He Reigns!

I cry every time this song is sung during worship at church.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMT_kAD6cOg

Believe it or not, everyone who is a follower of Jesus Christ does not live in the United States. I would venture to say a minority of God's people live in the United States. The church is a world-wide body, but looking around the typical church congregation does not really reflect that, does it?

The United States seems to be more of a melting pot than ever. People are coming here for the same reasons they always have - to flee persecution, better economic opportunities, education, etc. The church should be a melting pot, too.

I want to see the body of Christ united. I want us to remember our brothers and sisters around the world who worship God in spite of the fact that it could cost them their lives.

London Calling

Jane Austen, C.S. Lewis, Midsomer Murders, Foyle's War, Inspector Lynley, Wallace and Gromit, Inspector Lewis, The Lake District, the Cotswolds, Big Ben, the cliffs of Dover.

What do all of the above have in common? England! I have completely fallen in love with things English. I love the accent, the way they turn a phrase, the very Britishness of England. I enjoy books, movies, and television shows from England. The food - not so much.

I would love to visit England, but not as a tourist. I want to experience England like the people who live there. I want to visit the small villages. I want to sit on the rocky beach and look out over the Atlantic. I want to envision the little boats going across the Channel to rescue the British soldiers at Dunkirk. I want to visit a real Anglican church. I want to (maybe) have a ploughman's lunch at a pub with an interesting name. I want to visit Harrod's in London. I want to ride in a lift and visit a flat.

Actually, I have been to England, but only Heathrow Airport. I was on my way home from India and we had a layover there. I did get to see an actual English bobby (policeman). I want to get beyond the airport, though. And if I don't get to England before I die, I hope Heaven will have an England section.

Pièce de Résistance

The pièce de résistance is the best part of something, a highlight. Pièce de Résistance is the highlight of the French Twist trilogy by Sandra Byrd.

If you haven't read the first two books in the series, Let Them Eat Cake and Bon Appétit, I would strongly encourage you to do so. Not because it is crucial to understanding references in Pièce de Résistance so much, but because they are very good books and can bring added enjoyment. An additional benefit to all three books is the recipes included.

In Let Them Eat Cake, Lexi Stuart needs a job and a place to live. She finally finds a job at L'Esperance, a French bakery in Seattle. In the course of her job she meets Dan, an attractive lawyer, and their relationship develops.

At the end of Bon Appétit, Lexi has finished her schooling in France and is returning to Seattle to work for the Delacroix family at Bijoux, their newest business venture. While in France, she met a charming widower, Phillipe, and his equally charming young daughter, Cèline. Phillipe and Cèline are also going to Seattle so Phillipe can take over business operations for the Delacroix family.

So now in Pièce de Résistance, Lexi is back in Seattle. This time she has a job, but she needs somewhere to live - and transportation. She loves her job making cakes for Bijoux, but discovers that there is more to her job than she originally thought or desired. Is she up to the challenges ahead? And then there is the choice she needs to make between Dan and Phillipe. Or is it really her choice to make?

Here is the promotional synopsis:

Having earned her chef’s hat, Lexi Stuart bids au revoir to her glamorous and deliciously satisfying pastry mentorship outside of Paris and returns to her hometown of Seattle, Washington. There, she finds life unexpectedly complicated. She’s put in charge of a high-end catering bakery called Bijoux, which should be her dream job, but there’s a catch: She has to make this lavish bakery into a successful business in just a few, short months, which will require more than her ability to make an amazing wedding cake. Stir in a complicated relationship with her French beau Philippe and his daughter, Celine, then add a dash of romance with down-to-earth lawyer Dan, and life suddenly contains more ooh la la than Lexi can handle.

This book was truly the pièce de résistance of this series. I felt like I was right there with Lexi in all her highs and lows. Pièce de Résistance had just the right balance of fun and conflict. It showcased well some of the helps and hindrances to relationships that last. And I couldn't have asked for a better ending. I LOVED it!

Check out Sandra Byrd's website at http://www.sandrabyrd.com/ and her Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/sandrabyrdbooks.

After earning her first rejection at the age of thirteen, bestselling author Sandra Byrd went on to publish more than three dozen books including her widely-acclaimed adult fiction debut, Let Them Eat Cake and it’s sequels, and her forthcoming young adult fiction series, London Confidential. A former textbook acquisitions editor, Sandra is also an accomplished non-fiction writer and author. Her articles have appeared in numerous publications such as Radiant, Focus on the Family's Clubhouse Magazine, Christian Parenting Today, Today’s Christian Woman, Pockets, Decision, and Guideposts. During the past eight years, Sandra has mentored hundreds of students through the Christian Writer's Guild. Sandra resides in Seattle, Washington with her husband Michael, a chaplain, their two teenagers, and a circus dog named Brie.