Hannah’s Choice Book Review

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Adulting is hard.  There’s no way around it.  In Hannah’s Choice, life choices abound.  In this book, you’ll find a little history, family issues, drama, sadness, great joy and more.

Although set in the mid 18oo’s the issues could easily be issues of 21st Century families.

The setting – Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

The time – right before the Civil War25795353-_sy180_

The choice – which of two young men will she marry, will she travel to an unknown part of the country or stay where she is

The book took several surprising twists and kept me very curious about what would happen next.  From a severely depressed mother to a sister who insisted on doing life her way to fleeing slaves…there’s a delightful mix of romance, history and making decisions.

I highly recommend this book for those who enjoy Amish novels.

Blessings to you and yours!

Marie

 

God Breathed

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Can you imagine placing your hands on any page of your Bible and feeling His very breath on the page?   That is exactly what this verse is saying (to me).  This is how I see it – – if I can’t see Him face to face until I enter heaven then I’ll settle (hardly the right word) for experiencing His breath in the words I’m reading.

Think about the words of this beautiful chorus from the song “Ancient Words” by Lynn DeShazo.

Ancient words ever true, changing me and changing you; We have come with open hearts, oh, let the ancient words impart.

Friends, family, sisters, and brothers in Christ there is nothing more important than knowing God’s word.  In every action and situation of our lives we can draw on the Word and know without question it was written for that very purpose.

God did not leave us alone on this earth.  He is still breathing every word, in every verse, on every page of our Bibles.

Holy words long preserved for our walk in this world, they resound with God’s own heart; Oh, let the ancient words impart.

Ah, Lord, God thank You for every word, every phrase, every letter of Your Word.  Heavenly Father place a real hunger in our hearts to know Your words and use them for our lives.  Let us not only read them but let us use them.  Put teachers in our lives to help us understand them.  Drench us with the Holy Spirit as we read and learn how to apply them.  Make it so in Jesus name!

Blessings to you and yours!

Marie

Monday Mewsings

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I thoroughly enjoy having cats for pets and have often wondered what the Bible says regarding that.  So, I did some research.  Here goes…

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Not even a sparrow, worth only half a penny, can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it.” Matthew 10:29, New Living Translation  God is aware of all of His creation, all of the time. With that thought in mind shouldn’t we be also?

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“O Lord, You preserve both man and beast.” Psalm 36:6  So, let’s think about this.  If God preserves (cares for) man and animal then we should be doing the same.

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“A righteous man regards the life of his animal.” Proverbs 12:10  Righteousness is making right choices.  The word regards reflects the idea of caring for animals in the best way possible.

There has been a great deal of research about how cats affect their humans.

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Need to work something out?  Talk to your cat. It doesn’t respond and when it looks at you with those beautiful eyes you know you’re the most important human ever.

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Dealing with stress and anxiety? That awesome ball of purring fur will eliminate stress faster than any pill.

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Are you a high risk for cardiovascular disease?  A recent study found a high significant statistical probability that those who own cats have less chance of death due to stroke or heart attack.  One study found that over a 10-year period cat owners were 30 percent less likely to die of a heart attack or stroke

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Do you love books and have a college degree?  Thank your cat.  According to Dr. Denise Guastello cat owners are introverted, open-minded, non-conformists, and score high on intelligence tests.

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Do you sleep with your cat?  Researchers at the Mayo Clinic discovered that 41% of those who sleep with their cat report sleeping better.

Do you have a cat? A dog? Share it with us.

Blessings to you and yours!

Marie

 

Insult

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Have you ever given any thought to choosing a word you won’t be using as your Word for the Year?  That’s exactly what Holley Gerth addresses in her article, The Word I’m NOT Choosing This Year.  It’s certainly worth the read. Check it out!

As I thought about this concept it crossed my mind that 2016 was a very negative and insulting year. (I’m not just referring to the election.  That in itself was beyond anything I could have imagined.)  For me, there was little positive input and I endured insults that were both perceived and real.  So, with that thought in mind, the word I’m not choosing for the year is INSULT.  This picture sums it up:

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I know that attacks and insults are to be expected as a follower of Jesus.  I get it!  But I have decided for this year that I will not allow another’s words or actions to cloud my view and dirty my mind.

Matthew 7:1 gives us the famous words, “Judge not, lest ye be judged.” I like it better the way Peterson says it in The Message, “Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment.”

My prayer for the year is this:

Heavenly Father, Abba, hear my prayer for a clean heart and uncluttered mind.  Give me wisdom and courage to deal with those who would use their words against me.  Help me to know when and if I should respond.  Let my response never be unkind or unforgiving.  I want to show the Face of Jesus and the Mind of Christ to those around me.  Yes, even those who are insulting, mean or unkind.  Make it so in Jesus name.

Befriend

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I’ve often given thanks for the many friends God has placed in my life in this season.  Some younger, some older, some wiser, some funnier, some really awesome people who have made life so much more interesting.

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Until I read Befriend by Scott Sauls I really hadn’t thought of all the other possibilities for friendships.  Those who are bullies, minorities, poor, rich, vulnerable, strangers, refugees, disabled, dysfunctional …

God weeps over things gone wrong in this world (pg. 102). I’m sure He places mishandled, forgotten, ruined relationships among those things that have gone wrong.  He loves us more than we’ll ever know as long as we’re on this earth. He does not pick and choose among sinners and the righteous…He simply loves and He expects us to do the same.

Friendship is vulnerable and inviolable.  Friendship is risky and worth the risk.  Friendship is comforting and uncomfortable at times.

The following quote sums up the emphasis of this book:

Real friends not only agree but disagree;  real friends not only applaud each other’s strengths but challenge each other’s weaknesses;  real friends not only enjoy life together but struggle through life together;  real friends not only praise one another but apologize and forgive one another;  real friends not only rally around their points of agreement but love and learn from their points of disagreements… And when everybody matures and grows, everybody wins. (pgs. 4-5)

This is a very powerful, thought-provoking book.  I highly recommend it.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Tyndale Publishers as part of their Blog Network Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”