Children's Board Book Review: Snuggle Time Fall Blessings by Glenys Nellist , Illustrated by Cee Biscoe

Book Description:

Snuggle up with your little one and enjoy all the best parts of autumn together—pumpkin picking, colored leaves, hayrides, and more—with this adorable padded-cover board book. Get ready for repeated readings and lots of hugs!

Carving pumpkins. Fresh baked apple pie. Leaf piles. Jack-o'-lanterns. Featuring Glenys Nellist’s whimsical read-aloud rhymes and Cee Biscoe’s cuddly illustrations, the Snuggle Time Fall Blessings board book will become part of your new autumn reading tradition.

My Review:
I love everything Glenys Nellist writes for children. Her sweet poems are paired well with the adorable, whimsical illustrations of Cee Biscoe. Fall is the perfect time to tuck into the house and snuggle with a child or grandchild and this delightful little book. I know my five-year-old granddaughter will enjoy the poems and pictures with me. This is also a perfect way to share the change of seasons with little ones. Grab some hot chocolate and cuddle up and read Snuggle Time Fall Blessings with your favorite child. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Zonderkidz. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

She Gives Me Hope

Mark 5:25-29; 32-34

And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

I've been sewing a Mary Poppin's coat for my granddaughter. She wants to dress up like Mary for Trunk-and-Treat. Her mama provided the hat and parrot-headed umbrella, but we couldn't find a child-sized Poppin's coat, anywhere. So Grammy Penny (that's me!) searched high and low to find a pattern and blue wool to create the perfect costume/winter coat. I've stitched for several days and finally come to the finishing touches. Yesterday, I laid the coat out and started pinning the hem. As I rounded the garment, my mind drifted to the woman who touched the edge of Jesus' robe.

The woman, who had bleed for years from a disease no one could heal, placed her hand on the cloth of Jesus' cloak. She didn't ask. Instead she reached out in faith and hope. She believed she'd be healed by the Great Physician. Indeed, her aliment left her body. More important, her healing brought recognition from Jesus. He saw and felt her faith as she touched his clothes. Jesus freed her from her suffering because of her trust.

Jesus wants me to believe. I admit, my faith has been shaken when friends I've prayed for died. I didn't understand. I tried not to question, but I did, yet I'm drawn back to this woman who's faith healed her. She gives me hope. I'm reminded, sometimes the healing comes on earth and sometimes in heaven. I may not like the answer to my prayers. But I have faith in Jesus to heal the wounds the world opens. As the woman knelt down to touch Jesus' garment, I kneel to praise my Lord and my Savior and to proclaim my trust in him.

Have faith in the One who saves.

Flower Friday: Mandevilla Sanderi

The Mandevilla Sanderi, new to me this summer, grows in a variety of colors. My step-daughter has a lovely white one on her front steps. I discovered the pink ones at the Book Loft in Columbus. Also called Brazilian jasmine, this vining plant adds a fun flair to summer flowers. 

What we do not See

Just looking at Lake Michigan, I have to wonder what is under the water. Like the ocean or any large body of water, we can't see what's there. Yet we venture in with the hope all will be well. How much more faith does it take to venture into a life with Jesus? 

Have faith!

Fiction Review: One More River to Cross by Jane Kirkpatrick

Book Description:

In 1844, two years before the Donner Party, the Stevens-Murphy company left Missouri to be the first wagons into California through the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Mostly Irish Catholics, the party sought religious freedom and education in the mission-dominated land and enjoyed a safe journey--until October, when a heavy snowstorm forced difficult decisions. The first of many for young Mary Sullivan, newlywed Sarah Montgomery, the widow Ellen Murphy, and her pregnant sister-in-law Maolisa.

When the party separates in three directions, each risks losing those they loved and faces the prospect of learning that adversity can destroy or redefine. Two women and four men go overland around Lake Tahoe, three men stay to guard the heaviest wagons--and the rest of the party, including eight women and seventeen children, huddle in a makeshift cabin at the headwaters of the Yuba River waiting for rescue... or their deaths.

My Review:
One More River to Cross is a musical chorus with high and low chords woven together to create a dramatic melody of fear, faith, and triumph. The folks who pioneered the west were tough people. The men and women in this story showed a strength I can't imagine. As the story jumped among three different groups, I cheered for those who took on the task of leadership and hoped for those who were losing focus. Their faith kept them from giving up. I especially enjoyed Daniel, Beth, Ellen and Mary's stories. If you love historical fiction based on true experiences, you'll want to read One More River to Cross. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Sweet or Stinky, How do you Smell?

2 Corinthians 2:15

For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.

Big Apple Bagel serves the best bagels in Cincinnati. They are the perfect balance of chewy and light. If you stand outside in front of the big picture window, you can watch the bakers process the delicious treats. They pull the dough into an "o" shape, boil them in water, then bake them to a golden brown. When you walk in the door, the smell hits you. That luscious fragrance of fresh baked bread.

Research has shown that smells tug at our memory. Every time I inhale the scent of fresh cut wood, visions of my grandpa come back to me. We had an elevator at work that smelled like oil and metal and reminded me of my dad. A fragrance can conjure up a happy moment and bring back sweet memories.

Odors attract or repel.

As followers of Jesus, Paul says we are the "pleasing aroma" for people who believe and those who don't. As the odor of Jesus, we should smell sweet, drawing others to him. Most everyone has gotten a whiff of a skunk. They reek. The stench they give off isn't a pleasing aroma, instead their smell insults the senses. We've all sniffed a flower. Flowers spread a lovely perfume that draws bees and butterflies. Jesus wants his followers to smell like flowers instead of skunks. Our fragrance reflects our behavior and our faith. People will know Jesus by our aroma of grace and kindness.

Are people attracted to Jesus by your scent? Or are they repelled?

Flower Friday: Love-in-a-mist

I was introduced to Love-in-a-mist by a dear friend. This gorgeous flower belongs to the buttercup family. Once you sow the seed in spring, expect these beauties to bloom and produce seed pods for the next year. They'd be a lovely addition to a cottage garden.

Be a Flower!

Why be a weed, when you can be a flower!

Be Caught by the Spirit

Acts 2:38

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

John 14:26
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

Tim and I kayaked on Cowan Lake, a small lake that doesn't allow speedboats. The calm water was perfect for a day of paddling. As we floated along, I watched somewhere around 15-20 sailboats take to the water. The way the boats glided across the inlets reminded me of a graceful heron soaring through the air.

The sailboat depends on the wind to power it through the water. As the navigator observes the movement and wind power that propels the boat, he listens to what the wind says.

"Sailing is not about catching the wind. Sailing is about being caught by the wind."-Didi Bacon

As the sailboat is powered by the wind, Jesus followers are powered by the Holy Spirit. Understanding that we have a supernatural being living in us as our guide draws some doubt. Yet, the Bible tells us that when we choose to believe and turn our lives toward Jesus, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. He's real and He's with us every day. He nudges me to obey God's calling, He comforts me, He loves me, He reminds me that I'm a child of God, He's my counselor, He listens and prays for me when I am without words. The Holy Spirit truly is a gift from God.

Like the navigator of the sailboat, I need to listen and be aware of the Spirit's guidance. My desire is to be caught by the Spirit, just as the sails are caught by the wind.

Ask the Lord to fill you with his Spirit.

Flower Friday: Hibiscus

My daughter, her children and I wandered through Smale Park in Cincinnati. 

The park's landscape overflows with flowers. 

On our trek, I noticed some gorgeous hibiscus in an array of vibrant colors. 

Fill Your Sails

Fiction Review: Strands of Truth by Colleen Coble

Description:

Harper Taylor is used to being alone— after all, she grew up in one foster home after another. Oliver Jackson finally took her under his wing when she was a runaway teenager, and now Harper pours her marine biology knowledge into Oliver’s pen shell research. But she’s never stopped wishing for a family of her own. 

So when a DNA test reveals a half-sister living just two hours away, Harper is both hopeful and nervous. Over warm cinnamon rolls, Harper and Annabelle find striking similarities in their stories. Is it just a coincidence that both their mothers died tragically, without revealing Harper and Annabelle’s father’s name? 

Oliver’s son Ridge still sees Harper as a troubled teen even all these years later. But when Oliver is attacked, Ridge and Harper find themselves working together to uncover dangerous secrets that threaten to destroy them all. They must unravel her past before they can have any hope for the future. 

My Review:
Colleen Coble delivers another take-your-breath-away romantic suspense. With so many people checking into their heritage through DNA, Colleen has taken it a step further. What happens when the DNA reveals terrible secrets? Strands of Truth is a fast paced story that kept me reading past my bedtime. One of the things I enjoyed, aside from the mystery, was learning about byssus, silk thread made from a clam's filament. I'd never heard of it. But it played into the story in an interesting way. If you love suspense mixed with romance, you'll enjoy reading Strands of Truth. With the Floridian ocean setting, it's the perfect book to read at the end of the summer season. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Fiction Review: You Belong with Me (Restoring Heritage) by Tari Faris

Book Description:

Realtor Hannah Thornton has many talents. Unfortunately, selling houses in the town where her family name is practically poison isn't one of them. When a business tycoon determines to raze historic homes in the small town of Heritage, Michigan, and replace them with a strip mall, Hannah resolves to stop him. She sets about helping Heritage win a restoration grant that will put the town back on the map--and hopefully finally repay the financial debt Hannah's mother caused the town. But at first no one supports her efforts--not even her best friend, Luke.

Luke Johnson may have grown up in Heritage, but as a foster kid he never truly felt as if he belonged. Now he has a chance to score a job as assistant fire chief and earn his place in the town. But when the interview process and Hannah's restoration project start unearthing things from his past, Luke must decide if belonging is worth the pain of being honest about who he is--and who he was.

My Review:
Tari Feris's debut is a winner. I enjoyed reading this sweet story filled with honesty and doubt. Tari created flawed characters who live in a town that's losing hope. I love the quirkiness of the town folk, especially Hannah. She's a mess, but she has a big heart. And Luke is that guy you'd fall for...just because. I look forward to more from Feris, especially in the Restoring Heritage series. If you love small town stories, you'll love You Belong with Me. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

He Loves Like No Other

Isaiah 40:11

He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

Matthew 18:12-14
“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

I'd find the widest maple tree in the yard and squeeze myself as small as I could, behind it. The child who was 'it' would call out "Ready or not, here I come" to let us know they were searching for our hiding place. As a kid my neighbors, cousins, and I spent endless hours playing hide-and-go-seek. We especially loved playing from dusk to dark. But in the game of hide-and-go-seek, we didn't want to be caught, or we'd be the 'it' person.

As an adult, I rarely play that old childhood game, unless one of my grandkids talks me into it. But I can tell you there have been times when I've played hide-and-go-seek with God. I've buried my head and ignored his wisdom, his call, or his word. I've run the other way in shame, rolled myself in a cocoon of misery and regret. But you know what, he came after me. He sought me out. Why? Because he loves me no matter what. The God who created the universe called me by name and told me I am his child.

Jesus is often called the Good Shepherd. As a shepherd, he searches for that single sheep that strays away from the flock. He chases that one little lamb who lost his way. He seeks in the shadows, climbs the mountains, tears down the walls to find that one who is lost. Once he finds us, he holds us, loves us and gives hope beyond, hope. Jesus said he's happier about finding that one lost sheep than about the ninety-nine who stayed put. Why? Because Jesus wants every child of his to be found, to be saved from the evil in this world. He wants every soul to rest in him.

Jesus loves like no other. Run into his arms.

Flower Friday: Sunflower

I am fascinated by the sunflower. This beauty grows anywhere from ten inches to ten feet tall. Several years ago, I planted seeds along the back wall of our home. Over the summer the seeds germinated and pushed through the soil. A huge sunflower head bloomed as the stem stretched taller than our one-story house. I'd not seen a sunflower so tall. 

My grandsons love to chomp on sunflower seeds during their baseball games, 

and I enjoy the seeds baked into bread. 

I love seeing sunflowers blooming along the highway and in the fields. 

Do you grow sunflowers?

Unfurl Your Wings

Olive and I were walking outside, 

and this lovely monarch landed on a zinnia in my garden. 

I love when God sends me a sign of beauty in my every day life. 

Click to Tweet #unfurlyourwings! 

Fiction Review: Words Between Us by Erin Bartels

Book Description:

Robin Windsor has spent most of her life under an assumed name, running from her family's ignominious past. She thought she'd finally found sanctuary in her rather unremarkable used bookstore just up the street from the marina in River City, Michigan. But the store is struggling and the past is hot on her heels.

When she receives an eerily familiar book in the mail on the morning of her father's scheduled execution, Robin is thrown back to the long-lost summer she met Peter Flynt, the perfect boy who ruined everything. That book--a first edition Catcher in the Rye--is soon followed by the other books she shared with Peter nearly twenty years ago, with one arriving in the mail each day. But why would Peter be making contact after all these years? And why does she have a sinking feeling that she's about to be exposed all over again?

My Review:
Words Between Us is a coming of age story told from two perspectives. Robin's past and her present collide in this literary gem. Erin Bartels' literary prose wrap around the heart as she delves into the classics and their relationship with the reader. Part mystery, part romance, all fascinating. This story of redemption, realization and forgiveness is well written and worth the time to savor. Bartels' unique perspective and writing have a distinctive flair in the field of inspirational literature. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Come Unto Me

I am blessed to be part of a family with an amazing work ethic. 

People who work not only to provide, but to make life better for others. 

That includes my husband, thank you Tim for all you do 

which gives me the opportunity to be retired. 

God knows his people labor and need rest. 

He offers that rest to anyone who accepts him as King of their life.