Redeeming Love

What roads brought Angel to Pair-a-Dice brothel as the most sought after prostitute in town? What keeps her there? What secrets torment her? What will it take to free her from her demons? Is redemption even possible?

To find out, put supper in the crock pot, turn off your cell phone, clear your schedule, and check out Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. It is one of the best nail-biting, page-turning, spell-binding books you will ever read.

More than a masterful work of fiction set in the 1800’s, Redeeming Love is the take-your-breath-away story of God’s loving pursuit of His most cherish Beloved…you.

Under the Overpass

Under the Overpass
by Mike Yankoski

What would God show you, what would He say to you, how would He change you if you forsook your upper-middle class college life to live on the streets for five months as a homeless person? Sounds crazy, doesn't it, to leave all and follow Christ into a dying, lost word?

In the spring and summer of 2003 Mike Yankoski and Sam Purvis did just that. You can read about their life-changing experience on the streets in Under the Overpass.

Prepare to be shaken, challenged, and changed.

~ Drewe Llyn Jeffcoat

Through Gates of Splendor/ These Strange Ashes

Through Gates of Splendor and These Strange Ashes
Both by Elisabeth Elliot

On January 6, 1956, five American missionaries were speared to death in their attempt to bring the Gospel to the Waodani, a brutal Indian tribe located in Ecuador. Through Gates of Splendor is the poignant retelling of that story by one of the widows. Later, that widow (Elisabeth Elliot), her daughter, and a sister to one of those killed lived among the Waodoni eventually leading them to Christ.

I don’t remember how I discovered this book, but it was my first glimpse into real lives 100% totally sold out to Jesus regardless the cost. It left me awestruck, challenging my own level of devotion to the cause of Christ. It built upon what God had been stirring in my heart with In His Steps. I also feel it planted the seeds which eventually grew into my own heart for missions and our family’s two year service overseas. In some ways that service was disappointing, leaving me empty. Elliot’s These Strange Ashes – another incredible book about self-sacrifice- helped me put that experience into perspective which is this: it’s all about Christ and my relationship with Him. (These Strange Ashes is a must read for anyone going through a severe time of testing.)

The Through Gates of Splendor story has been retold in a new film scheduled to be released on January 20, 2006. My husband and I were privileged to a free screening last night. You won’t want to miss End of the Spear. It is rated PG-13 due to violence. (Let’s face it, spearing to death is not a pleasant thing to watch.) There is also quite a bit of flesh showing, however, if you’ve read Elliot’s The Savage my Kinsman you will quickly realize the film covers more flesh than the real tribe did. It is told from Mincayani’s perspective. (He’s one of the killers.) All the Indian dialogue is in subtitles creating a greater sense of realism. The film is a must see and is evangelical in nature, though not pushy. My only disappointment is that it left, in my view, the conversion of Micayani underplayed. In reality, a church was planted among the Waodani people and Micayani baptized Nate Saint’s son, Steve, in the same river where he murdered Steve’s dad.

Another outstanding telling of this story is is Fate of the Yellow Woodbee by Dave and Neta Jackson. (A trailblazer book and great children's read-a-loud.)

~ Reviewed by Drewe Llyn Jeffcoat

The Simple Faith of Mr. Rogers

The Simple Faith of Mr. Rogers

by Amy Hollingsworth

I was not quite four years old when "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood" made its television debut on February 19, 1968. I'm not sure if my family wasn't able to pick it up, or if my parents limited my t.v. consumption allowing me only one viewing per day. Whatever the case, my own childhood t.v. memories revolve around Sesame Street which first aired November 10, 1969.

It really doesn't matter when I first "met" Mr. Rogers via tv, it just matters that I did. He became such a part of my children's lives that then 4 year-old Kyle was distraught we had to take his 1-year-old sister to the Urgent Care for stitches during "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood". I don't blame him. I always found "The Neighborhood" to be a peaceful place where children were highly valued - everyone was highly valued. We "went" to see how crayons and assorted other things were manufactured, and who couldn't love Daniel Striped Tiger?

Though my children had outgrown the show by the time Fred Rogers died, we were all still saddened by news of his death. The man was gentle and kind, traits hard to come by in today's television market.

Mr. Rogers granted few interviews for he knew the habit of many in the media to distort the facts. He did, however, grant a couple of interviews to a woman by the name of Amy Hollingsworth which sparked a close friendship. After Rogers' death, Amy wrote a book about the man behind the very successful "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood".

While I would not add The Simple Faith of Mr. Rogers to my list of life-changing books, I highly recommend it for anyone who get's warm-fuzzies when they are around trollies or who often catch themselves singing "It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood." Fred Rogers' faith was deep and real. He considered the space between the television and the viewer to be sacred ground which required him to be in tune with the Holy Spirit each and every day.

I think even we adults could learn a thing or two from Mr. Rogers' simple faith.

~ Drewe Llyn Jeffcoat

The Circle Trilogy

Black, Red, and White – The Circle Trilogy by Ted Dekker

For those of us who grew up in church, can name all sixty-six books of the Bible (spelling most of them correctly), and memorized John 3:16 before we were out of diapers (well, maybe not quite that soon) sometimes (and I hate to admit it), sometimes those poignant and life-changing stories of old become (how do I say this) mundane…too familiar…taken for granted.

In steps Ted Dekker with his Circle Trilogy to save the day, or at least give us a fresh glimpse of our heritage and our faith. Even non-believers will enjoy this series as they are full of action, suspense, passion, and all the things that make for a good story. If someone like Peter Jackson (of Lord of the Rings fame) got hold of this it would become an epic film. Be prepared to see the Bible come to life in a completely unexpected way.

What happens when Thomas hits his head and awakes in another reality only to find that somehow he’s the key to saving both worlds? Which reality is real anyway? What will happen if someone drinks the water of Teeleh? Just how far will someone go to save the one he loves? Will the Raison Strain actually destroy earth as we know it? Who is Elyon? What is the Great Romance all about? Where did all those black bats come from? To find out, start by picking up Black, but be forewarned, you’ll have trouble putting it down so make sure someone else is keeping an eye on supper…it might burn while you're turning pages.

Power of a Praying Husband/Wife

God has really put a burden on my heart for families which are undeniably under attack today. Satan knows the home is the heart of the church and the nation; if he can destroy us there, at our tender spot, then he has the upper hand. We know, of course, that God holds the ultimate victory, but there are too many casualties along the way. For that reason I want to recommend a book that changed my life in regard to marriage. It’s a pair of books really: The Power of a Praying Wife and The Power of a Praying Husband both by Stormie Omartian. (When you have children pick up Power of a Praying Parent.) I cannot overstate the life-changing (marriage-changing) power of these books. It’s not that Omartian is offering some magical incantation that will miraculously strengthen marriages and families, it’s that she opens our eyes to the many facets of our husband’s (or our wife’s) life that need prayer cover. The power is in prayer.

The books are divided into short chapters, each highlighting an area of our spouse’s life which needs to be prayed over. Many are areas I’d not thought of before. A strong marriage requires prayer to keep it strong, and sincere prayer is the only hope for a marriage that is floundering. Don’t just say you believe in prayer – DO IT! These books are not for the faint of heart or those looking for a quick marriage “fix”. They are for couples who are willing to invest their heart and lives into strengthening their marriage one day at a time.

I John 5 14 says, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God; that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” You can be assured God wants our marriages to succeed – to be rich in love and faithfulness, why wouldn’t He help us achieve it?


~ Drewe Llyn Jeffcoat

If you'd like more information on Stormie Omartian just click on her name.

The Simple Faith of Mr. Rogers

The Simple Faith of Mr. Rogers

by Amy Hollingsworth

I was not quite four years old when "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood" made its television debut on February 19, 1968. I'm not sure if my family wasn't able to pick it up, or if my parents limited my t.v. consumption allowing me only one viewing per day. Whatever the case, my own childhood t.v. memories revolve around Sesame Street which first aired November 10, 1969.

It really doesn't matter when I first "met" Mr. Rogers via tv, it just matters that I did. He became such a part of my children's lives that then 4 year-old Kyle was distraught we had to take his 1-year-old sister to the Urgent Care for stitches during "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood". I don't blame him. I always found "The Neighborhood" to be a peaceful place where children were highly valued - everyone was highly valued. We "went" to see how crayons and assorted other things were manufactured, and who couldn't love Daniel Striped Tiger?

Though my children had outgrown the show by the time Fred Rogers died, we were all still saddened by news of his death. The man was gentle and kind, traits hard to come by in today's television market.

Mr. Rogers granted few interviews for he knew the habit of many in the media to distort the facts. He did, however, grant a couple of interviews to a woman by the name of Amy Hollingsworth which sparked a close friendship. After Rogers' death, Amy wrote a book about the man behind the very successful "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood".

While I would not add The Simple Faith of Mr. Rogers to my list of life-changing books, I highly recommend it for anyone who get's warm-fuzzies when they are around trollies or who often catch themselves singing "It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood." Fred Rogers' faith was deep and real. He considered the space between the television and the viewer to be sacred ground which required him to be in tune with the Holy Spirit each and every day.

I think even we adults could learn a thing or two from Mr. Rogers' simple faith.

~ Drewe Llyn Jeffcoat