Wow! I am so appreciative that Stu chose me for this month’s tag because I am a former teacher and I certainly know this reference! Thank you so much, Stu! I am thankful that Dollfaced Writer and Purple Rose created this fascinating tag! If you are not following Stu, folks, you need to. He writes from the heart and truly loves the Lord Jesus.

Here are the rules:

1. Thank the person who tagged you and link their post to yours.

2. Link this post so that we can read them.

3. Use the original featured image and include it in your post.

4. Copy and paste the meaning of the tag into your post.

The Meaning of this Tag:
For many people here in the United States, August means the beginning of a new school year, or at the very least time to prepare for school to begin in early September. It can be very stressful and chaotic. “Back to School” is all over advertisements, television, the internet, grocery stores, department stores…pretty much everywhere you look. It’s a combination of excitement, anxiety, and stress that our society dreads yet looks forward to every year.
In this month’s tag, inspired by the nostalgia of “Back to School” season, Purple Rose and I want to go “Back to the Basics” and reflect on our education and early life. Join us in remembering the sweet smell of freshly opened crayons, the sound of pencils sharpening, and the sight of red ink on the most recently graded assignment…

5. Answer the questions.

6. Tag at least one person.

7. Have fun and enjoy the rest of your month!

Here are the questions:

1. Did you (or do you) go to public school or private school? Or, were you (are you) homeschooled? (Please do not share the name of your school XD)

I went to public school for all twelve years and then I attended a state college.

2. What was (is) your favorite subject in school?

This is a really easy one to answer since I later became a Spanish teacher. Spanish, por supuesto! (Translation: of course!)

3. What was your favorite grade in school?

I think that I would have to say grade 7 because I had an amazing teacher who noticed how shy I was and worked with me to get me involved in group activities. She also understood when I really needed to be alone and allowed me to stay in the classroom and read instead of going outside for recess.

4. Do you prefer pens or pencils? Why?

I currently use both, pencils for my calendar because things change, and pens for journals, letters, etc. because my hope is that the ink will last for years and that my children and grandchildren can one day read these insights into who I am.

5. What was (is) your favorite school lunch?

I really don’t remember but I would have to say anything that had French Fries with it.

6. What is the biggest lesson that you have learned in life?

That Jesus loves me and died for my sins

7. What do you wish that someone taught you a long time ago?

I wish that someone had told me that I was valued and important when I was a child so that I would have grown up with more self-confidence and self-worth. Currently, because of my past, I still struggle with these two issues, but God is good and continually whispers to me about His love for me.

This month I am tagging:

Lisa Blair

Bible Blogger Girl

Please do not feel obligated to participate, but if you choose to do so, have fun with it!

This book is a testimony of the power of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. Anne Graham Lotz uses her personal testimony about the loss of her father and her husband as well as her own struggle with a cancer diagnosis to be a powerful witness to the Holy Spirit’s presence in the lives on the believers. Told with honesty and empathy, Ms. Lotz makes the reader a part of the experience that she had. At the end of each chapter, she invites the reader to share in her experience with the Holy Spirit and to invite Him into our lives. As a believer for over four decades, I did not think that there was much that I had not heard about the Trinity and specifically the Holy Spirit. But Ms. Lotz surprised me with her insight and wisdom into this very important topic. Jesus did not leave us alone when He ascended into Heaven and the author makes it very clear through her own personal testimony that we are not alone but that the Comforter and the Counselor is with us daily. I really loved the vivid word pictures that Ms. Lotz painted that stretched and strengthened my faith. Readers of books about faith and God’s love will thoroughly enjoy this book and be amazed at God’s provisions for His beloved children.—us!

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. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

This amazing book will be available on October 1, 2019. Run, don’t walk, to your local bookseller to grab it and devour it! This book will address your questions about your Holy Spirit and perhaps change your life.

Well, yesterday I posted that I was telling God my problems and His constant reply was, ” Rest in me.” I can’t say that I did the whole resting thing very well, but I did give it an honest effort. So, today, I just want to thank God for answered prayers. The new stove still isn’t here, but you know what? It doesn’t matter. Like answered prayers, sometimes things are delayed and then it’s a real blessing when it does occur. So the stove will get here when it gets here. Period. I’m tired of being stressed about it, so when it comes to my mind, I just say, “It’s in God’s hands.” Our car needed a new battery and thank the Lord that we had enough money in the account to pay for it. It did amaze me how much more expensive things have become since I purchased one previously. The battery price had more than doubled. Yes, it surprised me, but it didn’t catch God unaware. Finally, Teagan is doing well. She survived her fall without a concussion and with just a bump and a bruise on her head. So, praise the Lord! God is on His throne and wants us to remember to thank Him for answers. I thank each of you who joined me in praying and I ask the Lord to bless all who read this with a day filled with praise and love for and from the Lord of Heaven and earth! Blessings!

Let me just be completely honest. I have not been resting well lately. For example, I can illustrate with the conversation that took place between me and the Lord in the early hours this morning.

Me: Good Morning, Lord. Oh, no! Another day with all of its problems. Maybe I should try to sleep some more because I still feel tired.

The Lord: Rest in me.

Me: You do remember, Lord, that I have waited almost a month for my new stove and they delivered a damaged one yesterday. They can’t seem to find one for me. The birthday present from my brother has created a lot of stress!

The Lord: Rest in me.

Me: And then there is the car that Harry says isn’t starting as it should. And You know that we have two short trips planned in August. And I looked and I can’t find my CarMax warranty. And we only have one car.

The Lord: Rest in me.

Me: And Teagan fell down the basement steps yesterday while Hope was out at work and doing errands. What’s with all of this bad stuff happening, Lord? Teagie is just a little girl and she has a knot on her head and….

The Lord: Rest in me.

Me: I haven’t been sleeping well, Lord. I check my app and I am getting very little deep sleep. My mind needs rest so that I don’t end up having a stroke again. How can I rest when all around me is chaos? I need to sleep peacefully, Lord.

The Lord: Rest in me.

Ultimately, I decided to get up, take my shower and start my day. Then I sat down and looked up scriptures to help me where I am right now. Here is what the Lord showed me.

So, that is my testimony for today, folks. If you think about me today, there is a reason for that. Pray for me to be able to rest in the Lord. Even as I go through another day with the trials of this world, help me to rest in the Lord. And may you do so as well. Blessings for a day of rest and assurance that the Lord is with you through the high waters and He will lead you safely to the other side!

This book is the haunting story of a girl who escaped being abducted, but her friends, Tess and Hank, were not so fortunate. Rain Winter ran from her abductor and hid, terrified that he will find her. Flash forward to the present and Rain is a stay-at-home mom of an infant daughter, having given up her journalism career. The abductor was captured and put in prison, but once released, he is brutally murdered. Then another criminal is murdered and Rain is drawn to what she knows, investigating. This book is thought-provoking, making the reader think about what real justice looks like. It is a tense read with a lot of suspense. I did think that it should have been shorter because there was a lot of repetition; for example, the abduction was described over and over again, as was Rain’s torment about being left behind while her best friend Tess was killed. The time goes back and forth from the past when the abduction occurred to the present day with Rain and her family. There are a lot of characters, so at times it was difficult to keep track of them. All in all, the book was a good mystery-thriller and I would recommend it to those who enjoy that genre. The ending was an absolute surprise and was the best part of the book!

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. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

This book will be available in September. It does include violent scenes and is very intense, so it is not for all readers.

I have been reading the story of Jonah during my devotions and how reluctant he was to go to the city of Nineveh and declare that they would be destroyed. One of the reasons for his reluctance is that he knew the character of God and knew that He could change His minds about this destruction if the people repented. Jonah, being human just like we are, did not want to be embarrassed by the Lord changing His mind. It seemed that he was willing to declare that the city would be destroyed, but he was not going to be happy if they were not wiped out. However, one thing Jonah had to learn, just as we do, is that God is sovereign and does what is right, regardless of how we feel about His final judgment.

So, if the people in Nineveh can turn from their evil ways and repent, then I truly believe that the people in the United States can do likewise. That is my intercessory prayer for our nation, that we will repent just as Nineveh did. I want the people to be united in their realization that God is the Lord and that He has every right to judge our nation. I am praying for mercy and grace and I am standing in the gap to ask for forgiveness for our multitude of sins. We are a nation without excuse. We have so much freedom of religion here and yet we have turned away from the One True God; so many are busily worshipping themselves and their own pleasures so that they have no time for God, our Creator. I am praying that God Himself will show His love for our nation in a way that we cannot imagine. I pray that a whole army of God’s people will see the necessity to pray for our nation and not be mute as Jonah tried to choose to be. My desire is for us to pray, in intercession for our nation that is falling into the hands of Satan in such extreme ways that it is obvious. Pray, my friends, pray! And then step back and watch God work. God can change His mind about judgement here in the U.S.A. just as He did for Nineveh. We need to be His messengers and His prayer warriors. Armor on! Ready to battle for the Lord and His kingdom? Blessings for a day that is peaceful and prayer-filled!