Music Monday: {Wanted} by Dara Maclean

If you haven't heard the brand new Dara Maclean song, you're in for a treat!  It's a fantastic song about how each and every one of us is wanted by God.  We were created for a relationship with Him, and like the song says, He made us, He knows our name, and He doesn't make mistakes. Perhaps this is a message that you really need to hear today.

YOU are wanted and loved by the Creator of the universe . . . I'd say that calls for some praise!  Amen?

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.

Psalm 139:14

Dara is scheduled to release her sophomore album, Wanted, on September 24.  Wanted is the eagerly-awaited follow-up to Dara’s debut album, You Got My Attention, which entered the iTunes Christian & Gospel Albums chart at No. 1 in 2011 and garnered her a spot as one of their “New Artists to Watch.

Enjoy and be blessed!

 

Music Monday: {He is With Us} by Love & The Outcome

It's been awhile, but here I am with a new Music Monday post!  I first heard this one on the radio a few weeks ago, and I LOVE IT!  The lyrics, the vocals, and the sound come together perfectly for a song that's positive and uplifting!  If you ever feel like God is far away, it's a beautiful reminder that He is always with us.

So do not fear, for I am with you;
    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10 NIV

Love & The Outcome is a new duo, who's brand new album releases on August 27th.  Here's a little bit more about them . . .

Love & The Outcome's self-titled debut album recalls the highs and lows of the journey vocalist Jodi King and bass player/vocalist Chris Rademaker have braved since departing their homeland of Canada, risking it all to pursue their musical dreams. The album includes the husband and wife team’s debut single, "He is With Us," which skyrocketed to the Top 25 on Billboard’s Christian Songs chart. 

Praying that you enjoy the song, and have a blessed week!  Hugs, Michelle

A Book Review: {To Whisper Her Name} by Tamera Alexander

About the Book:
Set at Nashville's historic Belle Meade Plantation, the most influential thoroughbred stud farm in America's history, To Whisper Her Name weaves the struggles of real people of the post-war South with the journeys of a man and a woman scarred by betrayal.

 

Olivia Aberdeen, destitute widow of a man shot as a traitor to the South, is shunned by proper society and gratefully accepts an invitation from "Aunt" Elizabeth Harding, mistress of Belle Meade Plantation. Expecting to be the Harding's head housekeeper, Olivia is disillusioned when she learns the real reason Elizabeth's husband, Confederate General William Giles Harding, agreed to her coming. Not finding the safe haven she expects, Olivia is caught off guard by her feelings for Ridley Adam Cooper, a Southern man who seems anything but a Southern gentleman.
 
Branded a traitor by some, Ridley Cooper, a Southern son who chose to fight for the Union, is a man desperate to end the war still raging inside him. Determined to learn "the gift" that Belle Meade's head horse trainer and former slave, Bob Green, possesses, Ridley harbors secrets that threaten both their lives. 
 
As Ridley seeks to make peace within himself for "betraying" the South he loved, Olivia is determined to never be betrayed again.

My Star Rating: 5 Stars 

My Review:
Oh my!  Where to start?  As with all of Tamera's books that I've read, I loved To Whisper Her Name!  I truly can't say enough good things about it.  Every single aspect of the book just simply SHINES!  From the very first line, to the close of the book, I was captivated by the beautifully woven story.  

The blending of history and fiction come together perfectly, for a story that drew me in and kept my attention.  With vivid descriptions, colorful characters, and a setting that transported me back in time -- this has become one of my favorites for the keeper shelf!  And needless to say, it's left me longing for a visit to the Belle Meade Plantation; if only Tennessee weren't so far away.

We can't travel back in time physically, but through the well-written pages of To Whisper Her Name, we can certainly take a stroll and sit a spell . . . as if we were right there walking the grounds of the Belle Meade Plantation.  If you're a fan of historical fiction, you won't want to miss this one!  Like a fine dessert, it's rich and decadent . . . a literary indulgence, indeed!