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
What's the Story:
A collection of lost books holds the clues to her family's legacy…and her
future.
Hope Sparrow has mastered the art of outrunning her tragic past, learning never
to stay anywhere too long and never to allow anyone control over her life
again. Coming to Wanishin Falls in search of her family's history already
feels too risky. But somewhere in the towering stacks of this dusty old
bookshop are the books that hold Hope's last ties to her late mother—and to a
rumored family treasure that could help her start over.
My Thoughts:
Hope’s story took my breath away. Set in a small town, we often think of the
charm, the shops, the quirky characters, but something seldom revealed is the
underside this author captured; the one where grudges are held and gossip is
shared. Ronan’s family has caught the brunt of the rumors for years and paid
the price. When Hope comes to town to search for the treasured books her mother
left her, with plans to leave as quickly as she came, she discovers something
she’s been missing for years, the possibility, if somewhat shaky, to put down
roots. With Ronan’s lack of self-confidence and Hope’s fragile emotions, the
two search with the help of friends for a treasure which may not exist and
discover... well, you’ll need to read the book. The characters Rushmeyer
created will stick with me for a long time. If you love stories with literary
references, faith and hope, incredibly deep characters, and the prospect of
love, you’ll want to read The Bookshop of Secrets. I received a
complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are
completely my own.
Ephesians 2:10
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good
works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Genesis 6:6-8
The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth,
and his heart was deeply troubled. So the Lord said, “I will
wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with
them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I
regret that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of
the Lord.
As a crafter, artist, and writer, I picture God’s hands creating
each person with a purpose.
Can you imagine being called by God to build an enormous
boat because torrential rain is about to flood the earth and kill off all the
sin-filled people? On top of that, fill this ginormous ark with animals who
will be hungry, thirsty, and smelly. And you and your family of eight will be
the only people to survive.
True story. God called Noah to build an ark because God
looked at the world and saw so much evil, that He chose to start over. The only
man for the job was Noah because he was faithful, and he was created for this
purpose.
My friends, Bev, Krista and I went to visit the Ark
Encounter in Williamstown, Kentucky. The Ark is a replica of Noah’s ark built
according to the dimensions in the Bible with the folks who created it using an
artistic license on the internal structure.
As we walked up and down the three-story boat, along the ramps,
I pictured Noah and his family caring for the animals. The feeding and cleanup
were enough to overwhelm me. Which got me to thinking about tasks God has
called me to do. Was I as willing as Noah to trust God and move forward? I’d
like to think so, but at times, I’ve hesitated. When God called me to write
novels—I
thought there is no way I can do that. Yet I have because I chose to be
obedient to God’s calling.
I’m thankful for Noah’s example of obedience and faith. From
him and his family, I’ve learned to trust God and His wisdom and obey his
calling in my life. It’s not easy, but I know God has created me as
His handiwork to do good works.
What is God calling you to do?
Psalm 62:5-8
Yes, my soul, find rest in God;
my hope comes from him.
Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
My salvation and my honor depend on God;
he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
Trust in him at all times, you people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge.
"The trees are about to show us how lovely it is to let things go."
Autumn has arrived in a glorious hue of magnificent color
this year. I can’t remember a recent fall as beautiful as the one we are
experiencing now in southern Ohio. From the photos I’ve seen on Facebook, the
rest of the country is gorgeous, as well.
My daughter and I took a drive to see the trees in Kentucky.
She pointed out one on her street in an amazing shade of magenta. Surrounded by
oranges and golds, the tree stood out as a true beauty. All of these trees in
all of their glory are preparing to shed their leaves and rest for a season. I’m
glad they are giving us a show before they go.
And go they will. One day in a few weeks we’ll wake up to bare
branches where glorious beauty once waved. The thing is, the trees are okay
with it. It’s their process. Every year they let their leaves drop and prepare
for a season of dormancy. That doesn’t mean they go to sleep, instead they
prepare for spring by reducing water loss in the branches and trunk.
They let go in order to protect themselves from being
depleted of the what they need to continue to grow in the coming spring.
Letting go of past sins is hard, especially when guilt and
shame tighten their grip on the heart. Part of having freedom in Christ is to
let go of the past and the sin and trust in God’s grace. Jesus is my salvation,
my cleansing, and my rock. I’ve sought forgiveness and in His graciousness, He’s
given.
Like the deciduous trees who drop their leaves in the fall
and sustain themselves by preparing for the next phase, I want to let go of the
past and store up my trust in Jesus and His grace. It is lovely to let go and find
rest in God.
What it's about:
Mabel plans to bring the thrills of volunteering to the
masses—if she doesn’t go to the dogs first.
When Mabel finds herself sharing a thicket with a dead body
while volunteering with canine search-&-rescue, her life has clearly—once
again—gone to the dogs!
After her losing her job at age forty-nine, Mabel thought she’d turned things
around. Now she’s doing good by volunteering, and surely, she’ll soon be a
successful author, writing about her experiences. After solving two notorious
decades-old cold cases while serving as a historical society volunteer, she’s
already getting invitations to appear on TV.
Her new assignment couldn’t be simpler. All she has to do is hide in the woods
and let Millie the search dog practice finding her. But to her horror, Millie
finds more than Mabel—there’s a dead body hiding in the same patch of brush. To
make things worse, Mabel’s maybe-boyfriend, suspended PI John Bigelow, has a
dark history with the victim.
While struggling with maid-of-honor duties for best friend Lisa, a string of
disasters created by handyman Acey, and a disagreeable new neighbor, can Mabel
solve another murder in time to save John’s detective license—if not his neck?
My Thoughts:
I've enjoyed Wright's series featuring Mabel. She's a lovable forty-something
woman who is trying her best to stay out of trouble while stepping into the
middle of it. This time around, she's volunteered to help the folks who train
canine-&-rescue search dogs. While she's hiding in the woods, the dogs find
her and a dead body. Mabel's boyfriend, John, may be connected to the victim.
What can any good girlfriend do, but try to help him out of hot water. Of
course, best friend Lisa jumps in to try and help her best friend. Mabel's stories are filled with quirky characters and precious pets. If you enjoy cozies, I
think you'll like Mabel Goes to the Dogs. I received a complimentary
copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name,
O Most High. -Psalm 9:2
During the time we were cloistered in our homes due to COVID, the goldfinches and house finches kept us company, outside our window.
I heard them sing every morning.
They had no idea our world had turned upside down.
I'm thankful for those little birds and their songs.
They taught me to keep singing.
My daughter painted this beautiful picture of the goldfinch,
and it's a wonderful reminder to me to rejoice and be glad.
