The Swiss Courier Blog Tour

With everything going on these days, I've haven't been as focused on some of my commitments as I should be. Case in point...I haven't had time to read The Swiss Courier by Tricia Goyer & Mike Yorkey.

Based on the reviews of other bloggers (see the full tour here), I'm thinking this book should be at the top of my stack. WWII fiction has recently earned a place in my heart, and The Swiss Courier promises not to disappoint.




From the publisher:

Gabi Mueller, a young Swiss-American woman working for American spy interests in Switzerland during the latter days of World War II, accepts a do-or-die mission: safely courier a German physicist working on the Nazi atomic bomb to Switzerland.

Following the assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler on July 20, 1944, the Gestapo conducted a merciless roundup of suspected enemies of Third Reich. While doing background checks of those involved in government work, it's discovered that Joseph Engel, a German physicist born in 1918, is actually a Jew. He was adopted as an infant by a Christian family after his parents died in the Great Flu epidemic that killed millions in 1918. The young Engel, who is part of the team developing an atomic bomb for the Nazis, is unaware of the intense danger he is in. A plant in the Gestapo's office tips off a church pastor in Heidelberg, who, in turn, orchestrates his escape, working in coordination with the OSS (the Office of Strategic Services, the forerunner of the CIA run by OSS head Allen Dulles) based in Switzerland. A young Swiss-American working for the OSS, Gabi Mueller, must safely spirit the physicist and his knowledge into Switzerland before the Gestapo can capture him.

You can visit Tricia Goyer at www.triciagoyer.com and Mike Yorkey at www.mikeyorkey.com.

Thanks to Litfuse Publicity for the opportunity to read this release.

The Gift of Praise

Confession: this is an edited, older post. But it's a much-needed reminder for me!


When I was a young girl (back before the days of cable & VCRs), "The Wizard of Oz" would come on television once a year. From the time I saw the first commercial announcing its pending arrival, I could hardly wait for that night to come. Every year, I'd sit patiently through the "boring" (black & white) part, eagerly anticipating the appearance of The Lollipop Guild, The Lullaby League, and, of course, Glenda the Good Witch. I just loved when Dorothy met Scarecrow and invited him to come along on her journey to the Emerald City. I was enthralled by the bright Yellow Brick Road and those snazzy ruby slippers. My fascination was soon lost. When the trees started talking, I headed for the door. Talking inanimate objects are just plain spooky, if you ask me!

When Jesus entered Jerusalem for the last time, the crowd went wild. They waved palm branches and shouted praises to God for all the miracles they'd witnessed during Jesus' ministry. The Gospel of Luke says "the whole crowd" of disciples was giving joyful praise. Some Pharisees in the crowd told Jesus to rebuke them. His response... "I tell you, " he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." (Luke 19:40)

As a girl who doesn't like talking trees, I'm not crazy about the idea of talking stones, either! So, how do I keep them from crying out? I praise God! He wants to know we appreciate Him, and that we recognize His gifts to us and let others know about it. Through our praise, we are teaching others about Him. We're also reminding ourselves of His goodness.

I haven't praised God enough because I haven't looked for Him enough. It's easy to find Him in the big things. Still, sometimes I have a hard time realizing He's in the daily, mundane things of life. Wouldn't you think our BIG God hiding in the every day is kinda' like an elephant trying to hide behind a telephone pole? He's sticking out all over the place! All I need to do is open my eyes and look.

I don't need to just praying more fervently. I must also praise more fervently too. He is completely worth it. Besides, I don't want to be responsible for any talking stones. Do you?

The Gift of Prayer

Is anyone tired of this gifts series yet? I hope not, because God has been pouring them on me. Not that everything's hunky-dory around here (forgive me, my Southern roots are showing!) There are days of pain and doubt and fear. Days of arguments and misunderstandings and hurt feelings. Days of wishing we were walking through anything but this.

I'm not a super Christian. Sometimes I wonder if by sharing these gifts I'm painting myself in that light. The truth is, I'm not even a particularly strong person. So please accept my apologies if I've led you to believe otherwise during these past few weeks. I'm praying that anything good you've seen here has been a testimony to Jesus and His all sufficient grace. Believe me when I tell you that it is NOTHING I'm doing.

But you can also believe me when I tell you that, even in the middle of circumstances I can.not.stand, God is good. He is faithful. He is loving and kind. He is the source of my strength. He is worthy of praise no matter what's going on in my life. Sometimes the knowledge that the Almighty Creator of the universe loves sinful ole' me and wants to spend time with me...well, that blows me away. One of the many things I've learned recently is that prayer isn't something I'm entitled to. It's a gift. Being able to voice my hopes and doubts to God, knowing that He is listening carefully, is a privilege.

Almost immediately after we found out about R's job, I knew the Lord was telling me to find prayer partners. I have friends across the country who've agreed to let me email them my requests so they can pray very specifically as R & I feel the Lord is leading. I have a mentor from my church whom I call regularly. (When I thanked her again this morning, she told me she was enjoying this.) What a blessing each and every one of them has been to me! I can honestly say I feel their prayers throughout each day. In the times I feel lowest, I remember that I have advocates pleading my case before our Father, even when all I can do is cry out, "Oh, God, please!"

Despite what the world would like us to believe, prayer is not a crutch. It's a blessing that binds us to the heart of God and brings the body of Christ closer together. It's the strategy that brings sure defeat to our enemy. It's the tonic that soothes my weary soul.

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray.

~James 5:13 (ESV)