Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #405835 in Books
• Published on: 2008-06-12
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 312 pages

From the Publisher
Enjoyable, Moving and Inspiring Reading
A DEFINITE MUST READ!!!
The Impact of The Prayer of Jabez, Plus More!!!
Blessed Assurance: Full of Hope & Strength for Life's Journey
By ESSENCE Best-selling Authors
Victoria Christopher Murray, National Best-selling Author of Temptation and JOY
The Best of Everything based upon Hannah
"…Pastor Ford hesitated for a second before she asked, 'Would you want a child if it wasn't God's will; if that wasn't His purpose for your life?'…"

Jacquelin Thomas, National Best-selling Author of Prodigal Husband and A Change is Gonna Come
A Sprig of Hope based upon Tamar
"…Her delicate beauty haunted him night and day, making her his one obsession…."

S. James Guitard, National Best-selling Author of Chocolate Thoughts
and Mocha Love
Lust and Lies based upon Samson and Delilah
"…Lustful rendezvous and misguided love have me lying in the bed while lying to a woman who I know deep down doesn't really love me…."

Patricia Haley, National Best-selling Author of No Regrets and Blind Faith
Baby Blues based upon Sarah and Abraham
"…`I know this is an enormous and, perhaps, bizarre request…I want you to have my husband's baby'…."

Maurice Gray, Popular Author of To Whom Much Is Given
Traveling Mercies based upon the Good Samaritan
"…It was ridiculous for her to even think about getting any more involved, but she couldn't help herself…."
Terrance Johnson, Popular Author of Shades of Black, Eyes of Faith, and Baptism of Fire

Sword of the Lord based upon Jephthah
"…I'm a fighter, a warrior. Wherever there's a brawl, I try to be in the center…."

From the Inside Flap
With all of the chaos, confusion, and uncertainty of life, we all need to know of the blessed assurances that God has for our lives. Blessed Assurance is an enjoyable, empowering, engaging, and encouraging example of the everlasting truth that God can move us from heartache to healing, burden to blessings, depression to deliverance, and from trials to triumphs.

Fast-paced, witty, entertaining, and inspirational, the writings are modern day renditions of historical stories. In the short story, The Best of Everything, based on Hannah, you gain a better level of appreciation and thankfulness for what God has already done in your life, which will provide you with strength to endure in the midst of a crisis as well as give you patience as you await new blessings. Lust and Lies, based on Samson and Delilah, reminds us of the temptations of lust, the importance of honesty, the dangers of sin and the significance of repentance. Traveling Mercies, based on the parable of the Good Samaritan, teaches us not to place limitations on how and through whom God may send a blessing, and our responsibility to help people whom we often do not know.

Baby Blues, based on Abraham and Sarah, lets us better understand the importance of timing, patience, and consequences of operating in God's permissive will versus God's perfect will for our lives. A Sprig of Hope, based on Tamar, acknowledges that tragedy, sadness and betrayal are an unfortunate part of life, and yet ultimately there is healing, restoration and happiness if you place your trust in God. Sword of the Lord, based on Jephthah, confirms that your past can't define you if you give your future to God and that everyone at some time or another needs to forgive.

About the Author
Maurice Gray is the owner/operator of Write the Vision, Inc., formed in January 2000 to facilitate the publication of his first novel, To Whom Much Is Given (currently in its third printing). Maurice s second novel is All Things Work Together.

S. James Guitard has written four national bestselling books in a row: Chocolate Thoughts, Mocha Love, Blessed Assurance and Delilah s Revenge. His next novel is the sequel to Delilah s Revenge, which is entitled A Hot Mess: Sin, Secrets and Scandal. Professionally, Mr. Guitard has devoted his career to improving the quality of education for poor and minority children as a college instructor, administrator, school teacher, Capitol Hill lobbyist as well as an education policy specialist. Mr. Guitard is also a feature consultant for the Anointed Author Workshop Series.

Patricia Haley lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, Jeffrey. With an engineering degree from Stanford University and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago, readers are often surprised to hear that she is writing faith-based fiction,given her technical and business background. Patricia selfpublished her debut novel, Nobody s Perfect, in 1998 and sold nearly 20,000 copies, making many best-seller lists, including #1 African-American paperback. Her newest titles are No Regrets, Blind Faith,Let Sleeping Dogs Lie and Still Waters.

Terrance Clayton Johnson is a freelance sports writer, publisher and author. In 1996, he completed his undergraduate studies at Chicago State University where he studied print journalism. He is the author of Shades of Black, Eyes of Faith and his latest release, Baptism by Fire.

Victoria Christopher Murray is the author of several ESSENCE bestsellers including Temptation, Joy, A Sin and A Shame as well as The Ex-Files. A renowned author and speaker, Ms. Murray was the recipient of the Phyllis Wheatley Trailblazer Award for being the pioneer in African-American Christian fiction novels. Her latest literary endeavor is a four book Christian teen novel series, which has already been optioned for television. A member of Delta Sigma Theta, Victoria lives in Los Angeles.

Jacquelin Thomas is an award-winning author with over twenty-five books in print. Her latest novels are Defining Moments, Redemption, The Pastor s Wife and Jezebel. Ms. Thomas has lived in southern California for eleven years with her husband and children but now makes her home in North Carolina. Jacquelin is currently working on her next project, Trophy Wife.

Customer Reviews

Blessed Assurance...Sweet and Inspiring Stories
This anthology is written by some of my favorite African American writers, particularly Ms. Murray, Ms. Haley, and Ms. Thomas. Each weaves a modern tale based on a biblical story. From "Baby Blues" based on the story of Sarah and Abraham, the biblical couple having a child in their golden years, to other stories including one based on the Good Samaritan and another on Tamar, we are treated to modern day adaptation of biblical stories of old.

Perhaps because I'm a long time fan of Ms. Murray, Ms. Haley, and Ms. Thomas, I found their stories fascinating adaptations of the biblical stories. I also enjoyed Maurice Gray's "Traveling Mercies" based on the Good Samaritan.

The other two stories by the male authors were less satisfying and are the weakest parts of the anthology. Both "Lust and Lies" by S. James Guitard and "Sword of the Lord" by Terrance Johnson were largely unsatisfying stories to me. Both of these stories had underdeveloped story lines and characters. At times "Lust and Lies" was very difficult to follow because of the lack of development and it was very hard to feel any connection to the characters whose actions and motivations were befuddling at best. "Sword of the Lord" similarly suffered from the failure of the author to develop the characters to the point that you feel invested in the story and its outcome.

Summarily, many of the stories leave you wanting more and wishing the authors had a bit more time to develop the storyline and characters, but that is always a hard balance in short story format.

Even given my criticisms I must say that one of the greatest aspects of this anthology is that it provides pure Christian lessons without sugarcoating the impacts of walking outside of God's will. You definitely get a message from each of these stories that encourage dependence upon God and walking in His will.

If you are looking for Christian Fiction that holds true to core Christian principles while providing an entertaining read, I'd recommend this anthology.

You will definitely be blessed and assured of God's love!
As an avid Bible reader, I really enjoyed this fiction anthology, which put a contemporary twist on Bible stories. Each of the contributing authors are great writers individually, by bringing their talents together they have written a book that provides hope, encouragement and inspiration as well a good entertaining read. Blessed Assurance is a fast- paced book that you will turn to repeatedly for modern day stories of historical characters and never tire. I highly recommend it.

**** Reviewed by Sandra for www.goodgirlbookclubonline.com The GOOD GIRL Book Club

God's ways are not man's ways
Blessed Assurance, a title that reminds me of the hymn entitled Blessed Assurance with a stanza in the hymn Jesus is mine. In this compilation of short stories, the authors used biblical stories as a template for modern renditions of joy, love, freedom, and the perfect peace that comes when a man honors God as first place in his life. From Patricia Haley's Baby Blues to Victoria Christopher Murray's The Best of Everything, each story is chock full of God's wisdom and its application to our daily lives.

In Patricia Haley's short story, Baby Blues, the biblical story of Abraham and Sarah was used as a template. Would you even consider asking your best friend to be a surrogate mother for your child? Well...Without giving the plot away, the author Patricia Haley weaves a story full of the intricacies of human emotion.

In Victoria Christopher Murray's story, The Best Of Everything, the biblical story of Hannah was used as a template. What would you do if your husband's ex-wife was always throwing their kids up in your face? Humm...Through Hannah's story we learn that when you release negative emotion over to God, then wonderful happiness will happen in your life. Be kind to your enemies and see what great things God will do in your life.

I highly recommend this book and it's stories packed with themes full of Godly wisdom. The book includes study questions with each story, and is an excellent book for secular and Christian book clubs. I eagerly look forward to the next installation of Christian stories from these authors.

Helen

R.E. A. L. Reviewers