I’m not a sports fan. Not really. So when I read the cover of this book and learned that the main ingredients were love and football, I was not sure I was going to enjoy it. Well, I was WRONG! What a great book!
FROM THE BACK COVER: Unknown to her quaint town of Deep Haven, Isadora Presley is the star host of My Foolish Heart, a popular syndicated talk radio show. From her home studio, she gives listeners advice on romance. . . . even though she’s never had a date.
It’s not that she doesn't want to, but since a tragic accident took her mothers’ life, panic attacks have trapped her inside her small neighborhood. And though she always reminds listeners that their perfect love could be right next door, it can’t possibly be true for her. Especially when a new neighbor moves in. Sure, he’s handsome, but with his unruly dog and Neanderthal manners, Caleb Knight is the last man she’d ever fall for.
To Issy, love isn’t worth the risk. Until she starts to have feelings for a caller – a man she’s never even met but finds honest, charming, and sensitive.
A man she doesn't realize lives right next door.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Author – Susan May Warren, website, blog.
Publisher – Tyndale House Publishers
Genre – Fiction
I fell in love with the characters in the story right from the first couple of pages. Issy could be the girl next door, the girl who would watch my kids while I ran to the store quickly. She is so friendly and safe. Despite her “disability” she has depth and knowledge. She is a quick learner and has a passion for life, even in her despair and her pain. The story really shows that we aren’t alone in our trials and our troubles. So many times I catch myself wishing life would just bubble along lazily down stream. No rough waters. No fine tuning. No trouble. But life isn’t like that. No matter what, we all have “issues” that we are dealing with in our lives. In the lives of our families. We all have “secrets”, things we don’t talk about, things we don’t say.
The people in the story were attempting to earn their salvation. They felt that God had done enough. That now it was their turn to help themselves. That’s not how it is though. God is always there. God is always doing for us.
Receive and experience the amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, deep, deep within yourselves. ~ Philippians 4:23
God washes us; God changes us.
“Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take our your stony stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.” ~ Ezekiel 36:25-26
God offers us HIS grace; there is nothing we can do. He does it all! All we have to do is BELIEVE!
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. ~ Ephesians 2:8
After the story, the author added some further thoughts on writing the book. I wanted to share a part with you.
In every book I look for that profound moment from the Lord to show me how He wants to change me through the writing of it. That moment came when I wrote, God loved most foolishly. He came into the dark world to rescue people who might never love Him back. I stared at that line for so long I almost deleted it. It felt blasphemous. God is not foolish. But He is love. Big, overwhelming, incongruous love that looks foolish. A love that, even now, doesn’t seem wise. I mean, really, has He taken a look at the people He loves recently? What a mess they are! (And I’m not looking at no one by myself when I sat that!)
I am a mess! I strive and I try so hard to get it all right. I try to get everything done. I work so hard at my job of being a wife and a mother, a teacher and a friend. I fret and worry about being “perfect”. I know that really I can never be perfect, not the way we see perfect. But I am learning, have been learning, and will continue to learn that I can rest in God’s great big wonderful loving arms and I can be perfect. I can be just what He wants me to be, when He wants me to be there. I just have to keep leaning on Him. I’m never going to be able to do it – to be perfect – on my own. It’s in the resting in the knowledge that God has our lives all planned out for us (Eph. 2-8); that He has our best interests in His perfect consistent, freeing love!
Football plays second fiddle to the author’s message of God’s grace and love in our lives. And, even a non-sports lover like me, can appreciate the application of football to our daily lives!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
Striving to learn and live God's purposes,
