Christian Book Finds

A Psalm-1 by Laura J. Marshall

A Psalm-1 by Laura J. Marshall

Laura's Blog

Since I was born, You have watched over me all the days of my life.

You sang goodness and love over me.

You rejoiced when I rejoiced and cried with me through heartbreak.

You comforted me.

You are my rock and my salvation.

A firm foundation in the shifting sands of life.

As temporal loves and distractions drew me away, you waited patiently.

You were kinder to me than I deserved.

Your grace and goodness made me jealous to be in Your presence. It drew me back. 

The weight of your love covered me like a lofty down blanket.

In your presence, I long to linger and dwell.

Surely goodness and mercy shall be with me all the days of my life.

I will sing your praise in my innermost being.

Joy overflows and you become my hiding place and shield.

The ground where I walk, you walk.

What I see through my eyes, you see.

My God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit dwell within.

You consecrate me for your name’s sake early in the morning and all day long.

When I seek you, you say, ‘Here I am” and reassure me.

There is no doubt of your love.

You are for me.

Your answer is Yes and Amen.

A perfect love that casts out all fear.

In you, I move and have my being.

The breath from your mouth fills my lungs.

I become as a child again in my trust of You.

You pick me up and carry me.

You swing me around, holding me firm with strong hands, your laughter mingling with my own delight.

And even though I long to share the richness of Your beauty and majesty, part of me covets our closeness.

It is the greatest delight of my life.

The works of man’s hands may distract for a time, but nothing compares to My God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit.

Three in one.

Three in me.

What Houses are Made of by Laura J. Marshall

What Houses are Made of by Laura J. Marshall

Laura's Blog

What Houses are Made of

Books and nooks

Paper and pen

Reading Glasses

Textures

Soft Places to Land

What Homes are Made of

Paws and tails

Mugs of steamy elixir

Hands to hold

even if it’s just our own folded in prayer

Whispered hopes and dreams

Kindness

Simple joys

and Love

DIY White Feather Wall Art

DIY White Feather Wall Art

DIY· Laura's Blog

I’m in love with a lot of the unique wall art I’m seeing lately. I’ve made several wreaths, but decided to try my hand at this textural treat for the eyes, feather wall art, also known as a Juju hat.

Here are the step by step instructions along with your supply list. Easy peasy and not pricey at all! 

At least 5 yards of rooster feathers which are strung together. These are what I used and I had a yard leftover. Also you will need a glue gun with about 10 glue sticks. Besides that, you will need a piece of cardboard or a paper dinner plate to adhere your feathers to. 

Instructions: 

  1. I used a cardboard box and made a template from an oval antique tray I had.
  2. Start gluing your feathers onto your surface, following the angle it. Go completely around.
  3. On your second pass, have the strung feathers jig in about a half an inch. Continue this process until you get to the very middle.
  4. End your length of feathers by cutting the end off and gluing it down. Fill in the center of your project with small pieces of your feather strands, gluing them in place. 
  5. Once your middle is filled in, fluff your art work. 
  6. Fill in with pieces of the rooster feathers, gluing down as you go, keep fluffing and filling in.
  7. Hold up to get perspective and see if there are any thin places. 
  8. Voila. You are done in an hour or less!

I hung my project with command strips so it didn’t damage my wall then ended up using the strips to hang over the fireplace. 

Check out Laura’s other projects and blog here.

See the Latest Deals in Christian Books here.

This site is a participant in the Amazon.com Associates Program, and affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. It also may contain other affiliate advertising.

How to Make the Popular Moon and Stars Wall Hanging

How to Make the Popular Moon and Stars Wall Hanging

DIY· Laura's Blog

make a star and moon wall art

How cute is my latest DIY wall art project?

I decided to get the supplies and make this cool artwork during Thanksgiving. It was a huge hit, easy, and so much fun to make! 

Here is the version my daughter-in-law made (all stars)!

I wanted to make sure we had enough twine for her project, so we just made hers that day. We had plenty, so a week later, my other son’s girlfriend came over and she and I made ours together! 

Here is the supply list. (Enough to make 3 wall art projects!)

Pick out the stick you want to hang on your wall! Have fun. I brought 4 home then narrowed it down to my favorite. 
 
Instructions: 
Preheat Oven to 275 degrees.
1. Take a little bit of the white clay and warm it in your hands. (After making several, I created the stars with gloves. It does dry out your hands.) 
2. Place the clay into the star molds and push down. (We actually cut off the little hole placeholder within the mold. They didn’t work that well. Instead we used a small awl to create a hole large enough for our twine to go through.)
3. Smooth out the side of the star facing up. 
4. After creating your star, turn the mold upside down and pop the formed clay out.
5. Gently trim off any excess clay. I did this by hand. My son’s girlfriend used scissors.
6. Create a hole in one of the star arms for the twine prior to baking.
7. Then place the formed clay onto an unoiled cookie sheet (you may need 2).
8. If you want a moon on your artwork, make that also. Create a hole for the twine and bake with your stars. 
9. When you have enough stars, bake in preheated 275 degree oven for 15 minutes. 
10. Let stars cool for 10 minutes before assembling. 
11. Pick out each length of your twine as you work on your project, varying the lengths. Each piece of twine will have a star at each end (See variation below in step 12).
12. I had a bowl of water handy and dipped an end of my twine into that, twirled it a bit and slipped it through the holes on the stars. Tip, you can use your awl to help you thread your twine into the hole. We used a bow line knot to secure each star. 
13. Once we had one piece of twine ready with two stars at each end, we would position it on the stick, making a wide loop and pulling each star through so it was secured. My son’s girlfriend used a regular knot to tie hers and most of her stars were singular with only two being double stranded with a star at each end.
14. Have fun with it and make it your own beautiful piece of art.
15. Once we were happy with our finished pieces. We tied one end of the big twine bundle to one end of the stick, keeping the tail out while we wrapped it around that end a few times then tied the tail to the main piece of twine. Then we extended the twine to reach the other side, lifting the middle to have the arch we desired to hang it from. Again, we wrapped that end of the stick several times around with the twine and cut it with enough hanging (2-3 inches) to tie a knot. We did this two times to create two arching pieces of twine to hang our art from. 
 
Here is a picture of my son’s girlfriend’s wall art. 🙂
Let me know if you have any questions. 

Check out Laura’s other projects and blog here.

See the Latest Deals in Christian Books here.

Find Classic Hollywood Movies on Amazon Prime

Find Classic Hollywood Movies on Amazon Prime

Laura's Blog

There is something about a Classic Hollywood movie.

They draw me in and calm my soul, even with a limited 21st century attention span.

The women’s fashion so succinct with nipped high-waist blouses and slender A-line skirts of the 1940s or the long draping bias-cut dresses of the 1930s.

Exaggerated mannerisms, snappy come backs from our female lead, the anguish of hands clasped one last time before going off to war, and scenes that only went as far as a smoldering look.

There are many streaming services today, but with a limited budget, I’m going to tell you how to find Classic Hollywood Movies on Amazon Prime.

The best way to start is to go to the device you watch Prime on (or Search Amazon Prime Video on your PC to add finds to your watchlist to watch later from your device or television).

My first search is usually the Free to Me section. This section I’ve linked includes free TV and movies added for just this month and movies by genre.

Using this filter can help narrow your search and save your pocketbook.

(Don’t have a Prime Membership? Look here. Often Amazon runs specials for new members!)

Another great search criteria is looking up your favorite classic actor or actress such as Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, or Bette Davis. Even less popular searches such as Vivian Leigh or Barbara Stanwyck have lesser known movies available on Prime for free to watch. (The links above will take you to today’s available free Prime movies.)

“Film Noir” is also a great search criterion, bringing up more B movie titles.

Also searching a particular movie title such as Gone with the Wind (which is not currently a Prime title) will bring up a category below the movie information titled “Customers who watched this item also watched”. A verifiable plethora of rabbit holes to follow and click through, looking at movies and Amazon recommendations for each. 

I’ve found many Prime classic Hollywood movies this way.

Also, if I am interested in a certain movie, I add it to my Watch List so I can monitor if it’s available on Prime at some point. Of course, I’ve purchased movies that I can’t live with out (and sometimes it will pop up as a free offering later!) If you’re a true Prime connoisseur, you will find Amazon has sales within the Prime app for discounted movies and television. Current “Spotlight Deals” can be found if you scroll down on your Main Prime Video page.

Of course, some of the best finds are under a “Classic Hollywood Movies” search.

I’ve watched many of “Hollywood Collection” documentaries which are Free on Prime to include biographies on Fred MacMurray, Ingrid Bergman, and Others.  

Classic Hollywood Prime movies are changing all the time. Enjoy the search as well as viewing!

Here is a screenshot of my current Watch List Movies. 

Check out Laura’s other projects and blog here.

See the Latest Deals in Christian Books here.

This site is a participant in the Amazon.com Associates Program, and affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. It also may contain other affiliate advertising.

How to Make a Rag Quilt – DIY with Laura J. Marshall

How to Make a Rag Quilt – DIY with Laura J. Marshall

DIY· Laura's Blog

I went to a site called Etsy one day and fell in love with a blanket. It was too rich for my blood, but boy did I pine for that blanket. I think God can and will use the desires of our hearts to not only enrich our lives but the lives of countless others.

He did this for me with sewing. I never thought I could or would be able to sew anything, let alone a blanket. Around Mother’s Day several years ago, after discovering the beautiful rag-style blanket on Etsy, I decided to invest some time in a sewing class (1/2 price at Joanne’s!) and thus began my love of fabric and sewing as I pray over each stitch. I can (AND so can you) do amazing things with God’s help. You CAN sew! 

I’m going to walk you through how to make a RAG QUILT.

I generally buy 6 different coordinating fabrics when I make my rag quilts. I buy 2 yards of each fabric and this makes a nice size to cuddle up with on the couch. (I have found most of the flannels are 46″ wide. This will give you approximately 144 squares or 24 squares of each fabric). If the fabric is not 46″ wide and is less, buy more of the fabric. Also, be aware that fabric with patterns may need to be put together so the pattern isn’t upside down. Be sure your fabrics are upright when you make your squares and when organizing your rows.

Here is your supply list (with links to products found on Amazon):

Rotary cutters look like this. I prefer the largest size. 

SIDE NOTE for blankets for babies: I have made blankets from fleece. This fabric is much more baby-friendly. I have read that the rag quilts made from fabrics with finer threads can cause a baby to choke, so if you are making a quilt for a baby, you will want to use fleece. Also, you will want to half your fabric amounts as you will only need to use one piece for each block. It has a finished back and front with one square. Here is a picture of a rag quilt made from fleece:

INSTRUCTIONS: 

Gather your fabrics. Set up your mat on a firm table. 

Cut each fabric into squares by putting your acrylic quilting square down and cutting each side with your rotary cutter. I work from the bottom up; meaning, I have the fabric length falling off the opposite end of the table and cut my pieces from the bottom closest to me. This part of the process can take a while. Each square will be 9.5 x 9.5 inches or however large your quilting square is. Tip: You can double-up your fabric (2-layers of the same fabric folded) and cut two squares at once. 

After the squares are cut, put two of the same fabric squares back to back, meaning the design faces outward on each side. You are making the front and back of your quilt simultaneously. Pin these two together. I put a pin at each corner and one in the middle of each side. Pin all of your squares.

Get ready to sew! Most sewing machines have marks for the seam allowance. When I first began sewing, I put a piece of painter’s tape on my machine where I wanted my seam. This way, each of the seams on all four sides of my squares were the same. In general, you want a seam allowance that is about 3/4 of an inch. Choose your seam allowance remembering that that is the part that gets “ragged” at the end of this process. 

Sew each side of your square, taking the pins out as maneuver the material through your machine. Do not run over your pins. They can become projectiles and hurt you or someone else or can jam your machine. 

Once all of your squares have a seam allowance on them, you have your quilt foundation. At this point, I lay out my squares on the floor and fiddle with my pattern. The kids love this part and always help me come up with a design we all like. Make sure your vertical patterns are all facing the same way.

Before I go any further, I sit with a pen and paper and write down my rows, my “map”. Example: 1. Minky, stripe, dark pink, flower, mint, dog 2. Dog, minky, stripe, dark pink, flower, mint And so on. 

Next, I sit on the floor and pin my rows. When pinning, you want your seam forward. (See picture.) 

Sew your squares together to form your rows. 

Next, pin your rows together with the help of the “map” that you wrote down. After pinning, sew your rows together and you have your almost* finished rag quilt. 

The last step is cutting the fringe that you created by sewing with the seams forward which are now the front of your blanket. Try not to cut through your seams. I have used regular fabric scissors for this or you can buy quilting snips that have a spring-loaded handle so your hand doesn’t tire as quickly. Wash and dry your quilt to start the ragging process. Some recommend going to the laundromat so you don’t get so many threads in your washer and dryer. I haven’t found that they are too excessive or cause any problems to my machines.  

Happy Rag Quilting! 

If I can clarify any directions, please leave a comment or leave feedback on how I can better improve this tutorial. 

Below are pictures of my son’s Coast Guard blanket made out of fleece.

Check out Laura’s other projects and blog here.

See the Latest Deals in Christian Books here.

This site is a participant in the Amazon.com Associates Program, and affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. It also may contain other affiliate advertising.

Giving Back Through Reading

Giving Back Through Reading

Latest Deals· Laura's Blog

Christian Giving Through Reading

Together we can make a difference. It’s not just about reading, but showing the love of Christ and living out our faith.

I’ve felt a burden to be able to share the blessings through this site with those less fortunate. Recently God pressed on my heart what we as a community can do together.

Christian Books and Charity

With that in mind, 10% of your purchases made through CBF Amazon affiliate links will help to support a new charity each month.

Below are the organizations we as a community are contributing to:

October 2018 Reload Love.

November 2018 Drake Rayden Foundation. 

December 2018 Bible League International 

Jan 2019 – December 2019, we donated quarterly to the Drake Rayden Foundation to make a larger impact. 

Jan 2020 – March 2020 and May 2020, June 2020, we donated to the Drake Rayden Foundation. 

April 2020 (COVID19 Quarantine), we donated donuts with notes of encouragement to four departments at a local hospital, including the ER and ICU.

May 2020 – August 2020, we donated to the Drake Rayden Foundation. 

September 2020, we donated to the Drake Rayden Foundation and Rikki’s Refuge.

November 2020, we purchased some items to donate to a needy family including  a winter coat and warm socks.

December 2020, we donated to the Drake Rayden Foundation and Rikki’s Refuge.

I’m excited about these opportunities to share the love of Jesus. 

Thank you for being a part of Christian Book Finds. 

~Laura

Blind Faith

Blind Faith

Laura's Blog

Jesus

I thought I knew a lot about faith. I’ve leaned on God over the years more often than any human should have to, which as it turns out is a common theme for most Christians.

It’s been 19 years since that night, the one that when I think about still makes my heart skip and my breathing become shallow. The night someone came in our home when my husband was at work and assaulted and tried to suffocate me, leaving with threats of harm to me and my children.

The day after, I shared the local news headlines with John Kennedy, Jr … his plane had gone down off Cape Cod that same night.

So while the world mourned him, my life had been forever changed. I’ve tried not to dwell there. God knows the struggles and even how I walked away from him for a year.

open doorway

So it is with this blind faith, I went into being home alone with my three youngest children recently, my husband away on business. I’m normally okay, but fear had been dogging my steps for over two weeks. It clutched at my heart with every loud noise, making me shake my head and wonder why it was back.

The AC out and with 100 degree days, our windows were stuffed with fans, the noise a constant drone over the top of all things familial. Then it was night. And I couldn’t hear the creaks and groans of the house over the whirring. I lay in bed with an ax of my husbands underneath it “just in case”.

It is in these moments I learned a few things about blind faith.

1.

Our minds can create something out of nothing. Rationale does not always work. Feeding the imagination with what-ifs and analyzing every noise only produces more worries and fear. Trusting in God’s care, even in the face of death, it comes down to faith.

Is it real or imagined?

tree of life

Do I trust God for my ULTIMATE care, even unto death? Do I believe He’s asleep or I’m not worth the effort? Whatever our experience with man is, if we know God’s Word and stay close to Him through it and prayer, we know His CHARACTER. The bible says He is faithful. He does not faint or grow weary. He is love. There is no darkness in Him. He is a shield for those who take refuge in Him.

2.

Taking our eyes from God to look at circumstances and fearful things in the natural is human, but continual correction to look UP to Him for our provision and care is necessary for survival. Yes, necessary. If I am in the lion’s den or about to be cast into the fiery furnace, I will trust God with my life because He loves me and is trustworthy.

So here I am at 2:30 in the morning. I woke up by nothing in particular. But sounds are masked. In my mind, I can conjure up men inside breaking into the house. But I rebuke those thoughts and instead of feeding into them, I pray and trust God. Could I get up and go look? Sure I could and if I heard a REAL noise, I would decide what was wiser. I would pray for wisdom. Say it was a person. What would I do?

Similarly (and I don’t use this word lightly), what if it were bills mounting, a job lost, a sick spouse with a dim prognosis? What would I do?

3.

Psalm 16:9 

A man’s heart plans his way,

But the Lord directs his steps.

Psalm 19:21  

There are many plans in a man’s heart,

Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand.

Psalm 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct your paths.

Later in Psalm 3 it says:  

Then you will walk safely in your way,

And your foot will not stumble.

When you lie down, you will not be afraid;

Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.

Do not be afraid of sudden terror,

Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes;

For the Lord will be your confidence,

And will keep your foot from being caught.

What does the THEN reference? God’s wisdom. How can we walk in it when we entertain fear, dabble in it, wrap it around every notion of tomorrow or ten minutes from now that cripples us? 

4.

We must be confident, as we come to know God’s character by staying close to Him, that He will prevail. His plans will not be thwarted. Do you trust Him? If not, turn your eyes and heart back. Run to His side. Spend some time with Him in His word and prayer. Most of us won’t find our answers on Facebook, Twitter, or even in another’s opinions. Try asking God. Even satan must ask God for permission to hinder and sift us.

5. 

When our faulty choices lead us down the wrong path, we can trust God to gently correct us and if we don’t get a clue, to correct us further. 

BLIND FAITH is trusting in God because of His character and our relationship with Him.

peony heart

A Call to Christ

If you know Jesus Christ, and love Him … if you receive His free gift of salvation, and repent of your sins, you will find the hope that seems so elusive. You will even find joy in the midst of all the grieving, loss, and fearful circumstances that many are already suffering. But most importantly, you will secure your future. Your eternal future. Stay close to Jesus, keep your eyes on Him, and you will be alright. Even if you die, you will live.

credit: Mikayla Kayne for the last paragraph in this article

New Site – Thank you

New Site – Thank you

Laura's Blog

Launching Christian Book Find’s new site wouldn’t be right without thanking the wonderful people behind it.

First and foremost is Tattie Maggard, who started the site back in 2011. In 2013, she asked, and I accepted to join forces and become her partner. I have to say, we had THE BEST time running CBF together for four years!  

Last year, Tattie decided to sleep in (haha, just kidding) … focus more on the homeschooling of her daughter and on writing her own books (Amish fiction). 

I miss her all the time, but you, the readers, have filled the places in my heart that get lonely without her.

So, thank you, Tattie. What an amazing idea that has blossomed.

Secondly, thank you, awesome readers!

CBF ran a GoFundMe to help create this new site, and all of you showed up! We were able to raise half the money! I received a bonus at work shortly after and put it towards this wonderful upgrade.

Thank you to my best friends, my husband and Suzanne D. Williams, who keep me sane and put up with my over-caffeinated rambling about books, html, marketing, and all the things my brain tries to work out on a non-stop basis.

My friend’s beautiful-inside-and-out daughter, Ashley, puts together the images and sayings I find into amazing pictures that grace us during the week. My #TwitterMaster (as I fondly call him), Russell Sherrard, chats with me each morning as I finish and is always, always reliable, faithful, and on time. I LOVE the support and really couldn’t do all this without you. Thank you!

Thanks to my second eldest son, Benjamin, who is in his last year of college for Computer Science. He’s helped me so much over the years with coding, questions, and trying to understand why things work the way they do with machines. Love you! 

Lastly, Autumn Lane Paperie, who created our new digs. They have put up with a lot of emails from me, and despite it taking about four months, we’ve created something great together. I’m so proud of your work and how you involved me in all of it.

CBF is a passion, a ministry, and a business. 

We, each of us, support the craft of our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, who spread God’s love and light of the Gospel through stories. They strengthen us for the journey, whether a wholesome escape, through laughter or tears, or being part of fictional families who we feel close to just by a turn of an author’s words.

This is our love for Christian books, and this site is a home for us all.

 
Psalm 115 ~ Compassion

Psalm 115 ~ Compassion

Laura's Blog

Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, But to your name give glory.

Rivers of ivory eyeshadow cast a shimmery glow down her pale cheeks. She was alone in a sea of women. A retreat suggested by her pastor’s wife. Just two short weeks before, at 20 weeks pregnant, she had lost her baby.

Because of Your mercy, Because of Your truth, Why should the Gentiles say, “So where is their God?”

She was sharing a room with 3 women from church. One of them, the key speaker. Her eyes were red-rimmed from crying. Bloodshot. Her nose continually running. A yearning inside her cried out for the touch of a consoling hand, a sympathetic word. None was given.

But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hand. They have mouths, but they do not speak. Eyes they have, but they do not see, They have ears, but they do not hear; Noses they have; but they do not smell; They have hands, but they do not handle; Feet they have, but they do not walk; Nor do they mutter through their own throat. Those who make them are like them; So is everyone who trusts in them.

She wondered what all these women thought. This twenty-something woman of God…..was she trying to find her way? In tears she would break down at dinner or walk out during the prepared speeches, quietly unable to hold it together any longer.

O Israel, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield. O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield. You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield.

Where was the sympathy, O Lord? The woman among the 100’s to become your hands and your mouth? Are our hearts so hardened to another’s pain, our focus more on ourselves that to care for another and extend ourselves, is too much to ask?

The Lord has been mindful of us; He will bless us; He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron. He will bless those who fear the Lord, Both small and great.

The rivers had flowed. Tears, the like of which had never been shed in her lifetime. Her heart mourned, bereft. Broken and still like the heart of her lifeless baby.

May the Lord give you increase more and more. You and your children. May you be blessed by the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

God took her heart and has been putting it back together piece-by-piece. Unrecognizable as her own, it has been fashioned after Another, the likeness of who she will ever strive to achieve.

The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s; But the earth He has given to the children of men. The dead do not praise the Lord, nor any who go down into silence. But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and forevermore.

Open our mouths, O Lord. Open our hearts and ears. May we see and hear those who mourn. May we become your shoulders, to offer them up to be wept upon. May we become your mouth, to speak and let someone know they are not alone.

Praise the Lord!