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!
Do you remember when you were a child and your parents set down certain rules that you had to follow, for your own safety and well being? For example, I was told at a very young age to always look both ways before crossing a street. I was told not to touch certain plants like poison ivy or oak. They might look harmless, but I found out the hard way that they were indeed untouchable. As I aged, the rules changed and I felt more restricted by them, but my parents assured me that they were for my good. I was not to go out alone at night; I should have a sibling or a friend with me. I was told that smoking was bad for me as was alcohol. I was instructed that sexual relations before marriage was bad for me physically and emotionally.
Just as my parents had rules for me, I had rules that I expected my children to follow because I love them and wanted them to be safe. Likewise, God gives us rules, standards to live by. We are not a society that likes to follow rules. This is the generation of “if it feels good, do it” and “do what makes you happy.” People may have changed their view of God, but He has not changed His view of them. He loves each of us and wants what is best for us, even when we are ignoring His standards because we think that they restrict our freedom. What they actually do is give us more freedom to live longer, happier and healthier lives. God’s rules are for our benefit, not our harm. God doesn’t want us to suffer the consequences of wrong choices, so He makes clear what the right choices are. It is up to us to listen and follow them. Or, we can reach out and touch the hot stove and find out for ourselves that it will indeed burn us. Obedience is a choice, but so is sin. Thus, we are expected to choose wisely. Our Heavenly Father loves us, just as we love our children, and He wants us to grow closer to Him, following His rules because they are what is best for us. He who knows us best and loves us best gives us rules so that we can become the best person we can be, representing our Savior and loving the life that God gave us.
I don’t know about you, but I have a large streak of independence in me. I have been that way all my life, but especially after I was left alone in a new place while my husband was deployed with the military. I had to learn to navigate myself and the children to the places we needed to go, take care of repairs of cars and the apartment, discipline the children and generally manage everything alone. But I knew, even when I was feeling lonely, that God was with me. I leaned into Him for strength to keep going when I was pregnant and alone. I cried out to Him when I was afraid because there were a boatload of mice in our new apartment. I reached out to Him when we had needs that I just could not meet alone, like getting to the hospital and giving birth. God always met me right where I was, even though I continually declared my independence, God knew that I didn’t mean that I didn’t need Him…He knew I did and He always hovered nearby so that when I reached the end of my rope and couldn’t hang on anymore, He reached out and grasped my hand firmly in His and led me to a safe and quiet place. I learned through those experiences that Jesus is a dependable ally and I can rest in Him when all of the world around me seems to be chaotic and too demanding. I learned to give to Him my resentment about moving again and being left alone. He gave me the ability to forgive and to keep on being the best wife, mother and teacher I could be in each new place. My branch had to keep moving due to circumstances beyond my control, but I found out that the vine moved with me, already deeply rooted in my heart and life so that I knew just who to turn to when I was overwhelmed. God always provided a church family, new friends, a job and the one time I needed it a good neighbor willing to take me to the hospital in the middle of the night and stay with me there until I gave birth the next morning. God is good, and I am thankful to be a dependent branch.
The good news keeps coming! Yes, we are weak humans with a finite time on earth. But the good news is that, with Jesus and His resurrection power, we have hope for an eternal future. That is the source of our joy on earth. We don’t have to go around feeling defeated by all of our earthly diseases and pains. We are ultimately victorious, and we need to live like we are victors, with a smile on our face and joy in our hearts.
I’m sure that when you were a child, you played the game “Follow the Leader.” There was great discussion among my friends whose turn it was to be the leader, but once that was decided, off we romped, twisting, turning, rolling on the ground and laughing as we went. The leader didn’t say anything; he just did actions which we did our best to follow.
Now that we are adults and following Jesus, we have to not only follow His actions but we have to also listen attentively for His voice. He called us His sheep and said plainly that we hear His voice and recognize it. It’s like when my husband calls on the phone. I know it is him because I know his voice well. That’s how we are supposed to know Jesus’s voice…immediately and well because we have spent time with Him, in prayer and in His Word. His actions are not ones of twisting and rolling around but rather they are actions of helping others, serving and leading others to know Him. As long as we are following Christ, we are on the right path. We don’t have to be concerned about getting lost on our journey to eternity because Christ is leading the way. Our task is to follow and not to stray off. As humans, it is easy to walk away and choose our own path, thinking that we know better or that we can do just this one little thing (sin) and then get back to following Jesus again. But straying leads not just us on the wrong path but others who have been looking to us for guidance may stray as well. We have to be ever aware that others are watching, some to see if this faith we profess is real and others to rejoice in our fall if it happens. Thus, we are called to follow closely to our Good Shepherd, not straying or lingering where we should not, but always moving forward behind Him in our march to our eternal destiny.
There are many in today’s world who choose to live in darkness. Some don’t even realize that the place where they abide is filled with the darkness of the world because the enemy of our souls has blinded them to the truth. Those of us, however, who know the truth are called to stay in the light that Jesus has provided, not to join our fellow men in their darkness, but rather to invite them to come into the light with us. There should never be a time when we join others in the darkness because Jesus called us out of that place of ignorance and sin. Why would we go back in only to stumble around again and perhaps fall? The obvious answer is that we who are pressing into God and listening to the leading of His Spirit would not choose darkness over light. We are the light that Jesus left on the earth to shine into darkness, not to become a part of it. So when we condone sin and say it’s not a big deal, let’s be clear that it is a big deal to God and we are taking a dangerous step into darkness. We should always remain in the light, never wavering or flickering, but shining brightly in spite of those who are offended by the light.
All of us are constantly looking for something. Maybe it’s something bigger, better and what we think will be more satisfying. It’s not the things in our lives that satisfy. It’s not even the various people we hold dear that can bring satisfaction. It is only a relationship with Jesus, our Lord and Savior, who loves us so much that He gave His life for us and offers us His daily bread to satisfy our hungry souls.
We take Communion every Sunday at our church. That was a new thing for me at first because in our previous churches, we took Communion once a month. I like the new way better because I don’t think that there is any time of any week or any church service when we should not be remembering Jesus and His sacrifice for us. After all, He is the reason we are there worshipping and the reason for our hope and our being! How often do you take Communion at your church? Is everyone allowed to participate or just the members? At our church, you may participate if you have been baptized and confessed your belief in Jesus as Lord. Communion is a holy time for me each week. For those few minutes, I reflect on Jesus’s sacrifice and all that He has done and is doing for me. I am thankful always and sad sometimes if I know that I have once again fallen short of His expectations of me. But I know that He loves me, forgives me and remembers me…just as I remember Him.
Every family has its secrets. Josephina Harris wouldn’t mind if her family still had a few of their own after a lawsuit tarnishes their name. When an opportunity opens to become a temporary keeper of a decommissioned lighthouse on a North Carolina island, she jumps at the chance to escape her small town to oversee its restoration.
As the work begins, “Joey” discovers strange notes tucked deep in the crevices of the old stone walls—pages torn from a lighthouse keeper’s log signed by someone named Mae who recounts harrowing rescues at sea. Fascinated by a woman lighthouse keeper, Joey digs into the past only to discover there’s never been a record of a lighthouse keeper by that name.
When things start to go amiss on the island, locals are convinced that it is the ghost of the lighthouse keeper and his daughter who were lost at sea during World War II. As Joey sifts through decades of rumors and legends and puts together the pieces of the past, what emerges is a love story—one that’s not over yet.
My Thoughts
This novel is multi-generational, multi-layered and so engrossing that it was hard to put it down to do anything else. I was totally invested in the story of Joey, Walt, Finn and Cay as well as the secondary characters of Peter and Kit. The author made the characters live and breathe in my imagination and I could not wait to continue the story each day, waiting for new revelations of secrets long hidden and a love that was never forgotten. Walt and Cay were friends when they were young, occupying the marshland of the Outer Banks in the time of WWII. Cay’s father was the lighthouse keeper of Bleakpoint Island and her secret about his health changed her life in unimaginable ways. Walt hires Joey Harris to come to Bleakpoint and restore the keeper’s cottage and the lighthouse. When she accepts the job, Joey has no idea of the commitment and history that she will find as she works on fulfilling Walt’s dream. The plot is mesmerizing, with layers to each character’s story that are methodically and masterfully revealed. With family secrets, unresolved disagreements and broken relationships, this book has everything that tugs at the heart in one very neat and well-crafted package. The descriptions of the setting are so realistically portrayed that I could hear the sound and smell the marsh as I read. The entire book captivated my imagination and my desire to see everyone have a happy ending. Amanda Cox knows how to write a story that pulls you into the place, the lives of the characters and the conflict, all with a compassion and love that is at the center of the story. This is one of the best books I have ever read and I cannot recommend it highly enough for its entertainment value as well as the themes of restoration, forgiveness and seeking the lost in order to find peace. Five stars do not do this masterpiece justice! Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16th CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
Rated G: Christian Fiction
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Before becoming a stay-at-home parent, Amanda spent her time counseling children, families, and individuals through life’s challenging moments. Now she uses those same skills to develop layered characters and stories, bringing them on a journey of hope and healing. A journey she hopes her readers experience in their own lives as they read. Amanda is the Christy Award-winning author of The Edge of Belonging, The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery, and He Should Have Told the Bees. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Bible and theology and a master’s degree in professional counseling, but her first love is communicating through story. A few of her favorite things are the sanctuary of the great outdoors, the feeling of pen on paper, the sound of her children’s laughter, and exploring new places with her husband of 19 years. (Oh, let’s not forget good fiction and good coffee.(She’s addicted to both.). You can read more about Amanda Cox and her books on her website: Amanda Cox Writes
With deep appreciation to the Revell Reads Blogger Program for including me in this blog tour. I always purchase Amanda Cox’s books, but it is a special blessing to receive an early copy and get to review it!
As a child, I was always devastated when one of my parents made a promise and then broke it. It did not matter to me that there were “circumstances beyond their control” or that finances had suddenly become an issue. What mattered to me was the promise. As humans, sometimes we speak too quickly and make promises that we do not or cannot keep. The problem is that we judge God’s promises by our human standards. We have things backwards! God’s promises are our standards because He has shown us how to always keep a promise. As the devotional points out, God established the Abrahamic Covenant and kept that promise a thousand years later when He freed His people from slavery in Egypt and let them to the promised land. His promise to us today is that Jesus is returning and we will go to be with Him. As I age, I am holding on to that promise as well as the others like God being with me always and never forsaking me, about His peace that He gives, about His never-ending love and patience with me. What promise is special to you that God gave you and that you are holding on to? There are so many! God is faithful and will remember and fulfill all of His promises, and that is a truth that we can count on.
www.bible.com/reading-plans/31835/day/1
www.bible.com/reading-plans/42932/day/5
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www.bible.com/reading-plans/42932/day/2
www.bible.com/reading-plans/42932/day/1
www.bible.com/reading-plans/15112/day/6
www.bible.com/reading-plans/15112/day/5
Vickie's Book Nook and Meditation Corner 