Renewed Interest

Recently, I've picked up my paintbrush again. It's been a long time since I created art on canvas. Hopefully I'll have more to share throughout the year. Finding the time is tough, but brushing the colors across the page is so relaxing.

Do you paint, draw or create other crafts?

Highland Discovery Garden

Tim and I spent some time exploring the Highland Discovery Garden in Glenwood. It is a magical place with lovely flowers, woods and a pond.
 Frog and Toad are friends.

Book Review: Hearts Made Whole by Jody Hedlund

Book Description:

1865
Windmill Point, Michigan

Can She Forgive the Hurting Man Who Costs Her the Role She Loves?

After her father's death, Caroline Taylor has grown confident running the Windmill Point Lighthouse. But in 1865 Michigan, women aren't supposed to have such roles, so it's only a matter of time before the lighthouse inspector appoints a new keeper--even though Caroline has nowhere else to go and no other job available to her.

Ryan Chambers is a Civil War veteran still haunted by the horrors of battle. He's secured the position of lighthouse keeper mostly for the isolation--the chance to hide from his past is appealing. He's not expecting the current keeper to be a feisty and beautiful woman who's angry with him for taking her job and for his inability to properly run the light. When his failings endanger others, he and Caroline realize he's in no shape to run the lighthouse, but he's unwilling to let anyone close enough to help. Caroline feels drawn to this wounded soul, but with both of them relying on that single position, can they look past their loss to a future filled with hope...and possibly love?

My Review:

I like that Jody Hedlund used a strong female protagonist to set the stage for a story about women who make a difference. There's no doubt that Caroline can do the job of lighthouse keeper, yet she shows her sensitive, caring side to the wounded soldier who is placed in the job she loves. I loved Caroline's two little brothers. They added a sense of playfulness to a serious situation. I enjoyed the twists, turns, and surprises of this well-written tale of courage. If you like historical fiction with romance, you'll love Hearts Made Whole.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of Hearts Made Whole in exchange for a fair review.

Book review: As Waters Gone By by Cynthia Ruchti

http://bit.ly/1LpxVbR

About the book:
As Waters Gone By (Abingdon, May 2015)

How can a marriage survive when separated by hundreds of miles and impenetrable prison walls?

Emmalyn and Max Ross may have to endure the fight of their lives to mend the tattered fabric of their marriage. His actions ensured she could never be a mother and put him in prison, giving their relationship a court-mandated five-year time-out. On a self-imposed exile to beautiful but remote Madeline Island, one of the Apostle Islands of Lake Superior, Emmalyn has just a few months left to figure out if and how they can ever be a couple again.

Nudged along by the exuberant owner of the Wild Iris Inn and Café, a circle of misfit people in their small town, and a young girl who desperately needs someone to love her, Emmalyn restores an island cottage that could become a home and begins to restore her heart by learning what it means to love unconditionally. Yet even as hope begins to find a place within the cottage walls, Emmalyn still wonders if she's ready for Max's release. She may be able to rebuild a cottage, but can she rebuild a marriage?

My Review:

"Bougie's smile bloomed and spread...'Grace always outweighs gravity'." Words I want to engrave on my heart. Cynthia Ruchti has written a beautiful tale of confusion, fear, love, forgiveness, and grace. As soon as I opened the first chapter and started to read, I wanted to climb in the book and get to know the characters better. Take Emmalyn's hand and walk with her along the beach. Sit and drink tea with Bougie, the quirky innkeeper and even climb on the roof to work with Cora. The story comes to life immediately and holds on until the satisfying end. The author's incredible description paints an inviting setting from the Wild Iris Inn on Madeline Island to the cottage by the lake. I just can't say enough good things about this powerful story. If I could give more than five stars I would.

Disclosure:

I received a free copy of As Waters Gone By from Litfuse in exchange for an honest review.

About the author: 

Cynthia Ruchti has more than three decades of radio broadcast experience with Heartbeat of the Home radio and currently serves as Professional Relations Liaison for American Christian Fiction Writers.

Find Cynthia online: website, Twitter, Facebook

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1Gs5M3Q

Quick Licks or Big Slurps

Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

My family traveled many-a-summer to dairy whips all over the state. Mom had a favorite one near Peebles that served the best foot longs and shakes. I loved the Tasty Freeze on Route 50. I'm not sure what the name of it is now, but it's still in business. And of course, the Dairy Queen offered a yummy list of sweet treats. Whether I got a hot fudge sundae, banana split, or twist cone, I had to figure out the best way to eat it. Slow with small bites, quick licks, or big slurps. Did I savor the cool creamy desert or eat so fast I got brain freeze. Maybe something in between worked best. No matter how I ate it, I loved the sweet taste.

All my life I've been told to read my Bible. I've heard that I should go verse by verse to study. Use the Greek to decipher the meaning. Read the Bible in a year. Look at several translations at the same time. Try a study guide. So many ways to learn about Jesus. Which one is best? I've tried many of the methods. And you know what? I've learned something new from every one of them. Whether I take tiny bites and read a verse or two, or study several chapters in one gulp, I've learned from the scripture. The only times I've not gained from reading the Bible is when I haven't done it at all. I cherish the truths I've learned from God's word. They've changed my life and made it much sweeter than I could've imagined. Praise God for his word.

Wednesday Wisdom

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.