Review of BEFORE WE WERE US by Denise Hunter

On September 10, 2024 By vickleaIn Book Review1 Comment

About the Book

Product Details

ISBN-13:9780840716682

Publisher:Nelson, Thomas, Inc

Publication date:09/10/2024

Pages:304

She can’t remember. He can’t forget.

When Lauren Wentworth wakes up in the hospital after falling from a ladder, she has more questions than answers. Way more. She knows where she is—the wilds of New Hampshire. But she’s apparently lost the last four months of her life. Is she really contemplating forfeiting her big-city dream job for a position at a rustic resort? And how did her number one nemesis become her adoring boyfriend?

Jonah Landry is crushed to learn Lauren has forgotten their entire summer together. Terrified of losing her for good, he determines to help her remember their deep connection as she finishes her obligation to the resort. But soon it becomes apparent Lauren doesn’t want to remember falling in love with him or rethinking the entire course of her career. She wants to pretend the summer never happened and move on with her life. Without him.

As Lauren falls back into the steady routines of resort work with Jonah, she’s relieved her memories haven’t returned and remains resolute about her big-city future. But as autumn leads into winter, she begins to see glimpses of the Jonah she’s forgotten. Will she be able to resist the steady love of this patient man? Or is her heart destined for its own freefall?

My Thoughts

This is a carefully plotted romance about a young woman who loses her memory and breaks the heart of the man who loves her because she doesn’t remember him at all. Lauren Wentworth is a newly graduated events planner and goes to New Hampshire to work at a small family camp while she waits for her the date when she will report to her dream job. She never counted on the fun and flirty relationship that started with the owners’ son, Jonah Landry. The novel goes back and forth in time between the current time after Lauren got injured and lost her memory and the past when she and Jonah were getting to know each other and courting. The conflict is very realistic in that Lauren cannot remember Jonah but she does recall that she has a dream job waiting for her in Boston after the first of the year. This is a slam dunk great love story, with a well-crafted plot and appealing characters characters. I really enjoyed the dog Graham, too, who acted as a buffer of sorts between the couple who seem to be fated to separate. The story is satisfying, engaging and heartwarming, with family and relationships that matter front and center.
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, 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.”

About the Author

Denise Hunter is the internationally published bestselling author of more than 40 novels, three of which have been made into Hallmark movies. She has appeared on The 700 Club and been featured in Woman’s Day and Southern Living.

Denise writes heartwarming, small-town love stories, peopled with layered characters who struggle with real-life issues. Her readers enjoy the experience of falling in love vicariously through her characters and can expect a happily-ever-after sigh as they close the pages of her books.

In 1996, inspired by the death of her grandfather, Denise began her first book, writing while her children napped. Two years later it was published, and she’s been writing ever since. Her husband says he inspires all her romantic stories, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too!

When Denise isn’t orchestrating love lives on the written page, she enjoys traveling with her family, drinking coffee, and playing drums. Denise makes her home in Indiana where she and her husband are currently enjoying an empty nest.

You can learn more about Denise by visiting her FaceBook page.

Purchase Links

Nature is Damaged and We Are Dying

On September 10, 2024 By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion AppLeave a comment

www.bible.com/reading-plans/1201/day/21

The title is not very encouraging, is it? But if you really dig deeply into the devotional today, you will find that nature is damaged resulting in disasters like floods and hurricanes because of the sin n the Garden of Eden. This damage and confusion in nature was not God’s original plan for His creation. Neither was death. Man was meant to live forever in communion with God, in a perfect place that He had created for them. But sin brought decay and ultimately physical death. Not one doctor or any elixir, no matter what they proclaim, can stop the ravages of death forever. As the devotional points out, we are not meant to live on this damaged earth forever. God has a better place that Jesus went ahead to prepare for us, the perfect place in communion with God that He meant for us from the beginning. So, does God cause the bad things to happen? The death, destruction and decay? No, sorry to disappoint you, but all the bad things cannot be blamed on a loving God. That responsibility lies squarely at our feet because we are all sinners. Thank God we have been saved by grace and this life is not all that there is!

No Surprise: Everything Is Broken

On September 9, 2024 By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion App3 Comments

www.bible.com/reading-plans/1201/day/20

This is an excellent devotional that hits you right between the eyes. The world is broken because of sin. We cannot expect life to be easy, but we can ask God for help through the hard times. One day, this world will go away, Jesus will return and all will be as God planned from the beginning. In the meantime, press into God, hold on and know that in the end, He wins!

Update on eyes: My macular degeneration is the same, a trace in one eye. I do have drier eyes which the ophthalmologist says is age-related. So, I am resting my eyes more, using my eye drops more frequently and praying my vision improves. Thank you all for your prayers. Please let me know how I can pray for you!

Show Humility and Grace to Others

On September 8, 2024 By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion App1 Comment

Many go through life looking at others and comparing themselves. “Well, I have sinned, but at least, I didn’t…” The truth is that sin is sin and as this devotional states, we all have the same starting point. We all start as sinners saved by grace and we are all, prayerfully, moving closer to God in this life. So, showing grace to others is nothing less than what God would expect. If you listen to the video message that goes along with this study, you will hear the speaker say that we should not treat people the way people treat us; instead, we should treat others the way God treats us. Love, just love, and humility because we are all in this life together.

Learning to Live Humbly

Have you ever met an angry Christian?

You may have come across Christians who love to grumble, complain, or even speak harshly about other people. Maybe you’ve even been that person at times in your own life.

If we’re not careful, we can easily become self-righteous within Christianity. After all, we know the truth and others may not. You might see how tempting it can be to look down upon other people, demean them, or consider them as worse off than ourselves.

But this misses the point of the gospel of Jesus.

The gospel tell us that all of us begin at the same starting point. And it’s only through grace that we come to salvation and learn the truth about God’s love for us.

That doesn’t make us any better than other Christians! In fact, as Paul says in Ephesians 4:2, we should actually be humble and gentle with others, rather than harsh and critical. He says we are to be patient with one another, helping one another in every way that we can so that we all grow together.

These ideas aren’t original to Paul. They actually came from how Jesus lived his life. As followers of Jesus, we too should strive to be gentle, humble, and patient with everyone in our life. Regardless of whether they look or think a different way, every person deserves dignity, patience, and love.

Take some time today to think of a few ways that you can grow in patience, humility, and love with others. It could be slowing down long enough for people to know you care, saying something encouraging to someone, or admitting to someone that you’ve made a mistake.

What will you do today to show humility and grace to others?

Develop New Habits

On September 7, 2024 By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion App2 Comments

www.bible.com/reading-plans/1201/day/18

I like what the author wrote about developing new habits. Our old ones did not suddenly appear, and likewise, our new habits, i.e. fruits of the Spirit, will not happen immediately either. We have to allow the Holy Spirit to work a gradual change within us. We have a lot of road construction going on locally every summer. It seems that each time we turn on a different road, there is a sign that says. “Road Work Ahead.” We should have a constant sign flashing in our minds that says, “The Spirit is Working Here.” He wants us to be more like Jesus, we want to be more like Jesus, and together we can accomplish that goal, one day at a time. I look into the mirror these days and sometimes I wonder who that is staring back at me. It is not the same embittered, unconfident and ready to defend myself at any time person who was me for over twenty years. I have settled into a more quiet nature of one who accepts what others do, says to myself that God will take care of it and move on, without carrying a burden of unforgiveness and with a smile on my face and a light in my eyes. I am not where God wants me to be yet, but I am not where I was. Thank God that He is still working within me!

Change the Way You Think

On September 6, 2024 By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion App1 Comment

www.bible.com/reading-plans/1201/day/17

I learned several things from this devotional today. It was enlightening to be reminded that what I think about is important because it leads to choices, either good ones or bad ones. My relationship with God starts every day with my quiet time and I never really thought about that being my “renewing my mind” but I am sure that is what it is now that it was brought to my attention. It’s like needing a fillip of gas when you are running on empty. You won’t get far until you fill up even if you think you are fine with the tiny little bit left in the tank. I don’t know about you, but I need to fill up my mind and heart with Jesus every morning, just to be able to start my engine and go through the day and its challenges. I don’t know what the day holds, but I do know that when my mind is filled with Jesus and I am constantly thinking, “What would Jesus think about my actions, attitude and behavior” then I am more likely to make right choices and have the day that God wants me to have.

Please pray for me today if you don’t mind. I am going to see my ophthalmologist because my vision has been blurry for almost two weeks. The doctors think it may be the meds I am on that have caused it, but I need to be checked to make sure nothing else is going on. Thank you for your faithful prayers, my friends. Have a blessed and wonderful day, keeping your eyes and mind fixed on Him.

Review of THE CHRISTMAS TREE FARM by Melody Carlson

On September 5, 2024 By vickleaIn Book Review1 Comment

About the Book

ISBN-13:9780800744724 Publisher:Baker Publishing Group Publication date:09/03/2024 Pages:176

Synopsis

When Madison McDowell returns from several years teaching overseas, she has high hopes of picking up where she left off at her family’s Christmas tree farm in Oregon. But between damage from a recent wildfire and the neglect due to her sister Addie’s unwillingness to invest, the farm is in sad shape. In fact, Addie is intent on selling the property. And to top it off, her former high school flame, the now-widowed Gavin Thompson, has plans to break Madison’s heart again by turning his neighboring property into a dusty, noisy dirt bike track for his daughter.

With the odds stacked against her, Madison decides there’s only one thing to do: double down on her dreams. It will take a ton of hard work—and some help from an unlikely ally—to save the farm she so dearly loves. But it may take a miracle to restore her relationship with her sister.

My Thoughts

Melody Carlson hits all the right notes in this story about a family Christmas tree farm and the daughter who wants to keep it running and in the family. Madison returns home from teaching in Mongolia and finds that her younger sister Addie just wants to sell the family farm, and the books look so bad that it may have to become a reality. Madison works hard to try to make the farm profitable, hoping to change Addie’s mind. In the process, Madison meets her boyfriend Gavin from her high school years and his rambunctious daughter Lily. With a dirt bike trail imminent for Lily and Addie’s determination to sell the farm, Madison’s plans to snuggle into her old home and relax are definitely put on a back burner. I really enjoyed the story, the family drama, the developing romance, the relationships between the sisters and the relationship that Lily and Gavin had. There are some really heartwarming scenes, like dinner outside by the fire pit and siting on a bench by the river. This book is one with a lesson in forgiveness and letting go of the past as well as moving forward. Faith is a part of the story but it doesn’t take over the plot but is woven into it as the families attend church and talk about their Christmas plans. I enjoyed getting to know each of the believable characters, but mostly I enjoyed visiting the Christmas tree farm where dreams can come true if you want to work for it.
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.”

About the Author

Melody Carlson has written more than 200 books (with sales around 6.5 million) for teens, women and children. That’s a lot of books, but mostly she considers herself a “storyteller.” Her novels range from serious issues like schizophrenia (Finding Alice) to lighter topics like house-flipping (A Mile in My Flip-Flops) but most of the inspiration behind her fiction comes right out of real life. Her young adult novels (Diary of a Teenage Girl, TrueColors etc.) appeal to teenage girls around the world. Her annual Christmas novellas become more popular each year. She’s won a number of awards (including Romantic Time’s Career Achievement Award, the Rita and the Gold Medallion) and some of her books have been optioned for film/TV. Carlson has two grown sons and makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and yellow Lab dog.

Purchase Links

The Will and the Power

On September 5, 2024 By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion App1 Comment

www.bible.com/reading-plans/1201/day/16

Everywhere I go and just about everyone I meet has excuses for why they are the way they are. Some blame genetics, others blame circumstances, and still others blame their childhood upbringing. Whatever the excuse is, it won’t stand up to God’s scrutiny when we stand before Him. He can give us the will to want to change, if we genuinely want to do so. And He has already provided the power through the Holy Spirit. There are a lot of things in life that we have no control over and cannot change. But we can change ourselves, one stop at a time growing closer to Jesus and becoming more like Him. God has provided all we need, but we have to come to the table and partake of His blessings.

Staying on the Path

On September 4, 2024 By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion App2 Comments

www.bible.com/reading-plans/1201/day/15

God’s Word is the exact thing that each of us needs in order to change to be more like Jesus. We don’t even recognize that we need to change unless we see the truth in His Word. Sharp like a sword, sometimes, the Word hits me deeply with a reminder of how I have fallen short. That is God’s Spirit gently telling me not to get off the path with the Lord, but to stay on that narrow way. Facing the truth about ourselves is not easy, but it’s necessary. I think it’s easier to see the truth about others and then point it out to them. But that is not what we are supposed to be doing. The only person we can change is ourselves, from the inside out. So, my prayer is to be open to the truth, even when it’s painful, because I know that god is still working on me and I want to be all that He created me to be.

Sinless v. Sin Less

On September 3, 2024 By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion App3 Comments

www.bible.com/reading-plans/1201/day/14

I feel like Paul sometimes who wrote that the things he wants to do, he doesn’t do and the things he doesn’t want to do, he does. And he added, “O, wretched man that I am!” That’s the problem…the whole human thing means that we are, well, human. We aren’t God and will never be God, but we are supposed to strive to be as perfect as we can, with every day being a new beginning for us. There would be no need for I John 1:9 if there were no sin, right? Thus, I am one of those imperfect Christians, under construction by the Holy Spirit and praying each day that I will sin less. I am made righteous before God, but I am not sinless and don’t think I will be until I reach my eternal destination. I hope this post makes sense because I feel as though I am rambling. Perhaps that is because I don’t totally understand the scriptures that say to “be perfect” and then to “confess your sins one to another.” I think it’s a work in progress. Jesus finished His work when He died on the cross, but my work on myself, to become more like Him, started the day I accepted Him as Savior and will continue until the day I did. My hope is in Him who helps me to sin less and love more!