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!
We all hold onto things that we just don’t want to let go of, not to God and not to anyone here on earth. This book by Amanda Cox is helping me to ponder what I need to surrender. We cannot take anything with us when we leave this world, so why not let go of things now and see what God has in store for us? He may give those things back to us or He may bless us with new things for new adventures in life. We won’t know until we discover what in our lives are the “Things We Cannot Keep.”
This book releases 0n 8-18. If you enjoy books with heart, soul and depth, then preorder this one. As usual, Baker Book House has the best deal for preorders, with 40% off, free shipping in the U.S. and preorder goodies (as long as supplies last).
After fifty-three years of marriage, I don’t remember well when I first met Harry and first loved him. I have flashes of remembering soft touches and eyes that met with love. Now we are old, still married, and although the love is still there, it looks and feels different. It is Harry taking me to various doctors, making dinner every night even as the baseball game plays in the other room, and kissing me gently on the lips as he heads out to run errands. It is me making his coffee and having it ready for him in the morning, putting fresh soap for him to use in the shower, and reminding him to take his Wednesday medicines or to call the doctor for his follow up appointment.
We have had the pleasure of having our twenty-one year old granddaughter living with us for the last eleven months. Today is her last day with us as she leaves early tomorrow morning for her college classes and then heads home to Pennsylvania to get married next week. We have seen her with her beloved Josh and seen a lot of reminders of what first love looks like. The two of them sparkle together, with a constant desire to be in the same room just to be near one another. They look for ways to make each other smile or laugh at silly, seemingly unimportant things. They encourage each other, especially Josh encouraging Teya when she feels stuck on come college assignment. And of course, there are kisses and hugs…not passionate ones as one might do privately, but kisses that say, “You are my future and I am glad you are in my life.” Their eyes speak of promises and expectation for a wonderful life together.
The way Teya and Josh are together is the way our relationship should be with Jesus. Not stagnant or feeling old and in need of refreshing, but always a new beginning with Him each day. Every day is a new day to show Jesus how much we love Him by spending quality time with Him and listening for Him to speak to us. We should glow when we leave His presence, if not visibly, then inside because we know we are changing from the inside out just because we were with Him.
In Revelation 2:4, I can imagine the sadness in Jesus’s eyes and voice as He tells the church that they have left their first love. He, He is our first love. Do you recall when you first met Jesus? Were you excited? Overjoyed? A little afraid and a lot awed? That was how I remember feeling. But mostly, I remember that for the first time in my life, I felt accepted for who I was and loved just for being me. I didn’t have to perform with good grades and honor rolls. I was enough just being me. And I still am enough. I still am accepted. And I hope and pray that Jesus will always be a first love for me, that I will never lose the wonder of His presence and His love for me.
Next week, we leave to go to Teya and Josh’s wedding. I am excited to see this celebration of love occur and I am happy to be reminded of the similar vows Harry and I took over fifty years ago. Harry is my first love here on earth, the man who showed me what love is so that believing in the love of Jesus was easier for me after years of rejection.
I may or may not be posting regularly as we are traveling a lot and seeing family, all good things. Just know that I will be thinking of my dear friends online and praying that each of you remember fondly the first time you met Jesus and fell in love with our Savior.
FBI agent Collin Sullivan arrives at Broken Chains Ranch with Ollie Callahan—a foster teen and sole witness to a mob hit. The ranch, started by Collin’s cousin to provide a trauma recovery facility for veterans, should be a place he can keep Ollie safe until the trial. But what was meant as a peaceful haven becomes a battleground when armed attackers surround the property.
Survival expert Elena Thompson teaches wilderness skills at the ranch and coaches Ollie in self-defense, but soon the series of attacks on the ranch escalates into a full siege. The question is, Who are the attackers after? Ollie, the young witness? Or Elena, with her mysterious past? Cut off from help by tech skills superior to their own, Collin and Elena fight to keep everyone alive as secrets and danger close in.
My Thoughts
Twilight Tactics is the kind of book that I didn’t want to put down, but because of the intensity of the suspense and the danger that surrounded so many of the characters, I found myself just taking short breaks to ponder what I had just read and to try to guess what I thought would happen next. The plot is complicated, with a ranch that is serves as a haven for those who need a respite from life. It is appropriately named the Broken Chains Ranch. Everything there seems very peaceful for the owners and the veterans who reside there until Sully and Piper come with teen-aged Ollie, a witness to a murder whom they have to keep safe until she can testify. Ollie is precocious, proactive and one of those teens that you don’t want to be in charge of because she isn’t an easy client. But I loved her character and all of her believable flaws! In fact, I loved all of the characters and felt as though the author portrayed them all in a way that I could picture them in my mind. The plot was extremely fast paced and had a lot of twists along the way as the author covered subplots with the mob, preppers, the ranch and all who lived there, local law enforcement and relevant high tech like drones and jammers that cut off communication. Just when I was thinking that one more that could not go wrong for Sully and his team, another red herring fooled me. This is a tightly written plot that crackles with tension from beginning to end, with good chemistry between the characters and a sweet portrayal of a developing romance even in the midst of all of the danger. Filled with suspense and abundant secrets and lies, this is one of the best romantic suspense books I have ever read, with the emphasis on suspense. This is an edgy page turner that offers a strong message of forgiveness, hope and redemption which are all cleverly wrapped into the plot. I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. I also purchased a personal copy because I collect this author’s books. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own.
Christian Fiction, Rated PG for Intense Suspense
About the Author
Lynette Eason is the best-selling, award-winning author of over sixty books. Her books have appeared on the USA TODAY, Publisher’s Weekly, CBA, ECPA, and Parable bestseller lists. She has won numerous awards including the Carol, the Selah, the Golden Scroll and more. Her novel, Her Stolen Past was made into a movie for the Lifetime Movie Network. Lynette can be found online at www.lynetteeason.com and www.facebook.com/lynette.eason and @lynetteeason on Twitter.
When intelligence analyst Sarah Ellison learns of a deathbed confession connected to her brother’s murder, she’s determined to protect her remaining family. Under further investigation, she discovers the disclosed information points to a decades-old government secret buried deep in the Cascade Mountains. With this knowledge, she heads to the Pacific Northwest looking for a guide who knows the mountains like the back of their hand.
Ryder Goodwin, a wilderness guide and former Navy SEAL, quit guiding for the family business after his father’s death in a tragic mountain accident. At first, Ryder refuses to help Sarah, but he sees the trouble chasing her, and he can’t stand by while someone brings danger to this small-town mountain community.
Ryder and Sarah gear up to climb the mountain in a race against time and a looming winter storm. With her brother’s killer closing in, their search for answers now shifts to a survival mission. Their only chance to make it out involves trusting each other and confronting the truth no one wants them to find.
My Thoughts
The new series by Elizabeth Goddard starts with intense intrigue and never lets up. Sarah is determined to find the secrets hidden on the mountain near Mercy Ridge and hires guide Ryder Goodwin to lead her to the top of Blackspire Mountain. A lofty peak that rumbles with a volcano that threatens to erupt and is covered with ice and snow, the trek to solve the mystery of her brother’s death could mean Sarah’s own life is in danger. The tension escalates even as the mountain is a constant reminder of danger and the power of nature. This is an atmospheric novel in which the mountain is personified and the characters are actors in a dangerous scenario that they cannot even imagine how risky this adventure will turn out to be. Facing a blizzard and with bad guys pursuing them, Sarah and Ryder have to survive some of the toughest weather conditions as well as some of the most evil foes possible. The escalating tension caused my heart to pound and my pulse to race as I attempted to direct Sarah and Ryder how to best avoid the peril that was headed their way. I was completed immersed in this riveting story and kept waiting for the next disaster to befall them before they could accomplish their mission. This novel had no intermission, no really safe spaces in which I could take a deep breath of relief and hope for the best since the next bad thing was continuously finding them in their vulnerable position that left no room for errors and plenty of ways to die. The characters were so realistic that I tried to give them advice, the sound advice to forget their quest and return home. I am glad that they didn’t take my advice because this book left me breathless with anticipation and cheering for Sarah and Ryder as they overcame one obstacle after another. The story would not have been the same without the ever-present threat of bad weather and a mountain that was more enemy than friend. The setting was perfection, the characters were dynamic, and the plot made the book unputdownable. I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell via NetGalley as well as a hard copy. Since I regularly purchase all of this author’s books, I did preorder my own copy and look forward to seeing this beautiful cover on my shelf. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own.
Christian Fiction, Rated PG for intense suspense
About the Author
Elizabeth Goddard is the PW, ECPA, and USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of over sixty novels, including the Missing in Alaska and Rocky Mountain Courage series. Her books have sold more than 1.5 million copies. She is a Christy Award, Carol Award and two-time Reader’s Choice Award winner and a Daphne du Maurier Award and HOLT Medallion finalist. When she’s not writing, she loves spending time with her family, traveling to find inspiration for her next book, and serving with her husband in ministry. For more information about her books, visit her website at https://elizabethgoddard.com/
Pondering this verse first made me consider who is righteous? We are, if we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. He is righteous and extends His righteousness to us through His sacrifice on the cross. It’s all about grace and mercy and a free gift for those who choose to accept it.
The next part of this verse is the “no fun” part. It is no fun and somewhat surprising that we whom God counts as righteous can still expect to have many troubles. They are not promises…the verse says may have many troubles. But such is life…we all have problems. Some with family, some with finances, some with health. But I don’t think anyone gets out of this life without some kind of problem at sometime.
The final part is the promise: the Lord delivers him from them all. It doesn’t say that the Lord takes us out of the situation and we are totally freed from it. No..it says we are there and God delivers us from the troubles. And just so we are all on the same page, keep in mind that God’s deliverance may not look like we envision. I think of recently being diagnosed with congestive heart failure. I can kick and scream and shout “unfair” all I want, but that won’t change the situation. I had to come to the realization that my only deliverance will be from God. He could use doctors, but maybe not. He could use miraculous healing, but maybe not. Perhaps the deliverance will come when I go home to be with Him and all of the health concerns I have here on earth are gone, just vanished. Or God could do something totally unexpected and unimaginable that I have not named because I don’t have His thoughts or the ability to think His thoughts. In every situation, we need to step back and let God be God. He made me and He can fix me in the way that He deems best. The deliverance is promised but my desire to tell God how I want to be delivered is not promised. I am not God, He is…so the promise is there. And once again, we all have to bask in God’s presence and know that He is working on the deliverance because He is always present with us. In the hard times, in the good times, in the sad times and in the happy times. God is there. He is present and waiting for us to surrender our will to His so that He can deliver us in His perfect way.
In the video that preceded today’s Daily Devotional on the YouVersion Bible App, the speaker said something profound that I hadn’t thought of before. Waiting builds faith. It’s the place where we lean on God and He comforts us and gives us direction. I hope you will consider joining in on this Bible study.
Five days…and maybe more hope and a new perspective!
I just finished this book and it is amazing…more to come soon! In the meantime, don’t forget to put in your preorder at Baker Book House for the preorder goodies and the 40% off!
The Power of Life and Death (Daily Refresh, 7-30-26)
Think of a time you said something you regret, or were the target of undeserved gossip. Now, reflect on a situation where you encouraged a friend who was hurting, or felt the life-giving effects of someone else’s words.
Words matter. Your words matter. And God has given you the freedom to choose how you use them.
Are you using your words to tear down or build up? To provoke destruction or stimulate restoration? Do your words stir up drama or encourage peace?
“What you say flows from what is in your heart,” Jesus explained in Luke 6:45.
Fruit reveals the health of a tree, just as a tongue reveals what is happening in the heart.
Most of us want to use our words for good and not for harm. We don’t want to be unkind or critical. But James 3 tells us that the tongue is unstable and cannot seem to be tamed.
So, what can we do? Is there a way to control it?
Self-control is a fruit the Holy Spirit produces in us, which means we can’t manufacture controlling our tongues on our own. But, we do have a part to play in the process: we need to stick close to Jesus.
When we read His Word, seek His face, and walk in His ways (no matter how many times we mess up and have to begin again), love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control begin to grow in our lives. The biblical term is abiding: staying, continuing, or remaining in Jesus’ presence.
As we abide with Jesus, the Holy Spirit begins to curb the way we speak and change the way we act. When that happens, our words start to bring life and hope to the people around us.
So this week, how will you use your words to bring healing and hope to people? If this isn’t something you’re used to doing, it’s never too early to speak words that spark life.
My Thoughts
The video that preceded this devotional gave me a lot to think about. The speaker said something that I am pondering. The words we speak to others are important and can be encouraging or destructive, but so can the words we speak to ourselves. I think the reason that means so much to me is that I am not one who thinks I am worthy of praise or recognition or anything positive really. And I sometimes find myself saying “It’s okay. You are getting what you deserve.” I am not speaking life to my own self. God doesn’t mean for me to get what I deserve. He wants me to have His best for me and I need to notice all that He has done and is doing for me and speak in expectation of what He will do next.
It is also easy for me to grumble under my breath about my husband or other loved ones who do something I disapprove of. I am the only one hearing the words but they end up hurting that person later because I am storing them in my heart and when I boil over, that is what flows out. So, the Holy Spirit has been stopping me lately, even before today’s devotional, and reminding me to think kind things so that when I am speaking to that person, kind things come out of my mouth. I’m not going to lie. It’s hard, but it is worth it to hear the encouraging words come out instead of the ones that I have no business saying just because I am frustrated or angry. I read sometime in the last few weeks that Jesus knew that He had a limited amount of time to make a difference in the world, so He chose all of His words carefully. As His followers, should that not be our habit all the time, too? I want to be a spark for life not a cold bucket of water for someone struggling. How about you?
Read the scripture verse. Then read the poem and see for yourself how well Richard puts the truth of scripture into his poems. Please go to the original post and like, follow and subscribe.
www.bible.com/reading-plans/74393/day/1
