The Vanishing Sculptor

I'm always writing down quotes that spark my interest or inspire my heart in my journal. I wanted to share a few of those with you today. Maybe one of them will change your day!

A "good day" for the believer who "loves life" is not one in which he is pampered and sheltered, but one in which he experiences God's help and blessing because of life's problems and trials. It is a day in which he magnifies the Lord, experiences answers to prayer, tastes the goodness of God, and senses the nearness of God. -Warren W. Wiersbe

Shame arises from the fear of men. Conscience, from the fear of the Lord. -Samuel Johnson

Sins are what you do, not who you are. -Neb Hayden

One act of obedience is better than one hundred sermons. -Dietrich Bonhoeffer

I have more trouble with D.L. Moody that with any other man I know. -D.L. Moody

What are the thoughts of a canvas on which a masterpiece is being painted? "I am being soiled, brutally treated, and concealed from view." Thus men grumble at their destiny, however fair. -Jean Cocteau

The word reveals God's mind, so we should learn from it; God's heart, so we should love it; God's will, so we should live it. -Warren W. Wiersbe

Little faith will take your soul to heaven, but great faith will bring heaven to your soul. -Charles Spurgeon

Who can mind the journey when the road leads home? -Dr. James M. Gray

Simply wait up on him. So doing, we shall be directed, supplied, protected, corrected, and rewarded. -Vance Havner

What is pure is corrupted much more quickly that what is corrupt purified. -John Cassion

Beauty is the battlefield where God and Satan contend with each other for the hearts of men. -Dostoevsky from Brothers Karamazov

If you are suffering from a bad man's injustice, forgive him lest there be two bad men. -Augustine of Hippo

I tell you, the man who lives with God in little matters - who walks with God in the minutiae of his life - is the man who becomes best acquainted with God - with His character, His faithfulness, His love. To meet God in my daily trials, to take to him the trails of my calling, the trials of my church, the trials of my family, the trials of my own heart; to take to Him that which brings the shadow upon my brow, that rends the sigh from my heart - to remember that it is not too trivial to take to God - above all, to take to him the least taint upon the conscience, the slightest pressure of sin upon the heart, the softest conviction of departure from God - to take it to Him, and confess it at the foot of the cross, with the hand of faith upon the bleeding sacrifice - oh! these are the paths in which a man becomes intimately and closely acquainted with God. -Octavius Winslow

And this is my prayer for today: Heavenly Father, I know assuredly that all things are working together for my good, but help me to wait patiently and toil diligently, through the waiting be long, and the toil hard. -F.B. Meyer

The Vanishing Sculptor by Donita K. Paul is a continuation of her DragonKeeper Chronicles in the fantasy world of Chiril. Tipper is a young emerlindian who has been trying to keep her family afloat since her father's mysterious disappearance fifteen years ago. The family estate has fallen into disrepair, and her mother's mind is no longer sound. Tipper has been forced to start selling the sculptures of her father just to keep food on the table. When her father suddenly returns along with a eccentric wizard and unusual librarian, she discovers that her actions have imperiled their entire world! She must leave the safety of her home on a quest to recover the missing statues along with a mismatched cast of adventurers, and along the way, she just may learn something about Wulder, the Creator of their world. I fell in love with Paul's fantasy world in her wonderful DragonLight, and while this book takes place on the opposite side of that planet, a few characters return. Tipper's character matures throughout her journey from impetuous, sheltered young girl to confident and curious woman. The cast of characters bring plenty of chuckles and form a tightly bonded pseudo-family under the care of Wulder. This book is perfect for younger readers who enjoy dragons and fantasy, as well as us older readers who enjoy great writing and fascinating characters.

I'm giving away a copy of this book tonight! It's not too late to try to win; just send me an email before 10 pm tonight. I'll announce the winner tomorrow here. Good luck!