Affliction

I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are righteous, and that in faithfulness You have afflicted me. Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word. It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes. You are good and do good. (Psalm 119:67, 68, 71, 75)

Why do bad things happen to us?

If life was easy all the time, would we think that we need God? Would we ever turn to Him? Would we ever bother to obey His word?

Is God being cruel when He allows tragedy into our lives?

How refreshing it is to learn that He is always good. Whatever God does is always better for us than what He does not do. We really can rely on Him.

The Centurion's Wife

I have never been a fan of Janette Oke's books, but if you like
Christian fiction, this is a good one. It is set in and around
Jerusalem in the days immediately following the crucifixion of Jesus.
Most of the character's are fictional, but there are a number of
historical figures such as Pilate, Herod, the centurion mentioned in
the Bible who was at the cross (but it's not the same one who is in
the title of the book), a couple of the apostles and maybe a few more.
The centurion and his betrothed are separately searching for the truth
about the "alleged" resurrection.

Green Goes with Everything

This was a great book with easy ways to save the planet and especially
your health. She doesn't recommend that you go totally change the way
you live; just small changes that add up. There are chapters on
household cleaners, food, air pollution, and more. Highly recommended.