Another Mystery for Graphic Novel Lovers Everywhere

Overview:
The Dopple Ganger Chronicles follows the investigative journey of Erik Morrissey Ganger and his twin, female sidekicks (Sadie and Saskia) as they seek to solve mysteries and save the day. The Dopple Ganger Chronicles is written by G.P. Taylor, and it is written in the format of a graphic novel.

The Secret of Indigo Moon is the second book in The Dopple Ganger Chronicles. Erik, Sadie, and Saskia are at it again. As the book summary states, the trio never tries to get into trouble. It just seems to find them. This book picks up right where The First Escape leaves off. The group is investigating strange noises coming from the basement of the school. In the process they discover a secret tunnel, a new acquaintance, and an old enemy. Will they be able to solve the mystery? Will they survive? I guess you will just have to read the book to find out.

Review:
The graphics and format of this graphic novel are fantastic! This book is targeted for a young audience, but is still enjoyable for adults who enjoy a good graphic novel. I don’t recommend it for you if you don’t like teen mysteries and/or graphic novels. As far as the claims that G.P. Taylor is “The new C.S. Lewis,” I don’t know about that. I am still undecided whether this work compares to The Chronicles of Narnia, but I think that they are definitely good in their own right.
The Secret of Indigo Moon is the first book by G.P. Taylor I have ever read. It was enjoyable and easy to follow even though I had never read The First Escape or any other works by Taylor.

I highly recommend this book to young readers, and to those who enjoy a great graphic novel.

This book was provided to me at no cost by Tyndale Publishing Company for review purposes.

More Works by G.P. Taylor:

Updates on Joplin, Missouri

Today the news continues to pour in from Joplin. The death toll is still on the rise with at least 116 confirmed dead and more than 500 injuires reported. Volunteers and rescue workers are still in the midst of conducting building to building searches for the missing, trapped, and injured. One of the women that I work with here at Missouri Baptist Children's Home has family in Joplin. She left this morning with supplies and prayers to help aid her family and friends in Joplin. Although her fmaily is safe, with only damages to their family homes, her teenage nieces are in prayer for their friends who are still missing.

If you haven't seen this footage yet, take a moment to watch a short film of the tornado that ravaged Joplin, Missouri, on Sunday night.


Continue to pray for the families that are searching the remains of their destroyed homes to see if their is anything they can salvage. Some of the families are searching for things like wallets and IDs that will help them secure the aide they are going to need in the future. Pray that they can find these items.

If you would like to donate to help the tornado victims in Joplin, Missouri, you can do so by donating through the Joplin branch of the Red Cross at http://www.redcross-ozarks.org/donate/. Please remember when donating for disaster relief that it is important that you choose well known and reliable sources to get your aide to the disaster victims.

Thank you for praying for Joplin!

Pray for Joplin, Missouri

You know it's bad when a smaller Missouri town like Joplin makes the national news. You hope that you are wrong and that it's actually something really good and awesome, but this weekend it was bad--very bad.

Many of you have probably already heard about the tonardos that ripped through Joplin this weekend. This is the second set of serious tornados to strike Missouri in the past two months. Saint Louis (withing a mile of where I live) was hit with what were dubbed "The Good Friday Tornados" now it seems that Joplin will suffer. Although the damage was severe in both places, Joplin has clearly suffered the worst.

As of this morning there are 89 confirmed deaths and the number is still expected to rise. They are estimating that 30% of the town of has been destroyed and that number may also increase to as much as 40%. The local hospital and high school were both destroyed along with at least 2,000 other structures.

Needless to say, please pray for Joplin. Pray for the families who have lost loved ones and friends. Pray for rebuilding and healing in the community. Please pray for Joplin, Missouri.

Time to Rejoice!



Rejoice by The Women of Faith Worship

 I don't know about you but my May has and still will be a crazy busy month. With graduations and weddings every weekend, my whole routine has been thrown off. I didn't realize it until I opened my front door this morning (to go down and do some much needed laundry) that I hadn't gotten the mail on Saturday! I was so excited to find out I had a package on my door step and that it was my new CD to review! I was so excited to pop in the Rejoice CD from the Women of Faith Worship Team and I wasn't disappointed. I have spent all morning listening to it, and I am including my review for this CD below.

Review:
Women of Faith Worship the Rejoice album is great! The Women of Faith Worship Team (Kara Tualatai, Michelle Swift, Laura Cooksey, Janice Gaines, Allison Abbott, Jenifer Thigpen, and Jovaun Woods) put a great new upbeat twist on some of the best worship classics. My personal favorite is “You Brought the Sunshine”. It is a simply powerful message of God’s grace and love for us. It talks about how God hears all of our prayers and how He cares for us by giving us love and grace and by bringing the sunshine into our lives, and it’s all done through music!

From hymns like “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” to choruses like “Our God” the group brings a fresh taste. You will be encouraged and uplifted by the time you finish listening to just a few tracks. The joy and vibrancy in their voices just begs you to sing along and to praise God with them! Rejoice is the Women of Faith Worship Team experience brought to your home, and you won’t be disappointed!

I recommend this CD to Women of Faith fans and people who love up beat pop worship music.
This CD was provided to me at no cost by Thomas Nelson Publishing for review purposes.

BUY REJOICE TODAY!

My Emotional Journey Through Music

A couple of nights ago, I was feeling a little down so I started listening to some music videos on YouTube. The videos that came to mind formed an interesting progression and I think that they showed where I was from beginning to end. The main reason that I wanted to share with you because where I ended up really made me laugh. I have shared some of these videos with you before so I apologize if you don't like repeats. Anyway...

I present to you my emotional journey through music!

Blessings by Laura Story

Held by Natalie Grant

Stronger by Mandisa

What if Your Best by FFH

I was actually searching for the Blue song from Madame Blueberry but I came across the "Stuff Mart Song" instead and I really love this song so I decided to listen to it instead. Unfortunately embedding has been disabled so if you want to listen to this one you are going to have to view it on Youtube.com by Clicking Here to view the Stuff Mart Song.

Endangered Love (Silly Songs with Larry)

By this time I was laughing and feeling much better. I ended the night by listening to "The Biscuit of Zazzamarandabo".

The Biscuit of Zazzamarandabo (Silly Songs with Larry)

James 4: Don't Count Your Chickens Before They Hatch

I hope you get a chuckle out the picture I am including with this weeks blog. it made me smile so I felt like I had to include it. I know that many times in my childhood I was told, "Don't count your chickens before they hatch." This is a good principle in general, but did you know that it is also a biblical principle?

Over and over again the Bible tells us to consider the cost. It's important to think ahead and know what you are getting yourself into, but there is a real difference between thinking ahead and counting your chickens before they hatch--or what we affectionately call in our house "pulling a James 4". Allow me to explain.

As Christians, we should think before we act. We should plan ahead and consider the cost and possible outcomes of our actions before we just jump into things (Luke 14:28-32). This is considered a matter of good practice and when we don't think ahead we are considered foolish. I have said it before and I will say it again--anything taken to the extreme is bad. Basically the way that I see it is that "counting your chickens before they hatch" or "pulling a James 4" is taking planning ahead to the extreme.

In James chapter 4, we are told the story of an individual or group of individuals that start to make all these plans for their lives years and years in advance...

"Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." James 4:13 & 14

I don't think that the planning in and of itself was what was bad. It was the attitude behind it. James warns these individuals that they don't know what their lives hold. Then he points out the real problem--these people have taken God out of the planning!

"Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.' As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil." James 4: 15 & 16

When you take God out of the planning and out of the equation you begin to rely solely on yourself. Verse 16 goes so far as to call it evil. Are you asking God what He has planned for your life or are you planning it all out for yourself? Are you assuming that you know what's best or are you relying on God to direct your paths? Don't count your chickens before they hatch. Go to God and make Him the active leader in planning for your life.