I am a Christian, a retired teacher, a mother and a grandmother. I love to read and I love the Lord Jesus Christ! Unless otherwise specified ,all visual illustrations are from the YOU VERSION APP of the Bible.
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!
One day all of mankind will acknowledge Jesus as Lord and Savior. Until that marvelous day comes, it is fitting that those of us who believe in His sovereignty now should sing songs of praise to Him.
I don’t praise God because all if right in my world but because all is right as I lean on Him. No matter what I go through, and the Bible tells us that the righteous are not free from troubles. God is right there taking me through them. The fact that He is always with me makes me sing!
In the assembly of believers, we can freely express our adoration for the Lord, the King of all the earth and of our hearts. In exalting His name together, we form a unity of sound and heart that reaches to Heaven. We praise not just to bless God but to also bless each other and ourselves with the understanding that what is happening now is not all that there is.
God receives glory and we work as His loving servants to help carry out His will here on earth. What is more praiseworthy than a God who never changes and who is always working for us and through us?
Anyone who has followed me on my blog for a while knows that I have a few health problems. Well, actually, maybe more than a few. But I am totally blessed that God has taken care of me and is continuing to watch over me. My attitude of gratitude did not come easily as I spent much time angry about my health conditions and my inability to change them as well as God’s silence on the matters. Then, in 2015, my stroke happened. It was a bad one, or so I was told. If it had not happened at school where I was closer to the hospital and where the school nurse could immediately diagnose me and get help, I would likely not have survived. Coincidence? No…God watching over me.
At the time of my stroke, I could not move any limbs on my right side and could barely stutter out an intelligible word. But what I could do is pray and pray, I did! In the ambulance, I was praying silently to the Lord. The paramedic asked me if I needed something because it seemed I was trying to speak. Well, I did need something (healing) but I wasn’t telling the paramedic. I was talking to God. My husband was late arriving at the hospital because the school nurse had trouble getting him to answer the phone, so I was all alone for a little while. And I prayed, as multiple health workers did their jobs all around me, buzzing about the fact that I was probably having a stroke. The end result was that my husband arrived, I had the option to get a clot-busting shot that could kill me (30% chance) or save my life. My husband called our daughter Hope and together we prayed that the shot would work. It did…but I’m here to tell you that the medication was injected into my body but the Lord did the healing.
I have just been through a series of medical tests and the doctors could not find anything seriously wrong with me except for a reaction to my medication. I feel in my heart and soul that I was healed…God used my symptoms of fainting, vision loss and dizziness to built my faith in Him as I trekked to one specialist after another. In the end, He spoke quietly to me that He had healed me because of His great love for me. Once again, God reached down and touched me, not because of who I am or what I have done but because of Who He is.
My response to God’s grace and mercy is praise and thanksgiving. I am thankful for each day that I get to spend here on earth with my family and friends. God is wonderful to me and abounds in blessings for me. Today, I get to travel again, this time to see my sister who had to move to NC because of her health conditions. If you knew me well, you would know that I dislike traveling. I like the comforts and familiarity of home and would never go anywhere if we did not have family at a distance. Nevertheless, I am blessed to be healthy enough to travel and to get to see my sister who celebrated her birthday this week.
Every day is a miracle. The sights I see around me are evidence of God’s working on the earth. Birds singing, rain falling, squirrels scampering around the bird feeders…all are wonderful signs of God’s creation that He cares for so well. And the best thing is that He has shared it with me to enjoy…and with you! Look around you. You may not see or be aware of God’s miracles, but they are everywhere. Every breath we take is a gift from God. Everything we see is a gift from God. All that we are able to hear is a gift from God. Thus, I have learned and I’m still learning to pray, believe and receive…then to be thankful that I am able to do all of these because of a great and marvelous God who loves me beyond all that I can imagine.
God tells us clearly that He teaches us what is good and what path we should follow. He does not leave us to wander around aimlessly in the dark and in a broken world. He shows us exactly the path that will lead to righteousness and good choices. We have to be willing to listen and obey. Plus, we need to be ready to wait for Him to speak to us through His word. God’s guidance is not a fast, drive-through food chain. His Word requires quietly meditating on what He is saying each time we read it.
Just hearing or reading God’s Word isn’t enough. We also have to practice it! After all, He is the One who is our Redeemer. He is Holy and trustworthy and by practicing what He has taught us in His Word, we can become more like Him. Our “house,” which is our own bodies since we are the temple of His Holy Spirit, is then built on the firm foundation of His Word and when charlatans try to deceive us, we will not be fooled because we know the truth that is in His Word. God doesn’t tell us to do anything that is not for our good, so it is an absolute necessity that we learn to listen, follow and obey.
Publisher: Montlake Published: July 2023 ASIN: B0BHJNS8T6
Women’s Fiction Novel
New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown’s bighearted novel about family, secrets, small-town Texas romance, and—with a little bit of luck—starting over.
Family doesn’t mean everyone has to like each other. That’s the case when cousins Taryn, Anna Rose, and Jorja return to Shamrock, Texas, to help manage their grandmother’s flower shop, the Lucky Shamrock. The reunion isn’t exactly a beautiful arrangement—considering they’re as compatible as ranchers and coyotes.
Thank heaven for a handsome go-between like Clinton, who lives above the shop. The easygoing war vet, and most eligible bachelor in Wheeler County, is now throwing romance into the mix and setting the local women to gossiping. But as the hot months wear on, hidden secrets begin to surface for the temperamental Irish trio. And it’s bringing them closer together than they ever thought possible.
With a flurry of weddings, a love story in the making, a surprise baby, and crazy good fortune, maybe that shamrock painted on the window does bring luck. Because for Taryn, Anna Rose, and Jorja, this could be the summer that’ll change their lives forever.
My Thoughts
This is a fun read about family, relationships, life in a small town, and hidden secrets that have to be told in order to move forward. Three cousins move to Shamrock, Texas, in order to manage their grandmother’s florist shop. Nana Irene was their rock when they were growing up and when she tells them that she needs their help, they reluctantly come to her aid. Their reluctance is nothing to do with Nana Irene and a lot to do with the fact that the three of them get along about like siblings would. Taryn, Jorja and Anna Rose throw themselves into the work at the florist shop while also hiding secrets from their pasts that have influenced how they currently approach life. The characters are well developed and relatable, with plenty of drama and humorous dialogue between them. The plot is centered around their revealing their secrets and resolving the past so that they can move on to a more hopeful future. This book is top quality entertainment from beginning to end, with chuckles and guffaws resulting from many of their antics. I especially enjoyed the resolution of their contentious relationships as well as of their secrets. The plot moved along quickly and was engaging as well as insightfully thought-provoking at times. This is a remarkably well-written book that has a compelling, multi-layered plot and captivating characters. Along with the setting of a small town in Texas where everybody knows everybody else, this is a charming book that had me laughing out loud as well as saddened by what had happened to the young women when they were younger. The dynamic characters and the brilliant plot made this one of my favorite southern fiction books ever! Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
Rated PG due to content
About the Author
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Carolyn Brown was born in Texas and raised in southern Oklahoma. These days she and her husband make their home in Davis, Oklahoma, a small town of less than three thousand people where everyone knows everyone, knows what they are doing and with whom, and read the weekly newspaper to see who got caught. A plaque hangs on her office wall that says I know the voices are not real but they have such great ideas. That is her motto and muse as she goes through the days with quirky characters in her head, telling their stories, one by one, and loving her job. She has been married almost half a century to a retired English teacher that she calls Mr. B and he does not read her books before they are published because she cannot afford a divorce. They have three grown children.—and enough grandchildren to keep them busy and young. When Carolyn is not writing she likes to sit in the back yard and watch the two tom cats protect the yard from all kinds of wicked varmints like crickets, other cats, spiders and blue jays. Photo, author info and book info are from the author’s website at CarolynBrownBooks.com
God’s hand is and has been all over my life for decades. I cannot think of a single day in which God’s mercy and grace and miracles were close by. He has healed me of devastating illnesses, kept me breathing in spite of asthma that has ravaged my lungs and is still healing me every day as He continues to keep my single kidney functioning. Every day that I wake up, I am grateful to see the sky just changing colors, the trees waving in the breeze and the birds and butterflies around me. I love to watch the seasons change, knowing that this demonstrates the hand of the Almighty at work in our fallen world. It is hard to understand why some people don’t believe in God. They deny the existence of the One who created them and has blessed them with all things that they need. Because I cannot help but think of all He has done, marvel at His greatness and then worship Him for who He is and what He has done and is doing. God is good…all the time!
Remembering all that God is and all that He has done is sure to bring praise to our hearts, minds and lips. Praise the Lord!
In my devotionals recently, I read a verse that seems to me to summarize the attributes of God. It reminds me of who He is, what He does and the model that He wants us to try to follow.
God is a steadfast and unmoving rock. Everything He does is absolutely perfect from beginning to end. He always demonstrates justice and fairness and He is always faithful. He never does anything wrong, and He is always blameless. We would do well to aspire to the characteristics of God and strive to emulate Him daily!
One of the reasons that I dreaded traveling was because of my recent problem with insomnia. No matter what time I would go to bed, I would wake up in the middle of the night (between 3-4 a.m.) and have difficulty falling to sleep again. That led to my taking naps during the day because I would just be too tired to make it without one. So, when we planned our trips to MD and PA to see grandchildren, I knew that naps would probably not be possible and dreaded how tired I would get. But, surprise! It’s almost time to return home again and I have actually been sleeping all night every night that we have been away.
I have prayed this prayer faithfully for about a year now, hoping but not really believing that I would be able to sleep well. I confess that for this issue, I was at a low point in my faith journey. God showed me that He answers prayers many times in spite of me and my own doubts. I am thrilled that I have slept so well at our son’s house and at our daughter’s. I pray that this new pattern continues when we return home, but if it doesn’t, I will do what I was doing before. I was wakeful and praying as God brought people to mind. Perhaps He needed me to be praying but I can’t say that with certainty. No matter the reason for my insomnia, God can use it to teach me lessons and to have me pray. God gives me safety and I don’t need to be afraid, even of not being able to sleep.
Many people seem to aimlessly go through life trying to figure out who they are and what they are supposed to accomplish in life. I have found my answers more than once in the Bible and God once again reminded me that my identity is in Him.
God chose to call me out of darkness, so I am chosen. He made me a part of an entire priesthood that lives to serve Him and spread the word about Jesus. He has included me in the holy nation that He created by sending Jesus to save us and make us holy. I am special to God, His possession. He owns me because He redeemed me from my enslavement to sin. I am a person who belongs wholly and completely to God, receiving and accepting His mercy. All of these things and more are part of my new identity in Christ. My DNA did not change, but my heart did!
I don’t know how you feel about all of the sin that seems to be rampant and blatantly challenging God to do something about it, but I am absolutely incensed at the sheer spite and ignorance of those who mock God. But I am reminded that they will not always be able to do so because one day, God will arise and judge His enemies.
The cause if God’s and we Christians are only a part of His plan. When He arises to defend His cause, it will be a great and terrible day. Every day this month I have awakened to new atrocities in the name of “pride month.” I guess it is a proud moment when you chant, “We’re coming for your children,” and when you push your minority agenda on everyone. What saddens me is that so many are jumping on this bandwagon and cheering right along. I had to unfollow several sites on WordPress because they were promoting the whole pride agenda…and they are supposedly Christian sites. I’m not sure what they do with the Bible verses that clearly define sin. Of course, we are all sinners and not one sin is worse than the others. So, I am not the one to judge, but one day God will and I’m thinking it will not end well for those who do not choose to repent. I pray for those who are deceived but especially for those who are supposedly enlightened and still deceiving others. If their words hurt my heart, I cannot imagine how much they hurt God.
Minerva Jane Jenkins has spent her entire married life in the mountains of Kentucky, surviving but not thriving. Her husband Stately made her promise him to keep a secret and in keeping that secret, she has isolated herself from the rest of the world. Then a young reporter named Del Rankin comes along and turns her safe shelter upside down with his revelations about the past and his hope for her future. This is a book that left me emotionally drained as I identified with poor Minerva and her profound faith and determination to keep a promise no matter the cost to herself. The characters are fascinating and richly developed, with authentic dialogue from Appalachia and authentic details about survival there. This is a well-crafted story with multiple layers and a thought-provoking look at accepting and forgiving others. I really enjoyed the southern flavor of this tale and the down-home goodness of Minerva even when she was sorely wronged. As she is approaching what she knows will be the end of her days, she continues to keep her promise to her husband but she also finds a love that she never realized she had missed so much. The story is captivating, original and gut-wrenching at times as Minerva faces the truth of her past and grasps a future that is all too short because of her advanced age. I enjoyed the feel of community when the people rallied around her and I really liked the character of Del and what a dynamic person he was. He came for one purpose and stayed for another higher one, making him remarkable and believably lovable. I also liked the homestead itself that became like a character on its own, with its broken doors and kudzu vines that took over part of Minerva’s land. Finally, I liked getting to know the heart of Minerva and what made her keep a promise for so many years, how much she loved her dog Satchel and how much love she had to give to others. This story of redemption and hope is filled with inspiration and is an eye-opening look at how the elderly should be revered and cared for. Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
When Minerva Jane Jenkins was just 14 years old, she married a man who moved her to the mountains. He carried with him a small box, which he told her was filled with gold. And when he died 50 years later, he made her promise to keep his secret. She is to tell no one about the box or the treasure it contains.
Now 94, Minerva is nearing the end of what has sometimes been a lonely life. But she’s kept that secret. Even so, rumors of hidden gold have a way of spreading, and Minerva is visited by a reporter, Del Rankin, who wants to know more of her story. His friend who joins him only wants to find the location of the gold. Neither of them knows quite who they’re up against when it comes to the old woman on the mountain.
As an unlikely friendship develops, Minerva is tempted to reveal her secret to Del. After all, how long is one bound by a promise? But the truth of what’s really buried in the box may be hidden even from her.
My Thoughts
Minerva Jane Jenkins has spent her entire married life in the mountains of Kentucky, surviving but not thriving. Her husband Stately made her promise him to keep a secret and in keeping that secret, she has isolated herself from the rest of the world. Then a young reporter named Del Rankin comes along and turns her safe shelter upside down with his revelations about the past and his hope for her future. This is a book that left me emotionally drained as I identified with poor Minerva and her profound faith and determination to keep a promise no matter the cost to herself. The characters are fascinating and richly developed, with authentic dialogue from Appalachia and authentic details about survival there. This is a well-crafted story with multiple layers and a thought-provoking look at accepting and forgiving others. I really enjoyed the southern flavor of this tale and the down-home goodness of Minerva even when she was sorely wronged. As she is approaching what she knows will be the end of her days, she continues to keep her promise to her husband but she also finds a love that she never realized she had missed so much. The story is captivating, original and gut-wrenching at times as Minerva faces the truth of her past and grasps a future that is all too short because of her advanced age. I enjoyed the feel of community when the people rallied around her and I really liked the character of Del and what a dynamic person he was. He came for one purpose and stayed for another higher one, making him remarkable and believably lovable. I also liked the homestead itself that became like a character on its own, with its broken doors and kudzu vines that took over part of Minerva’s land. Finally, I liked getting to know the heart of Minerva and what made her keep a promise for so many years, how much she loved her dog Satchel and how much love she had to give to others. This story of redemption and hope is filled with inspiration and is an eye-opening look at how the elderly should be revered and cared for. Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
Many thanks to Revell and to the author! I had the privilege of being on her launch team and received an early ARC from Revell via Netgalley, also. What a blessing to read and review this amazing and insightful book!
Vickie's Book Nook and Meditation Corner 