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Communities
Between Two Worlds: The Spiritual Journey of an Evangelical Catholic by Mike Timmis
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Introducing the new blog alliance devoted to Non~Fiction books, Non~FIRST, a component of Fiction in Rather Short Takes (FIRST). (Join our alliance! Click the button!) This is our very first blog tour. Normally, we will post every 15th day of every month, featuring an author and his/her latest book’s FIRST chapter!
The special feature author is:
and his book:
Between Two Worlds: The Spiritual Journey of an Evangelical Catholic
NavPress (February 2008)
ABOUT THE MIKE TIMMIS:
Mike Timmis had it all.
How does a kid from working-class Detroit become an international ambassador for Christ? And what motivated an evangelical-based ministry to choose this Catholic as its chairman? Mike Timmis’s inspiring life as a Catholic and evangelical leader reveals how our unity in Christ transcends the two worlds’ differences. From him, we learn how Catholics and evangelicals can go into an alienated world together as ministers of reconciliation and witnesses to God’s salvation and love.
Mike Timmis is a chairman of both Prison Fellowship in America and Prison Fellowship International. He was also a practicing lawyer and businessman. A Roman Catholic, Mike is deeply involved in ministry in his hometown of Detroit as well as projects in Africa and Central and South America. He and his wife, Nancey, are parents of two and grandparents of four.
AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:
Chapter One
Taking Life into My Own Hands
On January 18, 1991, I was flying in a small two-engine plane in east-central Africa from Burundi to Kenya. Our party had just come from a wonderful meeting with Burundi’s President Pierre Buyoya where we’d shared the gospel with him and a number of cabinet ministers. Still, we were somewhat anxious because the Persian Gulf War had started the previous day. Right then, American fighters were in the air against Iraqi positions.
My wife, Nancy, and my son, Michael Jr., were with me, as well as Gene Dewey, the former second-in-command at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and Sam Owen, a fellow believer then living in Nairobi. This trip was part of the quiet diplomacy I had undertaken as a member of a group called The Fellowship. We worked on behalf of the poor by raising up Jesus with world leaders, one means of pursuing the ministry of reconciliation that Christ entrusted to His followers.
As we flew over northern Tanzania, the pilot was suddenly issued an order that we were to land immediately. I was sitting close enough to the cockpit to hear the squawking instructions coming over the radio. I quickly assured the pilot that we had the requisite permission to fly over Tanzanian air space. The State Department had issued an order to American citizens to stay clear of Tanzania, an Iraq ally, so I made sure—or thought I had—that we had permission to fly over Tanzania en route to Kenya. The pilot relayed my protest to the Tanzanians.
“No, you do not have permission!” came the reply. “You must land immediately, or we will force you down.”
We landed at the small city airport of Mwanza. As we stepped down onto the tarmac, a military jeep pulled up. A cadre of officials and police officers met us and immediately arrested the pilot and impounded the plane.
Their leader also demanded our passports. I was reluctant to give these up, because no matter what alternative flight arrangements we might be able to make, we would be stranded without passports. Because I had requested—and been granted—permission to fly over Tanzania, our detention was making me angry. (Later I found out that the flight service we were using had previously flouted Tanzanian regulations and had again on this occasion.) Because my family was with me, I restrained my temper. My jaw clenched, I reluctantly handed over my passport.
We were allowed to find our own accommodations in Mwanza, and we found a car that took us to the New Hotel Mwanza. I would hate to have seen the old Hotel Mwanza. We were the hotel’s only guests, and for good reason. The first thing I did was check under the bed for bugs and rats.
As we caught our breath in our hotel room, I asked Nancy if she was afraid. “No, I’m not afraid,” she said. “You are with me, our son is with us, and God is with us.”
Even though we were stranded in an African backwater, I felt the same. I knew I was where God wanted us to be and felt—as I always have in my travels to what are now 114 nations—that God was going before me. In my many years of traveling on various missions, I’ve always felt protected by the special anointing that comes with God’s commission. Lost geographically, I was still at home spiritually, and for that reason at peace. Read more
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Review: For Pete’s Sake by Linda Windsor
Ellen is a tomboy at heart. She rides a Harley. She hates dressing up. She doesn’t mind getting dirty from time to time. She wonders if she’ll ever meet her true love.
Then widower Adrian moves in next door with his son Pete. There’s something special about Pete, and Ellen is drawn to him right away. And Pete’s dad isn’t bad looking, either. As Ellen spends time with Pete, helping him through some of his troubled times, she finds herself falling for Pete’s dad.
There’s only one problem. Adrian is engaged. That doesn’t seem to matter to Ellen’s meddling mother, who is determined that Ellen and Adrian are made for each other.
What I Liked
For Pete’s Sake is a sweet story, and I loved all of the relationships in the story. Adrian and Pete. Ellen and Pete. Adrian and Ellen. And there were so many more.
I loved the fact that Linda Windsor crafted Pete as a loveable kid with an increasingly common disability. That made the story even more real for me. I think it also broke down some stereotypes about this particular issue. (And I won’t tell you what it is, so I don’t spoil the story for you).
The story contains plenty of intrigue, with Adrian trying to figure out who has hacked into his computer files and is compromising his business. It contains plenty of romantic angst between Ellen and Adrian and Adrian and his fiance. And I especially love seeing how Pete grows and develops throughout the story.
What I Thought Could be Better
At times I thought the story was a little predictable. I had the ending figured out before I got there, and that bugged me a little bit. But other than that, I thought it was a good story.
In the end I give For Pete’s Sake three and a half stars. It’s not gripping, but it is fun!
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It’s Time for the Spring Reading Challenge!
It’s springtime, and it’s time for the Spring Reading Challenge! Katrina at Callapidder Days hosts the annual reading challenge, where those who love to read can set some goals and make it a point to get reading. Your list can be as big or as small as you like. Just make it a point to read. If you’d like to participate, just head to Callapidder Days to read the official rules.
My spring reading list is pretty extensive. I’ve got a long list of books to review. And I’m planning on a lot of giveaways, too! So here’s the list, and do check back frequently if you like to win books!
Fiction
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Betrayed by JM Windle
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When Zeffie Got a Clue by Peggy Darty
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Amber Morn by Brandilyn Collins
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Trouble the Water by Nicole Seitz
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My Soul To Keep by Melanie Wells
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Winter Haven by Athol Dickson
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Finding Hollywood Nobody by Lisa Samson
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The Warriors by Mark Andrew Olsen
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The Big Picture by Jennie B. Jones
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Healing Promises by Amy Wallace
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Embrace Me by Lisa Samson
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Ruby Among Us by Tina Ann Forkner
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DragonLight by Donita Paul
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From A Distance by Tamera Alexander
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I Heart Bloomberg by Melody Carlson
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Hunted by Mike Dellosso
Non-Fiction
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How to Have More Than Enough by Dave Ramsey
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Dadditude by Philip Lerman
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Live Well on Less Than You Think by Fred Brock
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A Christian’s Guide to Investing by Danny Fontana
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Your Kids Can Master Their Money by Ron & Judy Blue and Jeremy White
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Preparing Your Daughter for Every Woman’s Battle by Shannon Ethridge
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Between Two Worlds: The Spiritual Journey of an Evangelical Catholic by Mike Timmis
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The Handbook for Discovering God’s Will by Gordon Jackson
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Do Hard Things… A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations by Alex and Brett Harris
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Exposing Darwinism’s Weakest Link: Why Evolution Can’t Explain Human Existence by Kenneth Poppe
I know this is a huge list, but I’m confident I can get this done. I love to read. I just have to get off my computer long enough to get started. 
Now head on over to Callepiddar Days, so you can join the challenge too!
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On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson
This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness
WaterBrook Press (March 18, 2008)
by
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Author/Singer/Songewriter Andrew Peterson, a 2005 Audie Award finalist for his readings of Ray Blackston’s Flabbergasted trilogy, wrote and produced the popular Christmas play and musical Behold the Lamb of God: The True Tale of the Coming of the Christ, and the album by the same name, which received the 2004 Best Album of the Year, World Christian Music’s Editors Choice Award. Andrew’s received critical acclaim for his seven albums and is at work on an eighth. He lives with his wife Jamie and their three young children near Nashville, Tennessee, where he reads storybooks aloud to his family each evening.
Artist Justin Gerard has illustrated several children’s books, including The Lightlings storybooks for young readers by R.C. Sproul. He lives in Greenville, South Carolina, and works as the chief creative officer for Portland Studios.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Once, in a cottage above the cliffs on the Dark Sea of Darkness, there lived three children and their trusty dog Nugget. Janner Igiby, his brother Tink, their crippled sister Leeli are gifted children as all children are, loved well by a noble mother and ex-pirate grandfather. But they will need all their gifts and all that love to survive the evil pursuit of the venomous Fangs of Dang who have crossed the dark sea to rule the land with malice and pursue the Igibys who hold the secret to the lost legend and jewels of good King Wingfeather of the Shining Isle of Anniera.
Andrew Peterson spins a quirky and riveting tale of the Igibys’ extraordinary journey from Glipwood’s Dragon Day Festival and a secret hidden in the Books and Crannies Bookstore, past the terrifying Black Carriage, clutches of the horned hounds and loathsome toothy cows surrounding AnkleJelly Manor, through the Glipwood Forest and mysterious treehouse of Peet the Sock Man (known for a little softshoe and wearing tattered socks on his hands and arms), to the very edge of the Ice Prairies.
Full of characters rich in heart, smarts, and courage, On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness presents a world of wonder and a tale children of all ages will cherish, families can read aloud, and readers’ groups are sure to discuss for its layers of meaning about life’s true treasure and tangle of the beautiful and horrible, temporal and eternal, and good and bad.
“So good–smart, funny, as full of ideas as action.”
–Jonathan Rogers, author of The Wilderking Trilogy
“A wildly imaginative, wonderfully irreverent epic that shines with wit and wisdom–and features excellent instructions on how to cope with Thwaps, Fangs, and the occasional Toothy Cow.”
–Allan Heinberg, writer/co-executive producer of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, and co-creator of Marvel Comics Young Avengers
“Totally fun! Andrew Peterson, a natural storyteller in the oral tradition, has nailed the voice needed to translate a rip-roaring fantasy tale to the written page.”
–Donita K. Paul, author of DragonSpell, DragonKnight, DragonQuest, and DragonFire
To read this book for yourself, check your local library or purchase it here.
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Review & Giveaway: Truffles by the Sea by Julie Carobini
Gaby Flores has lost just about everything. Her employee ran off with most of her flower business, and her apartment burned to the ground. She’s broke, desperate, and determined not to be a gullible person anymore.
She moves into a loft on the California coast that is surprisingly affordable. As she struggles to get her life back together, she’s faced with challenging neighbors, two potential boyfriends, and the constant nagging of her best friend Bri.
Throughout Truffles by the Sea my heart sank as Gaby continued to rely on herself to meet her challenges. She was a likeable character, and I just wanted to reach through the pages of the book and help her out.
The story took several twists and turns, and I never knew exactly which characters I could trust. But through the whole saga, I was rooting for Gaby to find the peace that she was looking for.
This was a sweet story. It wasn’t too intense, and despite Gaby’s struggles, the story is very lighthearted. Perfect to throw in your beach bag over the summer.
I give this book four out of five truffles!
To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment (make sure you enter a valid email address) on this post. Due to the increased cost of shipping, I’m afraid I need to limit this giveaway to the United States only. I’ll close comments at noon on Friday, March 21, 2008 and draw a winner using Random.org.
To buy your own copy of Truffles by the Sea by Julie Carobini, visit Amazon.com.
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