Revived by Grace (Journey of Grace Book 1)

---

I thought Piper did a good job balancing compassion for those with medical anxiety with encouraging verses. I liked his comments on Matthew 6: If God is willing and able to feed such insignificant creatures as birds who cannot do anything to bring their food into being - as you can by farming - then He will certainly provide what you need, because you are worth a lot more than birds Compared to the flowers of the field you are a much higher priority for God, because you will live forever, and can thus bring Him eternal praise. Nevertheless, God has such an overflow of creative energy and care, He lavishes it on flowers that last only a matter of days.

So He will certainly take that same energy and creative skill and use it to care for His children who will live forever. I ended up writing the name of a family member or friend next to each of them, and praying these things for them. Chapter 4 discussed various verses on grace. Chapter 5 discussed the interplay between grace and mercy, as well as various verses with conditional grace, promises of God for specific people if they are Christians is generally what the condition is, then the promise applies or promises of God that have a condition of a particular action, according to the text.

Piper is right in that many people try to take these promises out of context and forget about the conditions attached. God's love may be unconditional, but conditional promises do not trouble me. It's not contradictory because I know it is in our best interests to fulfill the condition. As for salvation itself, I have heard it described as a gift - a huge, expensive gift - but one still has to accept it and open it in order to have it.

It's important to see what conditions are attached to which promises - and usually, the conditions are trivial to meet, as compared with the vastness of the promise. I liked Piper's comment on Ephesians 2: The verse says, "[God] raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

One is that the purpose of our salvation is for God to lavish the riches of His grace on us. The other is that it will take Him forever to do it. After the more obvious verses on pride, Piper talked about self-pity as a form of pride in that "self-pity says I deserve admiration because I have sacrificed so much The need self-pity feels does not come from a sense of unworthiness, but from a sense of unrecognized worthiness.

It is the response of unapplauded pride In the heart of the proud, anxiety is to the future what self-pity is to the past. And hopefully react to them better by affirming their intrinsic worth, not to build up a false sense of pride, but to validate their personhood. Chapter 7 was about remembering the past where God was faithful while praying for the future.

Chapter 8 was about heaven. Chapter 9 was about the promise, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Piper reattached this verse to its context in the following verses.

That's interesting to me, because our senior pastor recently preached a series on verses frequently taken out of context calling them "cliches" and reattached this verse to the preceding ones. Which is fine that they chose differently. It belongs to both the verses before and after. My pastor chose to define some of these words differently. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I've heard these differences in thought before, and I won't say with which I agree. Chapter 10 - Misplaced Shame. I thought Piper's first footnote on this chapter was important, and wished he'd included it in the main text of the chapter, but I do understand that he couldn't include everything.

It was about how the word for shame in the scriptures has a slightly different meaning and connotation than the word used for shame today in psychological circles. To me, this was important to clarify what he was talking about. I had thought before of a couple of verses that deal with false guilt or shame, but Piper far exceeded me in his long list of verses about times to be unashamed. I appreciated this chapter because so much time in Christian circles can be devoted to talking about true guilt and yes, Jesus forgiving us , but not much time is spent talking about false guilt and shame.

This list of verses brought some clarity with it. I also liked Piper's quote on the matter. Much of our shame is not God-centered, but self-centered. I depended on it to revive me, and I think He did. So, yes, I am familiar with finding "wonderful things from Your Law," Psalm I remember being in a Bible study once, too, on the importance of reading the Bible, and discovering the various verses on freedoms that come from it - freedom from fear is the one that sticks in my mind, but there were others.

One lady in that study went from saying, "If she mentions the Bible, I'm outta here! I don't know why she was attending a Bible study if she were that opposed to the Bible to begin with, but that's another story. I do have one nit-pick with John Piper in this chapter, and it's only a nit-pick because I know he really knows better. He said, "The lesson of the whole Old Testament could be summed up in the words of Psalm Chapter 12 - more on the law.

It seemed to me that Piper could've reached one of his points a little more directly, on connecting faith and love. So, to truly have faith that He is Who He says is to love Him. The more we know of Him and His goodness towards us, the more we love Him. Likewise, Piper said that loving others comes from faith.

I would add that it comes from the faith that God did make them in His image and that Jesus did die for them. Chapter 13 - Impatience. I disagreed with his opening statement, "Impatience is a form of unbelief. But sometimes, I think it might just be an eagerness for relief in some capacity while waiting on God. I did, however, like Piper's descriptions of patience. Impatient people are weak, and therefore dependent on external supports - like schedules that go just right and circumstances that support their fragile hearts Patience demands tremendous inner strength.

Chapter 14 - God's Glory. Chapter 15 - Spiritual Beauty.

This chapter was about making sure we are "really saved. Chapter 16 - Satisfaction in God. This is more ponderings and verses about those who leave God. Piper spent some time contrasting those who love the praise of men more than the praise of God. Chapter 17 - Covetousness. Or, losing your contentment in God so that you start to seek it elsewhere. Chapter 18 - Conditional Promises. Piper was back to Romans 8: I would add that loving God is not just the emotion of finding pleasure in Him, but as Jesus said, showing it through obedience.

He just didn't elaborate on it here. Chapter 19 - More on the conditions. Piper did a very thorough job categorizing promises by their conditions. He had about 2 pages devoted to verses for those "who love God and His Son," a section for those promises for those who are humble, a section for promises for those who draw near to God, a section for promises for those who cry to God for grace, a large section for those who fear God I couldn't help drawing a smiley face by one of those , a section for Biblical promises for those who take refuge in God, those who wait for God again, I drew an impulsive smiley face , those who trust God, and a section for those who keep His covenant.

Chapter 20 - Faith. Piper took all the categories for the different conditions of the promises in chapter 19 and showed how each category of condition was a description of how someone inwardly acts out of faith. He summed it up with, "All the conditions of future grace that we have looked at are not additions to faith, but expressions of faith.

Piper mentioned the concern that my aunt once expressed to me. How could she enjoyed heaven if someone she loved never believed and ended up in hell? It is something I've wondered myself. She wondered if perhaps God will give us a sort of amnesia for them to dull the pain of missing them. Piper quoted Revelation But because of those two verses, Piper says, "These means that the final destruction of the unrepentant will not be experienced as a misery for God's people. The unwillingness of others to repent will not hold the affections of the saints hostage.

Hell will not be able to blackmail heaven into misery. God's judgment will be approved and the saints will experience the vindication of truth as a great grace. I still don't know the answer to that secret, except that it will not be a cold-hearted one. Chapter 22 - Love vs Desire Chapter 23 - Ministry. I loved the scripture verses with all the prayers for grace on the matter, and I also loved the story Piper told about 2 Corinthians 4: The verse has been an encouragement to me, too.

Sometimes, when I've been discouraged, I've thought about this verse and said to myself, "Well, I do still have this ministry, so God must still be using me somehow. This chapter looks at how Jesus fought despondency in Gethsemane. Chapter 25 - Struggle. Again, this chapter had a page that I ear-marked to reread for comfort during times of death or dying.

Chapter 26 - Sin. It was interesting to me how Piper expanded the meaning of money in 1 Timothy 6: Piper said that "Satan began [in the garden of Eden] by calling God's goodness into question and that has been his primary strategy ever since. Chapter 27 - Lust Chapter 28 - Suffering. Future grace is glorified by intense and joyful confidence [in Him.

No, wandering one, as it was Jesus who drew thee when He spake, 'Come,' so it is Jesus who keeps thee when He says 'Abide. Chesterton "We are but images of God, not the real thing. We are shadows and echoes. So there will always be an emptiness in the soul that struggles to be satisfied with the resources of self. They are doable because we are under grace. Waiting for God and taking refuge in God, and hoping in God and crying out to God mean looking to Him as a valiant rescuer.

Trusting God means counting on His trustworthiness to meet every need.

Grace in the Shadows

And fearing God means standing in awe at the infinite chasm between His holiness and power on the one hand, and my sin and weakness on the other. They cannot survive the contentment and confidence and fullness of joy that come from satisfaction in the forgiving God of future grace. It's not an office; its a lifestyle devoted to advancing other people's faith and holiness. Sep 04, Jimmy Reagan rated it it was amazing. How would you like a book that takes the concept of grace and interweaves it through the whole of Scripture? By that I mean what grace really means to us.

How does faith play out to bring the dramatic power of grace into our lives? How does grace, faith, sin, and the promises of God interrelate to make the Christian life the awesome thing it is? I assure you that Mr. Piper makes one of the strongest explanations I have seen in that regard. He connected a few dots for me.

Though he ties many things together, his theme is one: We find that that simple theme brings great clarity to the Christian life as expressed in the Scriptures. For example, he describes sin as what you do when you are not satisfied with God. We sin, he says, because we believe we will find happiness there. That presupposes a lack of faith in what God said. If we believed His grace will deliver what it promised, it would be impossible to think that the sin in question could bring happiness. He justly describes how we so often try to motivate ourselves and others by saying that we owe the Lord for what He did for us.

Though what He did for us is monumental beyond description, he shows that is not at all how the Bible seeks to motivate us. No, he rightly argues, our problem is always a lack of faith, not a lack of gratitude, when it comes to the matter of radically following and obeying Jesus Christ. Pride, he goes on, is a specific form of unbelief that is a turning from God to self.

With that goes a loss of faith that comes a foolish faith in the promises of self. If there is an itch one does want to scratch; but it is much nicer to have neither the itch nor the scratch. There is so much more. How did they do it?

They believed the promises of God and the grace they contain. Besides a few points of disagreement, I love this book. I find it superior to his writings on Christian hedonism, though he believes they are connected. It is pages that I had to read slowly, but it is worth it. He has conveniently given this work in 31 chapters if you want to take a month with it. That might be the best way. This volumes re-establishes how my faith in what my Lord has told me is so essential to the overall success of my Christian life. For that, I thank Mr.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Jul 06, John rated it liked it. This is a book that demands the reader's full attention. It didn't always get that from me. So sometime, I'm going to read it in the way John Piper suggests, one chapter a day for 31 days. To the best of my understanding, the theme is that we don't do good works out of gratitude. That comes dangerously close, Piper argues, to trying to pay God for what He has done for us, which would: But our good works are evidence of the faith that has transformed us.

If the This is a book that demands the reader's full attention. If there are no good works there is no faith, regardless of what we might say. We are able to do good works not just because of what God has done but because of our faith in what He will do, i.

It's not just being sure of what he did do, but also being satisfied with what he will do. Included among them are Charles Spurgeon and the missionary David Brainerd. I found it strangely encouraging that Brainerd, who could write, "Oh, how sweet it is to be spent and worn out for God! Apr 14, Lisa rated it really liked it Shelves: This is clearly one of Piper's early works, as is evident by the very short list of "other books by the author" in the back only 7 titles if you can believe it!

I don't know if the book being nearly 20 years old was a contributing factor but I found parts of Piper's writing to be confusing and rather complicated. Several times I debated putting the book aside not because I disagreed with what he said but rather it seemed to be said in a tedious and somewhat repetitious manner.

However, I pe This is clearly one of Piper's early works, as is evident by the very short list of "other books by the author" in the back only 7 titles if you can believe it! However, I persevered and I'm glad I did! I really think the strength of the book's teaching lies in the last several chapters in which Piper fleshes out the truth of future grace in relation to suffering and despondency and dying and other similar struggles of the Christian's life. This is a book full of hope and encouragement, however complicated the approach, and I'm thankful for the sufficiency of future grace!

Jun 30, Rex Blackburn rated it really liked it. Piper's thoughts in Future Grace are much like Desiring God personally revolutionary. Indeed I must allow this reminder to be repeated to my spirit often, lest I return to the bondage of supp Oh man We accept ourselves, even though we might not always like our behavior" It was so identified with sexual immorality that Plato once referred to a prostitute as a 'Corinthian girl'" It's just an empty promise or wishful thinking.

All that's what's left is what theologian Richard Niebuhr called 'a God without wrath who brought men without sin into a kingdom without judgment through the ministrations of a Christ without a cross" Jud told his congregation "Look, if you're dealing with sexual sin in your life, you need to run from it--but don't run away from God" I'm holding out that Jesus took my sins onto the cross, because I know who I am, and I hope I don't have to depend on my own religiosity" This session is with Biola professor Dr.

It's like parents who catch their kids doing something wrong and they don't just let them off the hook, but they give them ice cream as well, because they love them so much" There's a technique that evangelist Ray Comfort uses.

He quizzes people on whether they've really lived according to the Ten Commandments which gets them to admit they are a sinner. The cat school of bhakti Hinduism The kitten can't do anything on its own; all the effort comes from the mother. So the idea in this branch of Hinduism is that you're fully dependent on the deity's discretion to carry you to enlightenment or deliverance from karma [which is different from Christianity] First and foremost, it's not real.

Christianity is a historical faith, rooted in reality. Second, it lacks the Christian concept of a personal God. And third, you can't have a robust theology of grace without a concept of sin from which you're being saved, and essentially that's missing in Hinduism" Summary of page The mindset is 'I'm tired of working harder and faster to tip the scales in my favor, so I'm going to do one big act that's going to tip them for all eternity. There is eternal security in 1 John 5: To see what's written about Jehovah Witnesses and Mormons, see pages To see ways to possibly refute these religions, see page Lewis said, "To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you" Summary of the book so far: This chapter I will definitely be discussing with my classes I teach in Bangkok, Thailand.

This chapter on Cody Huff was on how he hit rock bottom digging in a dumpster outside of a pizzeria in Las Vegas. This came after years of hard drugs, theft, and numerous incarcerations. Soon after, he was invited to church and was given a hug by a woman who said, 'Jesus loves you. Prior to this he felt so dumb, dirty, defeated and unlovable. Cody ended up responding to this grace-filled act.

See a Problem?

Now he is serving God wholeheartedly in Vegas by reaching out to all those who are living just as he used to! In admitting my shadow side I learn who I am and what God's grace means. God used Brad a lot in building up God's churches across the U. However, the amount of effort and busyness contributed to the downfall of their marriage.

This led to an affair by Brad and it tells how grace abounded even more Romans 5: Now this husband and wife couple are being used by God to restore and strengthen marriages across the globe. This sounds like it was very easy--it obviously wasn't and Strobel is invited into the grace-filled process of their recovery.

We won't be lifted by his love until we're humbled by his holiness. Even though he has been blessed enough to reach out to so many people, the person he wants to connect with the most is his son, Andrew, who ran from his calling after his grandmother prophesied he would become a renowned evangelist. Andrew said the book of Proverbs described him perfectly as there are so many references to fools. Many experiences were shared as Andrew inched towards God, but they often fell short.

This was due to 'cheap grace,' as German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer put it: Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ living and incarnate" The Cost of Discipleship, Repentance changed everything and he ended up being used by the Lord by teaming up with his father.

God does not give a Gift inferior to Himself. Doctors said he was one step away from a coma and a premature death. However, his son, Kyle, who got his PhD from the University of Aberdeen in spiritual formation conforming to the image of Christ had a sit-down with him and asked some penetrating questions obviously prior to the near-coma event. His son said we need to get rid of the 'false self': We subconsciously hide who we really are in order to project an image to God--and to the world--that we're really in control. I want to help you strip that away" Kyle used these sources from his professor John H.

Coe to pray with his dad: Apr 17, Ho Christopher rated it really liked it. Today is Good Friday, and I find it apt to write this review for this book. Similar to the books within this series, Strobel interviews different individuals, hears what they have to say. And so Strobel has instead. This makes the book accessible to everyone, since you might just identify yourself with one of the people interviewed within the book! Each of these stories centred around how grace has changed them. All of them reads exactly like testimonies given by different individuals.

They were not too detailed to bore the readers with unnecessary details, neither were they too brief to make it sound too generic. I have been encouraged by what I have read within this book and has come away thankful to God for what I have read. If you would like to have a book that is light reading, and has not yet decided on what to read, why not read this book?

Certainly a book that can be read by a young or old christian. I was given this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review Dec 30, Leif Eric rated it it was ok. I appreciate this book for its good writing craft and emotional qualities. When it comes to intellectual content, however; evidence, arguments and rational discourse, no such things are included. At the onset, the author's definition of grace presupposes the Christian God and the idea of original sin. Did I miss the precursor? From there on, the book is a collection of bald assertions, propped up by appeals to the readers' emotions via saturated and dramatised anecdotes.

For credibility, the aut I appreciate this book for its good writing craft and emotional qualities. For credibility, the author seems to rely on that which he omits or diverts attention from, and his target audience's cognitive biases. While this book may evoke strong emotions with readers who already believe a God exists—Even I enjoyed the stories and drama for its own sake—It's utterly unsatisfying on an intellectual level. As such, although entertaining and educational on the mental contortionism that goes on in the mind of an apologist, this book exemplifies pure, unintelligible nonsense.

Apr 18, fuminator rated it it was amazing. Every believer of Jesus Christ should read this book. This book made me wonder how easily many of us believers take the greatest gift we revived for granted, and get lost in the legalism of Christianity. The book contains many amazing testimonies of people who have embraced God's grace. I believe it will take you to a new level of understanding of what grace can do. The book is written in a conversational form that it is so easy to read. By this book I also confirmed my belief the importance of sharing testimonies.

How refreshing and encouraging to read about what God's grace can do through people. This book is a keeper for me! Grace exploded Grace, I've come to believe can not be described. Like the limitations of physics where we can only know space or time of an atom, so grace is inexorable. Strobel brings forth an incredible array of anecdotes and stores to exemplify and encapsulate a part of grace.

Some are typical rock bottom redemption stories, others are what happens to the "good son" in the prodigal son story. Every story touched me profoundly and I found myself literally weeping at several. That grace can cau Grace exploded Grace, I've come to believe can not be described. That grace can cause such intense reaction so profoundly reveals a glimpse of its power. It's restorative, redemptive and life altering change that cannot be explained other than the power of God.

Jun 30, Mary Handley rated it it was amazing. I had never read Lee Strobel before this book. A book group at my church was reading it so I thought I would pick it up. It was worth every penny I paid! Each chapter addressed the concept of grace from a different perspective. Never have I thought about the grace of my God is so many different lights. As much as I love reading from chapter to chapter in a book, with this one I had to sit back and take in what I had just read.

I felt incredibly humbled, loved, chosen, and constantly thinking "bu I had never read Lee Strobel before this book. I felt incredibly humbled, loved, chosen, and constantly thinking "but for the grace of God I highly recommend this book to any grace addict out there. God's grace still amazes me! Feb 04, David added it. And if you know me a little, you'd mistakenly think that no reading would make me! Anyway, I thought the first half was better than the second, mostly because the first chapter was so memorable.

I found myself picking up this book whenever I could to read the next chapter. The idea of being orphans and being given grace to be adopted by our Heavenly Father rather than just forgiveness stuck with me from this book. Jan 19, John rated it it was amazing Shelves: This was an excellent book, with moving and instructional stories of grace. I have no reservations recommending it.

Having said that, I will caution that if you have read Strobel's other "Case For" books, this is quite a different type of book. Still a great book. May 31, Susan Barnes rated it liked it. There is also an extensive discussion guide at the back of the book.

Get A Copy

These are huge turn arounds and only possible because of God. Together they provide compelling evidence for the legitimacy of Christian faith. Lee Strobel is an excellent writer, so this is an easy to read book. It is also a brave book as he shares his own struggles with his father. Sep 25, Randy rated it it was amazing Shelves: I loved this book as much as the first book Christine wrote, "Grace in Strange Disguise", because, as all good Christian novels should do, it encouraged me to draw closer to God, to hear from the Holy Spirit and use what I hear to live out my Christian faith with fresh enthusiasm, faith and trust!

Christines characters are so real! The situations in their lives, also so real! Book 2 has spurred me on in my own Christian walk just as Book 1 did Christine doesnt give us a sugar-coated picture of living for Jesus but a realistic one where trials, brokeness, and suffering are a part of life and we see how Jesus is very much in the midst of those difficulties offering us "life", proving that He uses all things for our good and His glory with loving kindness.

Dec 17, Kim Welinski rated it it was amazing. Her first book captured my heart with the central character, Esther. The tricky subjects of loneliness, relationships, and even death, are adeptly handled in this journey that reads like a road-trip of discovery across the landscape of hope. The author artfully weaves an exquisitely intricate tapestry using charac Christine Dillon has done it again!

The author artfully weaves an exquisitely intricate tapestry using characters imbued with real emotions. The pain is real; the doubt is real; the joy is real.

Future Grace

And by the end of the book my tears were real. Nov 05, Jane rated it really liked it. Christian fiction is not a genre that usually interests me but I read this book because of my interest in bible storytelling. This is the second fiction book in a series by Australian author Christine Dillon but it is not necessary to read the first to enjoy the second. Her writing has developed and matured.

The story moves through themes of family breakdown, frustration with God, aspects of social inclusion as well as bible story telling so I found it hard to put down and not as predictable as I thought. Dec 07, Fiona rated it it was amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed book 1 of this series, but book 2 I absolutely loved!

The story is an easy read in many ways, but at the same time I found it incredibly challenging and thought-provoking. This book was a great reminder that God often does not work in the way we expect but that we can trust Him in all the situationswe face. Aug 20, Brenda S Anderson rated it really liked it Shelves: I was not disappointed!

The story is captivating, heart-filling, and heart-breaking, all in one. The characters become like friends—chances are you know someone Evocative, Thought-Provoking Read! Aug 05, Linda Palmer rated it it was amazing. This is the second fiction book by Christine Dillon. She is an amazing writer. This book is better understood if the previous book, Grace in Strange Disguise is read first. But this book is fine as a stand-alone also. The book drew me in and I could hardly put it down.

The writing style and use of Biblical storytelling draws the reader closer to God and how to be free of what hinders that closeness. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read one with a strong Christian message. I received a This is the second fiction book by Christine Dillon. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. Oct 25, Laura rated it it was amazing.

Grace in the Shadows is the second book by Christine Dillon. I am looking forward to reading more by this author. Portrayed in Grace in the Shadows are a number of difficult topics such as unexpected pregnancies, estranged families, depression, and terminal illness. That sure is a handful of serious issues and one might think this story to be a real downer.

Woven throughout the pages is the unconditional love and acceptance of a grandmother, rekindling family relationships, grace Grace in the Shadows is the second book by Christine Dillon. Woven throughout the pages is the unconditional love and acceptance of a grandmother, rekindling family relationships, grace extended, bountiful joy and healing.

Healing often comes in unexpected ways Aug 13, Rachel Morgan rated it it was amazing. This book will stay with me for a while! A beautiful story that accurately and gracefully portrays the harsh realities of life. Yet it is full of true hope and ultimate joy. Christian's who want to think about what living for Christ might look like even amidst the darkest painful shadows of life will find this book enriching, heart-warming and inspiring. It is more than just a beautiful story; it is a piece of work that will spur you on in your Christian faith - instilling ideas in how This book will stay with me for a while!

It is more than just a beautiful story; it is a piece of work that will spur you on in your Christian faith - instilling ideas in how you yourself could encourage others towards Christ. I enjoyed book one, but this outshines the first. More real, more refined, and best of all: Dec 02, Andrea rated it it was amazing. I was delighted not to have to wait too long for the second volume to continue the story of Esther Macdonald as God works further in and through her. Christine Dillon does not dodge the hard issues of life and death - and the fact that prayers are not always answered in the ways we expect when we pray them.

We discover more of the back story to Grace's life and family with the author showing how cover-ups tend to cause greater pain, that boldness and courage are required in families to address h I was delighted not to have to wait too long for the second volume to continue the story of Esther Macdonald as God works further in and through her. We discover more of the back story to Grace's life and family with the author showing how cover-ups tend to cause greater pain, that boldness and courage are required in families to address hurt, and that God is invariably doing more than we can think or imagine.

Nov 16, Wendy rated it it was amazing. This book was hard to put down. I have found both it and the first book in series interesting as I reflect on current culture. Especially in thinking about prosperity gospel, but also abusive relationships. That sounds grim, but the books are full of hope for even the most dire of circumstances. Nov 04, Daniel CH rated it it was amazing. I found Grace in the Shadows a more engaging and intriguing story. It is one of the most human stories on faith and life, that I have read in recent years.

Dillon's clever weaving of the stories of the main characters Esther and Rachel and their foils made it difficult for me to guess the ending until chapter I understand that this is a trilogy. Can't wait to get my hands on Book 3. I found this book to be a refreshing because it was not predictable. Unlike many other Christian fiction stories, this book dealt with issues like depression and cancer in a real, but uplifting way - pointing to Jesus as the only true solution to the pain and suffering of this world.

This book encouraged me to make good use of the time God has given me in this life. Christine Dillon really built on the first book of the series, giving more depth to the characters. I look forward to her next book I found this book to be a refreshing because it was not predictable. I look forward to her next book! Sep 02, Claire Urbach rated it liked it. I enjoyed the story of the new character, Rachel, and the other minor characters in her story, and had my faith and zeal challenged just as in the first book. I think I found the characters less well rounded than in the previous book, and I started to notice how often questions were used as a device to bring out the emotions of the main characters possibly overused.

Over all, I enjoyed it and look forward to the next book in the series! This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is the second book of the series and both are very well written. Rachel has a mental breakdown and returns to her grandmother's house to find her sister is living there now. Esther is recovering from the chemo she had for her breast cancer. The sister's haven't seen each other in twenty years. Esther wants to renew their relationship but Rachel just wants to be left alone. The story revolves around cancer, faith, and family dynamics.

It is a very good read. Nov 03, Molly rated it it was amazing. I found "Grace in Strange Disguise" gripping reading.

• Amazing Whales – A Whale Book for Children Easy Reader Whale Picture Book
• The Bromius Phenomenon (Dag Fletcher Galactic Series. Book 4)
• Eyewitness Reliability in Motor Vehicle Crashes: A Primer for Practitioners, Second Edition
• Le Mouvement en montagne (Fiction) (French Edition)
• Werke von Stephan Beissel (German Edition)