Tag: For Mom

Grace-Filled Writer

Melanie Dickerson has done it again! I was captivated by this newest title from the first page to the last. Her retelling of classic fairy tales crates the backdrop for delightful new stories. I love not knowing which tale her stories are based on and then figuring it out as I read. This newest tale takes a privileged yet essentially imprisoned maiden on a journey to discover who she really is and who she wants to become.

The heroine, Evangeline, is the cousin of the king and an illegitimate relation as well. She is so closely guarded that very few even know she exists and she is never permitted off the castle grounds where she lives. In a desperate attempt to avoid a dangerous marriage arranged by the king she fleas in disguise along with her maid. Together they attempt to hide in a far away town. To do so she must deceive the chivalrous man who provides them sanctuary.

I found myself spellbound as I read. I cheered both the heroine and hero on to find real love. I also enjoy the way faith in God is presented. One or more characters are always on a journey in Dickerson’s novels, and they seek to know God, not just accept what a bishop or priest is telling them. Quiet often the one joy in their day is simply reading from God’s Word. What a blessing to be reminded of how precious the Word of God should be to us!

As soon as I finish each of Dickerson’s novels I’m anxious to find out when the next will be published. There are few authors who delight me novel after novel, but Melanie Dickerson is definitely one of them!

Disclaimer: I received a digital copy of this book through BookLook Bloggers. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

When Christmas Doesn’t Feel Joyous

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I know for some of you Christmas didn’t feel joyous. Christmas can be heart-wrenching, a get-through-it holiday that you can’t wait to see end. When we see people around us happy and laughing while our hearts are breaking, our hurt magnifies. I felt this way for years. Our first baby was due around Christmas, but we had a miscarriage at 15 weeks. For 8 years Christmas did not feel joyous. I thought after our other children were born that would change. I didn’t hate Christmas. I didn’t wish it away either, but during those years I didn’t really enjoy the holiday as I wished I could. 

This changed in 2012 when I ended up in the hospital 3 days before Christmas with emergency surgery to remove a tumor in my intestines. Scary stuff… That Christmas I experienced Immanuel, God with us, as never before. In the process God healed my heart deeply. I still think about our baby and miss him or her at Christmas, but my joy for the season has returned. I know for some the joy may never fully return, and that is okay. Be okay with your grief during the holidays if that is where your heart is. 
Whether you feel it or not Immanuel is still there. 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
John 1:1 & 14

A Loyal Heart: A BookLook Blogger Review

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Shelley Shepard Gray is an author I discovered first through BookLook. I very much enjoyed her previous historical novel series. She is also known for writing Amish fiction which isn’t my preferred genre. I was excited to have the opportunity to review another book from this author. 
The setting is post-Civil War, reconstruction era Texas. This was a very dark time for the nation. Lincoln has been assassinated and the war-torn South struggled to recover economically and emotionally. The tone of the novel solidly conveys these difficult times from the perspective of a young widow and an officer committed to following through with a promise made to her husband. 
This novel did have a slower pace at the beginning, but I think this plays into the emotion of the characters. I appreciated that I really got to know the hero and heroine before the story-line developed too much. There is much to be said for character development which is often sorely lacking in modern novels. The story evolves in a believable way and I like many of the secondary characters just as much as the main protagonists.
Overall this novel was a solid story which feels like a deeper read than much of today’s modern literature. I look forward to the author’s next novel with great anticipation.
Disclaimer: I received this novel from BookLook in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.

The Captain Takes a Wife: A BookLook Blogger Review

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The Captain Takes a Wife is an interesting novel about a soldier-turned preacher and a young woman in trouble.The story opens with the hero being thrown into a situation where he must rescue the heroine. He is encouraged by trusted friends to jump right in with faith into an odd relationship with a complete stranger. (I’m being cryptic a bit because I don’t want to spoil the story for you!) Through a chain of unexpected events which happen to be captured by a reporter, his life is changed forever in a matter of just a few hours.

I was honestly not very captured by the story-line. The premise felt awkward and unbelievable. Yes, I know fiction often has aspects which are far from reality which is part of its charm, but in this case it did not seem to fit well and comfortably. In this case I believe part of the problem was the readers did not have the opportunity to really learn about the character of the hero or heroine before a very dramatic change in their circumstance occurred. This led to my feeling it was an unrealistic storyline.

I also felt the character development was sorely lacking. While the characters did change and grow in some regard, it felt forced. This is a wholesome novel and also a light read so it would potentially make for a good change from your ordinary fictional fare, but overall I was disappointed in the story-line and it did not keep my attention very well.

Disclaimer: I received this novel from BookLook in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.

365 Pocket Morning prayers: A Tyndale Blog Network Review

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Cover 
Sometimes it is hard to know how to pray. Even those who have a long-standing faith with many years of growing can go through seasons of not knowing what to pray. For those who are young in their faith it can be overwhelming to even know where to begin. We want to pray and desire intimate time with our heavenly Father, but it can be difficult to focus at times.
365 Pocket Morning Prayers by David R. Veerman, published by Tyndale House Publishers, is a sweet and gentle way to begin your time with God in the mornings. Each day has a short verse or two and a sample prayer written to coincide with it. The thoughts in the prayer are often devotional in nature and can spur on a longer time with God. 
I like the small, compact size as it is easy to pack for a vacation. Often when I’m on vacation I have a harder time staying on track with my  alone time with God. Having a small book like this can be helpful to me to stay consistent when away from my daily routines. The soft, leather-like cover was inviting to my girls. They thought it was so pretty and liked how it felt in their hands.
I personally would not pick this up as my only time with God during the day as the Scripture is minimal on each page, but I do think this is a great jump-start and a refreshing way to start morning devotions with God. I also think this is a great devotional for those first starting a daily time with God because of its simplicity. This could make a great gift for a college student as well. 
Disclaimer: I received this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

The Beautiful Pretender: A BookLook Blogger Review

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I have thoroughly enjoyed reading Melanie Dickerson’s novels over the last year or so. I read a lot of books for review and I’m always excited when I see a new one from her available to me! 
The Beautiful Pretender is a lovely story that kept me guessing as to how the heroine was going to resolve her conflict. Being a ladies maid is not easy task, but when she is forced into a situation where she is pretending to be her lady rather her lady’s maid, Avelina is thrown into an indulgent life of luxury. Her lady runs away with a knight after she finds out she is with child leaving the entire family in danger. The Earl of Pimmwald insists Avelina take his daughter’s place vying for marriage to the Margrave of Thornbeck castle.

Avelina never intended to fall in love with the man. In fact she tries to promote the qualities of another lovely young woman to him, but the Margrave falls for Avelina. Avelina soon begins to fear for her safety within the castle and must find a way to safely return to her family.

The way Melanie Dickerson takes a classic fairy tale and crafts it into a plausible reality is simply beautiful. Until these novels I had never cared much for a medieval time period for a setting. I love the way she thoughtfully weaves spiritual truths and internal conflicts for the characters. I never feel she is preaching at her audience, but I see the truth of God’s Word shining through her heroes and heroines. Her conversational style is a pleasure to read.

Disclaimer: I was given this title to read in exchange for my honest review as a Book Look Blogger. The opinions here are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.

The past few weeks in review…What I’m learning about expectations

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“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
Isaiah 55:8-9

This post has been sitting in the “draft” section for several weeks. God is teaching me a lot about His plans vs. my plans, but it is hard to know how much of that to share in this space. I’ve been wrestling with the idea of walking in faith during uncertainty. There have been some unexpected things in our lives over the last year, none of which I welcomed. Lost friendships, medical “drama” (for lack of a better word), the death of my husband’s grandmother…and other stuff.The one thing I know to be true is that nothing takes Him by surprise, and in that I find rest and peace. 

My husband has been preaching through the Book of James and the last several weeks have challenged my perception about trials and expectations. I’ve read through the book of James multiple times, but this is the beauty of the living and active Holy Word of God. So as we start out this year I’m making plans, and holding them as loosely as I can with an “If the Lord wills,” kind of attitude. I’ve always said I believed it, but I’m not convinced my heart fully aligned with my words. By the grace of God I’m working on that.

This is all very good to talk about in an abstract way, but how in the world does this work practically? Here is my list. Everyone’s will and should look differently as you begin to pray and seek out what God has for you. I love reading how-to books and getting ideas for various things from Pinterest, but other than the Word of God itself, there isn’t another book on this planet that has the perfect answer for everyone. So take this list as something I created for me. I do hope this encourages you to evaluate your own life, but that is all I hope for.

1. Consistently spending time in God’s Word  ~ Currently I’m reading through the Bible chronologically. I’ve been at it for a while (over two years), but not as consistently as I would have liked. I read 1-3 chapters a day depending on how much time I have in the morning. I’m currently up to Solomon’s reign. 

2. Organized to-do lists ~ The bullet journaling craze is just too overwhelming for me, but I took a few tips from the few blogs I looked at and created an organized to-do list system. So for now it looks like a pretty little journal and I have a separate page and pen color for each list I need. This includes my jobs, church responsibilities, this blog, and home. I work better with organized lists and I have a lot! I also just used a blank journal and pens I already had so this was a free, but fun new tactic. So far I’m enjoying this. 

3. Saying Yes ~ This has been the hardest. My husband and I both have been trying to say, “yes” to as much as we can with the girls. This means we are spending more time together, playing more games, enjoying more smiles and giggles. There are times we can’t answer with yes, but we are aiming to make sure the no is out of necessity, not just because we don’t want to bother with whatever they are asking. 

4. Planning ahead ~ I’m a chronic procrastinator. My parents could tell you all about it and then my husband continue the story. I’ve tried to say I work well under pressure, but that isn’t really true. I’ve been told it is a classic perfectionist tactic. I seriously don’t see that as true for me either. My self-diagnosis is that I become so overwhelmed when I have a big project or long list that I procrastinate to avoid those feelings…which is ironic because if I would just do the thing, that wouldn’t be there. So I’m working ahead when I can and aiming to be the opposite of a procrastinator. Is there a word for that?

5. Putting my family first with the right attitude ~ Now this is a little tricky, because I don’t agree with the very popular mentality that time for yourself is something you deserve. My first ministry is to my family – my husband and my daughters. Not me. I need to take care of myself which I do think includes doing what you need to do for both physical and mental health. At the moment, because of the health issues going on with me personally, I’m taking a nap in the afternoons.This is a need and I’ making sure I fulfill that need. I don’t deserve pleasure time. I’m grateful if I get it, and yes, I get time for myself! I read for pleasure, scrapbook, and walk with my neighbo, among other things. The difference is I am looking at this time as a blessing, not allowing myself to believe it is something I deserve. 

6. Extending more grace ~ Irony, right? The name of this blog was created because I know we need grace! It is so much easier to say than to do. So I pray in the morning that the Holy Spirit would help me extend more grace to my family, to those I encounter in my day, and to myself. It’s so easy to get irritated at the small things…there are a lot of small things that go wrong in a day! 

There are probably more things and this isn’t going to turn into a series or a book, don’t worry! I just want to encourage you to be willing to evaluate and make changes in your own life if you need to for either yourself or your family.

Dawn at Emberwilde: A Booklook Blogger Review

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Sarah E. Ladd is my new favorite author! She captured my heart with The Curiosity Keeper and I was incredibly excited to read the next installment of the Treasures of Surrey Novels. Although they are connected, you could absolutely read this as a standalone novel. (But really, go back and read The Curiosity Keeper! It’s great!)

The novel opens with a young woman and her half-sister being swept away from the simply life they know at an all girls boarding school into a life of ease and luxury…or so they think. The preparatory school where they live was created for young girls without means to learn how to provide for themselves through jobs such as being a governess. The heroine, Isabel, had been trained as such and was a teacher in training before her world was turned upside down. Her younger half-sister went from being in a school that would prepare her to be a governess to being given one herself! The change for both girls is not easy, but they are left with no choice as their current situation at the boarding school is not intended for young women of privilege.

As the story progresses Isabel discovers all is not as it seems with her aunt and uncle. She must also learn to discern the character of two young men who have indicated an interest in her well-being. One young man is encouraged by her uncle, the other by her aunt. Both are charming and handsome, but one is not as noble as he seems. (You’ll have to read to find out which!)

Isabel also discovers there is some mystery surround the death of her mother and what she had been told all her life may not be exactly the truth.

You will find yourself captivated as I was as you read. It was very hard to put this down and actually go to sleep at night! The intrigue and suspense in this regency era novel will keep you turning pages.

Disclaimer: I received this novel in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.

A Haven on Orchard Lane: A Net Galley Review

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A Haven on Orchard Lane - By: Lawana Blackwell  
My mom introduced me to the author Lawana Blackwell many years ago through The Gresham Chronicles. I’ve loved her ever since! It has been a few years since she has published a new book, so I was very excited to read A Haven on Orchard Lane. I was not disappointed!

The story centers around the rekindled relationship of an estranged mother and daughter. While I do not relate to that specifically, I did enjoy the interchange and growth which occurred throughout between the two characters. While this is the main story, out from it come many branches and side stories which are intriguing and carefully crafted. The setting is a quaint seaside English village. As I read I felt as if I were walking the streets and left me with a desire to visit one day!

One of the unique and enjoyable aspects of Lawana Blackwell’s stories is the abundance of colorful characters and the intertwining of their lives. This beautifully written story focuses mostly on two women, but the many wonderful characters leaves you feeling as if you are a part of the charming community. Characters are artfully crafted and feel very realistic. You will feel as if you know each one personally as you read.

As with every book I’ve ever read by Mrs. Blackwell I was sad to get to the final page. I hated to say goodbye to the quaint village and charming characters. I dearly hope this is not the only novel about them!

Rocking Ordinary: A Launch Team Preview

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Ordinary…it’s the way most of us feel most of the time. Running through the day’s tasks whether they be housework or number crunching, diaper changing or paper grading, we struggle to feel successful at the little things, let alone dream we could possibly be making any kind of eternal impact. Sometimes we need a friend, someone to walk alongside us and help us realize we are not alone and we are indeed making a difference.

So where do we begin? 
How do we make any kind of first step towards something different? 
How doe we become more than ordinary?

If you study the Bible you begin to see a pattern. When God chose someone to do great things, they didn’t start out as anything except ordinary. It was an ordinary woman living as a prostitute who acted out her glimmer of faith in order to preserve the spies sent into Jericho. An ordinary little boy, born from a barren womb, became the priest who led Israel back to worshiping the One True God. The ordinary youngest brother, a shepherd boy, became the most famous king of Israel. An ordinary girl from an ordinary town, became the girl, the one chosen to carry God’s plan for salvation in her womb.

I wonder, on the day before they heard the voice of God calling, did they question their ordinary existence? Did they feel inadequate or unable? We don’t read about most of those day-before moments, but I have a very real suspicion that they existed because as Ecclesiastes says, there is nothing new under the sun. Our emotions are not new or exclusive to our generation. It may feel that way at times, even to the point that we may feel alone on our journey. Then someone comes alongside us and we see we aren’t alone.

Rocking Ordinary, the new book from Lea Ann Garfias, is one of the best books I’ve ever read to encourage women along their journey no matter what path they are traveling. It’s tough out there in the world. Everything we do is critiqued and criticized either directly or indirectly through social media and blogs. We beat ourselves up over perceived inadequacies and then we turn on those around us with judgement. With each page you will feel as if Lea Ann is that friend you’ve always longed for with wise, gentle answers you know you can trust. Her fun personality shines through in every word. 

If you have ever desired to be more than ordinary, this book is for you. As you read, you will discover within these pages that you already are.