Well, I have not kept up with this very well over the year.  I have been reading-not as much as I had planned, still some good books have kept me company so far.  

This week I started on John MacArthur's The Gospel According to Jesus.  In the first chapter he has sure challenged my thinking!   MacArthur writes that the word we have translated as servant in our Bible is actually the word slave.  I did a little research with my concordance and it is true. Here is the note from Strong's  1401 doúlos (a masculine noun of uncertain derivation) – properly, someone who belongs to another; a bond-slave, without any ownership rights of their own. Ironically, 1401 /doúlos ("bond-slave") is used with the highest dignity in the NT – namely, of believers who willingly live under Christ's authority as His devoted followers.

Did you catch that?  Someone who belongs to another without any ownership rights of their own.  Jesus is not just my Savior, He is also my Lord and Master-He owns me-He purchased me for a very high price-His own life.  This chapter has me looking at the words I use, servant as opposed to slave, and thinking about the connotations of each.  

I finished my first book for the year.  This was a Kindle offering that sounded interesting and I did enjoy the read enough to pick up the next one.  Since this was a new author for me I am putting this one down as my Book by an Author I Have Never Read Before.

We Have Lost the President by Paul Mathews.  Amazon's description caught my attention for my Kindle Unlimited selection:  "London, 2044. Britain is a Republic. President Jan Polak has vanished overnight from Buckingham Palace, just weeks before an election. Has he been kidnapped? Killed? Or just overdone it with the vodka? One man is determined to find out - as soon as he's eaten his breakfast. His name is Pond. Howie Pond – the President’s official spokesperson and wannabe secret agent."

Howie Pond turned out to be a fun protagonist on the search for a missing president.  As did his fiance Britt, who was working to uncover the truth as a journalist in her own way.  I wish there were some more background about why a revolution ousted the Royal family to Florida, what happened that led to a removal of the technology we currently have a love/hate relationship with.  What turned the world order upside down?  These are questions that are never answered in depth, but do not detract from the read at all.  I love a hero who loves his doughnuts.

I would love to hear what you are reading-always looking for book recommendations too so please comment.

​Deb