Friday's Fave Five #237

Welcome to Friday's Fave Five.  A chance to slow down and look back over the week and think on the blessings in our lives.  And then to share five of them.  It's an exercise that forces us to slow down and take notice, to see the good things and to be grateful.  Please join us.  Details are linked in the sidebar.

1.  The story behind the picture.  The photo has gone viral over the internet and this is the bride's story behind it.

Photo by K.D. Burke Photography

Love this.   It made me cry!  This is the kind of man I pray my girls will find and this is the kind of man I pray my son becomes!

I originally found this at Time Warp Wife who found it somewhere else.

2.  Safe travels for both my son and daughter.  Both of them coming home this week.  It's good to have them here safe and sound!

3.  Oldest daughter home for a week.  It's so good to have her home, even if her main focus this time is not to visit with us, but to be a bridesmaid in her friend's wedding.  We're still snatching as many moments as we can.

4.  Raspberry Iced Tea.  So much raspberry flavor and so refreshing when it's ice cold.  Yummy.


5.  

Love this quote.  Sometimes after having royally failed the most courage one can have is just to take another step and try again the next day.  Thank God for his grace that we can try again.  And again.  Original found here and repinned via Pinterest.

What have been your favorite blessings from the last week?  What has touched your heart, lifted your day or made you smile?

A Wee Bit on the Hectic Side Around Here

It has been one crazy, busy, full week so far.  Let's just look over what's happening here at Living To Tell household.

• K. (Oldest Daughter) is home for the week.  Yay!  
• She's a bridesmaid in her friend's wedding this weekend so she's super busy and I'm not going to see her as much as I'd like.  Sigh.
• She came down with a fever the other night so has been camped on my couch for 2 days.  Oy.
• She brought T's (Younger Sister) friend down with her for a visit so we have company for the whole week.  Yay for T!
• J. (Middle son) is on his home rotation from his job as a medic on the rigs.  Yay!
• Every bedroom is in use in the house as is the sofa bed.  Oy.
• Dayhome has been running at full house this week.  Oy.
• It has been raining.  Sigh.
• Which means we're all stuck inside.  Oy.
• Babies have been teething.  Oy.
• Playroom and craft room is inaccessible until said company and visiting daughter wake up as those rooms all interconnect.  Oy.
• Dayhome kids are starting to bounce off the walls. Double  Oy.
• I took next Monday and Tuesday off.  Yay!
• Tuesday is our 30th Anniversary.  Yay!

So that about sums it up and I have to go because the kids are knocking at the door.  Off I go!

Jesus the One and Only by Beth Moore ~ A Review

Publisher's Summary:  
In Jesus, the One and Only, Bible teacher Beth Moore invites you to know Christ personally. Watch and listen as He breaks up a funeral by raising the dead, confronts conniving religious leaders of His day, teaches on a Galilean hillside, or walks on the waves and calms the storm. Like a ragtag band of followers two thousand years ago, you will never be the same again after such an up close and personal encounter.

About the Author:
Beth Moore is a best-selling writer, teacher and founder of Living Proof Ministries. Her numerous books and Bible studies, including “A Heart Like His” (B&H Books), “Breaking Free” (B&H Books), “Believing God” (LifeWay Christian Resources), “The Patriarchs” (LifeWay Christian Resources) and “James: Mercy Triumphs” (LifeWay Christian Resources) have been read by women in Beth Moore Bible study groups all over the world. Her Living Proof Live conferences have reached women in all 50 states in the United States.

My Thoughts:
Having just wrapped up an intense bible study course by Beth Moore with the ladies at church, I jumped at the chance to read this book.  It didn't disappoint.  Beth Moore takes us chapter by chapter through the book of Luke taking an in-depth look at the life of Jesus and inviting us to get to know Him on a personal level.  I loved the style in which it was written, very easily read and like having a discussion on the various scripture passages with the author.  She defines key Greek words so that the reader might have a better understanding of what the scripture is intending and she invites the reader to open their hearts to really get to know Jesus according to what the Word in Luke had to say.  The format was perfect for doing daily devotionals, each chapter easily read, and quickly done even with the portion of scripture given for each particular chapter.  Because I was just done the Breaking Free study, I made good use of this book and read the portions of scripture and looked up every scripture that was referenced in the chapter.  It made for a very meaningful and thoughtful devotional time and was perfect for keeping me going in the Word daily that the church study had started me in.  It will definitely be a re-read for me at my Easter reading time where I like to read a book that focuses solely on Jesus.  

Thanks to Shelton Interactive for providing a copy free of charge for my honest review.  All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I was not required to give a positive review.

Linked to Semicolon's Saturday Review of Books

Book Review ~ The Other Side of Darkness by Melody Carlson

 Ruth and her family seem like the ideal family.  She is a stay at home mom to two wonderful girls and her husband, Rick, is a hard working father providing for his family.  They attend church together and Ruth has just removed the girls from public school and registered them into the church's school even though the tuition put a serious dent into their budget.  All seems to be going just right in their lovely family. But Ruth is hiding deep self esteem issues that stem back to her treatment when a child by her mother.  And she knows that she must pray and pray hard to fight off that same evil from destroying her own family.  But when her best friend Colleen starts to have serious doubts about the church they are attending as does her husband, Rick, Ruth pushes back by getting even more serious about fighting the battle in prayer and doing what she has to loosen the grip of worldy things upon her family, even if it means usurping Rick in every decision.  When the pastor is fired amidst rumors of an affair, Ruth takes matters into her own hands and helps him to set up another church.  But the more Ruth battles in prayer against the demons she is starting to find lurking in every corner, the less peace she has.  Will she ever get it right and win this spiritual battle?  

This was not an easy story to read as the author takes us into the mind of a person sliding deeper and deeper into mental health issues.  Ruth does not realize that she is actually battling Obssessive Compulsive Disorder and is the very thing that is making her latch onto what she in her mind feels is destroying her family.  The story begins with Ruth starting with the greatest of intentions in prayer and heartfelt dedication and service to the Lord but it soon spirals into Ruth becoming obsessed with evil and demons to the point where she sees demons lurking everywhere and in everything including inatimate objects. Her whole focus starts to become demons and evil rather than the Lord.   Becoming entangled with a handful of church members who rely on her need to feel wanted and useful and able, they draw her into their circle by giving her responsibilities that build her self esteem.  Not recognizing that she is lured into cultlish and unbiblical practices, she accuses the ones who are trying to point it out to her of being influenced by the very evil she is fighting.  It was hard after awhile to continue on reading of the constant focus on demons that Ruth began to have but it was the nature of her illness.  In the reader's guide at the back the author poses the question, "Were you surprised to discover that OCD sufferers are at greater risk for spiritual deception?  Why or why not?".  In all honesty I had never ever thought of that but after reading Ruth's story I could see how that would be possible.  Even though the reading did start to get difficult, I stuck with the story to find out what would happen to Ruth's girls, who through their mother, were also being drawn into the cult that Ruth was becoming entrenched in.  In her obsession to save her family she actually started to endanger their lives.  I wanted to see how Rick would resolve the scary descent that he saw happening to his family.  Though the end was gut wrenching the actual resolution, I found, was wrapped up quicker than I would have liked.  I wanted to see a bit more of Ruth's actual journey of dealing with letting go ingrained ideas she had battled with.  Though I suppose the book then would have become double the size in it's reading.  A tough book to read but one that was interesting in it's journey into the mind of someone dealing with mental illness and cults and it's repercussions on the loved ones around them. 

The author's notes (worth the quick read) andan excerpt of the book can be found  here

Friday's Fave Five #246

Welcome everyone!   It's already Friday and that means a day to reflect and look back to find our favorite blessings over the last week!  This week just disappeared from under me, I haven't even posted!  Lots of work related busy stuff going on along with the normal day to day family stuff just absorbed the week.  But I know there are blessings that I need to pause and look at or they will just pass me by.  What about you?  Ready to find them and share?

1.  A new baby in dayhome transitioning in fairly well.  The first few weeks of twice a week attendance and I was really wondering if both she and I could handle this, but this last week she has just totally turned around and yesterday she actually came in the door smiling and no shrill, break your eardrums screaming crying whatsoever except when she was ready for bed.

2.  Series of Fear wrapped up at Sunday services this last week and I have to say I learned so much, was reminded of so much I knew but wasn't practicing and it just stirred me up into placing my trust in God once again.  I love when a message really speaks to what a lot of people might be going through and when it directly touches on things going on in my own heart.  I'll be looking over my notes on this one and continuing study on my own on this topic.

3.  An adventure in Chinese food.  We love going for Chinese food but we always tend to order the "Dinner for...".  So this week we went with friends and it was their treat and they ordered separate different dishes.  It was an adventure out of our usual as most of them we hadn't had before.  I love trying new things off of menus and it was delicious!  And the company was great.

4.  Sunshine!  Sweet warm sunshine after days of rain.  Yay, it's back outside with the kids to enjoy the lovely days we've been having.  My flowers are taking off and will actually be picture worthy this week.  Enjoying soaking as much of it as I can!

5.  End of "Breaking Free" bible study pot luck.  It was a great evening of good food, good laughs and I loved listening to how the study impacted different ladies in the church.  We all had a different story to tell of what they got out of the study or how the Lord had set them free.   I sure am going to miss going through an intense type of study with a great group of women.

What have been the good things from your week?  How has God brought blessing into your ordinary days?

Book Review ~ Relentless Pursuit by Kathy Herman

 Book 3 in the Roux River Bayou Series finds Sax Henry, a jazz saxaphone player from New Orleans, showing up on Adele Woodmore's doorstep.  Sax has been in search of his missing sister for 3 years and Adele is his last hope of finding her.  Sax's personal life is a mess and in finding his sister and making amends he hopes to finally find the peace and restoration he has been searching for.  But Adele is not too sure about this stranger and her fierce protective instincts take over.  But Sax is determined and desperate to find Shelby and peace and he'll do anything that will take him one step closer to his goal.  Even if that means staying in a tourist town where a bioterrorist has surfaced.  Little does he know that his sister is really right before his eyes, but she might not have the peace that his is so desperately searching for.

Emily's new friend Chance is hit with the devastating news that both of his parents have just died from cyanide poisoning.  As more people are admitted to the hospital and the news of more deaths hit the news, the police department is working 24/7 to find out what is going on.  Finding that water bottles have been injected with the poison and with no one taking responsibility for the act, they are not succumbing to rumors that it is a terrorist organization wreaking havoc.  They have to dig deep and work around the clock to come up with any links to who might be doing it and with keeping panic in the community down.  Emily meanwhile has her hands full in helping Chance deal with his grief.  But as Chance depends more and more on her instead of on his family Vanessa and Emily's  co-workers start to question the amount of time and work she is investing in helping Chance.

I love this installment in the series.  The author, through the characters of Sax and Shelby (Zoe) explores our search for peace in our lives and where true peace comes from.  She also continues the theme of mercy and grace that she presented in book 2 of the series (reviewed above).   Though Zoe had been shown mercy and grace that changed her life,  she struggled to give it to her brother whom she loved and trusted and was her rock as a child and then felt had abandoned her in the most horrific of circumstances.  It is a struggle that many of us also face when presented with it.  I love how real her character was and how that dilemma was not made easy by the author.  While I felt a little bit like the mystery part of the story was a bit disconnected from this part of the story the author wove the main theme into that as well towards the end.  The character of Emily, though frustrating at times had to make me smile.  She was the typical young adult; stubborn, loyal to a fault with her friends, thought she knew better, refusing to heed to caution but her character really became courageous.   

All in all I really liked this series.  The author was very good at re-introducing and connecting a few characters from her former series, the Sohpie Trace Trilogy and in continuing to develop the personalities first introduced in book one of this series.  She really made me care about the main characters and the tough issues they were facing.  The mystery kept me on the edge of my seat and turning the pages.   And I like how her books are not just mysteries but each carry life changing messages about issues we all face.

Friday's Fave Five #245

Welcome everyone to a very damp, drizzly, rainy Friday.  Lots of rain this week, but that hasn't dampened my spirits for looking back over the week to find some good things, blessing from God!  Please join in with me.  Guidelines are linked in my sidebar if you've never read them, then just jump right in.

1.  Every heard of a Corpse Flower?  Neither did I, but this article totally fascinated me!  You'll never guess why they call it that.

Photo courtesy of  Wikipedia

Who knew there was such a flower, a giant both in size and smell?  Apparently there is one in Edmonton, the capital of Alberta, and wherever they have one, thousands of people go to see it because it is so rare for it to bloom.  I'm so going to have to get on their website and watch for a bloom.  It might just be worth the long drive to say I saw one.  The smelling of it, though, might be debatable.  I might forgo that, if at all possible.  I've read to take a gas mask if you have one available.

2.   Hard working guy.   There was some bigger rain fall predictions made last week, and though we did get a good rain it wasn't a torrent or continuous for days on end.  And it's a good thing because as I was getting something out of the fridge I felt a big splop of water on my head.  I looked up and lo and behold our light fixture was "crying".  All over the new laminate floor.   Aaargh, we had a leak. So dear Hubby, got up into the attic, which is no small feat in this house.  The access is in the roof of my closet.  I do not have a walk-in closet.  It is a normal, fairly small double door closet.  Anyway, the hard working guy got up there to find where the leak was coming from and then up onto the roof in the rain to try and fix that leak.  So thankful for his willingness to do the tough stuff around the house.

3.  Family Birthday celebrations.  I admit.  I love a good celebration, whether it be big or small.  There is something about celebrating a person and making them feel special that just makes me happy.

4.  Breakfast out.  I love eating breakfast out.  I consider it a real treat.  I'm normally not a big breakfast person and usually the only breakfasts we eat out are when on holidays and even those not so much anymore since a lot of hotels include some type of breakfast with your stay.  So when Hubby suggested a new breakfast restaurant in town I hadn't tried yet I was all over that!  Oh, the choices they had.  I wanted one of everything but finally settled on 1990's Harvest breakfast:  cinnamon raisin brioche bun french toast with an egg and bacon.  It arrived with a ton of fresh fruit on the side.  Bananas, cantaloupe, strawberries, orange slices, kiwi.  So much fruit, I had to ask Hubby to help me finish it.    And some of the best coffee we've had in a restaurant.   My mouth is watering all over again just thinking about it.

   

5.  The fact that it is, indeed, Friday!  Whew, it's been a non-stop full week and I'm really, really glad it's Friday.  Even though rain is still on the agenda according to the weatherman, I don't care.  It's Friday!

What were your favorite blessings from the week?