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!

Speaking Life

On By vickleaIn Scripture7 Comments

Words have meaning and can impart life or death to others. In my devotional today, I was encouraged to think about the words Jesus spoke and how careful He was to say just what needed to be said. He spoke to a fig tree and it died. He spoke to a blind man and he was able to see. Jesus spoke what was needed, not what He was possibly thinking.

I have a tendency to spew out what I am thinking and then to apologize later. I can usually do that without serious repercussions. But if Jesus cursed the sun and the moon, parts of the creation that He participated in, would they have disappeared never to shine again? If he told the people to go away, that He was tired of dealing with them, would they simply vanish? Jesus knew that His words carried authority and power so He spoke wisely and with discernment.

We need to remember that our words have power, also. As followers of Jesus, we need to be careful what we say and to whom we say it. We are constantly sowing seeds of life or weeds of death. Jesus didn’t speak without hearing from the Father what He should be saying. That’s a good reason for us to pause before we speak, say a little prayer and then speak what the Holy Spirit prods us to say. I need to work on this…how about you?

Review: Bookmarked for Love by Sarah Monzon

On By vickleaIn Book Review3 Comments

About the Book

ISBN-139780764243769

Publisher:Baker Publishing Group

Publication Date: 07/21/2026

Series: Checking Out Love

Pages: 320 pages

Synopsis (from the author’s website)

When children’s librarian Martha Aldridge learns about budget cuts that will not only put her out of a job but also shut down the library’s children’s programs, she’s determined to raise the funds needed to save both. The good news is, she knows just who to ask for a large donation on the library’s behalf. The bad news? She swore she’d never step foot in his office again. 

Julien King has been groomed to one day run his family’s publishing empire, and now he must prove he’s ready to take the helm by turning around the company’s languishing children’s imprint. That wouldn’t be a problem, except he doesn’t know the first thing about children’s literature. But when Martha waltzes into his office, he sees an opportunity and makes her an offer she can’t refuse. He’ll give her the money she needs for the library in exchange for her help in acquiring a best-selling manuscript that will resurrect the dying imprint. The longer they’re forced to work together, however, the more they come to realize their jobs may not be the only thing on the line.

My Thoughts

I cannot remember ever enjoying a book as much as I enjoyed this one. With a charming plot of friends to lovers and close proximity, this book also led me down the path of nostalgia as many favorite books from my childhood were mentioned by Martha as she endeavors to educate Julien King on child literature since he is the head of that division for his family’s publishing company. I laughed aloud when Julien came up with a scheme to provide library funding for Martha in exchange for her expertise in his company. Although some of the plot was predictable, it was so much fun reading how the two main characters got from being mere acquaintances from different social walks of life to the place where they could trust and count on each other. Martha and Julien were both easy to cheer for in this carefully plotted and compelling story that was refreshing to read and a delight to recommend to others. The whole story paints a vivid picture of the two as they make plans together to find a bestselling children’s author who will save the children’s section of King Publishing. This is a heartwarming romance with charm, plenty of emotional depth and lots of trivia about children’s books. The banter between the two main characters was laugh-out-loud funny at times and made me fall in love with the book as I got immersed in their story, the conflict and the resolution that was absolutely perfect. The pace is moderate but is perfectly executed for a flirtatious romance with two headstrong characters working towards a happily ever after. The real selling point for the book was that it can definitely be read and enjoyed as a standalone. I did enjoy it so much though that now I plan to add the other two books in the series to my must read stack of books and cannot wait to read other books by this author. Fun, engaging, and satisfying in all ways!
I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own.

Christian Fiction, Rated G

About the Author

Winner of the Holt Medallion and Selah Award, Sarah Monzon is a stay-at-home mom who makes up imaginary friends to have adult conversations with (otherwise known as writing novels). As a navy chaplain’s wife, she resides wherever the military happens to station her family and enjoys exploring the beauty of the world around her.

Sarah loves connecting with readers on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Author’s website: https://www.sarahmonzonwrites.com/

Purchase Links

Baker Book House

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Christian Book

Books-a-Million

Apple Books

Audible

Cleaning Closets

On By vickleaIn Scripture4 Comments

One of the chores that I really despise is cleaning out the closets, especially my own. I know that I have clothes in there that I haven’t worn since I retired from teaching nine years ago. Yet, the clothes are still there, taking up space, just like the shoes and the too-many blankets, and the crafts I started and never finished.

When I think about having to clean out the closet, I get tired before I even start working on the task. Just the thought of all of that clutter seems insurmountable.

As I considered the whole closet cleaning scenario, which is way overdue, Jesus reminded me that He is keeping my spiritual house in order. He nudges me with the Holy Spirit to take care of something and I generally do (although I confess sometimes it takes more than one nudge before I act). He wants me to get rid of the things that are not helping me to grow and to replace them with His fruits that feed others. So, the Lord Himself helps me keep the closet of my life clean. Sometimes, I think something is hidden away and the Lord has missed seeing it. Not true! Not only does He see everything, He is gently working to remove it from its glued-in-place position in my life. We all think that we have plenty of room in our lives for everything we want to cram in. But what we need to do and what Jesus encourages is prioritizing and setting boundaries and limits. Getting rid of things we don’t use anymore is just like cleaning out the closet in the bedroom. Once it is done, I have room for things that I didn’t even know that I needed.

Because Jesus cares for us, He doesn’t want us to deal with the worries of the day. He cleans them out for us, if we will let Him. Then He replaces those worries with faith-filled promises and a hope for a brighter future. Maybe those anxieties are taking up too much room in the closet of your mind…so time to let Jesus clean them out and leave more space for His love and His plans for you.

Making Plans and Holding Them Loosely

On By vickleaIn Scripture1 Comment

Planning Ahead (Daily Refresh, 7-19-26)

Think about your upcoming plans for the day, week, year, and beyond.

Maybe you want to start a business.
Maybe you want to raise a family.
Maybe you want to write a book.
Maybe you want to travel the world.
Maybe you want to start a ministry.
Maybe you want to volunteer in your city.
Maybe you want to plant a garden.
Maybe you want to pay off debt.

Scripture tells us …

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭19:21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Making plans isn’t a bad thing. In fact, the Bible tells us that we will harvest what we plant (Galatians 6:7), so we should be diligent—not lazy—to wisely prepare for the future. But we must simultaneously hold those plans loosely, because God knows the full picture of our lives.

God is always working in and through His people, giving them the desire and power to do what pleases Him (Philippians 2:13). But sometimes, we require rerouting. Sometimes what we want isn’t in His plan.

But even when we don’t get what we’ve hoped for, He always has our good and His glory in mind. 

Jesus modeled how to surrender His own plans by literally giving His life up for us—for our freedom. And, even though it wasn’t easy, our lives and our futures look different because God’s purpose prevailed.

So today, make a list of some of your plans and dreams. Then hold your hands out in front of you, and visualize giving all of your dreams and plans over to God. Picture all of those plans evaporating from your hands. Then, ask God to show you which plans He wants to give back to you and if there are any new dreams He’s longing for you to receive.

My Thoughts

Like just about everyone, I make plans and then get deeply disappointed when they don’t happen. For example, I had plans to travel a lot this summer, so spend time with grandchildren and to visit other family members. But none of that has happened because of my ongoing health issues.

Even simple plans, like going to Sunday school and church on Sunday sometimes fall by the wayside because of things like asthma attacks and breathing treatments.

I am taking to heart the lesson this devotional to hold onto my plans loosely, giving them to God. Small plans, big plans, all plans are in His hands. Sometimes He will give them back to me when I give them freely to Him. Sometimes He has better plans that serve His greater plan and His glory, so I have to be willing to wait for that to unravel and for Him to reveal the better purpose to me.

It all boils down to trust. Do I trust God’s plans more than my own? I can honestly say that I am working on that but I haven’t arrived yet. I want to let go of my desire to control and God is teaching me every day that His way is better.

Armor for All of Us

On By vickleaIn Scripture1 Comment

Armor for Everyone

In the first century, Roman armor would have been made of metal and treated leather. Today, we might imagine a soldier or police officer’s bulky tactical gear with bulletproof vests and helmets.

Not many of us wear this kind of head-to-toe protective gear before heading out in the morning. But the Bible urges us to consider spiritual armor as something essential. Why?

Because unseen spiritual adversaries exist, and we’re vulnerable to their attacks. Here are two vital things to notice about our “armor.” First, God is the one who gives us armor. It’s the armor of God. We can’t possibly protect ourselves from spiritual attacks, but God can supply all that we need.

Second, we don’t put on our armor or fight alone. The mental image of the lone soldier standing in an arena against an enemy is not what Paul has in mind. The instructions to put on spiritual armor aren’t given to you, the individual—they’re given to all of us, together, who make up the global Church. 

We all suit up together in God’s armor, and we stand, pray, praise, and defend… together.

God graciously gives us armor so that, when we experience a spiritual attack, we will stand and fight by His strength. Today, imagine standing strong in God’s protective armor. How might this imagery influence how you endure and remain resilient in the face of spiritual battles and uncertainties?

My Thoughts

First, I love that God gives us the armor. Just as He created us with hearts, minds, eyes, ears, and all we have, He clothes us in the armor we need to stand strong in spiritual battles.

Second, we are not fighting alone. Every Christian is waging the battle with us. Side by side, with God as our guard on every side, we fight, knowing that we will be victorious in the end. Hallelujah!