Rhonda's Doings !

A Christmas Haven  (An Amish Christmas Romance #2) by Cindy Woodsmall & Erin Woodsmall Book Description: Old Order Amish Ivy Zook is wrestling with her need to shed her community's ways so she can grow the business of her dreams: planning parties.  As long as she's stuck living without modernization, she can barely get her business on its feet. But if she leaves too soon, she'd cause trouble for her sister, Holly, who is planning her wedding to Joshua Smucker.  All of their plans become twice as complicated when an old car crashes into the storefront of Greene's Pharmacy, carrying a Swartzentruber (Ultra-conservative order of Amish) Amish man, Arlan, and his very ill sister. The Zooks take in Arlan and Magda, tending to the woman's illness and Arlan begins helping around the family farm.  Ivy and Arlan are on different tracks, one wanting to leave her community and the other wanting to return to his. But both young people are trying to discover what God ...

Advent for Everyone: Matthew  (A Daily Devotional) by N. T. Wright Advent for Everyone: Matthew  provides readers with an inspirational guide through the Advent season, from the First Sunday of Advent through the Saturday after the Fourth Sunday of Advent. Popular biblical scholar and author N. T. Wright provides his own Scripture translation and brief reflection to guide readers through the season toward the wonder and joy of Christmas. This book is suitable for both individual and group study and reflection. MY BOOK REVIEW:   4 stars:  4/5 star rating What a great way to usher Christmas into your heart than to focus on the Christmas story as told through the Biblical scripture.  I love that the entire scriptural text is included in each day's devotional reading.  There is a lesson and reflection for each week and then further, divided by day of the week,  and a question to ponder for each day as well.   This is biblically sound...

A VOW FOR CHRISTMAS  by Linda Carroll-Bradd In the two years since his beloved wife died, rancher Chad Rutherford has done the best for his family. But with his sister leaving the family ranch to get married, he needs to find someone to keep house and tend his kids so he places an ad for a mail-order bride. Left on her own by her brother’s murder, spinster Vika Carmichael must find a way to life. An ad for a mail-order bride from a widower with small children seems like the perfect fit. Until she arrives in Gunnison City, Colorado, and wonders if room for her exists in their hearts. Will two proud individuals find a way to work together, or will their marriage vow be broken by Christmas? A heartwarming, sweet western historical romance Previous Titles in the Series Book 1--A Marshal for Christmas by P. Creeden Book 2--A Bride for Christmas by Cheryl Wright Book 3--A Husband for Christmas by Margaret Tanner Book 4--A Farmer for Christmas by Marisa Masterson Book 5--A Family for ...

AN AMISH CHRISTMAS KITCHEN Three Novellas Celebrating the Warmth of the Season by Leslie Gould, Jan Drexler, & Kate Lloyd Book Description: As the weather grows cold and the nights grow long, the cheer and warmth of the Christmas season is one thing all readers can find comfort in. This collection from bestselling Amish fiction novelists Leslie Gould, Jan Drexler, and Kate Lloyd finds the beating heart at the center of the holiday and offers three novellas that celebrate family, faith, and especially the sights and smells of a bustling holiday kitchen. Leslie Gould tells the story of how, in the wake of a heartbreaking loss, a young Amish woman finds unexpected comfort and hope in a yearly baking tradition surrounding the local Lancaster Christmas market. Jan Drexler offers a sweet tale of a shy Amish woman who decides to use her gift for sweets to woo a local Amish boy with her beloved Christmas cookies. And Kate Lloyd offers a heartwarming tale of a woman's unexpected ...

40 Days of Christmas : Celebrating the Glory of Our Savior by Joseph Castleberry Book description: Who wants Christmas just one day a year? Celebrate for forty days! Do you find your attention consumed by the pressures of the Christmas season—capturing the perfect Christmas card photo, finding the perfect gift, serving the perfect meal, or creating the perfect experience for your family? It’s all too easy to lose sight of what is important. With daily Scriptures, inspirational readings, and uplifting prayers,  40 Days of Christmas  is a devotional designed to help you enjoy three of the traditional church calendar seasons. Prepare your heart during Advent, rejoice in His birth at Christmas, and reveal the light of Christ on Epiphany. Focus on the richness of God’s presence during this period of fuss and feasting as you celebrate the glory of the Savior. Every good thing you associate with Christmas flows from God’s Spirit, and the Spirit of Christmas can remain with y...

Premeditated Peppermint  (An Amish Candy Shop Mystery #3)  by Amanda Flower Someone’s sweet on revenge . . . Christmas is Bailey King’s favorite time of year. For her first Yuletide in Harvest, Ohio, the former big-city chocolatier is recreating a cherished holiday treat: peppermint combined with molten white chocolate. But her sugar high plummets when her former boyfriend walks into the candy shop she now runs with her Amish grandmother. New York celebrity chef Eric Sharp and his TV crew have arrived to film an authentic Amish Christmas. Bailey’s not about to let her beloved town—and Swissmen Sweets—be turned into a sound bite. Unfortunately, she gets more publicity than she bargained for when Eric’s executive producer is found strangled to death—and Eric’s the prime suspect.  With Bailey’s sheriff deputy boyfriend out to prove Eric’s guilt, her bad-boy ex tries to sweet-talk her into helping him clear his name . . . and rekindle their romance to boost rat...

An Amish Christmas Love by Beth Wiseman, Amy Clipston, Ruth Reid, & Kelly Irvin Book Description: Winter Kisses   by Beth Wiseman Three generations of Stoltzfus women are all living under the same roof. At twenty-five, Naomi has never been married, and both her mother, Barbara, and her grandmother, Ruth, have recently been widowed. Each nursing broken or lonely hearts, they also each have potential suitors. When a storm on Christmas Eve forces the three couples to take shelter in the basement of the Stotlzfus homestead, secrets are revealed, hearts are opened, and all three potential grooms drop to their knees for very different reasons a proposal, a prayer, and an epiphany. The Christm as Cat   by Amy Clipston Emma Bontrager is spending her first Christmas alone after her husband of 45 years, Henry, passed away in July. Although the Amish don't normally allow animals in their homes, a big, fat, orange barn cat keeps coming into Emma's house. She shoos the cat away...

The Amish Christmas Candle (Three Amish Christmas Novellas) by Kelly Long, Jennifer Beckstrand, & Lisa Jones Baker Book Description: At the heart of winter's darkness is the joyous glow of the Christmas season. In this love-filled holiday collection, warm yourself with the peaceful light of Plain gifts. SNOW SHINE ON ICE MOUNTAIN Kelly Long When staid Naomi Gish's mischievous father hires strapping Gray Fisher at their candle shop for the season, she's positive the old man has an ulterior motive. She doesn't need help--but as Gray learns the craft of candle making, Naomi learns that love is not only possible, but God's most precious gift. A HONEYBEE CHRISTMAS Jennifer Beckstrand Of all the sacrifices Bitsy Kiem made to raise her three nieces Amish, giving up her Englisch life was the only thing she missed. With the girls married now, she has a chance to kick up her heels this Christmas--unless widowed Yost Weaver can convince her that Plain love is ...