tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87789784785547627092024-03-12T21:40:44.205-05:00Andrea's TakeAs my title implies, this will be my take...on whatever. More specifically, books and music (two of my favorite pastimes), with an occasional Bible study thrown in to keep things interesting. I still hope to drop a few valuable gems along the way for my readers to find and treasure.Andrea Stronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04561504163570350209noreply@blogger.comBlogger103125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778978478554762709.post-76234102120611136992024-03-08T17:18:00.011-06:002024-03-08T17:21:05.119-06:00Sweden's Website <p> I'm trying to share the Sweden Church website on Facebook.</p><p>Facebook is giving me a run around. </p><p>Maybe it will let me share a blog post.</p><p>http://www.swedenchurch.com/sunday-services.html</p><p>Click the link to check it out.</p>Andrea Stronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04561504163570350209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778978478554762709.post-35456901043865564642023-10-06T14:12:00.000-05:002023-10-06T14:12:31.163-05:00Sitting and Standing<p> "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high" (Hebrews 1:1-3)</p><p>These verses tell us that Jesus has been at work since the beginning of creation. He is the "heir of all things." He "made the worlds." He upholds "all things" (some translations say "the universe" here). After doing all of that work for all time, Jesus came to earth, lived a perfect life, died a sinless death to "purge our sins", rose again, and ascended back to Heaven, where he sat down at God's right hand. </p><p>He sat down. Why did he sit down? And is it even important?</p><p>I believe it is important because it's in the Bible. As a friend recently reminded me, we may waste words, but God doesn't. So, yes, it's important.</p><p>So, why did he sit down? He said on the cross just before he gave up the ghost, "It is finished." The work that he had to do "by himself" (the work of redemption) was finished. He had made a way that we could join him someday in that glorious Heaven for eternity. After his resurrection, the purpose of his coming to earth was completed, so he ascended to Heaven and took again his rightful place, <i>sitting </i>at his Father's right hand as the heir of all things. </p><p>Paul tells us that Jesus's work now includes intercession for us (Romans 8:34). And where is the perfect place for God the Son to intercede on my behalf and yours? Why seated at the Father's right hand of course.</p><p>In fact, the only time the Bible narrative tells us of Jesus in any position besides seated at God's right hand is when Stephen was martyred in the book of Acts. In his dying moments, Stephen looked up and saw Jesus <i>standing</i> at God's right hand. Why did he stand? He stood to welcome Stephen into his presence. A faithful servant, whose work on Earth had also been completed, was coming home, and Jesus <i>stood</i> to welcome him. </p><p>Isn't it just the most amazing thing!? I've often said, if he never did another thing for me, his work on the Cross is more than I could ever deserve or pay for. But he continues to intercede for me, sitting next to his Father. And when my time on Earth is finished, I hope to see him standing to welcome me home just like he did Stephen.</p>Andrea Stronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04561504163570350209noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778978478554762709.post-25261451934774960172021-06-02T15:42:00.004-05:002021-06-02T15:53:08.154-05:00Are My Buttons Straight?<p>"Mom, are my buttons straight?"</p><p>This question comes from my six year old son, approaching me as I work at my computer.</p><p>It's Wednesday afternoon, and he has just showered and is dressing for church this evening. He's wearing jeans and his newest dress shirt and holding a white bow tie (the shirt and tie were bought for Easter a couple of months ago). </p><p>"Bubba, you don't need a tie for Wednesday night church." I admonish.</p><p>"But I like to wear a tie, Mom." </p><p>I sigh and smile. "Yes. I know." </p><p>Then I look at my little boy, struck by how grown up he is.</p><p>In that tiny moment, I realize how fast time is flying. Not long ago, I had to refasten his buttons or show him how because, in spite of his best efforts, he almost always missed one or got them in the wrong holes. I nearly tear up, and I thank God for the blessing of motherhood in general, and for this amazing little boy in particular. </p><p>I fasten his tie and make sure his collar lays flat as it should, and I check his buttons...</p><p>"Your buttons are perfect."</p>Andrea Stronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04561504163570350209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778978478554762709.post-22430467114105133682016-04-08T14:45:00.000-05:002016-04-08T14:45:05.717-05:00Finding the Blessing in the Icky JobsDo you ever have to do something you hate?<br />
<br />
Of course you do. You live in the real world.<br />
<br />
Do you ever let that thing wreck your whole day?<br />
<br />
If your answer is no, then God bless you and thank you for clicking by, but this may not be the post for you.<br />
<br />
If your answer is yes, then God bless you too, and perhaps you can get some good out of this.<br />
<br />
Today, I had to do something I hate. Something I've been putting off for days. Something that just couldn't wait any longer.<br />
<br />
Today, I had to shovel the ashes out of our outdoor furnace. On most days this is merely an irritating chore, but this week we've had nearly gale-force winds all week (thus my procrastination--<i>sometimes </i>there's a good reason for it).<br />
<br />
On super windy days, shoveling out the furnace goes from merely irritating to truly horrendous. You don't just smell like smoke, you get ashes in your hair, eyes, ears, nose.... That shower you had this morning. Ha! You're gonna want another because now you smell just like the inside of that wood furnace.<br />
<br />
Today, for some reason (we'll call that reason God...because I'm pretty sure it's Him), this truly horrendous job, just wasn't. As I was shoveling and holding my breath...and spitting and blinking and sneezing (because I just can't hold my breath that long), God gave me a little perspective.<br />
<br />
Thank you, Lord that my husband has a job that supports our family. Which is why he is not home, and I have to do this icky task. Thank you also that he would be more than willing to do it himself if he was here.<br />
<br />
Thank you, Lord that because of his hard work and dedication I get to stay home with our children...and perform this icky task--and others--for them.<br />
<br />
Thank you, Lord that we have a home to heat and that we have this furnace to heat our home and our water (which is <i style="font-weight: bold;">so awesome</i>! You haven't had a hot shower until you've had a "water-heated-by-your-outdoor-furnace" hot shower).<br />
<br />
Thank you, Lord for providing us with wood to fill our furnace, to heat our home and water, and make piles of ashes for me to shovel out when the wind is blowing 30 miles an hour.<br />
<br />
Thank you, Lord for giving me the strength to do this job because I know there are many who would love to, but cannot.<br />
<br />
Thank you, Lord that I actually <i>didn't </i>get that shower this morning, so smelling like the inside of the furnace isn't really that big of a step down.<br />
<br />
I'm reminded of times in my life when I've faced actual trials that really shook my world, the death of a loved one or a child's illness. God has used those situations to teach me this lesson on a much grander scale. To remind me of blessings even greater than those I've already mentioned.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b> "In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>1 Thessalonians 5:18</b></div>
<br />
Note, it doesn't say to give thanks <i>for all things</i> but <i>in</i> all things. Some things are just bad and impossible to be thankful <i>for</i>. But with God's help we will notice the blessings exposed by the trying circumstances, and we can be thankful for them.<br />
<br />
*****<br />
<br />
What about you?<br />
<br />
Is there a job you hate and procrastinate that would be easier with a dose of this kind of thankfulness?<br />
<br />
Are you going through one of those big, hard, scary trials where God is teaching you to be thankful for blessings you didn't even realize you had until now?<br />
<br />
<br />Andrea Stronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04561504163570350209noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778978478554762709.post-29481746401184423582014-01-23T14:27:00.000-06:002014-01-23T14:27:53.098-06:00Book Review: A Bride for Keeps by Melissa Jagears<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here it is! The long-awaited review of my best friend's (not quite so long awaited) novel. <i> A Bride for Keeps</i> was released in October 2013. I won't comment on what sort of friend it makes me that I'm just now reviewing it. You can trust the delay speaks ill only of me and not Melissa's story.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Without further ado... <i>A Bride for Keeps</i> by Melissa Jagears...</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<a href="http://g.christianbook.com/dg/product/cbd/f400/211683.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A Bride for Keeps, Unexpected Brides Series #1 - By: Melissa Jagears
" border="0" src="http://g.christianbook.com/dg/product/cbd/f400/211683.jpg" /></a><a href="http://g.christianbook.com/dg/product/cbd/f400/211683.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>From the Cover:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Although Everett Cline can hardly keep up with the demands of his homestead, he won't humiliate himself by looking for a helpmate ever again--not after being jilted by three mail-order brides. When a well-meaning neighbor goes behind his back to bring yet another mail-order bride to town, he has good reason to doubt it will work, especially after getting a glimpse at the woman in question. She's the prettiest woman he's ever seen, and it's just not possible she's there to marry a simple homesteader like him.<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">Julia Lockwood has never been anything more than a pretty pawn for her father or a business acquisition for her former fiance. Having finally worked up the courage to leave her life in Massachusetts, she's determined to find a place where people will value her for more than her looks. Having run out of all other options, Julia resorts to a mail-order marriage in far-away Kansas.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">Everett is skeptical a cultured woman like Julia could be happy in a life on the plains, while Julia, deeply wounded by a past relationship, is skittish at the idea of marriage at all. When, despite their hesitations, they agree to a marriage in name only, neither one is prepared for the feelings that soon arise to complicate their arrangement. Can two people accustomed to keeping their distance let the barricades around their hearts down long enough to fall in love?</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Andrea's Take:</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I read this book more than once during its journey from Melissa's imagination to the printed page, and I must say it gets better every time. A word on the cover art...Perfect. They look exactly like I pictured them when I first read the manuscript of this novel years ago. Way to go, Bethany House art department!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Who doesn't love a mail-order bride story? Hard-working farmer in a harsh, untamed land that's short on women--pretty or otherwise--places an advertisement for a wife. Beautiful (or not), down on her luck Eastern girl with nowhere else to turn answers the ad and heads west to face whatever adventures life has in store. It spells a page-turner every time. But what will that farmer do if the girl decides the farmer, or his farm, is just not good enough and she backs out? How many times will he try? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">That's a story I had never read until <i>A Bride for Keeps</i>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Melissa Jagears has taken the well-loved frame of the mail-order bride story and turned it on its ear with a jaded hero who has sworn off mail-order brides, and a wounded heroine who wants nothing to do with intimacy of any kind. Mix in Everett's irresistible goodness (that shows through despite his best efforts to hide it)--to say nothing of his good <i>looks--</i>and Julia's beauty and vulnerability, and you have a tale sure to win a place in readers' hearts, and on their keeper shelves.</span><br />
<br />
I loved Everett and Julia. My heart broke for the pain that stood between them and happiness. I constantly rooted for them to overcome it and grasp with both hands the love that was staring them in the face. When they finally do, it's in a scene that may be one of the most beautiful romantic resolutions I've ever read...and that's saying A LOT!<br />
<br />
The secondary characters are beautifully done as well. From Dex and Rachel Stanton, whom we met in the novella <i>Love by the Letter</i>, to some of the ladies who jilted Everett before Julia's arrival, the minor characters create a community that not only anchors this story in time and place, but also beckons readers to return for more in future novels.<br />
<br />
I, for one, have been dying to return to Salt Flatts since I turned the last page of <i>A Bride for Keeps. </i>Not to worry, we'll soon get our chance. Book 2 in the series is slated for release this fall. I'll do my best to keep updates posted here as they come available.<br />
<br />
If you've read the book leave a comment about your favorite character or scene. If you haven't read the book...Read it, already!Andrea Stronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04561504163570350209noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778978478554762709.post-67635281100260097392013-09-02T02:26:00.000-05:002013-09-02T02:27:21.181-05:00MY BEST FRIEND'S DEBUT IS FREE ON KINDLE!!<br />
<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61SCnkn2HhL._AA278_PIkin4,BottomRight,-41,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61SCnkn2HhL._AA278_PIkin4,BottomRight,-41,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My best friend in the world is publishing her first novel in a month. But you don't have to wait to experience Melissa Jagears's authorial brilliance! </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Love by the Letter</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> is a prequel novella, and it</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> is FREE right now on Kindle.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Here's the blurb: </b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dex Stanton has never had much time for book learning. He's been too busy helping to provide for his family. Now that he's heading west, Dex is hoping to start a family of his own. However, his attempt to acquire a mail-order bride fails miserably when the lady writes back ridiculing his terrible spelling. Rachel Oliver may be the last person he wants to know what a dunce he is, but she's also the smartest woman in town--and it's clear he needs her help.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Rachel Oliver has lingered in town for three years secretly mooning over Dex Stanton, but now she's done. If the fool wants to write to a mail-order bride company, so be it. Once she begins giving Dex lessons, however, Rachel realizes she may not be prepared to give up just yet.</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">As their time together runs short, can two of the most stubborn people in town set aside their pride long enough to find love?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>And here's my review on Amazon:</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Christian writers must maintain a delicate balance between romantic tension and Christian purity. Melissa Jagears has walked that thin line like a pro. And she has done it in the shortened format of a novella. The characters tugged at my heart and had me laughing out loud. The pace of the story is ideal and the conflict believable. Love by the Letter is a masterful debut. It is sure to make readers crave more of Dex, Rachel, and their friends in her upcoming novel <i>A Bride for Keeps</i>. I for one can't wait for it!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Letter-Unexpected-Brides-Novella-ebook/dp/B00EVSB3N0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1378104432&sr=1-1&keywords=Love+by+the+Letter" target="_blank">Here's the link</a>...so GO! Purchase it!</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://img2.imagesbn.com/p/9780764211683_p0_v2_s260x420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Bride for Keeps, A: A novel" border="0" src="http://img2.imagesbn.com/p/9780764211683_p0_v2_s260x420.JPG" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You won't regret it, and when you're done reading it you won't be able to stand the wait for the upcoming novel <i>A Bride for Keeps </i>(Available for pre-order NOW on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bride-Keeps-Unexpected-Brides-ebook/dp/B00CIUJZFG/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378105031&sr=1-1&keywords=a+bride+for+keeps" target="_blank">Amazon</a> and <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bride-for-keeps-a-melissa-jagears/1114536731?ean=9780764211683" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a>). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Just look at that cover! Isn't it beautiful?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The story inside will not disappoint either. I've read <i>A Bride for Keeps</i> a couple of times at various stages in its development. It gets better every time, and I can't wait to see the final product.</span>Andrea Stronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04561504163570350209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778978478554762709.post-81534321063676213522013-04-15T00:00:00.000-05:002013-04-15T00:00:15.248-05:00Monday Musings: Increasing ChristYesterday's song, "Steal My Show" made me think of this Scripture. I think perhaps TobyMac is in good company.<br />
<br />
<i>"Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying. And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him. John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease."</i><br />
<i> ~John 3:26-30</i><br />
<br />
John the Baptist was going about his regular business, baptizing people and preaching about the One who was to come. Then verse 25 happens. I believe the phrase "the Jews" means non-believers, for a couple of reasons. First, John's followers were mostly likely as Jewish as the other men. So why the distinction otherwise? Second, the phrase "there arose a question between..." indicates debate, disagreement, or even confusion. The latter is implied when they are compelled to take the question to a higher authority, namely John. Often in the Gospels, the questioner is a Jewish leader who is trying to muddy the waters, or trip up Jesus. I assume such to be the case here.<br />
<br />
The "they" in verse 26 is unclear. Did the non-believers in question accompany John's followers to speak with their Rabbi? Or did they merely plant a little seed of jealousy into the minds of those men? Either way, a group of men approached John with a PR mission: <b>Salvage John's reputation from this upstart who is trying to steal his show.</b><br />
<br />
A piece of my heart hopes that the questioners were there, just waiting for John to fly into a jealous rage. I love the places in the Bible where sowers of dissent, trying to trap God's people get caught in their own snare.<br />
<br />
John gently reminds the men, "Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him."<br />
<br />
John compared himself to the the best man at a wedding. I'm sure weddings have changed a lot over the centuries, but this brings a modern "wedding picture" to mind. The best man is standing at the head table, glass raised, all eyes on him as he gives a toast. A chorus of "Here, here!" follows as everyone in the room agrees and "drinks to that" (punch of course; this is a "dry" blog).<br />
<br />
And that's it. The best man is done. He has had his moment in the limelight, and all focus now returns to the bride and groom. Even during his shining moment the best man (if he is really good at all) is pointing attention to his dear friend the groom, whom he has never seen so happy and knows will be only happier with his lovely bride at his side for the rest of their lives.<br />
<br />
His final words drive the point home. "He must increase, but I must decrease."<br />
<br />
In other words, "Thank you for worrying about my image, boys, but it ain't my show. It's His, and I'm just happy he lets me be part of it."<br />
<br />
John had a role to play, The Forerunner. He was never the star, only the opening act. When his part was finished he was happy to fade away into the background of history and watch the rest of the show, so to speak.<br />
<br />
I hope I always remember to let Jesus "steal my show," or better yet that I remember it's His show, and I'm so blessed even to have a walk-on role.Andrea Stronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04561504163570350209noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778978478554762709.post-62761629694077420542013-04-14T00:00:00.000-05:002013-04-14T00:00:08.978-05:00Sunday Songs: Steal My Show by TobyMacSome songs strike a chord with me on the first note. This is one of those songs. Honestly, I was hooked even before I heard that first note. The title caught me when the DJ announced it. I cranked it up to hear the words, and I still crank it up every time it comes on (which is not nearly often enough, IMHO).<br />
<br />
<script src="http://www.godtube.com/embed/source/0j91mjnu.js?w=600&h=400&ap=false&sl=true&title=true" type="text/javascript"></script><br />
<a href="http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=0J91MJNU">TobyMac - Steal My Show (Official Lyric Video)</a> from <a href="http://www.godtube.com/tobymac">tobymac</a> on <a href="http://www.godtube.com/">GodTube</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Andrea Stronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04561504163570350209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778978478554762709.post-4440611988385002662013-03-03T00:00:00.000-06:002013-03-03T00:00:04.175-06:00Sunday Songs: You Are I Am, by MercyMe<script src="http://www.godtube.com/embed/source/wdgk6wnx.js?w=500&h=300&ap=true&sl=false&title=true" type="text/javascript"></script><br />
<a href="http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=WDGK6WNX">MercyMe - You Are I Am (Official Lyric Video)</a> from <a href="http://www.godtube.com/mercymemusic">mercymemusic</a> on <a href="http://www.godtube.com/">GodTube</a>.<br />
.<br />
<br />
<br />
I've been pondering the name of God lately. <i style="font-weight: bold;">I Am</i>.<br />
<br />
This song ponders it along with me.<br />
<br />
The words speak of doubt, fear, and shame. Then they remind me that my God, <b>I AM</b>, is big enough and strong enough to reach me wherever I may be and to mold me and make me into whatever He wants me to be. The reminder is hitting home with me lately.<br />
<br />
I hope you enjoy the song. Read the words and listen to them. See if they don't touch your heart today.Andrea Stronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04561504163570350209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778978478554762709.post-22634535086898689492013-03-01T10:29:00.001-06:002013-03-01T10:53:47.595-06:00First Friday Debut: Sanctuary for a Lady by Naomi RawlingsOkay, here's the idea...I'll review a debut novel on the first Friday of the month. The author might be brand-spanking new, a long-standing favorite, or somewhere in between. Whoever the author is, First Fridays will be reserved for the debut offering.<br />
<br />
I confess this idea has been rattling around in my brain for many months. I've missed several perfectly good First Fridays out of procrastination ("Yes, the first Friday is coming up, but I've got plenty of time.") or inattention ("Oh, fiddlesticks! I missed the First Friday again!") Well, today the mood struck at just the write moment, so here I am.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/303429_269879639758091_1788839608_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/303429_269879639758091_1788839608_n.jpg" width="170" /></a><br />
This month's debut is from a personal, cyber-friend of mine, Naomi Rawlings. It was published in April 2012, and her second offering, though in the works, is not yet available. So she still falls under the "Brand-Spanking New" category. We were "introduced" by a mutual friend and fellow writer, and we have tons of things in common. Listing them would be boring (to you, though it tickles me pink), so I won't. Suffice it to say, I'm taking great interest in the career of this promising new writer.<br />
<br />
Without further ado, my review of <i>Sanctuary for a Lady</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://img1.imagesbn.com/p/9780373829132_p0_v1_s260x420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Sanctuary for a Lady (Love Inspired Historical Series)" border="0" src="http://img1.imagesbn.com/p/9780373829132_p0_v1_s260x420.JPG" /></a><b></b><br />
<b><b><br /></b></b>
<b>From the Cover:</b><br />
(Just <i>look</i> at that beautiful cover) ---><br />
<br />
<i>Rescued by the Enemy</i>--The injured young woman Michel Belanger finds in the woods is certainly an aristocrat. And in the midst of France's bloody revolution, sheltering nobility merits a trip to the guillotine. Yet despite the risk, Michel knows he must bring the wounded girl to his cottage to heal.<br />
<br />
Attacked by soldiers and left for dead, Isabelle de La Rouchecauld has lost everything. A duke's daughter cannot hope for mercy in France, so escaping to England is her best chance of survival. The only thing more dangerous than staying would be falling in love with this gruff yet tender man of the land. Even if she sees, for the first time, how truly noble a heart can be...<br />
<br />
<b>Andrea's Take:</b><br />
Take the Good Samaritan, plunk him down in war-torn Revolutionary France, and make his patient the beautiful daughter of a slain aristocrat, and you have the basic description for this novel.<br />
<br />
This was my first impression, though Naomi later told me that theme hadn't occurred to her while she was writing it. (I love finding "accidental" themes in novels. :) Other prevalent (and likely purposeful) themes are healing and forgiveness. Both characters suffer spiritual wounds in connection with the ongoing Revolution, and the healing of those wounds is a spiritual parallel to Isabelle's physical healing. Forgiveness is a necessary stop on their path to true love.<br />
<br />
Their stations in life make them natural enemies, thus they must learn to lay aside the broad brush of generality, and see one another as individuals rather than one of a collective. She is more than an aristocrat. He is more than a peasant. While neither can control the world around them, they can, and do, strive to view that world from the other's perspective. In a surprising twist (which I absolutely loved!), Isabelle has the opportunity change roles, from patient to Good Samaritan.<br />
<br />
I won't give away the ending, but I'll say that it was fresh and satisfying, certainly not the run of the mill happy ever after.<br />
<br />
My readers may or may not know that I'm a proud Anglo-phile (which tends to make me a natural Franco-phobe). British literature and history enthrall me. French? Not so much. That this novel was able to draw me so fully into the time and place of the French Revolution (not to mention leave me wanting stories for more of these amazing characters) is a definite feather in the author's cap to my way of thinking.<br />
<br />
<b>Rating: </b><br />
5 Stars<b> </b><b>* * * * *</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
I gladly award <i>Sanctuary for a Lady</i> five brightly shining stars because I cannot think of one thing I would have changed in this story.<br />
<br />
Naomi's second novel is due out sometime, but I don't know when. (Perhaps I can persuade her to come by the comments section and let us know.) I do know it is set in 19th Century America, not Revolutionary France. What I've heard of it sounds wonderful. But I hope she'll return to the cast of <i>Sanctuary for a Lady</i> in the future. There's a brother in this book who really needs his own story.<br />
<br />Andrea Stronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04561504163570350209noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778978478554762709.post-42648585833319453962012-09-05T00:00:00.000-05:002012-09-05T00:00:01.754-05:00What I Read Wednesday: Almost Amish by Kathryn Cushman<a href="http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/174910000/174914161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Almost Amish: A Novel" border="0" height="400" src="http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/174910000/174914161.JPG" width="258" /></a><b style="text-indent: 0in;">From
the Cover:</b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
Over committed and overwhelmed,
Julie Charlton is at the breaking point. She knows she should feel blessed as a
mother and wife—but she just feels exhausted. And then, the miraculous
happens. Her sister-in-law Susan, a
Martha Stewart-in-training, lands the chance to participate in a reality TV
series about trying to live like the Amish and needs another family to join
her. It’s just the break Julie needs.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
But the summer adventure in simple
living soon proves anything but simple.
With the camera watching every move, Susan’s drive for perfection feels
a lot like what they left behind, while Julie suddenly finds herself needing to
stand up for slowing down. Whether it’s cooking, cleaning, or dressing
differently, each new Amish challenge raises new complications…and soon each
woman learns unexpected lessons about herself and her family.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<b>Andrea’s
Take:</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<i>Almost
Amish </i>is a departure from my usual preference of historical romance, but when
Kathryn Cushman broadcast the back cover copy and called for influencers, my reply
to her was something like, “This woman sounds so much like me that I really
think I need to read this book.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<i>Almost
Amish</i> is a character driven story, and the characters are amazingly compelling.<i> </i>Julie and Susan are easily likened to
the Biblical Mary and Martha. Julie’s continual feeling of, “What am I good at?
What am I <i>supposed</i> to be doing?”
struck a chord in my heart, and resonated with me throughout the story. Often,
her scenes brought tears to my eyes because I saw so much of myself in her. She
comes to realize strengths in herself that have been hidden under layers of
busyness and urgency. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
Susan’s perfectionist-induced stress
rolled off of her in waves. At times, just reading her point of view was enough
to make my shoulders ache with tension. Circumstances at one point forced Susan
to view her life and family from a very different prospective, and she began to
realize weaknesses in herself, and strength in others, that she had never
understood before. Though I didn’t readily identify with Susan, I did
understand her. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
After learning some hard lessons
about their relationships with each other, their families, and God, both women
return home with new determination to simplify their lives in all the ways that
count.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<b>Characters
to Watch:</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<b>Whitney,
Brian, and Angie</b> – Julie’s children and Susan’s daughter. All the children are wonderful, and Angie is
instrumental to Susan’s transformation. But thirteen year old Brian stole my
heart. He bears an uncanny resemblance to a young man in my church. His dry,
intelligent humor had me chuckling often.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<b>Chris</b>
– A production assistant for the TV show. Chris doesn’t get a lot of “screen
time” in the story, but his presence serves as a catalyst for much of the
family drama that unfolds.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<b>Kendra</b>
– The show’s producer. Smug and self-serving, Kendra very often had me seeing
red.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
Some details of the production of
the TV show struck me as not quite right, and I didn’t like that Julie’s
husband (Susan’s brother) Thomas didn’t accompany the family on their summer
adventure. Since I don’t know anything
about TV production, I let that slide with little trouble. Thomas’s
presence would have drastically altered the group dynamic. It would have made
for an entirely different story, which would have made me very sorry indeed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
Overall, I enjoyed <i>Almost Amish</i> very much. I started
reading it early in the morning, read every spare moment, and finished before
the wee hours of the morning. It was a day well spent.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
I give it Four Stars<o:p></o:p></div>
Andrea Stronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04561504163570350209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778978478554762709.post-17722941787993085302012-09-03T00:00:00.000-05:002012-09-03T00:00:01.073-05:00 Monday Miscellaneous: Bible Study Matthew 4:1-11I was studying in Matthew some time back and I wrote part of this then. I found it while doing some "housekeeping" on my blog last week. It's still so inspiring, I decided to finish it and post it.<br />
<br />
<b>Matthew 4:1-11 The Temptation of Christ</b><br />
<br />
Verse 1, <b>"Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil."</b><br />
<br />
Okay, I've read this a thousand times and never noticed the way it reads, as though the <i>entire purpose</i> of this time of fasting was for Jesus to be tempted!<br />
<br />
I run from temptation. If I know it awaits me in a certain place, I quickly and deliberately turn the other way. But Jesus went toward it. Why?<br />
<br />
He went toward the temptation so he could give us an example to follow when <i>we </i>are tempted.<br />
<br />
Satan tempted Jesus three separate times before giving up.<br />
<br />
Jesus continually faced Satan's assaults with Scripture. "It is written..." was his standard reply.<br />
<br />
Even on the third temptation, Jesus didn't say, "You can't offer me that! It's already mine! And by the way, I created you, so it's not likely I'm gonna worship you. Sheesh!" (which would have made perfect sense to me). Once again, He quoted Scripture.<br />
<br />
Verse 11 <b>"Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him."</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Satan admitted defeat and left. He didn't leave forever, Luke 4:13 says, "And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him <i>for a season</i>." (emphasis added). He wasn't finished, but he admitted defeat for the moment and went off to torment someone else for a while, I suppose.<br />
<br />
My most favorite part is, "and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him." How long had it been since He had stood in the presence of His adoring angels or partaken of the good things Heaven offers? His body was tired, sore, and hungry from weeks of deprivation. But the angels came and ministered to him bringing - I believe - Heavenly rations to restore and strengthen Him for His coming ministry.<br />
<br />
So what does all this mean to me? Well, I think I've boiled it down to three basic facts.<br />
<br />
<b>1. Satan will not give up easily.</b><br />
If he went three rounds with the Son of God, Creator of the Universe, how much more will he bring against me, a mere mortal.<br />
<br />
I realize that's a pretty dismal view to take, but don't give up yet. There's more, and it's really, <i>really </i>good.<br />
<br />
<b>2. Satan cannot stand against a defense based on Scripture.</b><br />
The Bible is the only weapon we can use to defeat Satan. But what a weapon!<br />
<br />
Inside this unassuming little book (or perhaps your copy is large and forbidding) lies an arsenal powerful enough to defeat the greatest enemy that ever came against mankind. <b><i>And it is at my disposal.</i></b><br />
<br />
If I take Jesus's example and fire Scripture at Satan <i>every time</i> he comes at me, he <u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">cannot</u> defeat me! (yes, I really think it deserves all that emphasis). Eventually he'll get bored and move on, at least for a while.<br />
<br />
<b>3. I will receive Heavenly rations when I resist Satan with Scripture.</b><br />
Okay, so angels may not come down from Heaven bodily and minister to me with food and drink. I'll admit that. But there's something much better than food or drink.<br />
<br />
After Jesus spoke with the Samaritan woman at the well, he told his disciples, "I have meat to eat that ye know not of." Of course he meant spiritual nourishment. The good stuff!<br />
<br />
That's what Jesus gives us when we resist Satan in His name--peace that surpasses understanding and joy rooted deeply in our souls that Satan cannot reach it to corrupt it.<br />
<br />
Each time we defeat Satan with Scripture, we grow stronger. Resisting will be easier and easier. Then one day we'll see him coming and whip out that old "Gospel Gun" and send that rascal running with his forked tail between his legs!<br />
<br />
What a great God I serve!Andrea Stronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04561504163570350209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778978478554762709.post-35583873378006155702012-09-02T00:00:00.000-05:002012-09-02T00:00:00.778-05:00Sunday Songs: Beautiful You by Trent Monk<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><br />The Cover:</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
As far as I can tell, this one is just a single, not an album.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51%2BJfMX7uJL._SL500_AA280_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Beautiful You - Single" border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51%2BJfMX7uJL._SL500_AA280_.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>The Song:</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I couldn't find a video that would cooperate, so <a href="http://youtu.be/YVTmJIWZiDA" target="_blank">here's the link.</a> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Andrea's Take</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Today's offering makes me want to drive down a sun-dappled country road with the top down, hands raised to the sky in praise to my Beautiful God. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(I don't have a convertible, but that's a minor detail. Right?)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
It has a mellow and relaxing melody I just can't resist.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
To my friends who prefer a more traditional sound: </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Give this one a listen and see if it doesn't just make you happy.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Andrea Stronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04561504163570350209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778978478554762709.post-90991298959993328982012-08-29T00:00:00.000-05:002012-08-29T00:00:08.036-05:00What I Read Wednesday: Short-Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer<a href="http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/141930000/141932705.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Short-Straw Bride" border="0" src="http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/141930000/141932705.JPG" /></a><b>From the Cover:</b><br />
No one steps on Archer land. Not if they value their life. But when Meredith Hayes overhears a plot to burn the Archer brothers off their ranch, a long-standing debt compels her to take the risk.<br />
<br />
Years of constant vigilance harden a man. Yet when Travis Archer comes across a female trespasser with the same vivid blue eyes as the courageous young girl he once aided, he can't bring himself to send her away. And when an act of sacrifice leaves her injured and her reputation in shreds, gratitude and guilt prompt him to attempt to rescue her once again.<br />
<br />
Despite the fact that Travis is no longer the gallant youth Meredith once dreamed about, she vows to stand by his side. But will love ever be hers? Or will Travis always see her as merely a short-straw bride?<br />
<br />
<b>Andrea's Take:</b><br />
I read Karen Witemeyer's third novel <i>To Win Her Heart</i> after a trusted friend said it was one of the best she had ever read. And I concurred. So when Ms. Witemeyer put out a call for influencers for her fourth book (which I was chomping at the bit to read anyway), I leaped at the chance to own a free copy of <i>Short-Straw Bride</i>, knowing I would love it. And whad'ya know, I was right!<br />
<br />
Karen Witemeyer has created a cast of characters who both tug at and warm your heart. That cast is lead by Travis Archer and Meredith Hayes. Both are orphaned and have good reasons to withhold trust from others. Their brief but memorable history from years ago, combined with the urgency of the threat they both face, compels them to trust one another. <br />
<br />
As they learn greater trust, they build on that trust and teach each other to open up in ways they never would have on their own. Both are Christians from the beginning, but their budding relationship leads them to greater trust in God as well. In the exciting climax of the story, Travis and Meredith face the greatest test yet to their trust in each other and in God. Both falter a little at the obstacle in their path, but they never really take their eyes off the goal.<br />
<br />
Witemeyer is a master at what I call squeaky-clean sizzle. The romantic tension between characters is palpable and sometimes leaves the reader with goosebumps, all the while remaining conservatively PG. As a former devourer of secular (read here: steamy) romances, I find this talent extremely valuable.<br />
<br />
<b>Characters to Watch:</b><br />
<b>Travis's brothers</b> - All of them! Jim was especially endearing to me. He reminds me of a clueless-about-women, man's man Mary Coneally hero. This is a good thing! Though Ms. Witemeyer hasn't published a series or sequel to date, I'm sure her readers would welcome a story (or two) devoted to Crockett and Neill's romances. I know I would!<br />
<br />
<b>Cassie</b> - Meredith's cousin and best friend is courageous and fiercely loyal. Clueless cowboy Jim Archer gets a clue real quick when she comes on the scene.<br />
<br />
<b>Moses and Myra</b> - Two old and dear friends of Meredith's. They are integral in the growth of Travis's trust of both God and his neighbors. They are the kind of friends who fully warrant that trust.<br />
<br />
On my second read through of <i>Short-Straw Bride</i>, the villain fell a little flat for me. Since I don't read romance for it's lifelike villains but rather for that squeaky-clean sizzle, that doesn't affect my enjoyment of the story one bit.<br />
<br />
I give it Five Brilliant Stars.<br />
<br />
A huge thank you to Karen Witemeyer and her publisher Bethany House for the complementary copy of <i>Short-Straw Bride</i>.Andrea Stronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04561504163570350209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778978478554762709.post-6657192266869856552012-08-26T00:00:00.000-05:002012-08-26T00:00:03.488-05:00Sunday Songs: Hand in Hand With JesusMy husband and I recently sustained a terrible shock following the sudden, violent suicide of a dear friend and mentor who once served God with rarely equaled fervor. I felt shaken and wounded, asking God, How can such a thing happen...to <i>him </i>of all people? And if it happened to him, once so strong and sure, could it happen to me?<br />
<br />
God placed this song in my mind. It stayed with me for days, a constant reminder of His unfailing love. The gentle melody belies the awesome power of that Hand to protect me from an enemy <i>who will stop at nothing</i> to defeat me, and whom I am powerless to resist on my own.<br />
<br />
I looked at a few performances before stumbling upon this one by the Cathedral Quartet.<br />
<br />
This is a departure from my usual selections of Contemporary Christian songs. I hope you'll enjoy the harmony of this performance. Mostly listen to the words (I particularly like the last two lines of the chorus).<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/HbujphJJzXs?rel=0" width="420"></iframe>Andrea Stronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04561504163570350209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778978478554762709.post-28096774928900377952012-08-22T11:14:00.001-05:002012-08-22T11:14:10.090-05:00What I Read Wednesday: Longing for Home by Katherine Springer<a href="http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/149320000/149323514.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Longing for Home (Love Inspired Series)" border="0" src="http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/149320000/149323514.JPG" /></a><b>From the Cover:</b><br />
It seems like the perfect solution: hotel mogul Alex Porter will manage his sister's small-town bed-and-breakfast while she honeymoons. But he gets more than he bargained fore when he finds himself clashing with feisty cafe owner Kate Nichols. Suddenly he's organinzing church outings and playing surrogate dad to the foster children Date takes in. Alex is used to taking charge--but not like this! If he isn't careful, this big-city executive just might lose his heart to Mirror Lake's favorite hometown girl.<br />
<br />
<b>Andrea's Take:</b><br />
<i>Longing for Home</i> is the fourth book in Kathryn Springer's Mirror Lake series. Alex and Kate clashed--I mean met--for the first time at the end of <i>A Place to Call Home</i>, the first book in the series. Right away, I thought they should get their own story.<br />
<br />
I love when an author takes a character I can't stand, shows me what makes him tick, and makes me love him. Alex Porter is one such character. To this point in the series, he is the rich city boy who thinks he knows better than everyone about everything and has no use for the small town where his sister has chosen to settle. Not exactly a likable guy.<br />
<br />
Kate Nichols is the rare small town girl who never wanted to be anything else. Her town, her diner, and her church are her life, and she's happy with things as they are. Alex's dismissive attitude regarding all those things infuriates her. The resulting fireworks are certainly a sight to behold.<br />
<br />
In <i>Longing for Home</i>, we see behind Alex's icy facade to the big brother who only wants to protect himself and his sister from the hurts of life. When those protective instincts rise up and encompass Kate and the two children she's fostering, she can't help opening up to him as well.<br />
<br />
Just when you think they've got it made, a final speed bump slows them down and makes them think it over one last time. Their road to Happily Ever After is by no means smooth, but in the end it's definitely worth the trip.<br />
<br />
This book is my favorite in the series so far. I give it 5 brightly shining stars.<br />
<br />
<i>Longing for Home</i> is a January 2012 Love Inspired release, and may be unavailable in print. It is available in digital format. <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/longing-for-home-kathryn-springer/1104500133?ean=9781459219878" target="_blank">Click here to purchase it at Barnes and Noble.</a><br />
<br />
<br />Andrea Stronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04561504163570350209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778978478554762709.post-71414368274305364532012-07-20T08:35:00.000-05:002012-07-20T08:35:19.496-05:00I've Been MIA.Since April.<br />
<br />
You see, shortly after my last Sunday Song Lyrics post, I learned the entire feature was one giant copyright infringement (well, it probably constituted several small ones, but I digress). Apparently it's against United States copyright laws to use song lyrics in anyway.<br />
<br />
It has something to do with the percentage of words used, and songs have few words compared to books, so even a small quote uses a great percentage of words...It's not easy to state simply. <span style="background-color: white;">But it effectively stripped the wind from my sails.</span><br />
<br />
While I hardly expect to be sued for telling my readers, "This is a great song! Listen to it!", I do want to operate this little slice of cyberspace according to the law. So I've been laying low and rethinking some things.<br />
<br />
And, let's face it. It's summer, and Summer = Busy.<br />
<br />
In the midst of the busyness, I've been reading (several ) books, watching (a few) movies, and listening to (tons of) songs on the radio...in other words storing up blog fodder.<br />
<br />
Okay. It's stored up. So what am I going to do with it?<br />
<br />
I have no plans to change my book reviews. They are well within what I now know of copyright laws.<br />
<br />
Movies are the same...not that I've reviewed many movies. I did see two in the last few weeks that will probably show up here in the near future. A word of warning, I don't watch new movies, at least not often, so don't look here for what to see this weekend...unless you're planning to mine the archives at the movie store for something cheap.<br />
<br />
I still love the idea of Sunday Songs, and I'm unwilling to relinquish it entirely. So I'm revamping it. My source on the copyright laws informed me that embedding a video (as I did with Matthew West's <i>Strong Enough</i>) is perfectly acceptable. It also makes me show up in search engines easier. This is a plus. "Sunday Song Lyrics" is becoming "Sunday Songs," and will show videos (official from the artist when possible) instead of lyrics. You'd rather see that anyway. Right?<br />
<br />
Album, book, and movie covers are fair game, copyright wise, so I'll still show them off.<br />
<br />
I have another little feature up my sleeve, but I haven't hammered out all the details on it yet, so I'll keep it under wraps for now.<br />
<br />
Look forward to new posts soon here at Andrea's Take. And to my followers...Thanks for sticking around. I'll do my best to see to it that you don't regret it.Andrea Stronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04561504163570350209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778978478554762709.post-35875396085836576322012-04-05T09:38:00.000-05:002012-04-05T09:38:54.918-05:00What I Read: Heart's Safe Passage by Laurie Alice Eakes<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/152000000/152006556.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Heart's Safe Passage: A Novel" border="0" height="400" src="http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/152000000/152006556.JPG" width="258" /></a><b>From the Cover:</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All Phoebe Lee wants out of life is to practice midwifery in
Loudon County, Virginia. But when she refuses to accompany her pregnant
sister-in-law to help save her husband from prison during the War of 1812,
Phoebe finds herself pressed aboard a British privateer.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Captain Rafe Docherty promises to get Phoebe’s
brother-in-law out of prison in exchange for information Rafe needs to exact
revenge on the man who destroyed his family.
As he realizes his attraction to Phoebe, she determines to get ashore
before her patient goes into labor—and before her own heart is in danger. But
an enemy in their midst threatens to end their plans—and their very lives.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Andrea’s Take:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I read the first book in The Midwives series, <i>Lady in the Mist</i>, and thoroughly enjoyed
it, so when Laurie Alice Eakes asked for influencers for book two, <i>Heart’s Safe Passage</i>, I was all over it.
And I was not disappointed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Phoebe is a woman trying desperately to give the pain of her
past to God and allow Him to fill her heart. Rafe is a man trying desperately
to hold onto his pain, shutting out God and all echoes of conscience. Both
think they have succeeded.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When they are forced together, they learn how wrong they
are. Phoebe is a loud and insistent voice of conscience that Rafe cannot
silence. Rafe’s lifestyle and actions bring to the surface feelings Phoebe
thought long-conquered. He says to her at one point, “Perhaps God has used me
to lance your wounds so they can truly heal.” Similarly, God uses Phoebe to
salve Rafe’s wounds in spite of his determination to keep them festering.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rafe is a most compelling hero. The tragedy that struck his
family, through the machinations of a wicked and greedy man, is truly
appalling. The reader can easily understand—and almost applaud—his need for
vengeance. <i>Almost.</i> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Phoebe is an admirable heroine. When she realizes she still
harbors anger and fear over things in her past, she confesses it, “I want to
save your soul, but now I see mine for the tarnished vessel it is.” She learns
that God can use even a tarnished vessel if it is willing, and in the using of
it, shines it up so it will reflect Him all the better. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Character to Watch:</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Melvina:</b> A young
lady who has the run of her father’s heart, and his ship despite his efforts to
corral her. She’s a good girl; though
getting her way sometimes leads to serious trouble. But God uses the trouble to
achieve His goals, and Melvina, though a little worse for wear comes out well
in the end. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I thank Laurie Alice Eakes and Revell Publishing for my complimentary
copy of <i>Heart’s Safe Passage</i>. The
only compensation I received is the sweet satisfaction of enjoying a story well
told.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>Andrea Stronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04561504163570350209noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778978478554762709.post-62988011016793596242012-03-25T00:00:00.000-05:002012-03-25T00:00:01.086-05:00Sunday Song Lyrics: Strong Enough by Matthew West<a href="http://images.barnesandnoble.com/images/95290000/95296834.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><br />
First, let me say I'm sorry. I've neglected this little Sunday Morning feature since my "comeback" a few weeks ago. I'm getting back on the ball now...I think.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>The Album:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="The Story of Your LifeMatthew West: CD Cover" src="http://images.barnesandnoble.com/images/95290000/95296834.JPG" /> <b><br /></b></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>The Lyrics:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You must, you must think I'm strong</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
To give me what I'm going through</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Well, forgive me, Forgive me if I'm wrong</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
But this looks like more than I can do</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
On my own</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Chorus:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I know I'm not strong enough to be</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
everything that I'm supposed to be</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I give up</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I'm not strong enough</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Hands of mercy won't you cover me</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Lord right now I'm asking you to be</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Strong enough</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Strong enough</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
For the both of us</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Well, maybe, maybe that's the point</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
To reach the point of giving up,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Cause when I'm finally, finally at rock bottom</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Well, that's when I start looking up</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And reaching out</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Cause I'm broken</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Down to nothing</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
But I'm still holding on to the one thing</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You are God</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and you are strong</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
When I am weak</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I can do all things</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Through Christ who gives me strength</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And I don't have to be</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Strong enough</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Strong enough</div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>The Video:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><script src="http://www.godtube.com/embed/source/ffffemnu.js?w=400&h=255&ap=false&sl=false&title=true" type="text/javascript">
</script></b><br />
<b><a href="http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=FFFFEMNU">Matthew West - Strong Enough (Official Music Video)</a> from <a href="http://www.godtube.com/emimusic">emimusic</a> on <a href="http://www.godtube.com/">GodTube</a>.</b><br />
<b><br /></b></div>
<br />
This song brought me to tears last summer while I was driving to the hospital where my husband was having tests for what turned out to be a cardiac close call. It echoed in my heart again last Christmas when he totaled his truck, and again late this winter when I felt frozen with the stress of moving.<br />
<br />
I can do <i>all things</i>, but not on my own, only through Christ who gives me strength. In His strength, there is nothing I cannot do.<br />
<br />
God doesn't expect me to be strong on my own. He doesn't <i>want</i> me to be strong on my own. He wants me to call on Him, draw on His strength because He is "strong enough for the both of us."<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.matthewwest.com/2011/03/30/strong-enough/">Click here</a> to read the story that inspired Matthew West write this encouraging song. This story makes all my stresses seem like a walk in the park.<br />
<br />Andrea Stronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04561504163570350209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778978478554762709.post-86105759702750922752012-03-21T02:50:00.000-05:002012-03-21T02:50:10.893-05:00What I Read Wednesday: Addison Blakely: Confessions of a PK by Betsy St. Amant<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/121390000/121394237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Addison Blakely: Confessions of a PK" border="0" height="400" src="http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/121390000/121394237.JPG" width="258" /></a><b>From the Cover:</b><b><o:p> </o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Addison Blakely has never had much trouble pleasing her
widowed, overprotective father. After all, he’s a pastor, and she knows her
reputation is closely linked to his. But
when the bad boy next door, the cute but arrogant quarterback, and a charming
new guy all vie for Addison’s attention, she begins to doubt her resolve. To
make matters worse, Addison’s best friend suddenly seems to hate her, a talent
show has the entire school at odds, and an exotic foreign exchange student from
Germany is shaking everyone up.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Join Addison as she attempt to separate love from lust,
facts from faith, and keep her head above water in her murky fishbowl
existence.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Andrea’s Take:</b> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I found myself intrigued with this story when Betsy St. Amant sent out the call for influencers. You see my husband is a pastor, and we have a five year old daughter. In a decade or so (that will seem much shorter, I’m sure), she may find herself in shoes very similar to Addison Blakely’s, though I hope I’m around to help her then, unlike Addison’s mother.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, though I’m several years past Young Adult (unless “young at heart” counts), I answered Ms. St. Amant’s call, and I am so glad I did!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This story made time travel possible. It transported me back to the years of high school. I lived again - in a thankfully shorter version - the overwhelming angst and temptation of that time. Addison's struggles are very true to life. And she is a delight to read. She’s good, but not a goody-two-shoes. She has her little rebellions, but she doesn’t fit the image of PKs gone wild that is often stereotyped. She manages to take the high road mostly, but not always the first time. She is sixteen, after all. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The story, at its bottom line, is about Addison’s struggle to answer - for herself - the question, “Why Jesus?” She learns answering that question is the key to answering all the others.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Characters to Watch:</b> Betsy St. Amant has written a wonderful supporting cast for this story. I enjoyed them all, but here are my favorites.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Marta: </b>She is an amazing blessing to Addison. She needs to come back to America and get her own story.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Wes:</b> Local bad boy, but so much more. I loved him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Luke:</b> Every girl should have a friend like Luke.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Claire: </b>That I dislike Claire through much of the book is not surprising, but she comes around. I’d love to see her get her own story too.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>*****5 Stars</b> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I love to give 5-star ratings! And this book earned it. I
would not have changed a single thing about it. It’s a great pleasure to say
so. Great work, Betsy!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I received my copy complementary from the publisher, but was not compensated in any way. All opinions are genuine.</div>Andrea Stronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04561504163570350209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778978478554762709.post-89577337067031763442012-03-14T00:14:00.000-05:002012-03-14T00:14:35.860-05:00What I Read Wednesday: The Rose of Winslow Street<a href="http://images.barnesandnoble.com/images/117120000/117124740.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cover Image" border="0" height="400" src="http://images.barnesandnoble.com/images/117120000/117124740.JPG" width="258" /></a> <b><span style="font-family: inherit;">From the Cover:</span></b><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In the small town of Colden,
Massachusetts, Libby Sawyer leads a quiet, predictable life. Yet beneath the
surface, she is haunted by a secret.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 15.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Newly
arrived on American shores, Michael Dobrescu is far from predictable, and his
arrival in Colden is anything but quiet. Michael's shocking claim to be the
rightful owner of Libby's father's house immediately alienates him from the
appalled citizens of Colden.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 15.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Despite
her own outrage, Libby is unwittingly fascinated by this enigmatic man who seems
equally intrigued by her. As the court's decision about the house looms and the
layers of mystery surrounding Michael's past are unveiled, Libby's loyalties
are tested in ways she never imagined.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Andrea's Take:</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I approached this, Elizabeth Camden's second book, with caution.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Why?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It's simple, really. I absolutely loved her first one (<a href="http://andreastake.blogspot.com/2011/09/what-i-read-wendesday-lady-of-bolton.html">Click here to read my review of<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>The Lady of Bolton Hill</i>.</a> ). She set the bar pretty high, and
I wasn't entirely convinced she could live up to it in her second book.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I needn't have worried. She absolutely did do it again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The Rose of Winslow Street</i> has a cast of the most interesting and unique characters
I've ever read. Libby has an amazing talent as well as secret she's ashamed of,
and she has a father who takes advantage of the first and never lets her forget
the second. Even so, she loves her family deeply. Her loyalty to them - though severely tried - remains strong, even if they don't always return it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Michael has an unusual gift, which I would never have thought to
give to such a big, tough-guy hero. But it is as much a part of him as his
large stature and rough, foreign ways. He too is fiercely loyal to and protective
of his family, so much that he will, and does, alienate himself from his
neighbors and the Sawyer family. His audacity is jaw-dropping in several scenes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Though their loyalties clash and they drive one another crazy,
Michael and Libby share a sense of fair play that won't allow them simply to write each other
off as enemies, no matter how badly they want to. It is on this foundation that Camden builds their
romance, and it is a lovely thing to watch. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">All the while, the subplots are unfolding in the background that seem
unconnected to the romance. But when they come together, they show how God, in his great love
for his people, weaves every detail of our lives into a most beautiful
tapestry.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sibling rivalry plays a part in the lives of both characters,
especially in Michael's, where I noticed parallels to the biblical story of
Ishmael and Isaac.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I recommend this story to anyone who wants to read a captivating
story of the love between a man and a woman and the love of God for his children.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Character to watch:</b> Mirela - Overcoming unspeakable pain, she blooms where God plants her, much like her family's famous roses.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">***** 5 brilliantly shining stars<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">(Note: I gave away my copy of<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>The
Lady of Bolton Hill</i> in my birthday bash last fall. Don't look for this
one in the next giveaway because I have no plans of letting it go. :)</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>Andrea Stronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04561504163570350209noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778978478554762709.post-54626343036711572602012-03-07T00:00:00.000-06:002012-03-07T00:00:05.176-06:00What I Read Wednesday: A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by Phillip Keller<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><br />
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I'm Baaa-aack! </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">After a long hiatus, that wasn't much of a hiatus for this painting, cleaning, packing, moving...tired...lady, I'm back. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">A couple of plusses...</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">1. All of our belongings (that we intend to keep) have been moved from the old house to the new. Many of them are still packed (a fact that is beginning to grate on my poor husband's nerves), but they <i>are moved</i>.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">2. I lost <b>6 pounds</b> in the last six to eight weeks of work...and that was living on McDonald's and Taco Bell for about two of those weeks. Not too shabby.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It's not completely done. I still have painting to do...perhaps someday I'll share that story, but not today. And of course there's the hanging up of all the pictures, shelves, and knick knacks. But we're in, and there's time to get settled (though not much if I want to keep my husband happy). ;-)</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">One thing I have found a little time for in all the ruckus is reading. I have a small tbr (to be reviewed) stack of books (not to be confused with the much larger TBR - To Be Read - shelf, which at a rate of one a week, is full enough to keep me busy for over a year, no kidding. But I digress).</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So now I'll bring on the first post back What I Read Wednesday: <i>A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23</i> by Phillip Keller.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/147820000/147820192.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23" border="0" height="320" src="http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/147820000/147820192.JPG" width="196" /></span></a><span style="font-size: large;">The image I display is from Barnes & Noble's website. My copy is very old and was published especially for a Billy Graham Crusade, which I think is kinda cool. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-size: large;">The short blurb on the back of the Crusade Edition says, "Experience Psalm 23 in a new way: see with the Shepherd's eyes, touch with His hands, feel with His heart through this intimate look into the full life of our Lord--the Great Shepherd."</span></span></span><br />
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Andrea's Take:</span></b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">A wonderful lady at our church recommended this book to me years ago when my family was living in her house (Yes, living in her house. It's a huge house...and I already mentioned she is wonderful. Yes, <i>that</i> wonderful). This wonderful lady bought a book for my husband and me that we thought at the time was this one, but it was more of a "highlights of..." kind of book, not the real thing.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Fast forward a few years to last fall's Friends of the Library book sale. You know, the sale where hardbacks are a dollar and everything else is less? On the last day of the sale (when even hardbacks are only a quarter) I found this 142 page treasure, and the lady running the till gave it to me...for free. Yeah.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Well, it's worth so very much more. Mr. Keller, himself a shepherd for many years of his life, examines the lines of the Psalm one by one, expounding on what they mean to a shepherd and the shepherd's motivation for so many of the things he does for, to, and with his sheep. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">A couple of my favorite chapters are Chapter 2, "I Shall Not Want," in which we learn how human beings are indeed very like sheep; and Chapter 3 "He Maketh Me to Lie Down in Green Pastures," in which Mr. Keller reveals the state of sublime perfection a sheep must experience in order actually to lie down, and explains that sublime perfection is what our Good Shepherd offers, if we will only accept it.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">By far, for me, the best part of this book is Chapter 10 "Thou Anointest My Head With Oil..." It is not exaggerating to say this chapter changed my life. In it Keller tells how summer insect infestations often lead sheep to seek relief in self-destructive ways. The watchful shepherd will see the early signs of irritation and apply to each sheep's head and nose an ointment that will repel the pestering bugs.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">"What an incredible transformation this would make among the sheep. Once the oil had been applied to the sheep's head there was an immediate change in behavior...she sheep would start to feed quietly again, then soon lie down in peaceful contentment" (116).</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Christian parallel to the ointment applied by the shepherd is the Holy Spirit, "...Christ Himself, our Shepherd, urges us to ask for the Holy Spirit to be given to us by the Father." When life's little irritations bug us we can pray, as Mr. Keller recommends, "O Lord, I can't cope with these petty, annoying, peevish problems. Please apply the oil of Your Spirit to my mind. Both at the conscious and sub-conscious levels of my thought-life enable me to act and react just as you would" (118).</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Or if you are me (or like me) you can pray, "Anoint my head with oil. Anoint my head with oil..."</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Mr. Keller says, "It will surprise you how promptly He complies with such a request made in deadly earnest" (118). It's true. In the past months of buying a house, painting a house, and moving into a house, I've had ample occasion to try it. It really does work.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I intend to re-read this book. Often.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/I'mhttp://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shepherd-looks-at-psalm-23-w-phillip-keller/1101955212?ean=9780310274414&itm=1&usri=phillip+keller%20Baaa-aack!%20%20%20After%20a%20long%20hiatus,%20that%20wasn't%20much%20of%20a%20hiatus%20for%20this%20painting,%20cleaning,%20packing,%20moving...tired...lady,%20I'm%20back.%20%20%20A%20couple%20of%20plusses...%20%201.%20%20%20All%20of%20our%20belongings%20(that%20we%20intend%20to%20keep)%20have%20been%20moved%20from%20the%20old%20house%20to%20the%20new.%20Many%20of%20them%20are%20still%20packed%20(a%20fact%20that%20is%20beginning%20to%20grate%20on%20my%20poor%20husband's%20nerves),%20but%20the%20are%20moved.%20%202.%20%20I%20lost%206%20pounds%20in%20the%20last%20six%20to%20eight%20weeks%20of%20work...and%20that%20was%20living%20on%20McDonald's%20and%20Taco%20Bell%20for%20about%20two%20of%20those%20weeks.%20Not%20too%20shabby.%20%20It's%20not%20completely%20done.%20I%20still%20have%20painting%20to%20do...perhaps%20someday%20I'll%20share%20that%20story,%20but%20not%20today.%20And%20of%20course%20there's%20the%20hanging%20up%20of%20all%20the%20pictures,%20shelves,%20and%20knick%20knacks.%20But%20we're%20in,%20and%20there's%20time%20to%20get%20settled%20(though%20not%20much%20if%20I%20want%20to%20keep%20my%20husband%20happy).%20;-)%20%20One%20thing%20I%20have%20found%20a%20little%20time%20for%20in%20all%20the%20ruckus%20is%20reading.%20I%20have%20a%20small%20tbr%20(to%20be%20reviewed)%20stack%20of%20books%20(not%20to%20be%20confused%20with%20the%20much%20larger%20TBR%20-%20To%20Be%20Read%20-%20shelf,%20which%20at%20a%20rate%20of%20one%20a%20week,%20is%20full%20enough%20to%20keep%20me%20busy%20for%20over%20a%20year,%20no%20kidding.%20But%20I%20digress).%20%20So%20now%20I'll%20bring%20on%20the%20first%20post%20back%20What%20I%20Read%20Wednesday:%20A%20Shepherd%20Looks%20at%20Psalm%2023%20by%20Phillip%20Keller.">Here's a link</a> so you can buy it and read it for yourself. Often. It's the best $4.99 you'll ever spend.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I give this book 6 stars because 5 just isn't enough. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>Andrea Stronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04561504163570350209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778978478554762709.post-45254525389822428082012-01-13T08:30:00.001-06:002012-01-13T08:30:34.756-06:00Temporarily Out of PocketHello Lovely Readers,<br />
<br />
I wanted to post here to say that I'm going to be "out of pocket" for possibly a couple of weeks. <br />
<br />
My husband and I are in the process of buying a new house. Things are on track to close well before the first of the month. The appraisal was completed yesterday and must now work it's way back through the bank's bureaucracy to the desk of our local loan officer. I think that's all we're waiting on. Yay!<br />
<br />
That said, the purchase of a new home often includes lots of work, like painting, carpeting, and of course packing up the old house. Those are the tasks that will dominate my waking hours for, I'd guess a couple of weeks to come. (Not carpeting, we'll pay someone else to do that).<br />
<br />
I'm chomping at the bit to sit down and write. The good news is, in the new house, there's a cozy attic room--complete with slanty ceilings--that I'll call my own. (I love slanty ceilings. They make me feel tall.)<br />
<br />
So if you miss my unique and in-depth insight* into the books and music I enjoy, have no fear. In a few weeks, I'll return, hopefully better than ever.<br />
<br />
Wishing you all happy reading, happy writing, happy living!<br />
<br />
I'll "see" you in a few weeks.<br />
<br />
God Bless You!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
*Tongue firmly in cheek here. ;-)Andrea Stronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04561504163570350209noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778978478554762709.post-17021223664561558622012-01-11T00:00:00.000-06:002012-01-11T00:00:07.074-06:00What I Read Wednesday: Summer of Promise by Amanda Cabot<a href="http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/119140000/119149277.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Summer of Promise (Westward Winds Series #1)" border="0" src="http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/119140000/119149277.JPG" /></a><b>From the cover:</b><br />
Though she had planned to spend the summer in Vermont, Abigail Harding cannot dismiss her concerns over her older sister. Charlotte's letters have been uncharacteristically melancholy, and her claims the nothing is wrong ring false, so Abigail heads west to Fort Laramie, Wyoming. When her stagecoach is attacked, Wyoming promises to be anything but boring. Luckily, the heroics of another passenger, Lieutenant Ethan Bowles, save the day.<br />
<br />
Abigail plans to marry when she returns to Vermont, just as soon as she attends to her sister. As the summer passes, she finds herself drawn to this rugged land and to a certain soldier determined to persuade her to stay. When summer ends, will she go back East, or will she find her heart's true home?<br />
<br />
<b>Andrea's Take: ****4 Stars</b><br />
Once again, I'm reviewing a book by an author brand new to me. I just love "meeting" new writers and their characters.<br />
<br />
<i>Summer of Promise</i> is the first in a trilogy called <i>Westward Winds</i> that will follow three sisters in their adventures as they find love in the American West. Abigail is the first Harding sister to grace us with her story. Abigail is what I might call an adventurous homebody. She thinks she wants to settle down in a pleasant marriage and live in the same house for the rest of her life. She doesn't even know the adventurer is buried deep inside until instinct tells her that Charlotte needs her desperately. This untamed side of Abigail is evident in her impulsiveness, but it is driven by her love for God and her desire to help others know and love Him too. <br />
<br />
Ethan is on the receiving end of Abigail's impulsive, problem-solving bent...much to his benefit. His past has left him little understanding of the truth about God's love and sacrifice for him. Old wounds have left him blind to the love of those who should have been closest to him. With help from the Holy Spirit, along with Abigail, and a puppy named Puddles, Ethan discovers the truth about God's love, his family's love, and of course, Abigail's love.<br />
<br />
Storylines for supporting characters give the book a full and satisfying feel. Characters to watch include Charlotte Crowley, Abigail's older sister (whose story we will have the pleasure of reading in 2013), and Puddles, the cutest little mutt ever, among others.<br />
<br />
The one thing about <i>Summer of Promise</i> that I might have changed is that the resolution of the romance came later than I like it to. The ending felt a bit abrupt to me. Faithful readers here have heard me say - so to speak - that I like for the couple to encounter the story's final conflict knowing they are committed to each other come what may. The resolution doesn't happen that way in this book.<br />
<br />
This is a matter of taste for me, and I'm sure there are as many opinions on this as there are readers who enjoy the stories. It will in no way prevent me from keeping a sharp eye open for Charlotte's story when it comes out in a year or more (a tragically long wait!).<br />
<br />
Thanks to Amanda Cabot and her publisher Revell for a complementary copy of this book. I hope to get on their list again sometime (say, early in 2013?).<br />Andrea Stronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04561504163570350209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778978478554762709.post-27720532969332113302012-01-08T00:00:00.000-06:002012-01-08T00:00:02.255-06:00Sunday Song Lyrics: "How Many Kings?" by Downhere<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://images.barnesandnoble.com/images/50850000/50858367.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>The Album:</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Hom Many Kings: Songs For ChristmasDownhere: CD Cover" src="http://images.barnesandnoble.com/images/50850000/50858367.JPG" />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>The Lyrics:</b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Follow the star to a place unexpected</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Would you believe after all we’ve projected</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
A child in a manger</div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Lowly and small, the weakest of all</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Unlikeliest hero, wrapped in his mothers shawl</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Just a child</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Is this who we’ve waited for?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Cause how many kings, stepped down from their thrones?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
How many lords have abandoned their homes?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
How many greats have become the least for me?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
How many Gods have poured out their hearts</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
To romance a world that has torn all apart?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Bringing our gifts for the newborn savior</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
All that we have whether costly or meek</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Because we believe</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Gold for his honor and frankincense for his pleasure</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And myrrh for the cross he’ll suffer</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Do you believe, is this who we’ve waited for?</div>
<i></i><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><i>It’s who we’ve waited for</i></i></div>
<i>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
</i><o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
How many kings, stepped down from their thrones?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
How many lords have abandoned their homes?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
How many greats have become the least for me?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Only one did that for me</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">All for me</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">All for you</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">All for me</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">All for you</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b>Andrea's Take: </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I was looking for a song to post this Epiphany weekend, besides the obvious "We Three Kings," and my friend Melissa, whom you heard from earlier this week, recommended this. She calls it her newest favorite Christmas song. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">It certainly is appropriate as a Christmas song. Even more so as an Epiphany song (though few people in the modern Church would trouble themselves to write an Epiphany song). But it really is universal. In fact, I heard it on the radio just this week, long after most of us have put Christmas behind us. I have heard my almost 5 year old daughter singing several times since then too.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Told from the viewpoint of the wise men at their introduction to the Christ child, it explores the wonder they may have felt at finding Him in a humble country stable instead of in the grand palaces of Jerusalem they had so recently left. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">It expresses the wonder we all should feel. At Christmas, at Epiphany, at Easter, on the second Tuesday in September. All the time. Wonder should fill our hearts every time we think of where He came from and what He gave up to come here and save us.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
My favorite lines are these:<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Unlikeliest hero, wrapped in his mother's shawl</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This is not the only reference in song to the cloths that Jesus was wrapped in, but I think it's my favorite. Would Mary and Joseph have carried extra supplies on their long journey? I doubt it. Would they have wrapped the baby in just any old dirty rag? Certainly not. But a mother would easily sacrifice her own garment for the comfort and safety of her child.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">
How many Gods have poured out their hearts</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">
To romance a world that has torn all apart?</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; text-align: left;">
My faithful readers know me to be an an avid romance reader, so it should come as no surprise that I cherish the picture of God giving up His greatest prize in order to woo his Bride.</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; text-align: left;">
And of course:</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Only one did that for me.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
A stark and simple question with its stark and simple answer.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I hope this Epiphany weekend has you in awe and wonder as the wise men must have been on that day. Let's always be sure to offer our best gifts to Him as they did. After all, He gave His best gift to us.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
</span>Andrea Stronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04561504163570350209noreply@blogger.com1