In Conversation With God

In Conversation with God: Complete Set v. 1-7: Meditations for Each Day of the Year by Francis Fernandez
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Reading this set is an ongoing process for me. It is a work meant to be read as part of daily prayer and meditation. The richness and depth of its spiritually nourishing content is not absorbable in mass quantity. It must be savored, pondered in one's heart and mind, accepted as a communion of bread and wine, to receive its refreshing and healing properties.

This set is on my "short list" of books and writers who have bottled and administer an infusion of living oil and wine. These range from strongly astringent to the tenderest of offerings. Their common factor is the revelation of Jesus to me, in my life, my own inner being, and in those I encounter along the way.

This list includes:

'My Utmost for His Highest' by Oswald Chambers
Anything by Henry Nouwen
and George MacDonald

There are a few others, but these rank highest on my "stranded on an island" reading material.


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Smouldering Flame, Book Review

A Scottish Laird makes an inn of his castle in order to be able to afford to keep his family land. He is served and assisted by his loyal ghillie, whose family line have served the Laird's family for generations.

Among the groups of guests that stay in his castle, the Laird meets a woman and her young son who are hiding from her abusive ex-husband. The Laird and his lady guest become friends and fall in love, but circumstances complicate their path to romantic bliss.

Some reviewers express dismay at a twist in this tale of love and loyalty. In my opinion, that's what makes the book a genuine exploration of Scottish heritage and not just another pleasant romance novel. Though an avid fan, I've forgotten the story lines of several of Ms. Stevenson's books, but this one still tugs at me, years after I read it. I've been trying to find it for years.