The Letter M

It's May. And, since the last time I posted was March, I thought it only fair to post again in a month beginning with the letter "M". I'm consistent like that. Yeah, that's it. Consistent. Or classy. Same thing.

Many things have happened this year. Mostly the same-old-same-old, yet, many changes as well. I believe this year is going to go down in the books as a year of change. The oldest child changed work locations, the middle child went to a foreign land for a few months and has returned to the states (not home-home...yet) recently, and the youngest moved out stepping closer to his dream career and will soon finish a class and begin another.

And, hubs and I? We are just trying to keep up. Well, maybe I should say I'm trying to keep up. Hubs is of the laid-back kind and takes it as it comes. Me? Yeah...no. As my mom (and many others) would have told me if she were here today, "One day at a time."

In other news....

I'm reading:

• Looking for Lovely by Annie Downs. I just started this and highly recommend already!
• Love Does by Bob Goff. I, also, just started this one (I have no idea why I am reading multiple books right now but I am). Short chapters packed full of personal stories with a great lesson. Highly recommend as well. If you ever want to find great quotes...look no further.
• On the lighter side of things in the Christian Fiction genre, I'm also reading Unexpected Family by a local author Jill Kemerer. So far so good even though I'm reading it slower than I'd like but considering I'm reading two other books at the same time and apparently my life is the year of change.... This is the first book in a series of three and I've heard each book gets better and better so I can't wait to give my undivided attention to this little one. 
• And soon to be reading as an influencer (which means the previously mentioned books will need to take a back seat for a few days or so), Jody Hedlund's newest, Forever Safe. This is book four in her Beacons of Hope series and I am sure it will be just as great as her previous books in the series. 

I'm listening to (and maybe dancing to but I'd hate to put that image in your head...):

• Anything and everything by the artist Sleeping At Last. His latest is the last song in the series about the five senses. It is called Sight and is something I could listen on constant repeat. Check it out! 
• Thy Will by Hillary Scott & The Scott Family. Yes, Hillary Scott of the country group in which I can't think of the name since I can say I do not like country music and am not ashamed to admit that. Antebellum. There I thought of it! Phew. Anyway... I do have this song on constant repeat. Beautiful. Listen to it...now! 
• King of My Heart - this version only! This one is by Stephany Gretzinger and Jeremy Riddle. There are several King of My Heart songs out there so make sure you listen to this one. Yes, I'm the boss of you!
• Lift Your Head Weary Sinner by Crowder never gets old. 
• Believe me when I say there are more but I won't overwhelm you with my vast array of song choices. Or something like that. 

Have a lovely rest of the month that begins with the letter "M". 

I was hurt. Angry. Rejected.

I was hurt. Angry. I felt rejected.

I cried out to a friend through a text instead of praying about it. 

During the text conversation, I turned on the radio. Christian music spilled out and all of a sudden I was reminded. 

This is Holy Week. A time to really focus on the events leading up to Christ's crucifixion. 

All of a sudden God convicted me. Why am I getting caught up in emotion? Jesus died for me. He didn't reject me. He could have. Should have. But, He didn't. He loves us.

So why am I getting all worked up about something, in the greater scheme of things, is petty?

God didn't send His Son into this sinful world to condemn the world [us]. But to save [us] the world through Him. (John 3:17 roughly translated.)

God gave me the "gift" of emotions. I'm a crier. An ugly crier. But, someone who hardly cries told me once, "What a gift. People see God's heart through you." I'm not sure if that is true but I do believe He made me this way for a reason. However, I can't let those emotions rule my actions. And, to be honest, that is really difficult. 

I re-read the text messages and realized how many times I used "me" and "I". It reminded me of John 3:30; "He must become greater. I must become less."

May this week remind you of the love God has for us. On Friday, remember Sunday's coming!!! 

A Daring Sacrifice Book Review

By now, I'm sure you all know all too well how much I enjoy Author Jody Hedlund's books. I know, I know, it is a bit obvious. So, I'm going to go all fan girl (is that the proper use of fan girl?!) on her latest book, A Daring Sacrifice.

Stick with me...I do have some meaningful thoughts at the end. ;)

A Daring Sacrifice is in the teen fiction genre but anyone 13+ years of age would enjoy reading this fast-paced, sweet story. It is the second book in a series involving Knights. And, really, who doesn't want to dream about Knights?!

Juliana is a late teen who is similar to Robin Hood – steal from the rich and give to the poor. Juliana and many peasants from the kingdom hide in the forest for protection from a hideous Lord, who happens to be her uncle. Can you even imagine?! No friendly Christmas gatherings on that side of the family, for sure!!! At first Juliana is raiding/stealing to help people survive. But, is it the right thing to do? Juliana begins to question her method.

In walks Lord Collin who is a true gentleman. And, I imagine him ruggedly handsome...just throwing that in for free... He is home after his father died to take over the estate. This life is certainly different than his role as a Knight under the training of The Noblest Knight.

Juliana and Collin are re-introduced after a certain situation occurs. As one of Juliana's cohorts said, "He's a nobleman and the only good nobleman is a dead one." Well, now. Read how both of their worlds collide and struggle with understanding their completely different ways of living. Will their past keep them from working together for a greater good? They do have chemistry, those two!!

A Daring Sacrifice reminded me of the sacrifice Jesus made for each of us on the cross as Collin made a sacrifice of his own. At one point, it seemed they wanted to out-do each other in this department. They were both willing to give up something huge for one another. Neither one deserved it, but each was willing to sacrifice for the other. Just like Jesus did for us...

The plot line also encouraged me to contemplate how my life is so different than the life of, say, a person in a third world country. Maybe it is because our favorite #2 daughter is flying with a team to Nepal soon. What ever it is, it made me wonder. And, think. We all know how dangerous it can be when I begin thinking deeply. I'm over here in my comfy house and full refrigerator, freezer, cupboards, and a comfy 68 degrees in here. Other areas of the world are trying to survive the next hour or the next day. I can get enraged at the injustice. I can spend money by supporting goods made (fair trade) in those countries. I can even send money to a trustworthy charity or group working in that foreign, to me, land. But, will I ever truly understand what that person's life is really like? I don't have all the answers. I just have many questions and concerns. Oh, Author Jody, thanks for making me think! ;)

As I say with Jody's books...RUN or CLICK over to your favorite book retailer to get a copy of this fabulous book. Well done, Jody!

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. 

I Saw You

Dear Little Boy in front of me at the checkout,

I saw you. I saw how much you love your mom. How big of help you are to her. I, also, saw how tired your mom was - tuned out from what I imagine was a very long day.

Your younger brothers, well, you know. I'm sure it gets tiring for you as well. The grabbing, the fighting, the hitting, the screaming between those two. I could tell you are a very thoughtful person as you tried to break up the fight with the bags of candy your brothers were fighting over. When your mom said, "It's okay," as your brothers grabbed more and more from the candy bins and literally threw it on the checkout conveyor belt. You piped up, "But, I don't want you wasting your money!" I could tell you cared.

You were very helpful to the cashier as she came around the cart and scanned the items on the very bottom of the cart while your youngest brother wailed for reasons I'm sure we both couldn't figure out. Since I couldn't hear past the wailing toddler, I hope the cashier thanked you for your help.

And, loading the bags back into the cart without being asked? Whaaat?! I'm so proud of you! That was a huge help to your mom. I hope you heard my silent applause.

It's not your fault she barely acknowledged you when you thanked her for your pop. I could tell it was a very special treat. You held that plastic bottle like it was a rare piece of glass. I know this sounds redundant but, thank you for thanking her. I hope she gives you an extra long hug and kiss tonight.

I hope you know that even though we, moms, fail to tell our children how proud we are of who they are --- not what they do --- that you feel it and own it. Never stop helping. Serving others is huge.

Do you know who else saw you tonight? God. I am absolutely positive He had a huge smile on His face and a tear or two in his eyes as he watched you serve your mom. In my imagination I can see Him nudging an Angel or two saying, "Look at my child. Look at him. I'm so proud of him!"

Undaunted Hope

You know my love for any book by Jody Hedlund. Undaunted Hope is another smash hit in my humble opinion. Her gift at character development and the way she can hook a person within a few pages of the first chapter...you need to really read this book.

Who among us hasn't experienced a situation in our past we wish we could forget. A bad decision, an indiscretion, words said in anger. The list could go on and on. And, just when we have moved on and getting along fine and dandy - BAM - it's back to haunt us.

Tessa is running from the mistakes of her past. She finally begins to believe she has found a safe place where no one will know or hear of her mistakes. Tessa believes she has a job as a school teacher...until she arrives and they discover T. Taylor is not a male but a female.

Since winter is on its way and it is too late to find a replacement, Mr. Updegraff, who thinks he is King of Eagle Harbor, MI in 1871 but really the superintendent for the copper mine, allows Tessa to stay. Mr. Updegraff is a nasty-nasty man and Tessa soon finds out just how far reaching his power goes. (side note: this guy is a meaner!)

Two Lighthouse Keepers keep life lively for Tessa. One of the Keeper's children makes it her personal mission to keep her brother and Tessa hopping. The Assistant Keeper and Tessa go toe to toe in the world of sarcasm and joking.

Tessa's past catches up to her. Will she lose the job she loves and the one she has fallen for? It's a tale of deceit, lies, hope, perseverance, courage, kindness and love.

I highly recommend the book. It is #3 in the author's Beacon of Hope series but Author Jody Hedlund has a knack for getting you caught up to speed without driving you insane. It can be a stand alone book but why would you not want to read books one and two?! ;)

As Lavar Burton from Reading Rainbow always said, "But, you don't have to take my word for it..."

I received this book from the publisher for my honest review.

And...

In the past, many have chosen a word for the coming year. For example. "Be". As in be present. Be in the Word. Be accountable and so on and so forth.

For a while now I've been drawn to the "and" sign. The ampersand...&. Have you ever thought about the ampersand? To me it stands for many beginnings as well as endings. It seems like a good sign for an ever-flowing, season-filled life.

No matter what we go through in life, there is always an and. 

As I was looking for a picture of an ampersand, since I can't seem to find my very own ampersand for our house, yet, I saw the picture below and it seemed to go perfectly with my thoughts. 

"Resembling a broken infinity, the ampersand reminds
us that nothing truly lasts forever but there is always an AND"

Are you choosing a word, phrase or symbol for the new year? Share in the comments, if so. I'd love to hear your choosing and the reason behind it. 

The Maine Trip

We did it. After...wait here while I get out a calculator....feel free to hum to yourself as you wait...pretend it's hold music....I'm back... After twenty-seven years of marriage, Hubs and I went away for a long weekend by ourselves. Kind of. Sort of. Really not really.

After waking up at way-too-early o'clock in the morning, we boarded a plane and after two take-off and two-landings, we were in Maine. And, guess who was there to meet and greet us?! Our favorite #2 daughter!!!!!!! In case you missed it, she is a missionary with an awesome organization.

We flew in on her birthday so this momma was packin' semi-fresh cinnamon rolls. I think it only took her less than five hints for me to figure out what she wanted me to bring.

We met the rest of the missionary staff, shared the cinnamon rolls, and tour the church in which they meet. One of our vacation traditions was even accomplished on the first day. Good ol' Walmart shopping trip. Why is it we can never take a vacation with out stopping there at least once. Sigh.

It was a bit windy and cloudy
until the last day.

After checking in to our hotel on the beach. Did you catch that? On.the.beach. Since it is off-season it was so much cheaper than a hotel inland. As I was saying, after checking in to our hotel ON THE BEACH, we, and a fellow staffer, went to her favorite pizza place for a celebration of the day of her birth. Her favorite place was full of deliciousness!

Our last day there, we went to her church. I decided I really liked her pastor after he began by letting the congregation know one of the phrases used in today's society, "It is what it is", is like fingernails on a chalk board. I wanted to stand up and shout my agreement and FINALLY someone understood! But, I didn't. I would have died of embarrassment and since we already paid for our flight home that would just not be "good stewardship" of our money. ;)

I have been known to tell our little family that by saying that phrase it is just telling me you do not care and are not going to try. Guess what...yup, he basically said the same thing. He related it to the verses in Exodus when Moses was pleading for the people. God had "had it up to here" with His people. But Moses pleaded with God to not do away with them.

Just think about what would have happened if Moses would have said, "It is what it is," and moved on with his own life. No, he did something. It only took one person to make a difference. God heard him.

What about us? Are we "it is what it is-ing" to death? Or are we seeing what is going on and pleading with God through pray and petition? For example...and there are many but for the sake of argument...We may not all be able to go to a country and be instrumental in putting a stop to the horrific-ness of human trafficking. But, are we pleading with God to place people in places of difference? Are we pleading God to change the heart and mind of those violating those stuck in trafficking?

It was a thought-provoking sermon to end a wonderful trip.

It was a whirl-wind of a trip. We saw her favorite places and could just "be" with her. It was wonderful. We are so thankful the other staff members said, in so many words, "Go, have fun. Spend time with your family!" I loved being able to reach out and touch her (even though she's not a big fan of touch). To see her when I talked with her. We had a couple of great talks sitting on the bed of the hotel room. It was fabulous.

Father/Daughter bonding over engine oil. 

On the last day there was FINALLY a visible sunrise!!

What a glorious start to the last day in Maine!