The Mockingbird Next Door: Life with Harper Lee by Marja Miller

If you follow the literary world at all, you've probably heard that Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird, is releasing her second book in July. Lee's first story, published in 1960, follows Scout and her father Atticus Finch as he fights for civil rights in Maycomb, Alabama. The Pulitzer Prize winner has been read by millions of people and created quite the impact. Now fifty-five years later the author's second book, Go Set a Watchman, will be released in July.

In the meantime, I picked up The Mockingbird Next Door: Life with Harper Lee by Marja Miller. Part memoir, part biography Marja had the rare opportunity to spend many months with Harper, called Nell by her friends, and Alice Lee. Alice, Harper's sister, is a lawyer who followed in her father's footsteps. 

In 2001, the Chicago Public Library chose To Kill a Mockingbird for its One Book, One Chicago city-wide read. At that time Marja worked for the Chicago Tribune and was asked to travel south to Monroeville, Harper Lee's hometown. She hoped to at least write about the small-town Maycomb was based on. She never imagined she'd spend months in the company of Harper Lee and her sister, plus spend time with their close circle of friends.

The Mockingbird Next Door is one of the best nonfiction books I've read. Reading Ms. Mills book was like sitting with her at lunch and chatting with a friend. By the time I finished the book, I felt like I'd visited Monroeville and met the Lees. If you're waiting to read Go Set a Watchman, this would be a great book to peruse in the meantime.

Gravity and Grace

2 Corinthians 12:9
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

©Penny Frost McGinnis

I just finished reading Cynthia Rutchi's, As Waters Gone By. It's a tale of love, fear, confusion and forgiveness; one of the best stories I've read in a long time. As sometimes happens, a particular line in the book caught my attention. "Grace always outweighs gravity." Wow! That's one I want to remember. The times I need to cling to grace the most, I'm down, fallen due to sin, down and depressed, physically down, exhausted and not thinking clearly, and on and on.

The apostle Paul knew this secret and told everyone about it in his writings. He fell down, was tempted, and at times physically exhausted. He knew what it meant to cling to Jesus promise. "My grace is sufficient." No matter what I go through, I know I can cling to the grace Jesus gives me tied to my hope in him. Through Jesus' power I can rest on him and be strong. Praise God for his gift of grace.

Happy Mother's Day

2 Timothy 1:5I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

There's nothing sweeter than holding a brand new grandbaby. I inherited that love from my mom. The sweet smell, the soft skin, the hope in a new life spills over and pours blessings on the one whose arms wrap around the beautiful bundle. But as I look into the face of each grandchild, I also see responsibility. As grandma, I play a part in their lives just like Lois did for Timothy. Like my mom has done for my kids. And my grandmothers did for me.

We're not alone on our journey. God provides help. Whether I am the Grammy, the mom, the aunt or the friend I want nothing more than to show them Jesus. May patience, kindness, love, and encouragement flow from me.

I'm so thankful for the women in my life who've shown me hope and faith. Thank you, Mom! Happy Mother's Day.

Am I Happy?

Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Tim made sure I didn't miss this pretty pink tulip.

Do you remember the song from Bible school, "If You're Happy and You Know It"? We clapped our hands and shouted amen. It was a fun song to sing, but I'd like to change the words. Instead of happy, what if we sing "If You're Joyful". To me, happy is a feeling dependent on circumstance and inconsistent with the deep joy Jesus gives. Joy's not dependent on anything except my relationship with God.

I've been sick for a week. Run a fever every day. Am I happy? No. But I still have joy because I know Jesus loves me. My heart fills with joy because God gave me my husband who takes care of me and family and friends who check on me. I hope to feel better soon. I don't usually ask this but if you think to, pray for me.

Praise God I can sing, "I'm joyful and I know it."

Spirit of Power

Paper Hearts by Courtney Walsh

Book description:

Abigail Pressman would never have guessed that love notes penned on paper hearts by an anonymous couple could restore her belief in love. As a business owner in a quaint town at the base of the Rockies, she’s poured everything into dreams of expansion... and resisting the matchmaking efforts of the Valentine Volunteers, who gather in her store to continue Loves Park’s tradition of stamping mail with the city’s romantic postmark.

When Abigail is unwillingly drafted into the Volunteers, she encounters the paper hearts, a distraction that couldn’t come at a worse time. A hard-to-read doctor has become Abigail’s new landlord, and he’s threatening to end her lease to expand his practice.

As she fights a growing attraction to this handsome man crushing her dreams, Abigail is inspired to string the hearts in her store, sparking a citywide infatuation with the artsy trend. But when a new batch of hearts reaches the Volunteers, it appears something tragic has happened to the couple. Will uncovering their story confirm Abigail’s doubts about love, or could it rescue her dreams . . . and her heart?
-From back cover

My Review:

On the surface Paper Hearts appears to be a sweet romance, but the story is so much more. With remarkable writing skill Courtney creates a powerful tale of a young woman who discovers her strengths as she embraces the amazing power of forgiveness. From the main characters to the most minor one, the town is filled with quirky, likeable, folks with well-developed personalities. The Valentine Volunteers made me laugh and cringe as they championed Abigail's cause. And the doctor's story tugged at my heart and reminded me that each person has a story. This is a book I'll want to read again because I loved the town and the people so much. Five stars.

I purchased the Kindle version.

Baseball and Honeycombs

Proverbs 16:23-24
The hearts of the wise make their mouths prudent,
    and their lips promote instruction.
Gracious words are a honeycomb,
    sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

Joey Votto hits a homerun. Billy Hamilton steals another base. Aroldis Chapman closes the game with a win. That's what I like to see when the Reds play ball. My family loves the great American Pastime, enjoyed by all ages. So when I heard on the news that the manager let off a string of curse words (seventy-seven in a five-and-a-half minute span) to the media, I was disappointed. He represented the team and the fans. The media reported he was under duress and angry at them. Instead of gracious words, he threw harmful darts.

© Penny Frost McGinnis

I have a magnet on the refrigerator that says, "You are your words." Once they come out of the mouth, they can't be swallowed back up. Proverbs reminds me to consider whether my words show care, thoughtfulness, positivity, a teaching spirit, and a healing concern. I've heard it's easier to draw bees with honey. That's true with the spoken word. I want to stop before I speak and consider how what I say affects who hears. Encourage, compliment and instruct with love like Jesus did. We are his words.