AND I'M BACK! HOPE YOU DIDN'T MISS ME TOO MUCH

No, I don't know what kind of flower/tree this is, but it's at Hopewell House, Louisville, KY.
Yours truly took the picture.

Yes, I only posted one  blog in September. However, technically, I shouldn't count that: the September 2 post was actually posted before hand and was scheduled for September 2. So allow me to catch up a little.

There's a ministry called Further Still headed by Kurt Souder, who also has a radio program/podcast titled Solid Steps Radio, which is focused on men. He also hosts a day long "Desert Days" once a month at Hopewell House in Louisville, KY, where you can get away with other men (or women - there's a monthly Desert Days for the ladies as well) can write, meditate on Scripture, pray, and if necessary nap. Most of those who come are from the Louisville area, but I've taken a couple trips down, the most recent being August 13, 2025.

My arrival was not indicating a good start. I got there a few minutes late ... Actually, I turned into the next door neighbor's long driveway, and when I got turned around, I was blocked by a landscaping truck. He asked me to wait when he got his mowers out and I had to ask if I could get around him. Then, I reached in the back seat for my notebook and realized I left it on my dining room table two and a half hours away. Ugh.

Praise the Lord, the time was useful. I ended up in the library room as I did five years earlier (in the midst of COVID). Then, some of my meditation was looking through all the books, but there were two blessings. The first was the tree with white flowers that was right outside the window. My grandparents owned a nursery before I was born; Dad did not inherit any of that botanical knowledge, and I took after him. But that tree for me was a sign of hope, a blessing that calmed me from my hectic morning.

The second was a white board with multi-colored dry/erase pens. I found writing on the board and erasing/editing when I needed. By the time lunch was done, I did a lot of brainstorming that came in handy. (No, it's not neat, but as long as I could read it...

Why am I sharing this? I didn't think of sharing this until a few days ago. And the reason I thought of this was because on September 2, when I turned on the computer, I got a blue light, which turned into an orange light, which again became blue, and then orange and orange and orange... it didn't stop flashing until I unplugged it, but when I turned it back on, the orange flashing resumed. It took us two and a half weeks before I got the computer taken care of. 

The bad part was that I wasn't able to keep up with the blog. However, it kept me from being inundated with pro and con remarks after the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Of course, half the world is wondering what my thoughts are on this (can I take my tongue out of my cheek now?), so I'll share them in the next blog.

I'm behind on a lot of things as well. One of my most recent blogs (meaning in August) mentioned the upcoming Love Inspired Suspense Dakota K-9 Unit series. Since then, I've read the first four of nine, and yet to review any. There are a couple of other books I haven't reviewed yet either, as well as a review of the long-awaited new EP by one of my long-time favorite singers... no, you have to guess until I share it. You may have missed interviews - I'm  behind on that as well. 

Two related highlights. On September 21st, we had our first annual missions fair at Northside Baptist Church in Indianapolis. Becky was with friends behind the table for Child Evangelism Fellowship, while I was asked to host the table for World Missionary Press, which publishes literature for missionaries around the world. Others involved were Right to Life, Kid's Hope (headed up by a friend from church that ministers in Nigeria, CRU (previously known as Campus Crusade for Christ), Gideons, Crossroads Association (the local part of the Southern Baptist Convention), Send Relief (a joint venture of the North America and International missions), Metro Baptist Association, and Covenant Foods (Northside's pantry ministry). 

The other highlight was the same morning. Outside the side door are a pair of steps heading to a square "porch" with a rail. When I headed that direction, I saw a squirrel sitting on the porch. He looked at me, then he hid his head behind the rails, not realizing that while I couldn't see his head I could see the rest of him. He looked my direction to see if I was still there, hid his head behind the railing again, turned back to looking at me, and then  ran off.

I'm glad to be back blogging, and glad you're reading it.

Yours truly at the World Missionary Press Table. Photo by Jim Myers.

BOOK REVIEW - "TEXAS SMOKE SCREEN" (BOOK 3 OF QUANTICO PROFILERS) BY JESSICA PATCH.

 Who is setting fires with the victims still inside, and is it to get the attention of a local newscaster? As FBI profiler Vera Gilmore helps homicide detective and former fiance Brooks Brawley solve the case, is there a chance of a different sort of fire rekindling? 

"Texas Smoke Screen" is the third and final book of Jessica Patch's Quantico Profilers scenery, and it's a hot one! There are so many twists and turns, you don't know who to trust. 

As usual, Patch introduces us to characters that are unforgettable and enjoyable. This novel is no exception - Brooks' (can I call him Brooksie?) 12 year old daughter Katie is very well developed and adds a lot to the story.

I highly recommend this book.

BOOK REVIEW - "THE INSPIRATIONAL STUDY BIBLE: LIFE LESSONS FROM THE INSPIRED WORD OF GOD (NKJV)" BY MAX LUCADO

"The Inspirational Study Bible" by Max Lucado does a great job of being Inspirational. But as a study Bible? Not as much.

This book has an introduction to each book of the Bible. As you go through it, you will see on the margins a life lesson or two developed from the Scripture covered on the two pages you're looking at. This volume is strong on giving applications to God's Word. 

But what do I expect in a Study Bible? 

• A column containing cross references so you can see how a topic is dealt with through Scripture. This edition does not have cross references.
• Notes that deal with exegesis of the original languages, a look at the culture of the Bible time, and an explanation of difficult passages (though study Bibles and Commentaries all too often skip those tricky passages, because the author doesn't know the answer any more than you do).  This edition has some applications, but not the same kind of study notes.

I would call this a devotional Bible, but definitely not a Study Bible. This doesn't mean it lacks value. But if you want to study Scripture, I'd recommend other Study Bibles like the Scofield Bible, the Geneva Bible, the MacArthur Study Bible, the Ryrie Study Bible, or the International Inductive Study Bible, all of which have cross references and notes.

 

BOOK REVIEW - "GAZING INTO DARKNESS" (QUEEN CITY HEROES, BOOK 1) BY HEIDI GLICK

Why did someone try to burn down EPA CID agent Stacey Sanderson's apartment ... with her in it? Will her partner Chance McPherson ever see her as his equal? Or could there be darkness in his past that is haunting him?

"Gazing Into Darkness," Book 1 of Queen City Heroes by Heidi Glick, is an exciting romantic suspense novel. Chance McPherson is one of my all time favorite fiction characters. Also, while I'm used to the usual suspects of law enforcement, I learned getting to see characters in the EPA CID. 

One honor I had was working as a critique partner of Heidi's while I was a member of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) from 2011-2014, which is my first introduction to Chance and Stacey. I'm very excited to finally see it in book form.

I highly recommend this book.

 

BOOK REVIEW - "TRANSFORMING CULTURE WITH TRUTH" BY LEN MUNSIL, PRESIDENT OF ARIZONA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY

Question: If individual believers in Jesus, local churches, and Christian institutions dedicated themselves to living out the Gospel unashamed, would it not also impact society?

I'm a graduate of Southwestern College in Phoenix in the early to mid '80's, when the enrollment was between 150 and 200. Southwestern is now Arizona Christian University (aka ACU), and hit an enrollment of 1400 in Fall '24, making it the ninth consecutive year of record enrollment. Let this sink in - this consecutive record streak continued DURING the COVID pandemic. How in earth could you explain this?

If you think the President of the University would be a factor, then you'll be looking at Len Munsil, an attorney who ran for Arizona Governor in 2006, and has been the President of ACU since 2010. The story is told in "Transforming Culture with Truth" (1st edition in 2015; 2nd edition, which I'm reviewing, in 2020). 

In 2012, Munsil brought a set of principles, called ACU's Core Commitments, to the Board of Trustees. This book looks at each of these 9 Commitments in the 8 chapters and Conclusion of this book. His goal is to make ACU the number 1 Christian worldview college in the country.

Nobody should be surprised if those Commitments are illustrated by what's going on at ACU, but there are other anecdotes which would help a church or a Christian organization to implement the same ideas. 

After I graduated in '86 from Southwestern, I moved gradually east till I arrived in Indianapolis in '95, so I have not been following the transition of the school. However, after reading this book and hearing Munsil interviewed on the Natasha Crain podcast, I'm excited to be a Southwestern College/ACU graduate.

BOOK REVIEW - "UNDERCOVER COLORADO CONSPIRACY" BY JODIE BAILEY

Who is bilking money from would-be adoptive parents? Military agents Thalia and Phillip Campbell are posing as a married couple to uncover who's doing the dastardly deed, but has their cover been blown ... on day one? And is the danger from someone they just met, or from one of the agent's past?

Am I the only one who finds the cover of "Undercover Colorado Conspiracy" by Jodie Bailey exciting? The covers for these Love Inspired Suspense novels sometimes focus on the characters (human or animal) posing in front of a picture of the setting, while others - like the above - are a "shot" of the action in the book. In this case, this is showing you what's happening on page one. Ready to strap yourself in for an exciting story?

This is the 16th book I've read by Jodie Bailey, and they are consistently filled with plenty of plot twists and characters that you care about. Add to that a strong Christian story-line for those who aren't bothered by that.

I highly recommend this book.
 

BOOK REVIEW - "ASK. SEEK. KNOCK.: A DEVOTIONAL OF REST AND MOVEMENT" BY JOSH STONE.

 The past several weeks, I've been blessed by reading "Ask. Seek, Knock," a Devotional by Josh Stone. This volume comprises of 48 devotionals and 4 poems, allowing you to either make it a weekly reading for the next year or be like me and spend seven weeks reading it.

I had the honor of meeting him at a music festival, where he performed as a spoken word artist, "Outward Conversations." The emotion he expressed in live performance also is evident in print in this book.

These devotionals vary from being inspirational, encouraging, and challenging. I will definitely be using this devotional again.