Sunday Brunch - Why Did Jesus Spit?

It's time for another Sunday Brunch! :-)

Today's mock brunch menu:

Lemon Cake With Frosting
Breakfast Casserole
Toast With Jelly
Cranberry Juice
Coffee

I wanted to discuss the following scripture in the book of Mark. I also wanted your response to this question: Why did Jesus have to spit on the blind man's eyes?
Mark 8:22-26
The Healing of a Blind Man at Bethsaida
22 They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?”
24 He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.”
25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 Jesus sent him home, saying, “Don’t go into the village.”



Why do you think that Jesus had to spit on the blind man's eyes?

I also wonder why the spittle didn't work initially? The blind man's sight appeared to be only partially restored since he said he saw people that looked like trees. Then Jesus had to place his hands on the man's eyes again and his sight was restored! I'm thinking, maybe, this man's faith may have been weaker than the faith of the other people whom Jesus healed? It's hard to say.

Why do you think that Jesus had to spit on this blind man's eyes?

Leave your answers in the comments!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

My Birthday Gift!

My birthday is today and my hubby purchased me a Kindle! It's certainly taken me long enough to get an e-reader! Until today, I've always used the Kindle for PC, and I used the PC Kindle to download freebies and I've purchased a couple of items on the PC Kindle. It's nice to now have a REAL KINDLE, though! To test out my new Kindle I purchased a book. My first Kindle purchase?

A Good Excuse To Be Bad by Miranda Parker! :-)

~Cecelia Dowdy~

The Help

Have you read this novel, if so, did you like it?

I've started reading the secular novel entitled The Help. From what I understand, this novel has been extremely popular for lots of people. The book is about a group of African-American maids in the sixties and their relationships with their white employers. The author is Caucasian. What's interesting is that this novel has a cover with three birds on it - you don't even get a glimpse as to what the novel's about from glancing at the cover.

However, they have done a new cover that depicts what the story is about. I think it's interesting that this book is not shelved in the African-American section of the bookstore. I guess that makes sense since the author is Caucasian. If you've been reading this blog long enough, you've seen my views about shelving African American books separately from the other books. Also, wanted to add that this book is being made into a movie that's about to be released pretty soon.

I'll be sure to post a full review once I'm done. So again, my question is, have you read this novel, if so, did you like it?

~Cecelia Dowdy~

The End Of Heartsong Presents

It was officially announced yesterday that as of the end of 2011, the Heartsong Presents book club will no longer be in existance. The book club is being cancelled and I was so stunned to hear this. HP has been around since 1992 - that's almost twenty years of books and they've released over 1,000 titles! A lot of big-name Christian fiction authors got their start by writing for Heartsong Presents.

Well, with the world of publishing making drastic changes lately, I can't say that I'm surprised. I did notice that when I received reader mail about my Heartsongs, the correspondence was always from an elderly person. I'm led to believe that the Heartsong demographic was older people and perhaps many of the members joined in the beginning and as time went on, it was hard to get more people to join the book club in recent years? It's hard to say.

I was a member of this book club for several years. I'm still wrapping my mind around this stunning news! :-(

Any comments about this? Why do you think this happened?

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Question?

Timothy wrote to me with the following questions:
When did you know that you are/were a writer?

I guess I knew that I wanted to be a writer when I was about 27 or 28. I've always been an avid reader and one day, during my lunch break, I'd forgotten to bring a book with me to read. So, I took out my pen and paper and started writing a book. I've been writing ever since.

What made you choose Christian Fiction?

When I first started writing, back in 1994, I wasn't aware of the Christian fiction genre. Actually, the genre wasn't very prominent back then. I still consider Christian fiction and Christian romance novels to be a fairly "new" genre, meaning, I haven't really started seeing them until the past fifteen years. When I was growing up, Christian fiction did not exist and I read a lot of secular fiction.

Regarding your question - when I first started writing, I sent my writings to an editor whom I'd paid to edit my work. One of the comments she made was: Is this a Christian romance? I was not familiar with that term at the time. To help with my writing career, I joined Romance Writers of America and I joined the RWA chapter entitled Faith, Hope, And Love (RWA's Christian Inspirational Chapter). Being a part of Faith, Hope, and Love opened the door for me regarding Christian fiction. I became familiar with the genre and I started reading those novels. I'd been mentioning God, faith and church in my books before I even knew about the Christian market. So, by my "discovering" this genre, it just made me aware that this is the type of fiction that I needed to be writing.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Sunday Brunch - The Early Christians Raising People From The Dead!

Here's what's on the brunch "menu" for today:
Scrambled eggs
Bagels and cream cheese
Toast
Bacon
Cinnamon rolls
Coffee
Non-alcoholic champagne punch

Let's imagine we've just finished eating the tasty food listed above before we discuss the following scriptures.

Can you imagine what it would be like if your loved ones were raised from the dead? I wanted to talk about how some of the early Christians raised people from the dead through the power of Jesus. When you read these scriptures, what goes through your mind?


Acts 9:40-42
40 Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. 41 He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called the believers and the widows and presented her to them alive. 42 This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord.

Eutychus Raised From the Dead at Troas – Acts 20:9-12
9 Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. 10 Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!” 11 Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. 12 The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.


Both Paul and Peter were able to raise someone from the dead through hte power of Jesus! I know we talk about Jesus healing people and raising people from the dead but, I don't notice much discussion about Paul and Peter doing this. The two above-mentioned scriptures remind me of the scripture in Luke where Jesus raised a girl from the dead.

Luke 8:49-56
49 While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. “Your daughter is dead,” he said. “Don’t bother the teacher any more.” 50 Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.” 51 When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child’s father and mother. 52 Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. “Stop wailing,” Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.” 53 They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. 54 But he took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!” 55 Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. 56 Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.


It's important to note that Jesus ordered them not to tell anybody about what had happened. I wonder why? I'm wondering if such miraculous resurrections may occur today, somewhere in the world, and people are keeping silent about it?


It’s almost as if, back then - in the book of Acts, the early saints were closer to Jesus, and could perform miracles that were similiar to what Jesus did while he was on the earth? Yes, I do believe people can be raised from the dead today, but, I feel that such happenings are extremely rare if/when they do occur. As I’ve stated on this blog before, I feel that the early Christians had a closer connection to Jesus than we have today. I think their faith was so strong…so strong that it’s almost hard for us to imagine or understand such a deep faith.

So, when you read these scriptures, what goes through your mind? When I read those scriptures, I’m just awed and amazed by the healing power of Jesus – the most profound power of all!

Leave a comment and share your thoughts!


~Cecelia Dowdy~

Love Letters - Writers' Rest Blog Post

Today, I'm blogging over at Writers' Rest about love letters! Do you remember your first love letter? Stop by Writers' Rest, leave a comment and reminisce!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

The Deal, The Dance, And The Devil By Victoria Christopher Murray

The Deal, The Dance, And The Devil by Victoria Christopher Murray

First Timothy 6:10 - For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

This scripture is what ran through my mind as I was reading this novel. Adam and Evia Langston are a happily married couple with three kids. Adam was laid off from his well-paying corporate job several months ago and now the family is struggling to survive. Their savings have been depleted and they're in danger of losing their home to foreclosure.

Evia works for Shay-Shante (the owner of a mega-hair-care company). Shay Shante makes Evia a deal that's extremely hard to take seriously. Shay offers Evia five million dollars in exchange for one weekend alone with Adam (Evia's husband). Evia is floored by this offer and she initially says no.

As the story progresses, you learn about other financial obligations that the Langstons are responsible for, like the monthly stipend that's paid to Evia's ghetto family and the funds they have to pay for Adam's mother who's now in an upscale nursing home.

I was drawn to this story because it shows how much we can come to depend upon money instead of God. Evia and Adam are a Christian couple but their faith is extremely tested when they're faced with financial hardship.

You also get a glimpse of how Evia and Adam met and how strong their love was. I don't want to give spoilers but, money can change relationships. Although having some extra cash to pay your bills is nice, being indebted to somebody can bring a whole set of new problems into your life.

You should read this novel if you want to see a realistic example of how money can mess with a strong, Christian marriage.

Have you read this book? If so, what did you think about it? Do you think you could give up your spouse to another person for one weekend for five million dollars?

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Unexpected Love By Andrea Boeshaar

Unexpected Love by Andrea Boeshaar


This is a sweet, heartwarming story about Renna, a nurse who happens to be an old-maid. Renna works hard at the hospital and she's come to accept that she'll always remain single - no man could possibly want her since she has an unattractive purple birthmark on her cheek.

Renna's life changes when a man enters her hospital ward as a new patient. They call this new man Mr. Blackeyes since they have no idea about his identity. The dark-eyed man has been recently blinded as the result of a boating accident. Because of his amnesia and blindness, he finds that he has to rely on Renna for support.

However, as Mr. Blackeyes slowly regains snippets of his memory, an unusual string of events unfurls, creating a suspenseful thread in this story. These events are related to Captain Blackeyes boating accident and Mr. Benchley, a business associate who his smitten with Renna. Renna can't stand that her parents are practically forcing her to date Mr. Benchley. The man gives her a bad feeling, and she senses that he would not make a good husband, something about him just does not seem quite right...

Renna and Captain Blackeyes share a deep mutual attraction, but both have obstacles to overcome before they can love one another.

I was drawn to this story because the hero was blind. If you've been reading this blog long enough, you'll know that I want to see more novels with blind characters.

I'd recommend this heartwarming read if you like sweet inspirational romance novels.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Book Giveaway Winner! :-)

Congratulations to:

Deb Piccurelli - Glendora, NJ

Deb is the winner of this book giveaway. Deb, I'll be snail mailing your box of 20+ books soon.

All, I'll be posting another book giveaway sometime in the future. If you want to be sure not to miss out, then you should subscribe to my blog...that way you'll be sure not to miss any blog posts!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Sunday Brunch - Did Philip Disappear?

Photo courtesy of Free Digital Photos

I'm ready to discuss another scripture on today's Sunday Brunch. Like last week, we can pretend like we just finished eating the following menu before "discussing" the a scripture by leaving comments.

Today's menu:

Orange Juice
Coffee
Blueberry Waffles with Syrup
Bacon
Hamburger Sliders with Fries

Today's question:
What happened to Philip at the end of the eighth chapter in the book of Acts?

I wanted to talk about the ending of the scripture involving the Ethiopian eunuch. After Philip has a life-changing conversation with the eunuch, Philip baptizes him. After the baptism, the following occurs:
Acts 8:39-40
39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. 40 Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

What I'm wondering is, did the Lord's Holy Spirit enable Philip to disappear and then re-appear in Azotus? I know some translations use the term "carried" Philip away instead of "took Philip away." Either way you look at it, it appears to me that Philip literally disappeared from the scene of the eunuch and then reappeared in Azotus. I'm thinking Azotus was where the Lord felt was the greatest need for Philip to preach the gospel. So, that's why He had to carry Philip away from the eunuch so suddenly - Philip had lots of preaching work to do.

Do you think that Philip literally disappeared and then re-appeared? If so, why?

Leave your responses in the comments! I'm anxious to hear what everbody has to say! I realize people will interpret this scripture in different ways and I think we can get a discussion going! I hope you "enjoyed" the meal! :-)

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Congrats To The 2011 Carol Award Finalists! :-)

Congratulations to the 2011 Carol Award finalists. The Carol Award is sponsored by American Christian Fiction Writers. The winners will be announced at the annual ACFW conference in September!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Debut Novel:


The Preacher’s Bride by Jody Hedlund (Bethany House - Dave Long/Sharon Asmus, Editors)

Crossing Oceans by Gina Holmes (Tyndale Publishers - Kathryn Olson, Editor)

Rooms by James L. Rubart (B&H Publishing - Julee Schwarzburg, Editor)



Long Contemporary:

The Choice by Suzanne Woods Fisher (Revell - Andrea Doering, Editor)

Red Ink by Kathi Macias (New Hope Publishers - Randy Bishop, Editor)

Never Say Never by Lisa Wingate (Bethany House - Dave Long, Editor)



Long Contemporary Romance:

Plain Jayne by Hilary Manton Lodge (Harvest House - Kim Moore, Editor)

Anna’s Return by Marta Perry (Berkley - Ellen Edwards, Editor)

Plain Paradise by Beth Wiseman (Thomas Nelson - Natalie Hanemann, Editor)



Long Historical:

Here Burns My Candle by Liz Curtis Higgs (Waterbrook Press - Laura Barker, Editor)

Petra: City in Stone by T.L. Higley (B&H Publishing - Karen Ball, Editor)

Sons of Thunder by Susan May Warren (Summerside Press – Susan Downs, Editor)



Long Historical Romance:

The Husband Tree by Mary Connealy (Barbour - Rebecca Germany, Editor)

Love Finds You In Homestead, Iowa by Melanie Dobson (Summerside - Rachel Meisel/Connie Troyer, Editors)

Courting Morrow Little by Laura Frantz (Revell - Andrea Doering, Editor)



Mystery:

Mirrored Image by Alice K. Arenz (Sheaf House - Joan M. Shoup, Editor)

Muslin Mystery by Vera Dodge (Guideposts - Beth Adams, Editor)

The Camera Never Lies by Elizabeth Goddard (Barbour – Rebecca Germany, Editor)



Novellas (Contemporary and Historical were combined into one category):

The Prodigal Groom by Vickie McDonough (Barbour – Rebecca Germany, Editor)

Ride With Me Into Christmas by Rachael Phillips (Barbour – Rebecca Germany, Editor)

A Trusting Heart by Carrie Turansky (Barbour – Rebecca Germany, Editor)



Romantic Suspense:

The Silent Order by Melanie Dobson (Summerside Press - Rachel Meisel/Susan Downs, Editors)

Don’t Look Back by Lynette Eason (Revell - Andrea Doering, Editor)

Pursuit of Justice by DiAnn Mills (Tyndale Publishers - Karen Watson, Editor)



Short Contemporary:

The Wedding Garden by Linda Goodnight (Love Inspired - Allison Lyons)

A Father for Zach by Irene Hannon (Love Inspired - Melissa Endlich, Editor)

Winter’s End by Ruth Logan Herne (Love Inspired - Melissa Endlich, Editor)



Short Contemporary Suspense:

Night Prey by Sharon Dunn (Love Inspired Suspense - Emily Rodmell, Editor)

Legacy of Lies by Jill Elizabeth Nelson (Love Inspired Suspense - Emily Rodmell, Editor)

Firestorm by Kelly Ann Riley (Love Inspired Suspense - Tina James, Editor)



Short Historical:

Her Healing Ways by Lyn Cote (Love Inspired Historical - Tina James, Editor)

Promise of Tomorrow by S. Dionne Moore (Barbour - JoAnne Simmons, Editor)

The Columns of Cottonwood by Sandra Robbins (Barbour - JoAnne Simmons, Editor)



Speculative Fiction:

The Wolf of Tebron by C. S. Lakin (AMG Publishers - Rick Steele, Editor)

Rooms by James L. Rubart (B&H Publishing - Julee Schwarzburg, Editor)

König’s Fire by Marc Schooley (Marcher Lord Press – Jeff Gerke, Editor)



Suspense/Thriller:

Predator by Terri Blackstock (Zondervan - Sue Brower/Dave Lambert, Editors)

Fear No Evil by Robin Caroll (B&H Publishing – Karen Ball, Editor)

Medical Error by Richard L. Mabry (Abingdon Press – Barbara Scott, Editor)



Women’s Fiction:

Beaded Hope by Cathy Liggett (Tyndale Publishers - Jan Stob/Lorie Popp, Editors)

They Almost Always Come Home by Cynthia Ruchti (Abingdon – Barbara Scott, Editor)

Beyond Summer by Lisa Wingate (NAL - Ellen Edwards, Editor)



Young Adult:

Anything But Normal by Melody Carlson (Revell - Lonnie Hull Dupont, Editor)

Healer’s Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson (Zonderkidz - Jacque Alberta, Editor)

Katy’s New World by Kim Vogel Sawyer (Zonderkidz - Jacque Alberta, Editor)

Congratulations To The 2011 Christy Award Winners! :-)

A heartfelt congrats goes to all of the 2011 Christy Award winners! Have you read any of these books? If so, what did you think about them? I see many wonderfully fine authors on the list! You can view a full list of the nominees here.
~Cecelia Dowdy~

Contemporary Romance

Sworn to Protect
by DiAnn Mills (Tyndale House Publishers)















Contemporary Series, Sequels, and Novellas/
The Reluctant Prophet
by Nancy Rue (David C. Cook)

Contemporary Standalone/

Almost Heaven
by Chris Fabry (Tyndale House Publishers)

First Novel/

Heartless
by Anne Elisabeth Stengl (Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group)

Historical/

While We’re Far Apart
by Lynn Austin (Bethany House Publishers,
a division of Baker Publishing Group)

Historical Romance/

The Girl in the Gatehouse
by Julie Klassen (Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group)

Suspense/

The Bishop
by Steven James (Revell Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group)

Visionary/

To Darkness Fled
by Jill Williamson (Marcher Lord Press)

Young Adult/

Motorcycles, Sushi, and One
Strange Book
by Nancy Rue (Zondervan)

The Blessed By Ann H. Gabhart

The Blessed by Ann H. Gabhart


This book is about Lacey - a motherless woman who came to live with a preacher and his wife as a youngster. After her father re-married, her new stepmother didn't want her living with them. Lacey has a strange relationship with her new "parents" and as an adult, her and the preacher seldom speak, but she's extremely close to Miss Mona, the preacher's wife. Miss Mona is kind and she teaches Lacey a lot about faith and Christianity. Lacey's life changes for the worse when Miss Mona dies, leaving 20-year-old Lacey and Rachel (an abandoned baby who was left in a box on their doorstep a few years ago). Now Lacey feels forced to marry the preacher - who's old enough to be her grandfather, since the church ladies believe it's sinful for her to be living with the preacher as an unmarried woman. When the preacher is sucked into the peaceful, cult-like Shaker community, Lacey and Rachel feel they must live with the Shakers, too.

Also, Isaac, another "worldly" person, is part of the Shaker community. His wife died and he feels guilty for her death. The Shakers take him in and he finds himself attracted to Lacey.

I enjoyed this book, but, as I said in previous reviews, the Shakers still left me with an unsettled feeling, with their strange unBiblical beliefs. One of the Shaker characters kept "seeing" angels and she danced with them in the field and her Shaker brothers/sisters were mesmerized and amazed by her "angelic" ability. I sensed that this book did portray an accurate picture of the Shaker way of life and showed how hard, almost impossible it would be to convert to their way of life. This is a great read if you want to find out more about the Shakers and about how difficult it is to fall in love amidst ones that feel marriage is a sin. I thought the characters were well-developed and the story was enjoyable.

The author also did an awesome job in showing the love between a mother and her child. The Shakers don't believe in families - everybody is a brother and sister to one another. Families are separated - for a mother to be separated from her child...well, just kind of hard to deal with and Ann really did a great job showing these familial-bond emotions.

Many thanks to Baker/Revell for providing me with a free review copy of this novel.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Sunday Brunch! - Should Christians Practice Magic?

Photo courtesy of Free Digital Photos



As mentioned in my blog post last week, I'm going to start a new feature on my blog today entitled Sunday Brunch. Over the past few weeks, I've really been enjoying blogging about the early Christians. Each Sunday (time and subject-matter permitting) I'd like to mention a scripture and ask a question to which blog readers can respond with their opinion. The question won't necessarily be thought-provoking, though! I just sense that I need to talk about the Bible more often on this blog and the Sunday Brunch feature seemed to be the best idea. Also, to keep my Sunday feature consistent with the title, I'll post a mock brunch menu each week. As we "discuss" the scripture, we'll imagine that we just finished eating a tasty brunch and we'll now settle down to the "discussion".

Okay, here we go!

Today's menu:
Orange juice
Coffee
Vanilla bean french toast with maple syrup
Spicy sausages
Home fries

Should Christians dabble with magic?

I know some think that magic is harmless, but, the Bible clearly speaks against sorcery, witchcraft and magic (I’ve noticed the Bible uses these terms somewhat interchangeably at times).
I wanted to talk about a man named Simon who’s mentioned in the book of Acts. He was a magician/sorcerer. Everybody thought he was so great and people followed him – I’m even led to believe that some may have worshiped him. However, Philip came, proclaiming the word of God, Simon “believed” and was baptized. However, after Simon noted Peter and John laying their hands on the baptized, to give them the Holy Spirit, Simon offered them money, wanting them to show him how he could have that very same talent (bestowing of the Holy Spirit by the laying of his hands). Peter blasted Simon for his disbelief about the gospel, telling him he needed to repent. Simon obviously didn’t accept the gospel with a believing and humble heart, he still had that magic rooted in him, and I don’t think he really let go of his love of sorcery.

I think sorcerers do have power, but that power doesn’t come from God. I don’t believe the Lord wants us to dabble with magic or sorcery.

I know some will argue and say a few card tricks are okay, but…I don’t know. Dabbling with any type of magic has always left me feeling a bit leery. Simon was great and people followed him, made me think: What, exactly, was Simon doing to gain such a following? I know he was doing magic, but, what exactly, did he do to gain that much power? Kind of scary when you think about it.

What do you think? Do you think it’s okay to dabble with harmless magic tricks, or do you think people should refuse to dabble at all? I’d be interested in hearing your responses.

I’ve copied and pasted the scripture from Acts that mentions Simon the Sorcerer. Also, I’ve been blogging about the early Christians and the book of Acts recently. You can see more posts about the early Christians here.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Acts 8:9-25 (NIV)

Simon the Sorcerer
9 Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, 10 and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.” 11 They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. 12 But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.
14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. 15 When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money 19 and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
20 Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! 21 You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. 23 For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”

24 Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”

25 After they had further proclaimed the word of the Lord and testified about Jesus, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages.

Upcoming Book Event In Baltimore - July 23, 2011

The Women’s Ministry


Concord Baptist Church

Presents

Christian Fiction Author

Cecelia Dowdy



Saturday, July 23, 2011

Beginning @ 11:30 am

Book reading and signing

Light Reception

The featured book

Chesapeake Weddings

Books will be available for purchase for $8

________________________________________________________________________



Rhonda Yvette Parker, Event Chairperson

Minister Shayna Foster, Women’s Ministry Chair

Dr. Matthew L. Jones, Pastor

Concord Baptist Church

5204 Liberty Heights Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 21215



And these things we write, so that our joy may be complete. 1 John 1:4

Pen Pals! :-) - Writers' Rest Blog Post

Photo courtesy of Free Digital Photos

I'm blogging about pen pals over at Writers' Rest Blog today! Stop by and leave a comment!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Sunday Brunch - Coming Soon

Photo courtesy of Free Digital Photos

Starting this Sunday, I'm going to begin a new feature on my blog entitled Sunday Brunch. I'll be posting a Sunday Brunch blog post each Sunday (time and subject-matter permitting...).

For more information about this new feature, visit my blog this coming Sunday (July 10) for more details! :-)

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Congrats To Irene Hannon - RITA Award Winner

Congrats to Irene Hannon for winning the RWA Rita Award in the Inspirational category! You can see a list of all of the Inspirational category nominees here. Here's information about Irene's winning title:

In Harm's Way

by Irene Hannon

FBI special agent Nick Bradley has seen his share of kooks during his fifteen years with the Bureau. But Rachel Sutton is an enigma. She seems normal when she shows up at the FBI office in St. Louis--until she produces a tattered Raggedy Ann doll she found and tells him she thinks something is wrong because of a strange feeling of terror it gives her when she touches it. Nick dismisses her, only to stumble across a link between the doll and an abducted child, setting in motion a chain of events that uncovers startling connections--and puts Rachel's life on the line.
Filled with palpable suspense and a touch of romance, In Harm's Way is the final installment of the thrilling HEROES OF QUANTICO series.




~Cecelia Dowdy~

Philip In Samaria - Acts 8:5-8

Wow, so scary and amazing. Can you imagine Jesus giving you enough power to drive out evil spirits from the demon-possessed? Can you imagine being paralyzed and then healed? I wish I could've seen this happening. I'm sure sights of the healing and the exorcism of demons was something that one would always rmember. What's the first thing that comes to your mind when you read this scripture?

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Acts 8:5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. 6 And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. 7 For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. 8 And there was great joy in that city.

Chasing Sunsets By Eva Marie Everson

Chasing Sunsets by Eva Marie Everson


This book was light and refreshing. Kimberly is recently divorced from her husband. Amid child-custody disputes, she finds herself alone for part of the summer. Kimberly's father sends her to Cedar Key to find a new housekeeper to clean their summer home. This is the first time Kim has been to Cedar Key since the untimely death of her mother.

During her short visit, she become familiar with some of the locals:
1. Patsy - her elderly next door neighbor and Christian confidante
2. Kim meets a local photographer. Kim has given up photography years ago, and her visit to Cedar Key makes her long for her old hobby of shooting beautiful pictures.
3. Stephen - Kim's high-school romance ended abruptly when Stephen got married to another woman, breaking things off with Kim. Now he's back in the picture, divorced and the father of a college-aged daughter.
4. Rosa - Kim's childhood best friend now treats Kim like a stranger. Kimberly has no idea why Rosa is giving her the cold shoulder - they were as close as two peas in a pod while growing up and now Rosa is a successful real estate agent. Kim wonders about Rosa's frosty attitude.

Can Kim find it in her heart to forgive Stephen for the past? Also, can she open up her heart and learn to fall in love again?

I noticed the author always described what everybody was wearing using brand names and stuff. I'm not much into clothing and didn't care much for reading about the brand names and color-schemes of sneakers and shirts and dresses. However, this didn't take away from the story, and I can imagine that lots of other women would enjoy the detailed descriptions of everybody's clothing.

Overall, I enjoyed this story as it shows how we can heal our past relationships and learn to lean on God for understanding. Kimberly learns that she can't always control the actions of others, but needs to seek God's will to make important decisions in her life.

Many thanks to Baker/Revell for providing a free review copy of this novel.

~Cecelia Dowdy~
From the Back Cover
Sometimes you get a second chance at your first love

Kimberly Tucker's life hasn't turned out the way she thought it would. While her ex is living it up, she struggles to understand what went wrong. When her two sons end up spending five weeks of summer vacation with their father, Kim plans a respite at the family vacation home on tiny Cedar Key. As she revisits the long-forgotten past, she discovers that treasures in life are often buried, and sometimes you do get a second chance at love.

Let yourself get swept away to an island retreat of warm tropical breezes, sandy beaches, and the most glorious sunsets you can imagine.