Split-time Novel Review: When Stone Wings Fly by Karen Barnett

What it’s About:

Uncovering a long-lost family story is the only way to bring her grandmother peace.

Kieran Lucas's grandmother is slipping into dementia, and, when her memory is gone, Kieran's last tie to the family she barely knows will be lost forever. Worse, Granny Mac is being tormented by flashbacks of her mother’s death and the loss of their home.

In 1931, Rosie McCauley's Smoky Mountains home is threatened by the Tennessee Great Smokies Park Commission as they create a new national park. But Rosie vows the only way they'll get her land is if they haul her out in a pine box. When a compromise offers her and her disabled sister the opportunity to stay for her lifetime, it seems too good to be true.

Ornithologist Benton Fuller arrives to conduct a bird survey for the park and the two form a tenuous bond. But their friendship broadens a rift between her and the other mountain folk who are suspicious of any government connections. Then the discovery of an illegal still in the woods near her cabin leads to a violent clash between sides that could destroy them all.

Eighty-five years later, Kieran heads back to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to find answers to her great-grandmother's mysterious death and bring peace to Granny Mac before it's too late. Park Historian Zach Jensen may be the key to locating both the answers and a precious family heirloom. But just as in the past, Kieran's needs clash with government regulations. Will Zach block her from recovering what she needs and solving this family mystery?

My Thoughts:

I anticipated reading When Stone Wings Fly, and it did not disappoint. Karen Barnett brings us another wonderful book featuring the National Parks. This time we find Rosie McCauley in the midst of the creation of the Great Smoky Mountain’s National Park, with a threat to lose her land. Benton Fuller, researching for the park system, discovers the place his heart has longed for. Two generations later, Kieran Lucas wants more than anything to bring the grandmother she’s longed for a peace in the midst of dementia. As she searches for that peace, she finds Zach, a kind-hearted man troubled by his past. Barnett set up a heart-wrenching, yet hopeful story in the midst of the beautiful Smokies. Grandma Mac’s story weaves together this beautiful tale of determination and love. Realistic, yet romantic, this story touches the heart in so many ways. If you enjoy split-time, historical, or romance, I think you’ll enjoy When Stone Wings Fly. I purchased a copy, and my opinions are my own.

Children’s Picture Book Review: The Stories of God (and Kiki) by Dave Connis, illustrated by Amy Domingo

What it’s About:

Little Kiki is an aspiring author and illustrator who weaves daring tales about swashbuckling otters, all-knowing sea cucumbers, and nail-biting rescues from the clutches of gerblins (part gerbil, part goblin). But where do her imagination, creativity, and ideas come from?

Meet God, the author of all stories. He writes adventurous tales such as Esther Saves Her Family and Friends, Jesus and the Tomb that Couldn’t Hold Him, and the Story of Kiki.

Kiki loves to write but sometimes she forgets to include important pieces (like the time she forgot to give the ship’s cook a kitchen). God also loves to write, and He knows exactly what every story needs. They are both writing their biggest story of all, and the endings are bound to be incredible.

My Thoughts:

The Stories of God (and Kiki) is a delightful book that focuses on how God created us in His image. Kiki is a writer and illustrator who understands she may make mistakes in her stories, but God never will. Amy Domingo’s illustrations are refreshing, colorful, and fun. This is a great book to share with a child and help them understand God created them to be themselves, even as He, in his wisdom, created the world. This would be a great book to use in Sunday School or with a group of children, then have them write a story and illustrate it.  I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thanks for the free
#TheStoriesofGodandKiki @WaterbrookMultnomahKids #partner

Life Compared to Algebra

1 Corinthians 2:9-13

However, as it is written:
“What no eye has seen,
    what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived”—
    the things God has prepared for those who love him—
these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.  What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.

Some things are hard to comprehend. 

My granddaughter and her friend

In high school, we split into groups according to what we wanted to do after we graduated. I was in the college prep program with specific classes assigned. The school required I take algebra 1 & 2 and geometry. I’m not ashamed to admit, I didn’t enjoy algebra or even begin to understand it. I felt frustrated because I couldn’t wrap my head around the concepts. I struggled through and managed to pass, but I still don’t enjoy math.

Life, compared to algebra, has proven to be much harder at times, but as a follower and believer in Jesus, I’ve been given the gift of the Holy Spirit. At times understanding the supernatural abilities of the Holy Spirit seems out of reach, yet the Spirit knows me and knows God better than anyone. The Spirit understands my needs, helps me navigate the world and keeps me on the path God created for me.

I love the words in 1 Corinthians 2:9; “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived—the things God has prepared for those who love him.” God has revealed through the Spirit the very life He has prepared for me. It sounds so simple, but without faith is so hard to comprehend. God had given his followers the Holy Spirit as a guide, a wisdom revealer, a prayer, and a caretaker. In faith, I trust the Holy Spirit to guide me and whisper to me what I need to know.

Even though I don’t understand the supernatural elements of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, I know the Three-in-One loves me and wants the best for me.

Trust the Holy Spirit’s lead.

Enter to win Summer Beach Reads!

Have you entered yet?

Home Where She Belongs, is part of the Basketful of Books Giveaway. This giveaway runs 7/11 through 7/17, and the prize consists of ten Christian books. The 1st place winner will receive all ten books (authors' choice of format) and the 2nd place winner will receive three books (authors' choice of format) of their choosing. A variety of genres, from fantasy to historical romance to suspense and more, are featured.

You can enter to win here:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/bfce54d35/?

Never Too Old

Some birthdays seem more significant than others.

 

Sixteenth, thirtieth, fiftieth, and now my sixty-fifth.

I like this quote by C.S. Lewis:

"You are never too old to set another goal or

to dream another dream.

I may be an official senior citizen, but I choose to keep dreaming 

and goal setting because I know God has purpose for my life.

We're never too old to serve God and love people.

At 95, when she could do little else, my mom prayed for folks and sent cards.

At 92, my gram helped her friends, studied her Bible, and prayed.

Never discount your life in God's hands.

Romantic Suspense: Edge of Dusk (An Annie Pederson Novel Book 1) by Colleen Coble

What it’s About:
Even though secrets lie off the coast of Rock Harbor, the truth will set Annie Pederson free—if it doesn’t kill her first. Return to the beloved town of Rock Harbor in the first installment of a new series by bestselling suspense author Colleen Coble.

Nine-year-old Annie Pederson’s life changed the night her sister was kidnapped. The two had been outside playing on a dock, and Annie never forgave herself for her role in her sister’s disappearance. Twenty-four years later and now a law enforcement ranger, Annie is still searching for answers as she grieves a new loss: the death of her husband and parents in a boating accident.

But Annie and her eight-year-old daughter, Kylie, aren’t the only people in the town of Rock Harbor whose lives have been marred by tragedy. While managing the property around the Tremolo Resort and Marina she inherited, Annie discovers a dead body floating in the cold Superior surf and begins to work with the sheriff’s office to tie the death to a series of other mysterious reports in the area.

At the same time, her first love, Jon Dustan, returns after nine years away, reigniting the town’s memory of a cold case he’d been suspiciously linked to before he left to pursue his orthopedic residency. For the sake of her investigation and her heart, Annie tries to stay away. But avoiding Jon becomes impossible once Annie realizes she is being targeted by someone desperate to keep secrets from the past hidden.

In this new series, bestselling romantic-suspense author Colleen Coble returns to one of her most beloved towns, where familiar faces—and unsolved cases—await.

My Thoughts:
I enjoyed going back to Rock Harbor and thought the appearances of characters from Coble’s other Rock Harbor books was a great addition to the story. Coble’s layering of emotion, experience, and determination creates depth in the characters and makes the story more intense. Lots of mystery and uncertainty make Edge of Dusk a true page turner, and without giving anything away, the ending makes me want the next book in the series now. The setting is beautiful, yet full of mystery, like another character added to the story. If you enjoy romantic suspense, you’ll want to read Colleen Coble’s Edge of Dusk. I’ve never read a Coble book I didn’t like. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I See the Light

Psalm 27:1
The Lord is my light and my salvation—
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
    of whom shall I be afraid?

A green light shone every six seconds.

Seventy-seven steps. The number of stairs a person would need to climb to get to the top of Marblehead Lighthouse. Tim and I have climbed those steps to the top, in the daytime, where we stood against the railing and viewed Kelleys Island in Lake Erie. When we turned to face the lighthouse, we peeked in on the magnificent LED lights that shine in the night.

We are drawn to the lighthouse at dusk, when the green light flashes every six seconds. There isn’t a beam, like a search light, instead there is a steady lamplight warning boats of the hazard of the nearby land and rocks.

Boats aren’t the only thing aware of the light at night. Mayflies are drawn to it. They appear around May, June, and July on Lake Erie. If there are a large number of the flying creatures, the lake is clean because these insects choose a clean environment to lay eggs. On Kelleys Island, I asked a young lady if they were bothered with mayflies. She told me they mostly come out at night because they love the light.

In my everyday life, God is my lighthouse. He’s not shining a search light, instead He’s a steady beam of light which draws me to Him out of the darkness of our broken world. Like the boats, I need Him to warn me of the dangers, and like the mayfly, I’m drawn to Him as my shelter.

David reminds me God is my stronghold and my shelter. I have no need to fear, because He’s the light which draws me to Him and the salvation for my soul.

When I keep my focus to God’s light, as I walk through this dark world, hope wells up in me and I embrace His peace.

Seek God’s light and salvation.