Thursday, July 31, 2008

Hot Apple Cider---in July??

It occurred to me while reading my latest book that it doesn't make sense to be reading a book entitled Hot Apple Cider when it's been close to 100 degrees outside. But this book was not meant to warm the body. It's designed to warm the heart, and most of us could use a heart-warming story any day of the year.

The full title is Hot Apple Cider: Words to Stir the Heart and Warm the Soul. It's a collection of stories and poems by 30 Canadian authors edited by N. J. Linquist and Wendy Elaine Nelles, co-founders of The Word Guild. The book is similar to the Chicken Soup series in that the stories are short, and you don't feel like you have to make a big time commitment when you sit down to read a story or two. However, I found myself wanting to read another and another because they are so well-written.

All of the selections present a Christian worldview, but they are not necessarily evangelical or preachy. One story described a woman's struggle with drug addiction and her subsequent turning to Christ for final victory over her addicition. Heartwarming, educational, inspirational, and even entertaining---that's how I would describe this volume. You can buy the book on Amazon.

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