragon.

I am writing this on Sunday night, December 28th, for posting on Monday. Yes, that means 2025 is almost in the books, so it's time for me to give my year-ends posts. Year ends, because I'll not only be looking at my 20 favorite 2025 songs (posted on the 29th), favorite fiction and non-fiction (10 of each both posted on the 30th), and my look back at 2025 (31st), but also will give my thoughts on the new year (January 1st and 2nd).

This year, I debated on giving the list in alphabetic order plus revealing my number 1 (this refers both to songs and books), but decided to do something different, and give my favorites in order. 

I'll start by looking back. My previous favorite songs were "Truth" by Divine Martyr ('22), "WarCry" by TheoTerran ('23),  and "My Path To Walk by David Pataconi ('24). So you can say David, also being half of TheoTerran, has a two year streak going. Will he continue that streak? 

Like last year, I'll mark new artists to me from this year (marked with an asterisk). On the other side, there are groups I've followed for at least 20 years each: Amy Shreve (I met her and her husband Gary Wixtrom at a Voice of the Martyrs Conference in 2003), Mad at the World, and some obscure band called Petra - anybody heard of them? 

I'll include a link at the bottom for my Spotify list, in case you want to hear the songs on my list.  I would recommend that... but I'm biased.

Ready? Here we go.

20. "Summer Storm" by Rosalie Hovencamp.*

19. "Pain" by Sending68.*

18.  "King of Kings" by BibleWithLife*

17. "Deliver Us" by Petra.

16.  "The Storm" by End Of I.

15.  "Hope Found Hope" by Mad At The World.

14.  "How the Story Ends" by Amy Shreve.

13.  "All Things" by Sovereign Grace.

12.  "Reign Forever" by Citizen Crown.*

11.   "It Wasn't For Nothing" by The Band JAREN.*

10.  "Laodicea (Unplugged)" by Tierra Vacia.

9.   "Resistance" by Divine Martyr. 

8.  "Holy" by David Pataconi.

7.   "A Better Country" by Amy Shreve (though Gary Wixtrom sings lead on this one).

6.   "The Gospel" by Olivia Lane.*

5.   "Atonement" by I Am The Pendragon.

4.   "Enough" by TheoTerran.

3.   "War Cry" by The Band JAREN. 

2.   "Dear Martyr" by Behold the Beloved.

And now, may I have the drum roll? 

Any guess on who I put on top?

And my #1 song of 2025...

1.  "Stay" by XIII Minutes!

Here is the promised link in case you want to hear these songs.

Jeff's 2025 20 Favorites.

BOOK REVIEW - "THE INDOMITABLE MR. O: 75TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION" BY NORMAN ROHRER WITH YOLANDA DERSTENE AND BEATRICE LEVANOS

I have no idea how I ended up there (though it might have been through Sunday School at the church I attended in Prescott, AZ), but in sixth grade, I attended a group with fellow students where we sang songs and heard a Bible lesson taught with a flannel graph. During the summer, I moved to Cottonwood, AZ, where I was at a different denomination church, but there was an after school Bible study at that church, singing the same songs, also with flannelgraph lessons. I also was introduced to the wordless book. I didn't realize it at the time, but I was in two different Good News Clubs, a ministry of Child Evangelism Fellowship (which will be referred to as CEF).

"The Indomitable Mr. O" by Norman Rohrer is a biography of CEF founder Jesse Overholtzer, following the direction of his life into the moment he realized children can understand the Gospel, at age 60. The edition I'm reading and reviewing was copywritten in 1970 and 2012.

The book starts with a preface by Rohrer and forewords by international evangelist and author Luis Palau and Reese Kaufmann, who was President of CEF from 1989 to 2022. Part One, "The Dream Begun," looks at the life of Jesse Overholtzer and how Child Evangelism fellowship came into being. Part Two, "The Dream Fulfilled," focuses on the expansion of the work of CEF into all the world. These events include the Supreme Court ruling that allows Bible clubs equal access to Public Schools after hours as other organizations like the Scouts. My hunch is that Yolanda Derstine and Beatrice Levanos wrote this part.

There are six appendixes following this second part, including "Child Evangelism as Taught in the Word of God," by Dr. Jesse Irvin Overholtzer, the statement of faith, the mission statement, the vision statement and strategy, "The Culture of Child Evangelism Fellowship," and CEF's trademarks.

I highly recommend this book. It shows the importance of evangelizing youth, from what happens when we do - such as when Overholtzer experimented on a quote of Charles Haddon Spurgeon that if presented properly a child of five can understand the Gospel - and when we don't - as in Overhotzer's pastor and parents telling him he was too young to be part of the church and how it affected his life.

 

BOOK REVIEW - "DOUBLE PROTECTION DUTY" (DAKOTA K-9 UNIT BOOK 7) BY SHARON DUNN

 Who kidnapped Beacon, one of K-9 officer Kenyon Graves' identical twin sons, and why is the kidnapper calling him Joey? Which is the greater danger to Raina McCord: her life threatened by the kidnapper or figuring out her relationship with Kenyon and his boys, who she took care of when Graves was MIA for several months? And can Kenyon with his gun-sniffing K-9 Peanut, along with the rest of the K-9 unit, capture the two rignleaders of a gun-running cartel that had almost killed Kenyon? 

This is the time of year that I get excited - the annual Love Inspired Suspense K-9 Unit multi-author series is about to end. In this case, the source of excitement is "Double Protection Duty" by Sharon Dunn, book 7 of 8 in the Dakota K-9 Unit collection. (Technically, there's a ninth book, but as usual it's a pair of novellas dealing with introduced characters after the continuing story lines of the series have been resolved in Book 8). And in case the above questions don't clinch it, this one has you hooked in both the romance and the suspense storylines.

If you haven't read the rest of the series and you don't want the story spoiled, please stop reading this review. IMMEDIATELY. In fact, it may be too late. Why? As typical, there is a major story line that runs through the series, and usually a minor thread as well. Most of the time, you can enjoy the story when you read it out of order, but not so in this case. So continue at your own risk, and better yet, get the rest of the series.

For those who have been reading the series and are ready for "Double Protection Duty," you are in for a thrill ride. Action starting at the beginning. Dealing with Kenyon Graves' dealing with memory issues and trying to figure out his relationship with his lifelong friend who has been caregiver to his boys. Also, the overarching story of the Gun Ring competes with the Kenyon/Raina/Kidnapper story of this book. I'm at where I can't wait till I get to book 8.

Or, in simpler terms, I highly recommend this series and this book.

ADVENT THOUGHTS, CHRISTMAS SONG DEVOTIONALS, AND A RELATED HIGHLIGHT OF MY LIFE.

 

Felix Mendelssohn and Charles Wesley, co-writers of "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing."

 Merry Christmas! 

In my previous blog, I mentioned the devotional "The Christmas We Didn't Expect" by David Mathis. I'd like to share thoughts that were either inspired by that book, confirmed previous thoughts, or made me think of something else.

1. Between the above mentioned book and an episode of CBN's cartoon Superbook I saw Saturday (Dec. 20), I was hit that the first Christmas was just an ordinary day. An ordinary man and an ordinary woman (both godly but still ordinary) came to town and had to find room in the stable to have what probably appeared to be a normal baby. To me, there is no Biblcal evidence nor a necessity of the Salvation story for the teachings of Mary's perpetual virginity or her immaculate (sinless) conception, nor is there any reason to think that God expcted Mary and Joseph to live different than any other married couple. The focus of the Bible is that in a world where man wants to be a god, God the Son (Jesus) became fully man without ceasing to be fully God in the process.
2. Back to Mathis' devotional. Chapter 9 was titled "Hark, the Long Lost Verses Sing." It happens to be my favorite with words by Charles Wesley (my favorite hymn lyrist) set to the music of Felix  Mendelssohn (my favorite classical composer). Most hymnals only have three of the original five verses; there's one we have which contains a fourth - technically, the first half of the fourth and fifth verses. I learned in this devotional that another of my church history heroes George Whitfield had influence on this song as well, revising the first couplet from Wesley's original to what we sing today, and making it a four verse hymn. 
3. Chapter 10 also has musical allusions, titled "We Three Kings From Orient Aren't." His focus is that this trio (actually, many say three is not the number of the Magi but rather the number of the gifts) weren't kings or political leaders, but pagan sorcerors who normally wouldn't be looking for a Jewish Savior.
4. I'm probably the only person reading Mathis' 11th devotional who would think of a connection to a third song. His focus was on the priests who knew where the Messiah was to be born but no interest in joining the Magi to see him. The song which was probably heard by less than 100 people was part of a musical called Viewpoints, where I asked several of my musician friends to write songs giving viewpoints of people in the Christmas story. One I had in mind were the above mentioned priests, and I wrote the lyrics and the music for the chorus - titled "Do I Really Care?" - while my friend Tod Moses wrote music for the verses. That experience in '93 was one of my highpoints. One of the participants - Barry Kay - included one of the two songs he wrote for that project on what I believe was his first album. If I made a list of my fovorite songs that I wrote, "Do I Really Care?" would be one of the top three. 

Hope this was a blessing, and I'm wishing you a Merry Christmas, or if you guys prefer, a Joseph Christmas.

ADVENT DEVOTIONAL BOOK REVIEWS: "PROMISED PRESENCE" BY NATHAN BROCK, "THE CHRISTMAS WE DIDN'T EXPECT" BY DAVID MATHIS

 

Last year, I read the Advent Devotional "Promised Presence" by my friend Nathan Brock (he was on staff at the church Becky and I attend before becoming joining a mission organization. By the time I finished, it was too late to review it at an appropriate time.

This year, each attender in our church received "The Christmas We Didn't Expect" by David Mathis. I finished it today, just in time for Christmas Eve. So for Christmas, I will review both of them. 

"Promised Presence" is Biblically centered: it mostly includes quotes from Scripture with a few poems in there, focusing on the first Advent. There's no commentary, no personal anecdotes, and just a few poems and other writings on the theme. It is letting Scripture speak for itself. 

"The Christmas We Didn't Expect" is more what one would expect with a devotional book. Well, maybe and maybe not. Most devotional books are focused on a reading for each day. David Mathis, Senior Teacher and Executive Editor for desiringGod.org, has a very well organized book. The 24 readings are set in eight sections of three each, focusing on certain things that are unexpected, such as "An Unexpected Birth," or "Unexpected Guests," I found this to be an uplifting and inspirational devotional set. 

I recommend both of them.

BOOK REVIEW - "THREAT OF REVENGE" (DAKOTA K-9 UNIT BOOK 6) BY JESSICA PATCH

An exploding car... a bag with a live rattlesnake thrown her way... within a few minutes of getting into town... could it be somebody wants to kill patrol officer Jenna Morrow? Is this connected to an anonymous tip concerning a gun ring that Jenna and her K-9 partner Augie were sent to investigate? And is Clay Miller, the mysterious handsome stranger that rescued her, someone she should trust? (Considering this is published by Harlequin imprint Love Inspired Suspense, I guess we know the answer to the last question.)

Jessica Patch is the author of "Threat of Revenge," book 6 of Love Inspired Suspense's Dakota K-9 Unit series. You have a pair of very interesting charters with Jenna and Clay, and you have plenty of plot twists. 

Let's say you found this book when looking on-line, and you haven't read the previous 5 books in the series. Can you enjoy this story without feeling lost not knowing what happened previously or spoiling some of the earlier stories? Note - normally with these Love Inspired Suspense multi-author K-9 suspense stories, the answer is yes, but not this series. There is a major overarching story through the collection, and there is an unexpected plot twist that reading them out of order would spoil. 

My advice? Get and read the whole series (at the time of writing this, I just finished book 7). It is fun reading a series with different authors, and Jessica Patch is one I usually perk up with - if I made up a list of my favorite Love Inspired Suspense characters, most of the top ten would be found in Patch's stories, and Clay belongs in that group. In other words, I highly reommend this book and the rest of the series.

BOOK REVIEW - "TRACING KILLER EVIDENCE" (DAKOTA K-9 UNIT BOOK 5) BY JODIE BAILEY

 Why is a serial abductor becoming a serial killer? Should forensic artist Isabella Whitmore be more concerned about this fiend targeting her or FBI-agent and former fiance Liam Barringer, who came to her rescue with his cadever finding K-9 Guthrie? And are there any other shocking surprises are face Liam as he tries to protect Isabella and bring down a gun-running ring?

We have reached the middle of the Dakota K-9 Unit series with Jodie Bailey's "Tracing Killer Evidence." This is a beginning to end thriller that also deals with the fact that you might be operating on incomplete information. As usual with Jodie Bailey, I feel inspired, as well as wonderful characters.

As mentioned, this is the mid-point of the series (book 5 to be exact). This book, like the others, has a story of its own, but there are other concerns that run through the book, such as who is running a gun ring and who killed one of their fellow officers, Kenyon Graves, leaving his twins without a father. Thus, the question is if you can read this book before its predecessors without spoiling them and with keeping from feeling lost. With this book, as typical, you can enjoy the story by itself, but as regards to spoiling: PLEASE. READ. THESE. BOOKS. IN. ORDER! 

I am  a fan of Jodie Bailey (I've read 19 books of hers at this point), of Love Inspired Suspense (109 of this imprint read) and the K-9 series (I'm in my 7th series, with 55 stories read). So will it surprise you to give it my total approval?

MOVIE COMPARISONS: "FIREFOX" (1982) AND "BLUE THUNDER" (1983)

 

Name the movie. It's about a super airbound war-machine, with technology so advanced the pilot could as quick as a thought launch an attack. The hero, who has war induced Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, knows his job is to steal that machine to keep the bad government to use it for their nefarious purposes. Hint: the movie's poster is pictured above. Second hint: there is more than one correct answer.

"Firefox," adapted from Craig Thomas' '77 novel and directed by Clint Eastwood in '82, is the name of an experimental military airplane that not only is fast, but it is capable of eluding radar. Additionally, the pilot wears a helmet that reads his thoughts and automatically does the assigned task. "Blue Thunder," directed by John Badham in '83, is an experimental police helicopter that is equipped to perform surveilance, both by sound and sight. If the pilot is wearing the helmet and turns his head, the weapons turn in the same direction.

Michael Gant (Clint Eastwood) in "Firefox" and Frank Murphy (Roy Scheider, one of my favorite actors) in "Blue Thunder" were both exceptional pilots (Murphy was able to fly a loop with a helicopter, which is supposed to be impossible, but of course Murphy did it at the end). Both, as mentioned above, dealt with trauma from being in the Vietnam War. Gant's job was to steal the Firefox from the governmental baddies; Murphy stole the Blue Thunder after learning the evil plans of the governmental baddies.

And here's where these two super-pilots take their sophisticated machines in two opposit directions. Or to put it a different way, what is the role of OUR government? "Firefox" is a cold-war era espionage adventure where our government (the good guys) sent Gant to Russia to steal the Firefox before the Russians could use it. "Blue Thunder" is described as neo-noir, where our government (the bad guys) were planning on using the Blue Thunder for surveilance and quelling domestic unrest, so Murphy steals it and destroys it after an exciting but somewhat implausible climatic dogfight. 

The difference affected the movies. "Firefox" received a PG rating in the pre PG-13 era, and possibly could have kept that rating after PG-13 came into being. "Blue Thunder" got an R, and like most movies, could have been a better PG (or PG-13) movie than with the R. The enemy in "Blue Thunder" was an officer in the military Murphy had dealt with. In Firefox, the antagonists were the Russian military and government, where the two sides treated each other with respect and without personal animosity. For example, during the final dogfight between Gant and an equal Russian pilot, Gant lost control of the plane due to his PTSD, the Russian gave him a thumbs up when he was able to regain control. You wouldn't be surprised for Eastwood to direct a pro-US movie. Likewise, it wasn't a surprise for Badham to have an anti-war movie - in addition to "Blue Thunder," '83 saw the release of "Wargames," also directed by Badham and also wary of our government.

From here, I'm making comments of the movies more from an artistic perspective than my previous look at worldview. 

As I mentioned before, "Firefox" was based on a novel. Which was better? Good question. The movie had three divisions: 1) Gant's recruitment and training, 2) Gant arriving in Russia and getting to the plane, and 3) flying the plane out of Russia. In the book, the first section was a brief prologue, with the ten chapters equally dealing with the other parts. In this, I think the book was stronger - the first section was a little slow for an adventure. However, two of Gant's allies in getting to the plane died after seeing they did their job; the book had those two die not knowing if they succeeded.

Let me move to the characters of the movies. "Blue Thunder"  was my fifth Roy Scheider movie, including "The French Connection" and "Jaws", and I consider myself a fan. I only saw three Eastwood movies before "Firefox," and I didn't enjoy them as much as the Scheider films. I liked their portrayals. Both movies also introduced me to actors I've grown to like: Freddie Jones as Gant's recruiter (I loved seeing his joy when Gant succeeded in stealing the plane) and Daniel Stern (Marv in "Home Alone) as Murphy's observer and partner. 

As far as story-telling, I will admit "Blue Thunder" had a more interesting start, though both movies smoothly moved into the main plot. After that, I think "Firefox" was better. Part of it was being loyal to the book. However, it also was more realistic in parts than "Blue Thunder." They did end off with the character heading into the horizon (Gant flying the plane into friendly airspace, Murphy walking beside the train track with the demolished Blue Thunder in smoke behind him). 

Which did I enjoy more? Let me answer it this way. I watched "Firefox" four times - twice in its theatrical run, once on TV, and a few years ago on DVD. I might watch it again. I've never thought of watching "Blue Thunder" a second time.

BOOK REVIEW - "COLD CASE PERIL" (DAKOTA K-9 UNIT BOOK 4) BY MAGGIE K. BLACK

Why is a driver with blaring rock music trying to force dog trainer Micah Landon off the road Was this due to him looking into who killed his mother a decade earlier by a hit and run driver? Or could it be connected to a guns case officer Lucy Lopez and her K-9 partner Piper are looking/sniffing into? 

Maggie K. Black's "Cold Case Peril" is the fourth novel of the Dakota K-9 Unit series. As you would expect if you read any of the books in this collection or previous series by this imprint, you have exciting action and characters you care about. For example, there is the interaction between Micah and his half-brother dealing with the loss of their mother. 

Is this a series that you need to read in order? I would highly recommend it. Yes, it is written where you can enjoy the story without being lost or spoiling a previous story. However, this series is one where you'd enjoy it more reading the books in order.

By the way, in spite of the main male character having a name that sounds like a popular actor, there are no references to Little Joe. Sorry.

I recommend both this book and the full series (this is book 4 of 9).

BOOK REVIEW - "WHAT DOES THE BIBLE REALLY TEACH ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY?" BY KEVIN DEYOUNG

 This book, "What Does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality?" is on a subject where the majority of people have a strong opinion and a good number of which are unwilling to show tolerance for the other side. One question, though, is whether one believes the Bible is an authoritative, inerrant, infallible, and accurate source we're to consider the Word of God written so we can understand it or if fallible men (we all fall into that category) know what's best with a changing of minds from the traditional to the anti-traditional.

Author Kevin DeYoung points right off in the introduction states the book is a Christian book with a narrow focus to defend a traditional view of marriage. Thus, we should expect him to present that view as the best alternative.  

Part one of this book focuses on Scripture, with chapters 1-5 dealing with, respectively, Genesis 1-2, Genesis 19, Leviticus 18 and 20, Romans 1, and 1 Corinthians 6/1 Timothy 1, all of which deal with God's design for marriage and teachings on Homosexuality. The second part deals with answers to seven pro-LGBTQ+ arguments (one per chapter).

There are three appendices after Chapter 12. The first two address the issues of gay marriage and same-sex attraction. The third appendix is titled "The Church and Homosexuality: Ten Commitments." DeYoung points out the different groups of people we're dealing with - in other words, we wouldn't treat a person who's asking questions and possibly struggling with the issue, a sufferer who has been mistreated by the church, and an activist who has less tolerance for traditional Christians than they think the Christians have.

Allow me to offer some insights both from before reading this book and looking at negative reviews. One is that those who consider that the Bible is authoritative and opposes homosexuality is based on what the Bible says. Okay, maybe not much but what it says is consistent. On the other hand, I've seen inconsistency with the arguments of those who affirm that lifestyle - some say that the Bible doesn't mean what we think it means while others say it does mean what it says, but it is a reflection of the views of that time and not God's view. 

Also, I see the cliche that those oppose LGBTQ+ are hateful in the criticisms of this book. However, if we believe that lifestyle is leading a person to judgment, which is more loving? Allowing them to leap off lemming cliff and face condemnation? Or to warn them and plead with them to avoid the destruction they're headed to? If you read the whole book, you'll see it is focusing on the actions being wrong, but God desiring the person would turn and avoid destruction.

BOOK REVIEW - "SHATTERED SANCTUARY" (THE ERIN DELANEY MYSTERIES BOOK ONE) BY NANCY MEHL

 

Mystery Writer and former police-officer Erin Delaney's only friend is an ex-FBI Behavioral Analsyst she has never met in person; will that friendship endure spending some time together in an isolated cabin? Oh, did I mention that there is a ghost walking around? No? How about the body the local police discovered?

"Shattered Sanctuary" is the first book in Nancy Mehl's new "The Erin Delaney Mysteries," and it is what you expect. A well woven mystery. Creepy villains. A nail abiting Psychological Thriller. And it delivers.

Longtime Mehl readers like myself (this is my 21st novel of hers I've read) will be happy to see Kaely Quinn-Hunter return early in the story; Quinn was the main character in a previous series and guested in another novel ("Dead Fall"). My interest piqued with the title "Shattered Sanctuary" because Mehl also had a trilogy called "Finding Sanctuary," and I wondered if there was a return to that small Midwest town. It didn't take me long to realize this was another small town called "Sanctuary," this time in the Smokies.

Yes, this is the first in a series, and usually there is no need to worry about if you're spoiling a story by reading it out of order, but would the return of Kaely change that? In my opinion, not at all. Yes, reading the "Kaely Quinn Profiler" series would help you get to know her, and the same is true with "Dead Fall," but it won't have an effect with enjoying this new tale.

As usual, I highly recommend this novel by Nancy Mehl. By the way, I also recommend the"Kaely Quinn Profiler" trilogy and for that matter, the Quantico Files trilogy, of which "Dead Fall" is the middle story. And I'll add the "Finding Sactuary" series to the list, though it's in a different genre.

AN EVENING HANGING OUT WITH PETER IN NEVERLAND - MOVIE REVIEWS OF DISNEY'S "PETER PAN" AND SPIELBERG'S "HOOK"

 You may have remembered that last year I spend a few hours, watching both Disney's '51 animated and '10 live action films titled "Alice In Wonderland." Well, this year I decided to watch Disney's "Peter Pan" ('53) and "Hook" ('91).

There is a noticeable difference between my Alice binge last year and the Peter Pan double feature: As I mentioned, both Alices were Disney pictures. "Hook" isn't a Disney movie. In fact, one thing that I noticed was there was an allusion to Tinkerbell drinking poison to save Peter's life, as in the original story and plays, as opposed to her rescuing Peter from a bomb in the Disney version.

When I was young, I loved Peter Pan. It was onc of the Disney albums telling the story with a short illustrated version that I had - probably my second favorite (Jungle Book taking first place). However, it wasn't until seeing this movie again that I realized  that Peter was a womanizing flirt, mad when jealous Tinkerbell tried to have Wendy killed, laughing when jealous bikini-clad mermaids tried to drown Wendy, and having Tiger Lilly dance for him.

While I didn't catch this when I was 10, I did pick up on the racial slurs towards Indians (would characters in an English story that takes place in a fantasy world accurately be called Native Americans?). Even as a kid, I cringed wht the "What Made The Red Man Red." This was the first exposure I had to racial prejudice.

I am surprised at my typing this review, but "Hook" is more of a family film than the Disney classic. I will say it had a slower start before the film picked up. But Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman, Julia Roberts, and Bob Hoskins (playing Peter, Captain Hook, Tinkerbell, and Mr. Smee respectively) did a great job in making this entertaining. 

Before I forget, I'll mention that my first introduction to Peter Pan was on the Disneyland dark ride (as was the case with Alice in Wonderland). This was the original version, where Peter was no where on the ride except for his shadow (the idea is for the rider to view themselves as Peter; same was true with the Alice, Mr. Toad, and Snow White rides).

THANKSGIVING THOUGHTS.

 

Cartoon from James Lawson. Used by permission.

This week, I saw a couple of posts and and heard a podcast dealing with Thanksgiving. 

Let me start with this cartoon by James Lawson that has blessed me for years. I do, however, have an answer or two about why pilgrims are loved and Puritans are hated. It has nothing to do about doctrine, but rather who is the oppressor and who is oppressed. The Pilgrims are seen as victims to the bad Church of English who were persecuting them. The Puritans (at least some of them), on the other hand, were the oppressors. The existence of Rhode Island is proof of that, where Roger Williams and other Baptists fled to.

Switching gears but not leaving the cartoon yet... To be honest, I don't think the Pilgrims are as beloved as they used to be. Is doctrine involved here? Good question, but if it is, it's not that the hatred toward the Pilgrims/Puritans' Reformed Doctrine but the doctrine that is shared by all believers.

This is related to an article that was on the Indianapolis Public Library's website. There question is what indigenous peoples think, giving the answer that they see Thanksgiving as a day of mourning. They gave a link to see for the indigenous people's view of colonization. First, let me state that I don't think that the original residents of this country were treted right by some of our ancestors. Howver, should we have what has been a day of celebration of faith and family and for the unenlightened, football (the enlightened, like me, have the TV tuned to America's Dog Show) and feel guilty for something that we personally didn't do and something that we can't undo even if we wanted to (which I do).

Let me share a couple of thoughts I've heard before, but Al Mohler (President of The Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville) reminded me. First, Thanksgiving is uniquely American holiday. Second, even the non-Christians are thankful, but to whom? Doesn't this show that we're not as secular as the world wants us to be?

Again, happy Thanksgiving. Hope your day is blessed.