Summer days are waning

The days of summer are quickly passing by. We not only see the days pass on the calendar, we see the years pass as children grow up, and the seasons of life quickly change. The carefree days of childhood, where the greatest distress is the loss of a toy or missing a play day, will soon pass into the responsibilities of adult life.

King David expresses it in his Psalms and songs to the Lord of his heart.

"To every thing there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heaven."
Ecclesiastes 3:1

We each have a purpose in this life. And we have choices. We can choose to obey the voice of the Lord or we can choose to obey our own voice. The Lord promises to bless those who trust in Him and heed His voice.

"If therefore there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped. but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."
Philippians 2:2-8

Are you listening?

Most of the time when we are traveling, instead of cooking breakfast we will stop and pick something up and keep on making the miles.

 

On a recent trip we stopped at this place -

 

Hubby parks and I went inside to place a to go order. It wasn't a difficult order, but I found it interesting that the young man who waited on me was not listening. He heard me, and even repeated what I ordered, but he was not listening. 

So when my order arrives, I ask is one coffee decaf? "Oh you wanted a regular coffee too?" he says. Yes one regular and one decaf.  And then I ask, "is one oatmeal only with butter?" He looks at me, "you wanted one with only butter?" "Yes" I said.

So the young man goes back and fixes another oatmeal, and pours a regular coffee.

Now I've been to many fast food places in my time, and sometimes they don't always get my order right. But this young man heard what I said but was not listening. 

Is that what I do with God? Do I sometimes think I hear the voice of the Lord, but am I listening?

For two years I prayed fervently about a situation. Every day I implored with my Heavenly Father to intervene. In my prayers I felt confidant that the Lord would hear my prayers and answer the way I wanted.  But in the end, it was not so. I felt disappointed and discouraged. Why had God not answered my prayers? Doesn't the scripture say "seek and you shall find, ask and it will be given unto you?"

You see, this was someone that is very close to me. And I wanted so badly for this person's life to turn around and return to the obedience of God's will. Yet every time I questioned God about this outcome, I sensed Him saying, Do you trust Me? Yes, Lord I trust you. But see, this is someone close to me, and this person knows better. But do you trust Me? Lord, I do trust you, but ...  Do you trust ME?

 

Chuck Swindoll once said, " God does not greatly use the man who He does not first greatly wound." Do I feel wounded? Yes, hurt and wounded. But I do know that God is faithful, and I CAN TRUST HIM!

 

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for HE who promised IS faithful." Hebrews 10:23

When the Meadow Blooms

 

Rose Meadows, a widow in a sanitorium for tuberculosis, longs to get her two girls back from the orphanage she had to leave them in. Her daughters, Calla and Sienna, struggle being apart from Rose. Rose seeks out her brother-in-law, Dirk, who has been scarred from a barn fire, and is mostly living a solitary life.

The story is a slow build, but is about overcoming and how Christians still face trials in life. There is fear and hearts being closed, healing from past secrets. Very much a character driven story.

I received a complimentary ebook copy from the publisher, through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Memorial Day

 In memory and honor of those who have fought and died to keep our country free.

May God continue to protect and bless the United States of America!

Wishing you a safe and Happy Memorial Day

Mother's Day

Mother's Day is a special day. Not everyone is a Mother, but we've all had a Mom in our lives. Whether it was a natural Mother, an adopted one, or just a special woman who came along side to encourage you. My own Mom went to be with the Lord when I was in my 20's, but there have been women who stood in her place. I am thankful for God's mercies to allow me to share special "Mom" time with these women.

If your Mother is still living, be sure to give her a hug. And if your Mother is already gone, find someone who could really use a hug. It could be a relative, a friend, a neighbor, or even an acquaintance. In the Bible we see when Jesus hung on the cross, he gave His own Mother into John's safe keeping (John 19:26-27). I'm sure after Jesus died, Mary needed a hug. And when the Lord returned from the grave, in my heart of hearts, I know He hugged His Mother. Mary probably treasured those moments, just as she did when the shepherds told of the birth of Jesus (Luke 2:19).

May the Lord bless each one of you, whether you are a daughter, Mother, Grandmother, sister, niece, friend or neighbor. Everyone deserves to be remembered.

On the Way to Christmas

 

On the Way to Christmas, three novellas set between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

A Christmas Do-Over by Sheila Roberts brings Darby back to her home town. She has resisted going back because she was once the mean bad girl and didn't want to face eating humble pie. Her greatest regret was alienating her sister and best friend Greg. But life has changed her, and she must face the consequences of her actions and try to make them right.

Dashing Through the Snow by Melissa Ferguson finds Willow dumped by her boyfriend on the eve of a romantic cross country train trip. Certain he would propose, she decides to take the trip  on The Christmas Express solo. Ferguson usually writes with much humor and banting back and forth with her characters. I was a little disappointed as this story felt a little flat. 

A Perfectly Splendid Christmas by Amy Clipston was a delightful story. Kacey returns home to help her sister run her bakery, as her BIL lost his job and is having difficulty finding another one. Kacey is drawn to her former classmate Drew. But do they have too many differences to make a relationship work?

I received a complimentary ebook copy from the publisher, through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

To Tame a Cowboy

 

Jody Hedlund continues the story of the McQuaid family in the Colorado Cowboys series. 

Brody's past haunts him. He is broken and hurting. Savannah is a sweet kind hearted girl, seeking to find her place. She runs from her families ranch, desiring to be a veterinarian. What she finds is Brody's brokenness. Brody and Savannah's characters grow beautifully.

This story is about finding God's forgiveness and healing. A tender story to wrap around your heart. I read Wyatt's story, but this one can be read as a stand alone.

I received a complimentary ebook copy from the publisher, through Net Galley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.