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.
I am disturbed, very distraught, about all of the evil in the world. In these days, we are seeing evil called good and good called evil in ways that I have never seen before in my lifetime. Surely, the Lord’s judgment is coming, and His wrath will be over all the earth! I am not prophesying here, folks; I am just declaring truth as I have read it in God’s Word. Franklin Graham is leading a prayer march in Washington, D.C. on September 26th. I hope that multitudes of people go to support prayer for our nation. I can’t go, but I will certainly be praying at home.
Today’s article from Dr. Denison reminded me of how much evil is in the world, but it also encouraged me by the good that some are doing in order to overcome evil. In fact, that was the daily verse today in my Bible study, i.e. overcoming evil with good.
Here is the link to Dr. Denison’s forum for today:
I hope that you will read the entire article. Some of the statistics, like how many believe that pre-marital sex is okay, were eye-opening to me. I admit that it should not be because I have seen this happen repeatedly with former students, just living together until they get married. The problem is that this not the order that God established. Call me old-fashioned, but marriage is a sacred union before God and when you are “just living together”, then there is no vow to stay together through the hard times. It all just saddens me, but it is also a call to action.
Although this is book #9 in the Vera Stanhope series by Ann Cleeves, it is the first book that I have read by this author and can definitely be read as a standalone. Vera is a detective inspector who is headed home in a snow storm, gets turned around and lost in the blowing snow and ends up finding an abandoned car with a baby left alone in the back seat. Rescuing the baby from the elements, Vera heads to the closest house, an estate named Brockburn where her father was raised. The quest for Vera to find the baby’s parent turns into a murder investigation when the body of Lorna Falstone is found in the back yard of the estate. Creepy, full of atmosphere and fast-paced, this book was a magnetic draw for me since I love police procedurals and crime thrillers and this book was the best of both. Vera’s team is called in and Vera’s determination to solve the murder mystery leads to a deep dive into the secrets of the family and the local townspeople. There are rumors, infidelities, and drama galore in this highly entertaining British crime thriller. I really liked the character of Vera Stanhope who reminded me of a female Columbo from the American TV series, frumpy with unexpected insights and no filter on the mouth. This was very humorous at times, especially as Vera unraveled the mystery and got closer to the perpetrator as she waded through numerous suspects. The author did a terrific job of developing each character, including the multiple suspects, in such a way that they were memorable enough for me to keep track of them. Vera also reflects on her own childhood in this story, which was perfect for me since it was my first book about her. I totally enjoyed this book and will absolutely look for more of these in the future! Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press 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.”
Dealing with murder and secretive family relationships, this book is definitely a PG-13 rating.
Information about this award-winning author can be found at www.anncleeves.com
A romance packed in with a lot of drama, this book was a fun, entertaining and fast-paced read. Mara Reed has moved to Starlight, escaping Seattle and her ex-husband with all of the bad memories that the divorce brought. Not least of the bad memories was Paul’s divorce attorney, the very gifted Parker Johnson, who absolutely destroyed Mara’s reputation and left her with little in the way of finances in order to support her small daughter Evie. Parker is in town to help his brother build businesses and meet a deadline. While there, he also helps his brother Josh in coaching a young soccer team which includes Evie. The romance is inevitable but how Mara and Parker get there is a magical mix of author insight and just plain good writing. The tale weaves around the two soon-to-be lovebirds, but it also includes Josh and his plight as a single father and little Evie who is so damaged her cruel father who basically ignored and disparaged her. I enjoyed the characterization the most in this story as well as the cute setting of a small town in which everyone knows everyone and also all about the relationships happening at any one moment. I especially enjoyed how Mara was willing to help Josh and build her own self-confidence after Paul’s unending attacks on it. Finally, I liked that Parker was willing to self-reflect about his part in Mara’s discouragement and lack of trust of males. All in all, this was a quick and excellent romance that I highly recommend. 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.”
Because this book includes extra-marital sexual relationships, I would rate the book a definite PG-13.
Author bio: Michelle Major grew up in Ohio but dreamed of living in the mountains. Soon after graduating with a degree in Journalism, she pointed her car west and settled in Colorado. Her life and house are filled with one great husband, two beautiful kids, a few furry pets and several well-behaved reptiles. She’s grateful to have found her passion writing stories with happy endings. Michelle loves to hear from her readers at http://www.michellemajor.com.
Purple Rose (https://reluctantpreachersdaughter.wordpress.com) has created another amazing tag with outstanding and thought-provoking questions! Please click on her link and follow my dear sister’s blog.
Here are the rules:
1. Thank the person who tagged you. My deep appreciation goes to Stu over at Something to Stu Over. If you don’t follow Stu, then you should because he shows honesty and insight in his posts that are rare.
From Purple Rose: “I heard someone talking one day about how people would behave if Jesus showed up at their front door. I thought that would be a good idea for a tag. Good for self-reflection and fun.”
3. Answer the 10 original questions asked by Purple Rose.
4. Tag as many people as you like.
Here are the questions:
1. Jesus has shown up unannounced at your front door. How long will it take you to answer the door?
I would get to the door and answer it as quickly as I can move, which isn’t very fast, but it is movement. I would probably look down and check out my clothes and probably add a robe to my pj’s (which is my daily attire these days).
2. Is there anything you want to put away or hide before you let Jesus in?
Well, even if I had something to hide, it wouldn’t do any good because Jesus already knows everything about me. So, the answer is no.
3. If Jesus looks for your Bible, where will He find it?
I have numerous Bibles around my house, but generally these days, I use my Bible on my IPad. I also have one next to my chair in the den. And I have one in the basket where I keep the things I take to church with me.
4. If Jesus asks you to play the last song you listened to, what song will it be?
5. If Jesus asks you to put on the last TV show, movie or YouTube video you watched, what will it be?
My TV is usually on Fox News or I watch shows like CSI, Criminal Minds and Rizzoli and Isles. I only watch about an hour or two of TV per day because I’m busy with other things, like reading.
6. It’s dinner time, what restaurantare you taking Jesus to?
Well, my choices are limited because of my dietary restrictions, but I would probably take Him to NN Burger in Tappahannock. They are a small chain of restaurants with a menu that includes huge hamburgers, veggie burgers and lobster rolls. I don’t think it would be so much about the food as the conversation that we would share together.
7. Do you invite anyone to join you for dinner, or do you want to have dinner alone with Jesus?
I would invite my husband, my good friend Carole and her daughter Shai, and my son with his family. The restaurant is small, so no matter where we would sit others eating at the same time could see us with Jesus and join us if they wanted to.
8. Jesus has never eaten at the restaurant you are at. What do you recommend that He order for dinner?
I would recommend the twisters, which are potato fries in a twisted form along with a lobster roll and water to drink.
9. As you are eating dinner, you look toward the entrance and see the one person who hurt you the most. What do you do?
Honestly, I would probably duck my head and ignore them. But I don’t think that Jesus would let me get away with that so I would probably invite him to come eat with us.
10. Before Jesus leaves, do you ask to take a picture with Him on your cell phone?
No, probably not because I’m really shy and I seldom do selfies. But I might ask someone else there to take a group photo.
Tags:
I am asking that anyone who would like to participate in this thought-provoking tag feel free to participate. but no one should feel obligated to do so.
Isn’t it wonderful to know that the Lord cares enough about us to put into the Scriptures multiple times that we should not fear because He is right there to help us? Praise His Name! He is as close as our next breath and He wants to help us if we will only call upon Him. Blessings for a wonderful day, without fear and with the help of the Lord!
This twisted, scary, gripping book fits into multiple genres. It is a thriller, psychological suspense and mystery all rolled into the pages of a book that grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. The story is a complicated one about a family that has suffered a tragedy and lost themselves in the midst of it. Molly Clarke’s daughter Annie was killed in a terrible accident, and Molly and Nicole both blame themselves. Molly’s husband becomes distant, her son ignores her and Nicole withdraws. One night, Molly leaves her son’s football game and goes for a drive. Like in all of the Snoopy novels, “it was a dark and stormy night.” It is unimaginable what happens to Molly! She runs out of gas and gets a ride with a truck driver and his daughter Alice. Then, she just disappears. There is a note left in a hotel that she booked and the note tells her family, “Don’t look for me.” Nicole is not satisfied with that and is determined to find her mom, thus endangering her own life since Molly was actually kidnapped by a seriously deranged man. The emotions that I felt as I read this creepy book were terror, hatred, hope, and awe. I think that these were the same emotions that the narrators, Molly and Nicole, were feeling as they traversed the journey to find each other again. Action packed and filled with family drama, this was a really original look at what happens when you decide to walk away from your old life and try to start a new one. The surprising twists kept me absorbed in the stories of Nicole and Molly as I gasped at each new turn in this strange roller coaster ride. Fans of psychological suspense, mystery and thrillers will really enjoy this book but will need to set aside time to read it in one setting because it will be hard to put down! 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.”
Because I love mystery and suspense, this book was perfect for me. But it will not be for everyone because of its content. I would rate it a hard PG-13.
Everyone has a story to tell about his/her life. Christians have what is called a testimony. How has God changed your life? How is He still acting in your life daily? How are you then taking what God has done for you and using it to tell others about Him and His great love, grace, mercy and power?
I have shared my testimony about salvation several times here on WordPress. Today, I just want to share about how good and gracious God is. He saved my life when I had a stroke. That, in itself, was no small feat since I live in the middle of nowhere (about an hour from a full-service hospital), but I had my stroke at the school where I worked and the ambulance got me to the hospital in less than half an hour. I received the clot-busting shot and recovered completely. I fully believe that God was with me throughout the ordeal. I was losing my ability to speak because of the stroke but on the way to the hospital, I was praying in my prayer language. God heard me and touched me, giving me the medical care that I needed in time for my brain to be touched and healed.
God has saved me numerous times when I have fallen and gotten hurt. I broke my elbow twice by falling, I hurt my knee that I had replaced in another fall. So many bumps and bruises! But they were just to show me God’s care for me because it all could have been so much worse! Yesterday, I fell again, this time as I was leaving our bathroom. My foot twisted and down I went, flat on my back. My back aches, my leg aches and my foot is twice its normal size. But nothing seems to be broken, so it could have been so much worse. God is always gracious to me as I bumble around through life. He takes care of me when I am flat on the ground, looking up and having no idea how I’m going to be able to get up off that ground.
Now, make an analogy of that for the spiritual life. I have been knocked down more times than I can count, by life’s circumstances. As people say, life just happens. Disappointment comes along and the enemy whispers in my ear that God doesn’t really love me. Then, God comes along and comforts me and works things out better than I thought possible. God loves me and doesn’t want me to stay down. His desire is that I be lifted up, so that is what He does. Sometimes, it takes a lot of effort on my part because my faith is low. But, just as I did yesterday, I strain and I reach and then I am up again. In fact, while on I was on the floor yesterday, with my husband struggling to get me up again, I prayed that God would give me strength and the wisdom to know how to get up again. In my Christian life, I reach for God and He reaches for me, and together we get me up out of my despair and looking up again, to the author of my salvation. That is part of my testimony, too, and I bet that it’s part of yours, too. God is always there, waiting to pick me up, brush me off and tell me that He is in control and everything will be okay.
I hope that you will mediate on your testimony today. Think about all that God has done for you. First, He saved you. Now, He is saving you. And in the end, when this life is over, He will save you. Blessings, my friends, for establishing a good relationship with the God who is eternal love, life and grace. Go out and tell your testimony! Someone needs to hear it and be blessed by it. I am blessed to be a blessing. How about you?
I have struggled with all of the events going on in the USA these days. First, there was Covid-19 which brought on unemployment and uncertainty and a quarantine along with masks. Then, there was the rioting and looting which some say is a protest, but I call it what it is…lawlessness. Now there are fires all over the west, with Oregon and California being the center of many tragic stories. This morning, I read about a thirteen year-old boy who was trying to escape with his grandmother and they both died in the fires. What is going on here? Is God still there? Is He being silent?
My belief is that God is indeed working on our behalf in the background, but so many people in the U.S. have embraced the lawlessness and are not ready to call on His Name that God is not acting as strongly as He could. It’s like we as a people have told Him for so many years that we can take care of ourselves that God is letting us see that we really can’t.
I recall when my children were little that they would insist at times that they could do it themselves, whatever “it” was. Most generally, it was getting dressed. Then, they may have come out of their rooms with pants on backwards and shirts wrong side out, but they were clothed. I would gently lead them to the right way to do it and for some reason, they did not feel that I was taking over and trying to do it all for them. I think that’s a picture of God’s work in these days of chaos. He is letting us try to figure it out, which includes turning to Him for help, but He hasn’t really left the scene. He is right there, as close as our next breath.
So, since God is so close, just as He always is, let’s pray to Him. What should we pray for? Oh, so many things! But Covid-19 comes to mind and all of those affected by it. We had church services canceled this week as a member of our worship team was exposed as well as our pastor. There are the fires in the west, where rain really needs to fall. Then, there is a new hurricane forming in the gulf, with over two feet of rain possible for the low-lying areas of Louisiana and Mississippi. There is the unrest from the rioters and looters, those who blocked an ER with the purpose that policemen who had been shot by an assassin could not get in to get treatment. (Folks, I don’t know what you call that, but I call it pure evil!).
So much to pray for, but mostly we need to pray for God to restore His hand of mercy on our nation, to look on His people and to give us grace. I am sure that there are many prayers going up already, but I want to join my voice in, with a fervor that I don’t think I have felt in many years. We need the Lord! We need to see His hand at work, and we really need to repent of the sins of our land. Following the Bible is not easy at times because these days the tenets of God’s Word seem to be in direct contrast to the way the world is living. We are standing in the gap, praying. With heartfelt prayers, let us take our nation and all of its problems before the Lord.
www.bible.com/1171/isa.41.13.mev
www.bible.com/1171/isa.32.17.mev
Vickie's Book Nook and Meditation Corner 