(I wrote this over a year ago, but forgot to publish it here. Since this is on my 2014 top ten list, I felt I needed to post it.)
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Description:
What do
Brigadoon, saris, epic laser tag games, and Jesus have in common? Hope. She’s a
Christian with a passion for life and a fascination with Jay’s heritage. He’s
an Indian with a fledgling interest in learning about the Hope within Hope.
After reading Noble Pursuits with my friend Jessica, I was more than happy to
agree that Discovering Hope be our next book to read together. Neither of us
were disappointed with this second installment of the Rockland Chronicles.
One of my favorite things about Havig’s
books is that they are down to earth. Her stories are about ordinary people
with their everyday problems. She has a talent for making the mundane, everyday
things seem very interesting.
This book is about Hope, a girl with a
strong faith in God despite the fact that she lost her brother in a car
accident the year before. While at college, she meets Jay, a young man from
India. So begins a wonderful friendship.
One of the things I most appreciated
about this book was Jay’s struggle to accept Hope’s faith. It wasn’t easy for
him, and it wasn’t quick. Too many books make it sound so easy, but often it is
a long struggle.
The romance in this book, like all of
Havig’s books, is sweet and based on friendship, not just gushy feelings. I
love the way she balances the friendship and the romance so well in her
stories.
There were some sad parts to this book,
but it made it really, really good. I don’t have a single complaint about this
story.
I highly recommend this book to those
who like romance that is based on something more than feelings, stories about
everyday people, and authors who are not afraid to let their faith take center
stage.
There are times that I look back and smile. I see the lessons I have learned and the ways God has taught me and how I have grown and changed for the better. There are other times I shake my head and wonder how I have gone so long without mastering something that seems so basic to our faith.
Right now, I am shaking my head.
There are some people hurting in my life, and God has used them to show me that I often carry burdens that He never intended me to. I see people I care about about struggling with their faith, and I want to say the right things to make it all right. I want to take away the pain I see in so many of the others around me. I see my sister who wants to be married, struggling to wait for the right guy and I want to find a way to make her happy. All of these I feel weigh me down and become burdens.
This month, some hard things have happened (on an emotional level), and I have been sick. Both of those things have caused me to stay away from blogging and to spend a lot of time at the feet of Jesus. God has been reminding me both in my time with Him and the people around me that I am not supposed to carry the weight of the world on my shoulders, that is God's task.
I wish I had some great suggestions on how to do this, but I am in the middle of the lesson. I am spending a lot of time praying, and I am making sure I am sharing what is going on in my heart with at least my Mom as sharing does help.
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7
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it Here
Description:
Professor Scrooge is a
former pastor turned atheist. He despises anything to do with Christ -
especially Easter. Determined not to celebrate the day, Scrooge lashes out at
all who do. But then he meets with a surprising visitor, and is led on three
different journeys by the spirits of Easter Past, Easter Present, and Easter
Future. Will Scrooge change his views on Christ, Christianity, and Resurrection
Sunday?
Since I am familiar with both the
Christmas Carol and Tetzlaff’s work, I have been very curious to read her
adaptation for my favorite holiday of the year, Easter. I was not disappointed
in the least.
If you have read or watched any version
of The Christmas Carol, you will be well acquainted with this story. As it says
on the cover, this is an adaptation. She didn’t try to change the story, just
translate it into a modern story about Easter and she did a wonderful job.
The setting and characters were
translated well and felt very realistic, while still keeping a few of the
smaller elements that made the Christmas Carol memorable. Scrooge was well
done, and didn’t become ridiculous, which some versions make him.
The writing was strong, descriptive,
and memorable. I know that I will be thinking about this story for many days to
come. I probably will start making it a tradition to read it around Easter time
as well, as it a good reminder of the joy Easter should bring into each of us.
I highly recommend this to those who
enjoyed A Christmas Carol, like shorter reads, and want to be reminded of the
joy of Easter.
I have never been someone who has spent hours and hours in
prayer, though I really wish I was. I start to pray silently, and my mind starts
to wander. I walk outside and pray aloud and for a while I am focused, but then
nature draws me, and I find myself just walking and admiring the things God has
made. I pray as I am going to sleep, but struggle to keep my mind on track. I
try to pray first thing in the morning, but my mind keeps going to my to-do
list.
This summer, I was very blessed to work at Austin Disaster
Relief Network. The people there are some of the best prayer warriors I have
ever met. They were amazing examples of people who lived out a life of
unceasing prayer in a way that was authentic, not forced, not just a practice
that they felt made them better.
I stood in a room of frazzled volunteers and watched as
taking fifteen minutes of prayer and reciting scripture completely transformed
everyone, including me, into a peaceful worker. I watched as a whole room prayed
for an angry caller, and his anger melted away. I also saw how prayer took the burden
from my heart and placed it back on Jesus.
Prayer should:
Be Unceasing: I
am to pray constantly, taking everything to God in prayer. It reminds me who
has the power, and who is in control. It
helps me keep my focus upward, not on the things of earth.
Be Full of
Thanksgiving and Praise: It shouldn’t just be about what I need, it also
supposed to be about praising God for who He is and what He has done.
Bring Peace: If
we lay everything at Jesus’ feet, there is no reason for us to pick it up
again.
Now, I am trying to learn to pray as I go to sleep for each
member of my family, and stop throughout the day to lift people, situations,
and thanksgiving to God.
Well, are you ready to join me? We are going back to the
basics! Feel free to share your thoughts and/or struggles in the comments, or
by using #FaithBasics.
Well, I have to say as I am digging more into the word of God, and once again memorizing verses, I am feeling better and more at peace.
I have found it very helpful to put sticky notes around the room with the verse I am memorizing on it. Every time I see the note, I am not only reading the words, but also finding myself meditating on the verse.
Do you have any helpful hints for memorizing scripture?
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Description:
After completing his sentence
for the unintentional crime that derailed his youthful plans for fame and
fortune, Levi Grant looks to start over in the town of Spencer, Texas. Spencer
needs a blacksmith, a trade he learned at his father's knee, and he needs a
place where no one knows his past.
Eden
Spencer has sworn off men, choosing instead to devote her time to the lending
library she runs in the town her father founded. When a mountain-sized stranger
walks through her door and asks to borrow a book, she's reluctant to trust him.
Yet as the mysteries of the town's new blacksmith unfold, Eden discovers hidden
depths in him that tempt her heart.
Eden
believes she's finally found a man of honor and integrity. But when the truth
about Levi's prodigal past comes to light, can this tarnished hero find a way
to win back the librarian's affections?
Finally, I read To Win Her Heart! It
has taken me so long to get to this story, and I have heard nothing but good
things about it. However, even the best of books can be drowned in a to-read pile.
As I read this book, it felt a lot like
a beauty and the beast story. Was it just me? I saw all sorts of parallels to
that fairy tale, from the arrogant man who was attracted to Eden, to a man who
never thinks he can win the love a woman, to the books that Eden loves so much.
For me, it made the story even better to have that comparison.
The one negative thing about this book
was how steamy it got at times. While I have no problem with physical
attraction, some touching and even a kiss or two, I felt that at times the
characters thought of little else. However, this was made up for by the strong
Christian message and that they truly seemed to care more about character than
what the other looked like.
As always, Witemeyer nailed her
Christian message and made it very powerful. While I was not as deeply affected
by it as I was some of the others, it still got me to thinking about
forgiveness, redemption, and being kind to others.
I recommend this book to older readers
who enjoy romance, well portrayed messages, and characters that leap off the
page.
Last week, I told you how excited I was that my dear friends, Rachel and Jessica were coming to Texas. They are now here and we are having a grand time. We are one week into our two week visit and the time is flying by.
We watched the new Cinderella, Sight and Sound Theater: Moses, The North Avenue Irregulars, and Hot Lead and Cold Feet. We have played Apples to Apples and Swap. We have painted each others nails, made food, and talked late into the night.
I feel so blessed to have two such godly young ladies who encourage me in my faith and have taught me so much. I look foward to many more years of us being friends.
Today, we have some other young ladies coming to join us and we are going to do something Rachel and Jessica requested as part of their visit... A water balloon fight. Good thing I have had some practice lately.
God has been working on my heart a lot the past few months.
I just haven’t been doing a lot of the basic things that make the Christian
life work well. Simple things like daily Bible reading and praying throughout
the day. In the past few years I have slowly lost my grasp on the basics of my
faith.
Through both some of the books I have been writing, the
people I have been fellowshipping with, and still small voice inside, I
realized how neglectful I have been. I have forgotten the very basics, which make up the foundation of my faith. I wonder why my heart is not right, only to
be reminded I have not been turning to the source of renewal.
Today is the beginning of a series that I have dubbed Faith
Basics. I have even created a hashtag (#FaithBasics) so that all of us can share
this journey together on social media. I encourage you to join me in this journey
back to the basics.
The Bible
I am very guilty of getting up in the morning and starting
on my to-do list and forgetting to crack open my Bible. So what are the most important
habits when it comes to the Bible?
Reading: Obviously,
I cannot expect to know what the Bible contains unless I am reading it often, preferably
every day. For me, I am trying to read
one chapter before I get out of bed and one before I go to sleep. This won’t
set any reading records, but it is a good way to start and end my day.
Meditating: As I
get dressed and started on my day, I try to think about the chapter I read. I
am not very good at this, but it is my goal to get better at it. One of the ways I
am doing this is working on memorizing.
Memorize: I have
not set out to memorize scripture in a long time. To help aid me in my quest to
return to the basics, I am using My Scripture Journal: Gratitude. It has
already helped me both in learning verses, but also in meditating more of
scripture.
Search: Often, I
hear people espouse ideas that they say are from the Bible, but when was the
last time I searched the scriptures to make sure that was true? Sadly, I rely
on my memory or trust the person who had the idea. I want to strive to be
better and searching the scripture and checking what others say against it.
Well, are you ready to join me? We are going back to the
basics! Feel free to share your thoughts and/or struggles in the comments, or
by using #FaithBasics.
November is a big month for writers because it is National Write
a Novel Month! Yes, I am already starting to countdown because….
I am writing the sequel
to A Different Kind of Courage!
That is right; William and Selah (among others) will make
their return in a book sometime next year. November will be the month that thier story gets written.
Right now, I am knee deep in research. While some of the
main historical characters have been identified for my story, others I am still
trying to work out. I am reading a wide variety of books. My favorite sources
are first-hand accounts; letters and documents of the people who lived and
breathed during that time, such as the letters between John and Abigail Adams.
As you can see from the shelf (pictured above), I have a lot
of books to work through. I am planning on rereading 1776, as I think the majority of the book will take place in that
year. I am also reading a wide variety of biographies to help identify more
historical characters to include, and get a better feel of the time.
As I come across a historical fact that I think I might find
useful, I am writing it down on an index card along with the source. I am
hoping that this will avoid the issue that I had with the last book, having to
go back and find my sources again.
I have also created a timeline so I can easily keep track of
the events that were going on and can build my story around it, but more of
that next week.
Are you doing NaNoWriMo? Join me for the #NaNoCountdown
series! You can even join with posts of your own.
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