Free Shutterfly 8×8 Hardcover Photo Book

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The Daughter’s Walk by Jane Kirkpatrick

The Daughter’s Walk by Jane Kirkpatrick is about a young Norwegian American woman, Clara, and her mother, Helga, who walked from Spokane, Washington, to New York City in order to earn money to save the family farm that was threatened with foreclosure. They were promised $10,000 by the fashion industry to make the trip in 7 months on foot. Clara and her mother were gone for more than a year and suffered many trials and disappointments along the way that eventually led to fracturing the family and leaving Clara on her own.

The story tells of how Clara lost her family and found an unusual set of friends who taught her about loyalty, success, failure, and an enduring faith. Most of the story’s details can be found in actual historical events, details supplied to the author by Clara and Helga’s grandchildren and great grandchildren. The story was unusual and unexpected. It was one of those books that as you read it, you wonder where the story was going. But knowing it was derived from real life women kept me wanting to finish and see the outcome. I have found real-life stories to be much more worthwhile in the long run, and this book  has proven that. Anyone can weave a story that inspires and comes together in the end. This story wove the truth into an inspiration. I recommend this book to anyone who finds history and family relationships interesting regardless where the story may take them.

I received this book free from WaterBrook Multonomah Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

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Book Give Away

I have been furnished by Handlebar Marketing an additional copy of Beth Wiseman’s book, Need You Now. See my review here. If you’d like to win this copy, either email me or comment on this book offer, letting me know you would like your name to be entered for the free book. After the winner is chosen, I will announce the winner so they can let me know where to send the book. Hope you win!

Need You Now by Beth Wiseman

Need You Now by Beth Wiseman is about an average family and the heart wrenching trials that can suddenly hit without warning. The focus throughout the book is on the mom, Darlene, and how the difficult things that were thrown at her affected her spiritual walk with God, her husband Brad, and her three teenagers.

She comes face to face with her own personal failures as she deals with her daughter who is caught up in cutting – an emotional reaction to a deep seated desire to be seen as perfect in the eyes of those around her. Darlene’s marriage is affected by this family crisis, as well as the faith that she had always considered complete and solid.  Her personal crisis came on the heels of her efforts to help her new neighbors battle their own family difficulties. It reminds me of my own personal admonishment that I often quote to myself, “But for the grace of God, there go I.”  Throughout the book we got a constant reminder not to judge others, for they may have their own personal mountains to climb.

I was a bit disappointed with how the author presented Darlene as a Christian that indulged in risky behavior (social drinking, dancing with a man not her husband, immodest dress, flirting, etc.) that led her into making poor decisions that nearly destroyed the trust of her husband.  I did like how she wrapped up the story by showing how honesty and a penitent heart can turn a disastrous situation into one of redeeming love and forgiveness.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review from Handlebar Marketing.

Watch “The Whole Truth” on YouTube – About Obamacare

Sisters of the Quilt by Cindy Woodsmall

Sisters of the Quilt by Cindy Woodsmall is a three book series about a young girl, Hannah Lapp, who lives with her family in an Old Order Amish community. At age 17 she experienced a brutality that left her bewildered, rejected and unsure of her future. The first book, When the Heart Cries, weaves a heart wrenching story about how in just one day she went from an engaged, innocent little farm girl, to a dejected, and lost adult dealing with insecurities, disappointment and disloyalty. We learn of life in the Old Order Amish and the harsh realities that accompany such a strict, controlled community. Though Hannah’s community was tight knit, we begin to see the flaws in such a belief system when tragedy strikes Hannah on her way walking home alone.

In book two, When the Morning Comes, Hannah leaves her Amish faith for the outside world, leaving her family to pick up the pieces after their selfish rejection of Hannah and the truth of what had happened to their little girl. The Englisher world both amazes and frightens Hannah, but with determination and courage she embarks on a new life while trying to forget her old one. As she tries to forget the past, God continues to speak to her through a long lost family member and her new English friends, even though her heart had decicded to turn against all she knew of faith and her God. The story fluctuates between the life her family and friends continue to lead in the Old Order Amish and her life out in the world Hannah had been taught to fear and shun. Though Hannah seems to have adjusted well in her new life, the old one continued to call to her, asking her to come home. The third book, When the Soul Mends, collides Hannah’s two worlds through events that demand forgiveness and acceptance on both sides.

The first and third were very good reads with the second being a bit dry, which is typical of many book series. Yet I found it to be very entertaining and educational in regard to the lifestyle and beliefs of the Plain life. It brings to mind how situations and relationships can be manipulated by misconceptions, misunderstandings and outright lies. The end was heartwarming as we read how families and communities can see God and His loving kindness as they work through personal tragedy and the healing that comes through time effort.

Disclaimer: I did receive a free copy of the Sister’s of the Quilt Book from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishers for review purposes only. All thoughts and opinions in this post are my own.

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Thanks KimKomando.com.

Tyndale by David Teems

Tyndale by David Teems wasn’t an easy book to read, but nonetheless, I am very glad I took the time to read it. Though not much is known about Willian Tyndale, the author was able to piece together a pretty good picture through his research into other men’s lives who were his contemporaries.

Tyndale was a Bible translator during the time of Henry VIII, Thomas Moore and Martin Luther, in the early 1500′s. His mission in life placed him in the category of “heretic” by the Catholic church because he went against the popular thought that the Word of God should be left in it’s original language, readable only by the church leaders at the time. It was his contention that everyone ought to have a copy of the Bible in their own language and he targeted the ploughboy, the one considered the least educated at the time.

His books, whether it be the ones he wrote to refute the popular beliefs of the day, or his translation of the New Testament itself, were subject to burning if confiscated by the religious authorities of the Catholic church who controlled almost every part of English life. I was amazed at what length Tyndale went to in order to get the Truth out, including working in secret, in exile, and threat of death by burning.

I was also intrigued while reading about Henry VIII, Thomas Moore, Marin Luther, etc. I knew Thomas Moore wrote Utopia, but was unfamiliar with his crusade against Tyndale and his work in translating the Word. Moore was quite ruthless and made it his mission to discredit the men involved in the reformation. He especially hated Luther and Tyndale, though he treated Luther with a vehement hatred that spilled over into his language, as did Luther’s when answering Moore’s criticisms. I was quite surprised at the vulgar way in which they argued, yet when it came to Thomas Moore’s description of Tyndale and his accusations of heresy toward the translator, Moore toned down his language toward the man out of his awe for Tyndale’s well known personal Christian testimony and reputation. This in itself convinced me of Tyndale’s desire to serve God in all circumstances and persecutions, for if your enemies treat you with respect, there is a good chance your walk with God have been seen by those around you. Tyndale is historically described as an honest and trustworthy man, who in his daily living reflected Christ in every area.

In the end when he was betrayed by who the thought was a friend and eventually strangled and burned, he was able to maintain his faith and a peaceful calm that could only have come from God Himself. I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to learn more about Tyndale and those who lived around him. It created a better understanding of the hardships men suffered to bring us the Word of God in the English language.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through BookSneeze(R).com book review bloggers 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.

Courageous

We just watched Courageous last night – what a great movie! My favorite scene was at the end of the movie when the police officers were in pursuit of gang members. The producers of this film did a great job of getting their point across to fathers about their role in the family and responsibility toward God.

I highly recommend it! Click here for the Resolution the men signed in the movie.  You can buy it for $8.92 at ChristianCinema.com.

Family Christmas 2011

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Christmas in Virginia

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Mine is the Night

Mine is the Night by Liz Curtis Higgs is a story set in 18th Century Scotland patterned after the biblical story of Ruth and Naomi. The author does a good job of making her characters intriguing and believable, drawing the reader into the story.  As the story unfolds, the reader is transported to Scotland with its thick accents and family traditions.

The main character, Elisabeth Kerr, is a recently widowed young woman who traveled with her mother-in-law’s family home town of Selkirk. Broke and alone, the two women lodge with a distant cousin who is also alone and poor. The story weaves a tale of love and acceptance as it tells of two strangers who meet in an unlikely manner and discover God’s plan to draw them together. I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading more from this author.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated for writing this review.

Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo

Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo is about a little boy who had a near death experience when he was 3 years old. His appendix had ruptured and infection had spread throughout his body. In a casual comment one day just after he had recovered from the life saving operation, he told his parents about how he met Jesus, his grandfather, and many other children who were growing up in heaven.

After he described for his father and mother what they doing in the hospital when he had this experience, his father began asking questions, wanting to find out more about what he else he had to say about his visit to heaven. For a YouTube video of Colton telling of his experience, click here. For another click here.

Most would disbelieve such an experience, yet I still enjoyed reading about what Colton said he had experienced (now 11 years old) regardless whether he actually experienced the things he described. It was a good read. Heaven is for real, believe it or not and it is refreshing to hear of children who desire to spread the good news about heaven, Jesus, and His saving power.

The post below is a picture of Christ that Todd Burpo refers to in his book – painted by a little girl who also tells of her “heavenly experience.”

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Akiane Kramarik’s Prince of Peace

Check out the amazing story of Akiane Kramarik and her art here.

Remember the Waltons?

Remember watching the Waltons when you were younger? Click here to watch a recent video of an interview of the cast members.

Vance Havner

“I am certain that the Bible is the Word of God. Either it is or it isn’t, and either all of it is the Word of God, or we never can be sure of any of it. It is either absolute or obsolete. If we have to start changing this verse, toning down that, apologizing for this and making allowances for that, we might as well give up, so we must take it as it is or leave it alone.” – Vance Havner

Update 2011

With Christmas quickly approaching, I often find myself in reflection of the past months since the turn of 2011 – much like I often re-run the day’s events in my mind just before falling asleep each night. It’s been happening much more often than usual because of the changes we’ve incurred this past year. With selling our house, moving to another state and leaving off the old and thoroughly enjoying the new, it’s a chapter in our life’s book that I find to be an easy read.

They say money doesn’t buy happiness, but I have found that the lack of it can bring an awful lot of pain and suffering. Being tied financially to that house back in Michigan brought with it not only financial distress, but also a long period of being in a very uncomfortable state of limbo – I hate being in limbo! Our ministries as assistant pastor and full-time teacher as well as a dozen other jobs and titles had ended 3 years prior at the church that had originally moved us to their little church in Scotts, two hours away from our hometown of Flushing. We joined a loving congregation nearby and waited for nearly 3 years for our house to sell so we could move to Wausau. Why Wausau, you ask? Let me spell it out for you…G.R.A.N.D.K.I.D.S.

And of course, in contrast to that sadness, the selling of that house brought with it great joy. We can be at the mercy of our circumstances if we let them control us. And sometimes, let’s face it, they do control us – in our decisions, peace of mind and how we live on a daily basis. Settling up with Bank of America (hallelujah!) and walking away with enough money to move was a major turning point in our life (amen!). Not much before that we experienced the Empty Nest syndrome. Ok, I have to pause here and say, “Double amen!”. I do love my kids, surely I do, but just think, after 30 years of parenting, it was time to lose all the stress and gain the freedom.

Jillian had moved back home from college in December so she moved with us to Wausau in April, lock, stock and barrel. We moved into a cute little rental just 3.5 miles from April’s house.  It sure was different! Moving from over 4,000 feet of living space with acreage out in the country to a 900 sq. ft. house in town was definitely a change, but it has been a good one.  Though moving was difficult (especially since our big strong teenage boys no longer lived with us), it was an end of a long period of limbo and sadness. Jillian and I quickly acclimated to Wausau (as did Mark and my mom) and found it to be a fun and cordial little town. I truly enjoyed having those months with Jillian as we set out to discover Wausau. We were home!

The happiness of the much desired end of a 3 year prayer (Ok, more like begging) can be tempered a bit with the adverse affects of leaving family and friends behind. I’m a people person – those of you who know me well know that I tend to collect people. My peeps are a large part of my happiness. I feel fortunate that distance doesn’t have to separate friends.

We spent the next few months finishing up on Jillian’s wedding plans and then we were off to Battle Creek for her wedding in June.  Since Taylor’s job plans at Liberty U hadn’t been finalized, Jillian and Taylor spent their first month with us in Wausau before moving to LU where Jillian planned to finish out her college degree. I considered that month to be my wedding present from them to me. They are a great blessing to their mother (I now claim Taylor as a son). During that time we worked on making our house a home, met many new and interesting people, added to our grandchild collection, and settled into our new church. It’s been a fun ride and for the first time in years I am looking forward with anticipation to what the future has for us. My next post will be about my kids, the real reason I began this long preface to the real story I’ve had rolling around in my head all day today. This was a very long rabbit trail…

11.11.11

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