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. Romans 15:13
Book
Description: A
traveling librarian ventures into the mining towns of Kentucky on horseback—and
learns to trust the One who truly pens her story—in this powerful novel from
the best-selling author of A Silken Thread.
During the Great Depression, city-dweller Addie Cowherd dreams of becoming a
novelist and offering readers the escape that books had given her during her
tragic childhood. When her father loses his job, she is forced to take the only
employment she can find—delivering books on horseback to poor coal-mining
families in the hills of Kentucky.
But turning a new page will be nearly impossible in Boone's Hollow, where
residents are steeped in superstitions and deeply suspicious of outsiders. Even
local Emmett Tharp feels the sting of rejection after returning to the tiny
mountain hamlet as the first in his family to graduate college. And as the
crippled economy leaves many men jobless, he fears his degree won’t be worth
much in a place where most men either work the coal mine or run moonshine.
As Addie also struggles to find her place, she’ll unearth the truth about a
decades-old rivalry. But when someone sets out to sabotage the town’s library
program, will the culprit chase Addie away or straight into the arms of the
only person who can help her put a broken community back together?
My Review: As a former librarian, I
enjoy the stories of these brave souls who ventured into the mountains to
deliver literature. In The Librarian of
Boone's Hollow, Addie's life is opened to a whole new world she never
imagined. Set in the time following the Great Depression, Addie takes the only
job she can find. I love the Kentucky mountain setting and variety of characters.
Addie, Bettina, and Emmett venture into a time where they need to rely on God
and one another, even when they think they can't. I love how the author brings
out important issues and effortlessly weaves them into the story. Her writing
offers hope. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed
in this review are completely my own.
Hear my prayer, Lord;
let my cry for help come to you.
Do not hide your face from me
when I am in distress.
Turn your ear to me;
when I call, answer me quickly.
He will respond to the prayer of the
destitute;
he will not despise their plea.
Prayer
is a privilege. If I don't ask my heavenly Father for help, that's on me.
My five-year-old granddaughter bows her head and prays
every night with her momma. During the COVID-19 stay-at-home order, she asked
Jesus to "stop the rona." Her little heart echoed the prayer of many.
I asked God to protect my family and friends from the virus and to put an end
to its rampage through the world. I prayed for the folks who lost loved ones
and healing for those infected. No doubt God's ears have been filled with cries
for help.
Now as I cry out once again to end racial tension
and distress in our nation, I ask God to hear me. Please fill my heart with how
to love better and how to respond as a Jesus' follower.
In the Psalm, the writer of chapter 102 sought out
God in a time of distress. He understood God heard his voice and his request.
Yet he begged him to answer quickly. Even as God's timing isn't my timing, I
need to remain faithful and believe he will answer. And he does. In verse
seventeen, the writer reminds me, "He will respond." In the meantime,
I need to follow his lead and love well. I need to be encouraging and caring. I
need to reach out to people with the arms of Jesus.
If I doubt God hears my pleas, I read Philippians
4:6 and am reminded to take everything to God in prayer. "Do not be
anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and
petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."
Betty
Sweet never expected to be a widow at 40. With so much life still in front of
her, she tries to figure out what's next. She couldn't have imagined what God
had in mind. When her estranged sister is committed to a sanitarium, Betty
finds herself taking on the care of a 5-year-old nephew she never knew she had.
In 1960s LaFontaine, Michigan, they make an odd pair. Betty with her pink
button nose and bouffant hair. Hugo with his light brown skin and large brown
eyes. But more powerful than what makes them different is what they share: the
heartache of an empty space in their lives. Slowly, they will learn to trust
one another as they discover common ground and healing through the magic of
storytelling.
Award-winning author Susie Finkbeiner offers fans a novel that invites us to
rediscover the power of story to open the doors of our hearts.
My
Review: I
love this beautiful story of courage and hope. The author captured the decade of
the 1960s with great insight. I was about Hugo's age at that time, and remember
so much of what Susie Finkbeiner has written. I love how Norman's family wraps
Betty in graciousness and kindness as she faces difficult times. And the
stories Betty tells to Hugo are precious. Susie intertwined them perfectly with
what the characters are going through. If you enjoy a good read that leaves you
with a feeling of hope, you'll want to read Stories
that Bind Us. From the lovely cover to the last sentence, I enjoyed every
word. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this
review are completely my own.
Matthew 22:37-39 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself."
I love that God made our world in color.
From the kayak, I watched the sun cross over the fresh spring foliage. The shore, covered in trees, showed various shades of green. The sky moved from pale blue to sky blue to cerulean as the white clouds whispered across. Along the bank, rocks and pebbles rested in assorted shades of brown. Beautiful colors. All created by God.
In the hours before we took our kayaks out on the lake, I'd wrestled with how to respond to recent news of racial strife and sorrow. I'm an older white woman who has only walked in my shoes. I can't say I understand what my friends of color are experiencing, but I can say I care. I contemplated how to offer hope in a time of sorrow and help in a time of stress. But I'll be honest, I wasn't sure how.
As I prayed, I understood two things:
What's going on in the world right now is breaking God's heart.
God loves every single person he created, and he calls us as his followers to love people, too.
In Matthew, Jesus said to love God and love people. It's that simple. But sin has gotten in the way. Satan stirs the pot and throws in envy, anger, and a whole lot of other junk. He rejoices when he recruits one more person to destroy another human being, a building, a lifetime of work. He spreads his evil anywhere he can.
Together, let's toss Satan out and pour in the ingredients of love, hope, compassion, and peace. Let's stir in joy, acceptance, patience and understanding in whatever way we can.
As I floated in the kayak and soaked in the variegated world we live in, Jesus reminded me to love and appreciate people. He gave us different shades of skin, different textures of hair, different eye colors. And he gave all of us hearts for love, abilities to help, and minds to think. We are more alike than we are different, because we are created in God's image.
You are in the process of becoming. Every day is an opportunity to be
shaped and formed by what moves your heart…drives your thoughts…captures your
gaze. Is it any wonder that where you direct your eyes and your heart matter in
your day-to-day?
We become what we behold when we set our hearts and minds on Christ and
His redemption story here in the details of our daily lives. Not just on
Sunday, not just on holidays, not just when extraordinarily hard or wonderful things
happen…but today.
Bestselling author and artist Ruth Chou Simons invites you on a new journey
to Beholding and Becoming. With more than 850 pieces of
intricate, original artwork, Ruth encourages you to elevate your gaze to the
One who created all things.
Today is an opportunity for God to demonstrate His love and His faithfulness in
the midst of your mundane. No circumstance is too ordinary or too forgotten for
Him to meet you there in worship. His transforming grace turns your “everyday
ordinary” into a holy place of becoming.
My
Review:
I absolutely love this book. From the gorgeous watercolor paintings to the
heartfelt words, Ruth Chou Simons speaks to the heart. There are so many
reminders of how we can live a better life in Jesus. Beautiful quotes are
encased in Ruth's artwork. That alone is worth the read. I read a section a day
and delighted in each one. If you are looking for a book to read that will
encourage and enlighten, buy Beholding
and Becoming: The Art of Everyday Worship. Opinions expressed in this
review are completely my own.
