This past week was a real week of trials and tests for me. It started out okay, with a lot of texts and photos from the children. Those grandchildren photos always make me smile! And since last week was Father’s Day, that was good. However, last Sunday, I didn’t get to go to church because I was nauseous and vomiting. I had a low grade fever the night before, starting about five p.m., but I didn’t think much of it. Then I started getting achy all over. Yuck! The really bad news is that the fever continued to develop daily. But I was thankful that I was no longer nauseous. On Thursday, I started getting a red, blotchy rash all over my chest. I was thankful that it didn’t itch. I knew that I needed to see my physician, but my husband had plans for Friday and we only have one car, so I just took Tylenol for the recurring fever and checked myself for other blotches. I didn’t find other red blotches, but I did discover a black looking sore behind my knee. I knew that I had a bug bite of some kind there a couple of weeks ago and had treated it with hydrocortisone for the itching. Then, when it didn’t disappear, I had put neosporin on it, thinking it was getting infected maybe. I asked my husband to look at it and he said it looked like a bad bite on top of a blood vessel. That was last week. Well, by Friday, the black sore was concerning to say the least, and I continued to get a fever daily, so I went to the ER yesterday. I have been diagnosed with a strep or staph infection on my leg and a rash of unknown origin. They treated me with antibiotics and antihistamines as well as a breathing treatment with lots of steroids in it. They prescribed steroids, antibiotics and antihistamines. I’m thankful that I’m not allergic to any of my medicines! They also suggested that I call my regular doctor on Monday if my sore has not improved. I’m thankful that my regular doctor can be depended on to diagnose well and to send my for further treatment somewhere if she thinks it’s warranted! I haven’t seen any improvement in the sore so far, but I’m thankful that it hastn’t gotten worse either! Meanwhile, I have to confess that my anxiety has been off the charts at times because my best friend Heidi died last March from a staph infection in her leg. You can imagine how I have been feeling! Or maybe you can’t? Anyway, it hasn’t been a pretty face of faith. I have argued with God, remonstrating with Him that I just went though surgery, followed by a tailbone injury and now this! Nevertheless, His answer is the same as always…”Trust Me!” I’m honestly trying, folks, but I need some prayer here. And encouragement would be nice, too. My husband is the kind who ignores the problem until it is life-threatening. In fact, he was complaining about going to the ER yesterday because of the wait time. I’m thankful that there was no wait time…none! They took me right back to a room and saw me within about ten minutes. Treatment took several hours, but I have never been seen that fast before! Anyway, that being said, my husband is not the great encourager. He is more like the great “ignore it and it will go away” kind of person. So, I come to you asking for the prayer and encouragement that I need. And I am thankful that you are there for me!

I’ve heard the old adage since I was a child, “Things change. Get used to it.” I never realized how true that would be for my life as I married a man in the military and moved twenty five times, all along the east coast, from Florida to Maine and as far west as Arkansas. When I moved to Maine, I wasn’t ready for the tremendous change in the weather and in my attitude. I hated living there and did not mind telling anyone who would listen how much I hated the snow, the wind, the bitter cold and the icy roads. What a poor witness I was! Since all of these trials, God has dealt with my heart and is still working on me to be content even when the changes that come are not the ones that I would prefer. Today, He spoke clearly to me that although my location may change, God and His Word don’t change.

These are the roses in my front garden. Lovely, right? It won’t be long before the petals are scattered on the ground and all that will be left are green leaves. Then, the green leaves will wilt and all that will be left are the branches, waiting for the next season of blooms. Unlike the roses which have a short lifespan, God is eternal and so is His Word. And even more importantly, as a child of God who is planting His Word in my heart, I will live forever, too. Awesome to think about, isn’t it?

Nothing that we do for our own glory will stand forever, but God’s Word will endure forever. It is so important that we plant those seeds in our hearts. We may have an external condition that causes us frustration or pain or even anger sometimes. But we are called to rise above that and to use that seed that God has planted in our hearts to help others to rise above their circumstances and to live eternally with the Father. This is an awesome responsibility with which we have been tasked, but with the Holy Spirit living within us, we are up for it! None of us can go back and re-live the times in our lives when we were not good witnesses (like me in Maine). But we can go forward and live like we are a precious child of the King. We are free and will live with Him forevermore! We are an eternal blossom in the courtyard of the King of Kings! Blessings to all of you, my friends!

Live Like You’re Loved by Hank Nelson

Joyce Meyer “Defeating Bad Moods”

Although this book got rave reviews and promised to be a book that would be a fast read and hard to put down, I do not think that it delivered on its promises. The beginning of the book was intense and interesting, with a murder occurring and a woman becoming mute, refusing to speak and tell people what had really happened when her husband was killed. Once I was introduced to her mental institution, The Grove, not only did the action slow down, it almost became not there at all. There were endless pages describing Theo’s attempts to get Alicia to talk. I got somewhat interested again once her diary was introduced, but it was revealed so slowly that the entire slow pace of the book was disappointing. The ending was a surprise, so I’m glad that I kept reading, but I do wish that the book had been fast-paced enough to keep me entertained instead of just feeling that I had to complete the book because I had purchased it. Readers of psychological thrillers may enjoy this book, but the slow pace was not for me and may not be for others. Note that it took me over two months to complete this book!

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I purchased a digital copy of this book from Barnes and Noble and own it on my Nook. The opinions expressed are my own.

This book is available now and deals with mature themes like mental illness and violence.

This is absolutely the best domestic thriller that I have ever read! This book is like a runaway train; you get your ticket and you just can’t believe how wild the ride is! Beth is an intelligent young woman who is escaping an abusive husband. She methodically sets about establishing a new identity, taking cash with her and hiding out from her abuser. Meanwhile, back in her hometown of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Sabine, a successful real estate agent is reported missing. What is the connection between Sabine and Beth? Are they the same person with different identities? Who is the abuser? Fans of domestic thrillers absolutely have to read this book! It is an eye-opening look into the life of a woman who is abused and desperate. It also depicts well the quest of the detective who is trying to find Sabine and the plight of the two men who claim to love her. I identified with Beth, gasped over the revelations at the end, and closed the book with a sigh, wishing that the thrill ride were not over yet.

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. 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.”

I would definitely rate this book as PG because of the mature theme of spousal abuse. It will be available at your local bookseller on June 25, 2019.

Honestly, I have not enjoyed playing in the dirt since I was a small child. I remember that I used to eat mud pies and got all kinds of sores in my mouth because I was allergic to dirt. Imagine! So, I leave the gardening chores to my husband who really enjoys playing around outside. That does not mean that I am unaware of how much work goes into the plot of ground that he plants with tomatoes, squash, cucumbers and other good things that we enjoy for several months. I see him out the front window toiling away, early in the season, before the frost has really gone away. He is getting rid of weeds, tilling the soil, turning it over and taking samples to the local agricultural store to find out what he needs to add to the soil. I noticed that this year he moved the garden to the front yard, saying that the side yard needs a rest from being sown. I know that the Bible says to leave fields fallow for a season so that they will produce a crop again. Anyway, we are just beginning to get some of the fruits of his labor, including cherry tomatoes and scallions and even a weird looking squash with a heavenly taste. I am very aware that we would have nothing in our garden if the labor were up to me because gardening is not my thing. I don’t like heat or sweating or dirt, so I stay in the house and watch the progress from the windows. My husband’s work continues long after the first fruits appear because the garden does not take care of itself. God spoke to my heart this morning about preparing the soil and getting it ready for a harvest and then continuing to take care of the garden of my heart as the seeds are planted and producing fruit.

I have always taken this Scripture to refer to the harvest of planting the seed of salvation, and so it does. But I think it means more, or at least it does to me now that God spoke to me this morning about it. There is so much that God wants to tell us, seeds that He wants to plant into our hearts, but we have to be prepared for it. When our hearts are fully prepared to receive from God, we have a harvest that we can share with others, one that is plentiful and that springs up from the words that God has so lovingly planted within us.

I sincerely believe that the harvest that we bear is souls for the Lord. But I also believe that it is the fruit that is borne in our own hearts, the fruits of the Spirit that help us to stand against the wiles of Satan. That fruit feeds our souls during the hard times of trials here on earth. Yes, we do go through trials, but I believe with everything that is in me that God carries us through because He has planted His Word into our hearts and when we need the harvest from that seed, it comes forth and comforts us, strengthens us and prepares us for the next task. I have never seen or read these verses to mean anything other than salvation, but now I feel that there is so much more to these verses. God wants to prepare the soil of our hearts for whatever is coming next in our lives. We just have to be open and ready for Him to do so. I’m always a little anxious when God shows me things like this because I’m like, “Oh, no! Here comes the test!” However, God wants me to always be ready for the next thing in my life so that when He wants to use me, in whatever way He sees fit, I am ready. Are you ready for Him to prepare the soil of your heart? Are you ready for harvest to be produced in you? Get ready, because God’s army is marching forth and He wants His people ready to move with Him! Blessings for a day filled with abundant fruit!

The Move Is On

Yesterday was Father’s Day, and of course, my mind was filled with thoughts of my father who went to be with the Lord two years ago. I still miss my phone calls with him every Sunday and his laughter as we recalled some of my childhood mistakes. No matter what I did, though, daddy never stopped loving me and accepting me. He made a lot of mistakes himself, but in the end, he owned up to his need for a Savior. That was so important to me because I really wanted him to end up in Heaven, after a lifetime of making wrong choices. His sister, my Aunt Loree, implored me on her death bed to never lose contact with daddy, regardless of what he was doing wrong. So, I kept in touch and acted as an intermediary to get my siblings to stay in contact with him. Drugs had almost destroyed him, but in the end, he gave his soul to the Lord, and I am thankful that my little brother was with him when he died and that they had reconciled. I say all of this so that everyone will know that bad things happen. Things change. The person you may almost idolize, as I did my father, may make choices that are sinful, awful in fact. As someone once said, “How are the mighty fallen!” My father fell far, from a successful businessman in a small community to a drug addict and dealer in a large city in Florida, implicated in the death of my mother. Yes, he fell far and had many sins to ask forgiveness for. But don’t we all? I didn’t stop believing that the same hope that God gave me for eternal life was possible for my father, the one at whose knee I felt loved and cherished.

There were several years, after my family had fled to Florida, that I didn’t know where they were. And once I got in touch with them again, the changes in my father were readily apparent. He was so addicted to drugs that every decision he made was based on getting that need met and lying became his normal. But I believed in the living hope of Christ and continued to pray and to keep in contact with him, just as my Godly and loving aunt had requested. God’s mercy was indeed abundant for my father; He acknowledged his sins and his need for a Savior. So I believe that He is with our Father in Heaven now, all because God gave him a new birth. Jesus Christ was resurrected, so I have the living hope that my father was resurrected and that one day, I will meet the King of Heaven when I am resurrected. I am serving God today as a born again Christian. My father didn’t make that choice until he was lying on his death bed. Nevertheless, I believe that God doesn’t care when you repent, as long as you do so with your whole heart. Life is hard, but we all have a living hope if we just grab hold of it. Jesus Christ died and was resurrected and therein lies our hope for eternal life. I pray that you have realized how much you need the Lord in your life and will turn to Him with your whole heart. Blessings for a day filled with His living hope!

This book is the second in a series. I definitely think that I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the first book, but the author did a good job of filling in the gaps. This book is available NOW from your local bookseller, and it is a clean read!

Although I missed the story of the first Daughtry sister, I did not feel that I absolutely had to go back and read it since the author does a masterful job of filling in the gaps for the reader. This historical fiction is set during the Reconstruction Era, when the south is still reeling from having lost the war and all of the changes that this means to their lifestyles. The author does a wonderful job of portraying such explosive topics as the rights of the freedmen to be educated and to vote. Joelle Daughtry, the main character in this second book in the series, is a writer who pens articles about the inhumane treatment of others, writing under a pen name and trying to keep her identity secret. Through a series of unfortunate events, Joelle finds herself engaged to Reverend Gil Reece, a man of noble character but not very interesting. She is helping her sisters to set up the old homestead as a bed and breakfast, having the financial backing of Schuyler Beaumont, a young man who has to grow up quickly when his father is killed. Joelle and Schuyler feel an attraction to each other, but as childhood nemeses, they don’t act on their attraction, but rather choose to pretend that it does not exist. The story of Joelle is fascinating and told with what seems to be total historical accuracy. I would highly recommend this book to those who enjoy historical fiction. I gave it four stars because I was a little lost at the beginning, having not read the first book in the series.

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell. 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 is definitely the book that I would want my children and grandchildren to read about family life during the Vietnam War era. Told with truth and empathy, this historical fiction is worth reading and keeping! Available at your local bookseller NOW!

This book is the perfect portrayal of family life in the United States during the Vietnam era. It is a story of courage and of hope and of faith. The Jacobsen family is a family that struggles with real life, like a father who walks out without explanation and a grandfather suffering from dementia. They struggles with finances, with the mom and the daughter both working to make ends meet. Mike joins the army and writes letters home as he is trained to go to the battlefield in Vietnam. Since I lived during this era, the book was made that much more real to me. I loved the depth of the characters. The detail about each main character was given in such a way that by the end of the book, I felt like I could walk into their living room and introduce myself, feeling a part of their lives. I enjoyed the subtle message of faith that was throughout the novel, just a total belief that God is in control and He will take care of things for them. I enjoyed particularly finding out more about why Frank, the father, had deserted the family and why he was willing to return. All in all, this was a good book to read about family life in the late 60’s and early 70’s, an era when family was important and extended family was close by in case you needed them. I highly recommend this book for those who enjoy historical fiction and books with some drama to them!

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, Revell. 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.”