Author: vicklea

I love to read! I’m a retired teacher with a spouse of 45 years, three amazing children and nine wonderful grandchildren. I am blessed!

Thankful Thursday

On By vickleaIn Scripture, VideoLeave a comment

Two words in this scripture jumped right out at me this morning during my devotional and I am sure you can guess what they are.

First is that word ALWAYS. I am fairly sure that I know what always means, but I took time to look it up online. According to Merriam-Webster , always means: at all times, forever and in any event. Now, let’s think together about these definitions. At all times means in good times, bad times, regular times, so-so times, when you feel well, when you don’t feel well and whether you feel like it or not. Forever is just what it says: for every moment, for every day, from now until you take your last earthly breath and enter eternity to praise God. And “in any event” means to me that no matter the circumstances or what is happening to us or around us.

The second word that jumped out at me is EVERYTHING. Back to Merriam-Webster for another definition. “Everything” means: all that exists and all that is important. What exists in my life may not be what exists in your life, but whatever exists is part of everything for that individual. And, of course, what is important to me may not be important to you in any way, but we both have things in our lives that are important.

So, we are to at all times give thanks to God the Father for all that exists and all that is important in our lives. I am not seeing a “when we feel like it” or “when all is going the way we want it to” in this verse, are you?

As you thank God today for all things, remember that the good and the bad and the ugly are things, too. They exist and they impact your life. I am not saying, and I don’t think that the verse is either, that you thank God for being ill or for tragedies that occur. You are thanking God that He is with you during the bad things that happen and that you are not alone and forsaken ever. God knows our hearts and knows when we are unhappy about our circumstances, but we can always thank Him for taking us through the difficulties or challenges we face and not just leaving us there. I generally add to my prayers for God to help me learn from the hard things so that I can then help others in similar situations. I also pray that I can continue to shed His light even when I feel as though I am surrounded by darkness.

I hope today’s post resonated with you. I will close with my Thankful Thursday List (or the start of it) and a song for you.

Note that this is a short list of the many, many things I am thankful for. It’s a beginning of my thankful journey for the day.

Give Thanks-Don Moen

Review: The Targeted by Cara Putman

On By vickleaIn Book Promo, Book Review2 Comments

About the Book (from Barnes and Noble)

ISBN-13:9780825448065

Publisher:Kregel Publications

Publication date:05/19/2026

Pages:336

Synopsis

Can she protect her gym students before her past catches up?

When Chloe Ainsworth’s older sister reappears after fourteen years, she brings with her the news that Chloe’s abuser is back in town. Chloe is a coach at her childhood gym and fiercely protective of her young gymnasts. She won’t allow them to suffer the way she did, but she’s desperate for an ally—one who can help her make her case.

Law student Dare Shepherd works at the local legal clinic, where he meets Chloe and hears her out. He believes her case but can’t get the clinic director on board. As he learns more about her story, he finds himself bound by a deepening personal care for Chloe.

They band together in search of answers, and suddenly the stakes skyrocket. It’s clear they’re onto something, but will they be able to find the answers before it’s too late?

My Thoughts

This novel tells the powerful and compelling story of a former gymnast who wants to save other young gymnasts from suffering the same kind of sexual abuse that she did as a child. When her predator returns to town, Chloe is even more motivated to take him to court in order to make sure that he never hurts another young athlete. the case gets complicated as others are involved, including Chloe’s sister Ginny who returns to town about the same time as Coach Alex does. The mystery is how in the world Chloe will be able to face the giant. She is indeed a modern-day David facing huge odds that she can prove her case and keep the coach away from the girls. The story was riveting and heart-breaking at times, but it is also one that held me captivated and cheering for Chloe and her lawyer Dare, a young law student who takes on the case pro bono. There are plenty of twists and surprises which kept me engaged and turning the pages as fast as I could. This is a fast-paced legal suspense with a little romance and plenty of thrilling moments. The characters were realistic and even though I really didn’t like Coach Alex, he was realistically portrayed as a sleazy make who takes advantage of his position. The main characters were likable and relatable, and the plot was well-crafted to tell a story that is thought-provoking as well as a warning for parents to be aware of the backgrounds of those who teach their children. The love that Chloe felt for her young students was evident as she was determined not to back down even when she was in danger. Great story told in a thoroughly engaging way with a perfect pace.
I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and I purchased my own copy to keep. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Rated PG-difficult topic of sexual abuse by a predator/coach

About the Author

The award-winning, best-selling author of more than 35 books, Cara Putman graduated college at 20 and completed her law degree at 27. FIRST for Women magazine called Shadowed by Grace “captivating” and a “novel with ‘the works.’” Cara is active at her church and a full-time Clinical Associate Professor on business and ethics to undergraduate and graduate students at Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management. Putman also practices law and was a second-generation homeschooling mom for twelve years. Putman obtained her Master’s in Business Administration from Krannert and her J.D. from George Mason University Antonin Scalia School of Law. She serves on the executive board of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), an organization she has served in various roles since 2007. She lives with her husband and four children in Indiana. You can connect with her online at: caraputman.com.

Purchase Links

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Review: A Chance for Kallie Mae by Ann H. Gabhart

On By vickleaIn Book Promo, Book Review4 Comments

About the Book (from the author’s website)

Series: Stand Alone Novels
Genre: Historical Novels
Publisher: Revell
Publication Year: May 2026
ASIN: 0800746279
ISBN: 9780800746278

Since childhood, Kallie Mae Bertram has clung to two simple wishes—to unlock the world of reading and to build a life with Quinn Spencer. Will family duty make her risk everything for love?

My Thoughts

The realistic Appalachian setting in this novel and the fact that Kallie Mae really wanted to be literate touched my heart from the beginning. She had given up her chance at an education when her baby sister Emmie was born and her mom died after her birth. Kallie Mae was a child herself, raising another child as per her mom’s dying wish. Her father is a hard man who is bitter against life and who does not make it easy for his children to get an education. Kallie Mae is determined that little Emmie will learn her letters and numbers so sends her to the local country school. The theme of bullying and lack of acceptance was prevalent for both of Kallie Mae’s siblings. There was also a theme of a love story that never got to take root because the boy she loved with all her heart was from a neighborhood family against whom her father had a grudge. So in spite of the fact that Kallie Mae is a grown young woman and Quinn is more than ready to court her and marry her, her dad, Lije Bertram, presents one obstacle after another, blackmailing Kallie Mae into giving up her love for Quinn. The theme of the importance of family and an education are also important parts of the story. The tale of the Moonlight Schools where Kallie Mae and Quinn could go to learn was well researched and a riveting part of the story. I enjoyed the well-crafted and complex plot, with a lot of characters playing important roles in Kallie Mae’s choices. All of the characters were well-developed, and I felt as though I got to know Kallie Mae and sympathized with her yearning to have a family of her own as well as an education. I especially liked how the author presented the feud between the families and used it as a springboard to teach a lesson about forgiveness. This book and the characters are memorable and would lend itself to a great book club discussion.
I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I also preordered my own copy since the author is a favorite of mine and always presents stories that are thought-provoking and compassionate. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Christian Fiction, Rated G

About the Author

Ann H. Gabhart caught the writing bug at the age of ten and has been writing ever since. An award winning author, she’s published many books for both adults and young adults. Her books cover several genres from historical to small town family stories to cozy mysteries (mysteries published with author name A.H. Gabhart). Her ideas are sparked by events in Kentucky history and by experiences in her own family. Her first Shaker novel, The Outsider, was a finalist for the ECPA Christian Fiction Book of the Year. Love Comes Home won the Selah Book of the Year award, and These Healing Hills was the Faith, Hope & Love Readers’ Choice Women’s Fiction Book of the Year.

Ann lives on a Kentucky farm not far from where she was born. She and her husband have three children and nine grandchildren. Ann enjoys hiking on her farm with her grandkids and her dogs, Frankie and Marley. See more about her books at www.annhgabhart.com or join the conversation on her Facebook page, www.facebook.com/anngabhart (from Amazon’s author page)

Purchase Links

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A Good Listener

On By vickleaIn Scripture4 Comments

Do you have someone that you enjoy talking to about anything and everything? Someone with whom you can be totally honest and don’t have to fear judgment or advice that makes you wonder why you shared with them in the first place?

I talk to my husband a lot, but these days I can be pretty sure that he only hears about 50% of what I say and responds accordingly. He doesn’t want to admit that he has a hearing deficit, so instead, he generally responds to what he thought he heard. Sometimes, his responses are humorous and other times they upset me because they are so off topic that I knew he couldn’t hear and didn’t tell me until I had finished talking.

But there is someone in my life who always listens, always hears, and gives the best advice ever.

I can pour out my heart to God at all times of the day or night and He is always ready to listen. He doesn’t half listen as he is actually tuned into the latest from BBC News. Nor does he tell me to “wait a minute” while He finishes what He is doing. He listens each and every time as soon as I call on His name.

I can vent to God and tell Him how frustrated I am. He listens and generally responds with a scripture to help me get out of my funk and back on the road to hope. I can tell God about my dreams and things that I want to do before I die. He is attentive and listens. Again, the Holy Spirit gently reminds me of scripture verses to encourage me, usually that my life isn’t over yet so it’s still okay to have dreams. I cry to God when I am hurting, raise my voice to Him over the pain I am feeling and speak softly to Him when I feel so totally unworthy to even come into His presence. I walk away from my sessions with God with newfound energy and hope that He is handling everything in His time and in His way so I can just let it go. He is my totally trustworthy refuge, never too busy, never hard of hearing and not once has He given me a ridiculous response that tells me that He didn’t hear me or had tuned me out.

In defense of my husband, he has been a good companion for over fifty years and we have been through a lot together. I still talk to him when the TV is silenced and I am willing to speak more loudly for long enough to have a real conversation. Growing old together has its challenges. I have health issues and Harry has hearing and mobility problems, too. It’s just that I know He is a man who has weaknesses, just as I do, and he won’t always meet my need as a good listener. I don’t think it’s because he doesn’t want to listen but because physically it is frustrating for him to see my mouth moving and have no idea what I just said. That is why God is my first resource and if God tells me to take time to talk to Harry about things, I do.

Who is your listener? I hope you have God as your trustworthy refuge who won’t judge or ridicule but who will always encourage and offer sound, scriptural advice. He wrote the Book and He is very good at sharing the right verses at the right time to the right person.

Like a Magnet

On By vickleaIn Scripture2 Comments

Before I became a Christian, I was not attracted at all to reading God’s Word, spending time with Him in prayer or even in praising Him. But once I became a Christian, I cannot seem to spend enough time with Him. I want to draw as close to Him as I possibly can.

God’s love for me is like a magnet, attracting me to Him and His caring compassion for me before I even knew He was there.

Christ died for me thousands of years before I was born, but somehow He who is infinite knew that this finite person that I am would need a Savior so He demonstrated His love by providing salvation for me, freely and without strings attached.

I think that as we read more of God’s Word, His love letter to us, then we are more attracted to Him and want to know more about Him. At least that is true for me. At one time, I didn’t exactly run away from God but neither did I devote myself to spending time with Him either. He didn’t repel me; He just didn’t interest me.

Now my life is not complete without time with Him daily and throughout the day. It amazes me what I can accomplish if I start my day spending time with God and then do the other things that occupy my “to do list.”

God isn’t trying to run away from me and the scriptures make it clear that I cannot go away from Him. He is with me no matter where I go, all day long.

People tend to repel each other sometimes, especially if they are hurting. It just seems to be a fact of life.

We need the connection but we deliberately create a barrier so that others cannot reach out and touch us in our pain. God, however, crossed that barrier and He never wants us to block Him out because He is the answer to all of our pain and sorrow and troubles. He is out magnet, the only One who knows how to attract us and keep us in His field of attraction for all infinity if we will but respond.

God Is in Control

On By vickleaIn Scripture6 Comments

In my daily struggles with moving around and just living, I find myself talking myself into doing things. I’m sure you know what that is like. I say to myself, ”Self, it’s only a few steps so you can do it. You just have to balance yourself and move forward.” I also find myself talking to God and asking Him to help me remain upright. Before my feet touch the floor in the morning, I am already expressing my dependence on God to help me get up and moving.

I go to a lot of different specialists, but never have I entertained the thought that they are the answer to all of my problems. They PRACTICE medicine, but God IS our help. He made me and He can fix me, and if He doesn’t, then He will help me keep on keeping on in this earthly frame. I appreciate the doctors and their attention to details and their advice, but ultimately, God is my source of strength and healing.

The battle is always the Lord’s, whether it is in your marriage, for your children, in your neighborhood or for the world. I think sometimes that I am fighting this battle all alone, but then God reminds me of the scriptures where angels were all around, just not visible to the servant until God showed them to him. As the Bible says, “we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses.” Can you imagine their jubilation when we make the right choices and persevere instead of turning away in frustration?

This is the lesson that God is bringing to my mind frequently these days. I just need to be still. God will give the doctors wisdom and give me peace. God will fight the battles. God is my help, all the time and in every situation.

I am sure many of you are facing temptations, battles and maybe even an uncooperative body as I am. God is all we need during this time. Praying friends help. But they aren’t the answer. Attending church and hearing the wise words of the pastor and leaders help, but that is not the answer. All of these things contribute to our waiting, but they don’t provide the source of life that we need to press into. Only God has the final answer…He always gets the final word in our lives if we are just still and waiting. I’m not going to pretend that waiting is easy because it isn’t. But I have found through decades of serving the Lord that waiting for God’s answer is worth it since His answer is the only one that will actually help and carry me through to the end.

May God bless and keep you close to Him as you persevere and wait.

The Cost of Inflation and Free to All

On By vickleaIn Scripture1 Comment

I must first confess that I took two economics courses in college, neither of which I understood very well or enjoyed at all. But I am watching gas prices rise and paying more for groceries, so I know that prices have increased but my retirement pay has not. That means I have to be a much more aware shopper and buy things on sale or look for bargains in different stores. Here is what I found online about prices:

Please don’t ask me to expound on any of these diagrams because I just don’t have the knowledge to do so. I can tell that these charts indicate an upward trend, with some falling somewhat but perhaps prices not being passed on to the consumers (us). This kind of information can be mind-boggling and somewhat discouraging at times. But, you know what price has never changed?

SALVATION!!!

Jesus paid the price for our salvation once and for all and his sacrifice is not affected by oil prices, the stock market or even wars. It has always been free for those who accept it.

Free!

If you were driving by a gas station and saw the word FREE on the marquee, you would probably drive right in and get in line for your free tank of gas. So, why do we hesitate to accept the free gift of salvation from a God who only wants our best and loves us so much? I don’t know why, but I do know that today is the day to accept the free gift of God’s grace and mercy and there is no line to wait in, no interest to be charged and the cost is the same today as it was yesterday and even years ago. The cost is your willingness to confess your sins and accept Jesus as the Savior who gave His all so that you could have a relationship with our Heavenly Father. No gimmicks, tricks or sleight of hand. Free with Jesus is exactly what it says…free!

So, the next time you are driving by a gas station and gasp at the price or rolling a cart around a grocery store carefully choosing items that are in your budget, remember to thank Jesus that He never has and never will raise the cost you pay for eternal salvation. Free to you and to me and to all who call upon His name! Good news, isn’t it?