Be Still My Soul - A Book Review

From the Back: Pretty Lonnie Sawyer is shy and innocent, used to fading into the background within her family, and among the creeks and hollows of the Appalachian hills.  Though her family is poor and her father abusive, she clings to a quiet faith.  But when handsome ladies' man and bluegrass musician Gideon O'Riley steals and kiss, that one action seals her fate.  Her father forces her into a hasty marriage with Gideon - a man she barely knows and does not love.  Equally frustrated and confused by his new responsibilities, Gideon years for a fresh start, forcing Lonnie on an arduous journey away from her home in Rocky Knob.  Her distant groom can't seem to surrender his rage at the injustice of the forced matrimony or give Lonnie any claim in his life.  What will it take for Gideon to give up his past, embrace Lonnie's God, and discover a hope that can heal their two fractured hearts?  Gideon only ever cared about himself.  Now that Lonnie is his wife, will he ever be worthy of her heart?

Synopsis:  Lonnie Sawyer is a 17 year-old girl in Appalachia who is growing up in a home with an abusive father.  Her only solace is her Aunt Sarah's house where she plans to move when she turns 18.  Gideon O'Riley is a young musician who steals a kiss from Lonnie on a walk home one night.  Lonnie's father sees and misconstrues the event.  He forces Lonnie and Gideon into a marriage neither of them want.  Leaving town to start a new life, Gideon and Lonnie set out on foot hoping to reach a town with job opportunities.  The journey proves difficult at best and at their weakest point, God steps in and provides a way out in Jebediah Bennett.  Jebediah stops Gideon before he can do something he'll regret.  Jebediah invites Gideon and Lonnie back to his home and invites them to stay a while.  They agree and settle into a tenuous relationship and routine.


My Review:  It took a little bit of time to get into this book but I'm so glad I did.  It's a sweet tale of grace and redemption.  I took an intense dislike to Gideon - he's an immature, insensitive clod who doesn't deserve someone as sweet as Lonnie.  That dislike lasted most of the book and in my opinion, that's the mark of a good author with good character development!  The Bennetts are a nice addition to the book, providing parental guidance to both Lonnie and Gideon.  The dialogue between characters seems more three-dimensional than most books - almost like watching a movie instead of reading a book.  The storyline moves along quite nicely with a healthy mix of drama and tragedy.  Bischof wraps the story nicely at the end.  This is a perfect book to lose yourself in on a rainy afternoon.

Score:  4.0 bookmarks out of 5.

Note 1:  Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers gave me a copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest review. 

Note 2:  I finished this book a couple months back but inadvertently neglected to post my review in a timely manner.

To Love and Cherish - A Book Review

From the Back: Melinda Colson has been waiting months for Evan, the assistant gamekeeper at the Bridal Veil Island resort, to propose.  Without an offer of marriage, she must return to Cleveland with the family she works for as a lady's maid.  Evan isn't afraid of hard work, and he hopes to be promoted soon.  He wants to marry Melinda - but not until he's sure he can support her and a family.  Letters strengthen their romance until a devastating storm strikes the island.  With no word from Evan, Melinda knows she must journey back to Bridal Veil in search of her beloved.  But the hurricane isn't the last calamity to shake up Bridal Veil.  Melinda finds a new job on the island, but still no offer of marriage comes her way.  has she given he heart to the wrong person?  Will she ever find a man to love and cherish?

Synopsis:  Melinda Colson is a lady's maid for a wealthy woman who winters on Bridal Veil Island.  Over time she has fallen in love with Evan, one of the gamekeepers on the island.  Disappointed with the lack of a marriage proposal, Melinda returns to Cleveland with the family.  A long-distance romance grows until a hurricane ravages the island.  After being lied to by her employers, Melinda quits her position and convinces her brother to with her back to Bridal Veil.  When they arrive, they find the island devastated but Evan and Melinda's other friends have survived.  Melinda decides to take a job with the resort to wait until Evan is ready to propose.  She proves to be good at her job and is soon promoted to a new position creating activities for the guests.  New characters come on the scene and complicate life for both Melinda and Evan.  An assassination attempt leads to the climactic ending of the book.

My Review:  This is a very sweet historical romance.  I was intrigued when I discovered it was set off the coast of Georgia.  Even though the island is fictional, the storyline could easily have taken place on one of GA's barrier islands.  I do have to admit there were a couple of times I wanted to reach into the pages of the book and shake Melinda.  She comes across more "whiny" than I like in my characters. :-)  I did enjoy the storyline though and there were enough twists and turns (including an assassination plot of all things) to keep the story moving and keep my attention.  I've read dual-author stories before that seemed disjointed so I was a little concerned picking this one up.  However, my fears were relieved - this is a book that provides no noticeable differences in the writing.  This book is a well-written romance that drew me in quickly.  It was a fun read and I'm looking forward to more stories from Bridal Veil.

Score:  4.0 bookmarks out of 5.

Note 1:  Bethany House Publishers provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest review.

Note 2:  I finished this book months ago but inadvertently did not post my review in a timely manner.

Abducted - A Book Review

From the Back:  After solving the mayor's murder and exposing the corruption among the top brass in Las Playas, Carly Edwards is happy to be back on patrol with her partner, Joe, putting bad guys behind bars.  For once, everything in life seems to be going right.  But then everything starts going wrong.  Slow to recover from an injury, her ex-husband, Nick, begins pulling away just as they were starting to get close again.  Meanwhile, when Joe's wife lands in the hospital with a mysterious illness, their baby is kidnapped.  As Carly chases down every lead in a desperate search to find the baby, her newfound faith is pushed to its limits.

Synopsis:  Carly Edwards is a police officer back on the job and enjoying police work.  She enjoys working with her partner Joe and is rebuilding her relationship with her ex-husband Nick.  Without warning, Joe's wife ends up in the hospital critically ill.  While he's occupied worrying about his wife, Joe's baby is kidnapped from the hospital.  Carly manages to convince her supervisors to let her in on the investigation even though she has close ties to the victim.  Twists and turns abound in both the kidnapping investigation and Carly's relationship with Nick.  Can Carly find the baby and the kidnapper before it's too late?

Review:  This is the second book in the Pacific Coast Justice series.  It's helpful to have read the first book, Accused, but it's not critical.  Janice Cantore, the author, is a former cop so there's an element of authenticity to the book.  I like Carly's character; she's a good cop with a heart for people.  Her faith is new and she doesn't always understand how God works.  The book is a little slow in parts but it's fairly simple to plow through those sections.  There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you interested.  If you like police procedurals mixed with romance, you'll like this book.  I definitely plan on checking out the other books in the series.

My Score:  3.5 bookmarks out of 5.

Note 1:  Tyndale House Publishers gave me a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest review.

Note 2:  I actually finished this book months ago.  I somehow neglected to post this review in a timely manner.

Holy Cow It's Been A While

Wow, I had no idea it had been so long since there was any sort of update.  I'm going to TRY and get back to more regular blogging.  Expect a flood of book reviews in the next few days.  I somehow  lost track of the fact I had written some out and I forgot to type them up and hit post.  Oops!  I think I have four that are back-logged and then one that I've just recently finished.

I also hope to have pictures of my still new-to-me place.  I'm planning a do-nothing weekend so hopefully I can sit on my couch and post reviews and my thoughts on life in general.  I've composed a number of posts in my head about recent events but just haven't found the time to post.  More later....

Threads of Grace - A Book Review

From the Back: When Grace Beiler was only a girl, she was married off to an older Amish man in order to save her family's farm.  Years later, she finds herself newly widowed and a mother to a young son.  She has finally fled her sad past and plans to settle into a quite life in Pennsylvania.  As soon as she arrives, she captures the attention of Seth Wyse, the most eligible bachelor in Pine Creek.  Seth is candid about his feelings for her, and for her son Abel, but Grace is determined to protect her heart.  her determination falters when her brother-in-law reveals the troubling contents of her late husband's will.  Seth offers Grace his hand in marriage, and thus a means of escape.  But despite his having saved her from another loveless marriage, Grace is slow to trust her new husband.  And as the months wear on, Seth wonders if he has made a mistake.  But God is quietly at work in their hearts, and Seth and Grace soon discover that threads of grace bind them together in a tapestry rich in hope and love.

Synopsis:  The book opens with Grace being married off to Silas Beiler, a smarmy man who is at best a loveless man and at worst an abusive man.  Grace is left little choice in the matter and gives in and marries Silas.  By Chapter 2, the story has progressed nine years and Grace is now a widow with a young son.  She has fled to Pine Creek to hide from her husband's brother and hopes to quietly raise her young, autistic son.  She meets Seth Wyse, an eligible suitor who is quite attracted to Grace.  Grace, however, has no intentions of falling in love again.  She's not even sure she remembers what true love really is.  Through a variety of circumstances, Grace is forced into a situation where Seth offers to marry her.  In order to save herself from another potentially abusive relationship, Grace marries Seth but is resigned to a relationship that is a marriage in paperwork only.  Over time, Grace's heart begins to soften and she sees that Seth is quite different from her first husband.

My Review:  This is the first book I've read by Kelly Long.  I'm still figuring out Amish fiction and still trying to figure out whether or not I really like it.  This book was a quick read - easily finished in a weekend.  The plot isn't all that complex and the story moves pretty quickly.  While it's a sweet story, the characters don't have a lot of development behind them and Grace actually comes off as annoying in several places.  I was also disappointed that the ending just sort of happened.  It was almost like Long got tired of writing and just wrapped up the story lines.  The final chapter or two were too tidy - the abusive brother changes his tune quickly, the marriage between Grace and Seth is suddenly wonderful and everything is nicely wrapped up in a bow.  It just wasn't believable and left me wanting more.  Overall, it's a nice, quick read but didn't leave me wanting to find more of Long's work to read.

Score:  3.0 bookmarks out of 5.

Note:  Thomas Nelson Publishers gave me a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest review.

Grace - A Book Review

So, I've had "Grace - More Than We Deserve, Greater Than We Imagine" by Max Lucado on my reading list for a while now.  Somehow it kept getting pushed back by other books.  I'm glad I finally got around to finishing it and putting my thoughts on paper.  This is an interesting book.  It's not a deep, theological read on grace. Rather, it shows grace as the free gift it really is.  And that's what makes it such a good book.  Lucado does a really solid job of presenting grace as God presents it...a free gift that we don't deserve but is so much better than we could possibly imagine.  Through a mix of Scriptural references and stories of "real people", Lucado weaves a story that almost anyone can relate to.

There are two other things that I appreciate in how this book sets up.  First, Lucado is quick to point out that grace alone is all that's needed.  Works come out of our appreciation for the grace we've been given as Christians but our works don't do anything to save us.  It's a reminder that we can never do enough or be "good enough" for God but Lucado reminds us grace means we don't have to do anything else. I loved how he equated his merit badges from Boy Scouts to the erroneous concept of grace we sometimes have.  As someone who can struggle with doing more, I can really relate to his struggles and realized anew that grace means I don't have to do anything.

The other thing I appreciated so much was the easy style in the writing.  I would have no qualms about giving this book to a new believer struggling with the concept of grace or even a nonbeliever who doesn't grasp how a God could give grace.  There's even a Reader's Guide at the end that provides a Bible study approach to walking through grace.  Even the long-time believer will find pearls of truth to be reminded of or walk away pondering.  Lucado uses stories of even the worst of biblical sinners (David, anyone?) to show how God's grace is free for the asking.

The final thing that stuck with me is the requirement that those who have received grace must give grace.  He likens it to Jesus taking the role of a servant and washing the disciples feet.  It's easy to celebrate the grace we've been given but much harder to give grace to those who've wronged us.  Even though this isn't a deep book and doesn't take a great deal of time to master, it's a great book that will be a valuable re-read in the future.

My Score:  4.5 bookmarks out of 5.

Note:  Thomas Nelson Publishers gave me a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest review.

Compassion Mobile Experience

I've been a sponsor with Compassion International since October of 2008 and an advocate with them for the past 2.5 years.  I educated myself about the organization before getting involved with them and can honestly say I have had no misgivings about the relationship.  What I experienced yesterday only furthered my resolve to advocate on behalf of this organization.  Having the opportunity to serve at the Mobile Experience was an honor.  Getting to help people have their own encounters with world poverty and the difference Compassion makes was a blessing to me.  Seeing 30+ sweet children from some of the poorest parts of the world have their lives changed was icing on the cake.  I almost can't explain what it was like - words just aren't enough.  To be surrounded by other people who were like-minded in their dedication to the "least of these" was inspiring.  Seeing people make life-changing decisions reminded me of the life-changing decision God offers us through salvation.  While the money Compassion provides to these local children provides a level of salvation on the temporal level, they also work to present salvation on the eternal level, sharing Christ with each child who comes through their doors.  The whole premise of this Mobile Experience is to "change the story."  The idea is that sponsorship changes the story for the sponsored child.  But it's so much more than that.  It also changes the story of the sponsor.  There's a child in Uganda whose life is changed because of my love, support, prayers and Compassion's intervention.  That's a weighty proposition when you think about it.

I think the angels were crying out in praise yesterday for the 30+ people who took a stand against poverty, injustice and Satan himself.  Praise the Lord for those people who changed the story for 30+ children.

Final 2012 Update

So, it's been six weeks since I updated this blog!  LOTS has happened since I updated last.  Most importantly, I closed on my new house and moved in the next day.  Between packing to move, finishing the paperwork, moving and unpacking, the blog was the last thing on my mind.  But, now that the boxes are mostly unpacked, I can get back in the swing of things with the old blog.

The new place is wonderful.  I'm really, really happy with my purchase.  It's the perfect size for me - has a spare bedroom for company - but isn't so big that it's overwhelming to clean.  I love having everything on the inside brand new.  And stainless steel appliances in the kitchen don't hurt!  It's quite nice having an oven that works properly and a refrigerator that doesn't make noises like it's trying to die.  I've successfully broken all the appliances in - had a wonderful time doing my holiday baking.  Managed to get somewhere around 10 dozen cookies made quite efficiently. :-)  I hope to have pictures posted to the blog closer to the weekend.

The job was a little crazy toward the end of the year.  We are busy planning how we are going to reach some pretty extreme goals related to training.  We didn't get to set the goals but we're responsible for meeting the goals.  Gotta love when that happens. ;-)  I have all confidence that my team will work hard to try and meet the goals.  Most of the rest of the craziness was the usual stuff that comes with the end of a calendar year...money that must be spent, reports that must be written, etc..  I did enjoy having a few days off last week for Christmas but am looking forward to getting back into my daily routine.  I'm still loving working for Children's - it's just a great place to work (the bonus I received last week didn't hurt!).

My plans for 2013 are to try and live a more healthy lifestyle.  I'm going to start by working through the book Made to Crave to focus my efforts on craving more of Christ instead of more of whatever unhealthy food is around.  I'm also hoping to cook more often on the weekends, making healthy options that I can quickly add veggies to for a complete, healthy meal each night.  I'm also planning to use the exercise center at my townhouse complex.  I figure if I add exercise and change my eating habits for the better, the weight loss will take care of itself.  I want to focus more on healthy, God-honoring decisions with my body as opposed to numbers on a scale.

I guess that's all I've got for now.  I'm not sure what I'm planning to do schedule-wise for the blog in 2013.  I haven't decided how to update - I know I will update with a good bit of regularity, I just don't know that it will be weekly.  I do have several book reviews to post - I've read quite a few and have written the reviews, I just haven't gotten them posted.  Hope to accomplish that sometime this week.  More next time...

Weeks Forty-Five and Forty-Six

I managed to not post a week in review last week.  Not sure what happened other than life. :-)  The last two weeks have been a bit crazy.  Between work and house stuff and packing, I've been up to my eyeballs in other stuff to do and the blog got the short end.  Since this coming week is Thanksgiving and next week is scheduled to be moving week, weekly blog posts may take a brief hiatus.  BUT, that means when I do come back, I'll have pictures of my new house to share.  Yippee!!!

In all the craziness, I'm still managing to enjoy my job - I'm working on several different projects so each day is different and there's always new stuff to learn.  I can really see that what we do matters to families in ATL and throughout Georgia.  I'm thankful God brought me to Children's.

Spiritually, I've moved through all four gospels and into Acts and Paul's letters.  What struck me so poignantly over the last few weeks is how God will accomplish His mission regardless of who tries to intervene and prevent His Word from spreading.  Acts is full of this theme.  Leaders were constantly trying to stop the spread of the gospel and the work of early Christians.  But, God moved pretty amazing ways - earthquakes, blindings, miraculous healing - you name it, God did it.  I think it's a great reminder for us in today's climate.  The post-election worry by Christians saddened me - if we know God is sovereign, we shouldn't be worrying.  Of course, we should be champions for biblical causes and fight against injustice but worry shouldn't move in.  Hopefully as time goes on, people will calm down and go back to focusing on what really matters - building relationships with people and sharing the gospel.

Okay, headed to the couch to chill for the rest of the evening.  I've been packing this afternoon so I'm ready to relax.  More next week (maybe)...

Week Forty-Four in Review

This was a crazy week.  I think I made up for all my calm weeks with this one.  We had our annual training conference on Monday and Tuesday.  I wasn't in charge (one of my employees was) but as the boss, you still want everything to work smoothly.  Fortunately, I have a great team and they pulled off the conference wonderfully well.  I've heard nothing but compliments and that thrills my heart as a boss.  This is still a new role for me so figuring out when/how to help and when to step back is tougher than it looks.  Another reason I'm thankful for CHOA and their investment in managers.  I can learn from others how to best manage in these situations.

I've begun the packing process - started with the easy stuff like CD's and DVD's and will move on to the more complicated/heavy stuff next.  Mom nicely volunteered to help me a little tomorrow while she's in ATL for a conference on Monday.  I'm trying to parcel it out a little at a time to avoid getting too overwhelmed or frustrated.  But, moving day will be here before I know it so I've got to keep plugging along.  Speaking of moving, I still have no more details about closing dates.  Hopefully now that we're inside 30 days, I'll hear something soon.  If I haven't heard anything by next Friday, I'm calling to inquire.  I am a planner and need to make plans - especially for movers, days off, etc.

Spiritually I've been in the gospels all week and focusing on the later portion of Jesus' ministry.  Most of the week was reading parables and it made me think about how Jesus communicated with His disciples and how they had to learn directly from Him since the parables often needed further explanation.  It reminded me how important it is for me to spend time in Scripture - learning from the source instead of depending on a book, pastor, or some other source.  I love how God's Word continues to come alive!

So this week will be election week.  I am so looking forward to the campaign being OVER!  I am so tired of the rhetoric, lies, and wasted money.  I am hopeful the voters of this country are smart enough to make a change but I'm not counting on it.  Regardless, I know God is sovereign over the situation no matter who wins.

I think that's all for this week.  I'm off to continue the relaxation this Saturday has blessed me with.  More next week...

Week Forty-Three in Review

So we're another week down.  This was another pretty calm week though work is picking up in intensity.  I'm definitely not complaining, I love the job, but we've entered into a project that we don't have a lot of control over so navigating the "politics" involved is interesting.  I am thankful most every day though that God put me in this position.  We are doing good work that is important to the overall health and well-being of children in GA.  I feel like I'm using my passions and professional skills to the best of my ability.  It's such a great place to be!

I've really started the sorting/cleaning/purging process that precedes packing.  I've gotten three bags of stuff together to donate and am attempting to really thin out my "stuff."  If I haven't used it or it doesn't have a sentimental story, it's going.  I'm hoping to really streamline before the move since I'm losing a bit of storage.  As far as I know, I am still on schedule to close on November 30th and hope to move December 1st.  Since there's construction involved, there's no guarantee closing will happen on time but I'm praying hard it does!

This has been a neat week spiritually.  Last Sunday, we had an event at church to get people connected to City Groups (our version of local discipleship).  I went to meet the people that are in my new City Group.  Changing City Groups has been my one "concern" in this whole move.  I've been in the same group since the beginning and hate the thought of moving away from them.  BUT, it turns out I know several of the couples in my new group and really like them.  I think it will be really neat to do life with these people.  Then today, I went to a brunch for people interested in serving with Renovation's Mercy and Justice ministry.  It was so neat to be in a room of people who are passionate about meeting needs in Atlanta AND sharing the gospel while meeting needs.  If we don't provide the gospel while meeting needs, we're no better than any other humanitarian group.  I can't wait to see how God is going to use this team to change this city!  So thankful He put me at Renovation!

I guess that's all for now.  I'm headed to the couch to watch the rest of GA/FL.  More next week...

Week Forty-Two in Review

Can anyone else believe there are only 10 weeks left in 2012?  Where did the year go - it seems like just yesterday was New Year's Day and now Target has Christmas ads on TV.  Seriously, can we at least wait until November 1st before being inundated with the crazy, consumer-driven Christmas commercials.  I'm finding more and more reasons to appreciate my DVR. :-)

This post will be super-short because this week was quite boring and I didn't have anything "pop" out at me while reading Scripture this week.  I was reminded how much I love my Renovation family and my city groups.  I just love getting together with those folks both on Sundays and during the week.  It just nourishes my soul so much.

I did try two Pinterest recipes yesterday.  One was quite successful and a keeper and the other was a giant waste of time.  I didn't waste any food, the cauliflower is just mashed, not turned into pancakes.  I'm becoming quite domesticated and am actually making dishes where the main ingredient isn't sugar.  Who knew cooking could be so simple?! :-)

I think that's about all for the week.  I still have two book reviews to post and I hope to get that done tomorrow at some point.  Might be lunch hour activity.  I'm beginning the packing process so who knows what the coming weeks will bring.  More next week...

Weeks Forty and Forty-One in Review

So somehow I managed to miss blogging last weekend.  Probably because I was out of town and just plain exhausted when I got home Sunday.  By the time I remembered, it was Tuesday or Wednesday and I said the heck with it. :-)  Both weeks were good weeks - found out this past Tuesday that I've cleared underwriting (Praise the Lord!) and we are set for closing.  Now the waiting and packing begins.  I'm so thankful for how smoothly this entire process has gone.

Sarah and I took a meandering trip through North Georgia last weekend.  We went up to the apple orchard we normally go to and we took the "back way" up and then meandered through other back roads to reach the outlet mall so we could run in one store.  On our way back to her house, we decided to go to the state park up there to check out the waterfall.  It was an absolutely gorgeous day and we thoroughly enjoyed our trip.  I think it was more fun because it was outside our personalities.  We're both planners so to just randomly drive, off the interstate no less, was a nice change.  We both commented how much we enjoyed it.

This weekend she and I went to Macon to celebrate my mom's birthday.  I love being with my family and this weekend was no exception.  I'm so thankful to have family members that enjoy being with each other.  It makes going home such an enjoyable event.  Probably won't happen again for me until Thanksgiving so I enjoyed the weekend even more.

Spiritually these last two weeks have been spent in the New Testament, early in Christ's ministry.  Last week I was struck by how important it is to really know Scripture because Satan and the demons do. When Jesus was tempted in the desert, Satan was twisting Scripture to tempt Jesus.  It just struck me that if we don't know Scripture and have it imprinted on our hearts, we can easily go off course when temptation calls.  This week was totally different - I saw something new in the story of the woman at the well.  I've long been familiar with the story of how Jesus saw right through her and confronted her about her sinful behavior.  What I noticed this time was what happened after the encounter.  Scripture says she went and told everyone about her encounter and her tale prompted them to have their own encounter with Jesus.  How many lives were saved because she was excited about what happened to her and shared Jesus with others?  That got me thinking about whether or not I'm still excited about what Jesus did for me (and is still doing) and how often I share it.  It was definitely something I've been mulling over and will probably be mulling over for quite some time.

I guess that's about all I have for now.  Life is pretty calm around here and I'm liking that.  I do have two book reviews written, I just have to get them posted.  More to come next week...

Week Thirty-Nine in Review

So this week was a little different than most...I ended the week by putting an offer on a townhouse.  I'm still a little shell-shocked by how fast this has happened.  I had a meeting two-and-a-half weeks ago with my financial guy to update my retirement since I've changed jobs.  While we were talking, he encouraged me to look into qualifying for a mortgage.  I assumed my student loan debt was too high but he thought I could.  So, I followed his advice and am so glad I did.  Within a week, I'd looked online at over 50 places and narrowed my search.  On Monday of this week, I went with an agent and looked at three places.  My first choice turned out to be a bust - it needed way too much work.  But, my second choice turned out to be perfect.  It's about eight miles from where my new office will be, in a gated community, and best of all, is being completely renovated inside.  It will have new paint, appliances, floors, windows, water heater, HVAC, duct work, and carpet.  I'm pre-qualified for a mortgage and hope to clear underwriting by the end of this coming week.  Barring any strangeness, I should close the end of November.  Pictures won't come until it's officially "mine.'

Other than the house, the week was routine.  I'm still loving almost everything about my job.  I still have a few things I'm having to figure out and it's harder to do that in a large organization.  But, there are so many benefits to working for CHOA, the few little issues are easy to address.  I'm so thankful God has put me in this place.  I'm blessed beyond measure.

Spiritually this week, I've been focused on the renewal of the covenant between God and the Nation of Israel.  Reading passages in Ezra and Nehemiah remind me of the importance of relying on God in any circumstance.  While they were ready to immediately begin rebuilding the temple, God's directions required them to build the walls around the city first.  The plan may not have made sense on the surface but God's goal was to protect His children from danger.  He knew what they needed.  It's always interesting to read through Scripture and find new points of emphasis.  This year God has shown me elements of His sovereignty throughout my readings.  I've seen it in so many ways not recognized in previous readings through the Bible.  I'm so thankful Scripture continues to come alive in so many ways.

I guess that's all for now.  I have one more book review to get posted - hopefully early this week though I make no promises. :-)  Will keep you updated on the house.  More next week...

Nothing to Hide - A Book Review

From the Back:  The victim's head is missing, but what intrigues Detective Roland March is the hand.  The pointing finger must be a clue - but to what?  According to the FBI, the dead man was an undercover asset tracking the flow of illegal arms to the Mexican cartels.  To protect the operation, they want March to play along with the cover story.  With a little digging, though, he discovers the Feds are lying.  And they're not the only ones.  In an upside-down world of paranoia and conspiracy, March finds himself dogged by injury and haunted by a tragic failure.  Forced to take justice into his own hands, his twisting investigation leads him into the very heart of darkness, leaving March with nothing to lose - and Nothing to Hide.

Synopsis:  Roland March is a detective in Houston who's been assigned a strange case.  A headless victim whose body has been posed after death is an intriguing murder victim.  March begins investigating and discovers an undercurrent with the case.  His past dealings with the CIA appear to have some impact on this new case but why?  How do Mexican drug cartels and a paranoid veteran play into this mystery?  March's hunt eventually leads to a violent confrontation south of the border.

My Review:  Bertrand is a new author for me and one I'm thrilled to have found.  This is the third Roland March mystery and I'm planning to hunt for the first two.  March is an intriguing character.  He loves being a cop and isn't afraid to fight his superiors to solve a case.  There's a sense of justice that comes through in how March responds to the case he's fighting.  This book is a tight, fast-paced thriller.  I love political/crime thrillers and this one was quite enjoyable.  It was a quality story written without the foul language so common in today's fiction.  The plot moves quickly but not so fast you find yourself lost.  Bertrand has created a complex character you can easily relate to.  March has his flaws but you find yourself rooting for him to be successful in fighting his demons.  If you like crime novels, you'll find this one quite enjoyable.

Score:  4.0 bookmarks out of 5.

Note:  Bethany House Publishers provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest review.

Week Thirty-Eight in Review

Wow, another week gone by.  I can't believe we are so far into 2012.  It seems like just yesterday we were talking about plans for the year and now planning for 2013 has begun in earnest.  This has been another week in what is becoming my new normal - work and then home.  I have to say I am settling into that routine quite nicely.  I didn't realize how tiring travel could be but having a set schedule is a blessing.  Work is busy but it's pretty consistent and there are always new challenges so I'm definitely not bored.

I've prayerfully decided to start looking for a house (well townhouse really) to purchase.  I was thinking that it wasn't possible because of my significant student loan debt.  But, when I met with my financial planner (wow, that's a grown-up statement!), he told me it was definitely doable and recommended I see if I could get pre-approved.  Well, lo and behold, I had mortgage companies falling over themselves to run the numbers and actually pre-qualified and got pre-approved.  So, I reached out to an agent friends had recently used and started the process.  I'm looking at places for the first time tomorrow.  I'm kind of nervous about it because I had a bad horrific time the last time I owned a home.  So horrific it ended up with lawyers, depositions and lots and lots of tears.  I have NO desire to relive that experience.  But, I'm in a fortunate place that I don't have to move right now; I have no real ending date on my lease.  I just feel like it might be a prudent move and want to take advantage of inexpensive real estate prices and low interest rates (yet another grown-up statement).  God is in control so we will see what He has in store.

I've been reading in Ezra this week and was just in awe of the sovereignty of God.  The temple was in the process of being rebuilt and of course the enemies of the Israelites were trying to thwart that at every turn.  Edicts were issued and people ran to King Darius to try and stop things.  What blew me away was that not only did Darius allow for the rebuilding after he found it in the chronicles, he insisted that the money come from the royal treasury.  Not only did they get permission, they got payment too.  Talk about a sovereign God!  It just amazes me how God can take Scriptures written thousands of years ago and still make them applicable to our lives today.  Not so much about building temples but seeing that if God wants something in our lives, it's going to happen no matter the worldly interference.

I guess that's really all I have to say this week.  I do have two book reviews that I need to post.  Hopefully I can knock that out either Monday or Tuesday.  More next week...

Week Thirty-Seven in Review

Another week down and this was a not-so-boring week.  I spent Tuesday dealing with car issues.  I was so thrilled to be ready early and had psyched myself up for the travel up to Scottish Rite. Since this is an hour-long, frustrating trip through ATL traffic, psyching up is needed. :-)  I head out to my car, turn the key and nothing happens.  Oh the radio came on, the air came on, but the engine was having none of it.  I went back inside and called my daddy.  Of course that was my first thought - daddy could fix anything, right?  Since he was over 80 miles away, all he could do was give advice.  I followed it and called roadside assistance.  They sent a wonderful tow truck driver who jumped my car and I headed to the Ford dealership nearest to me.  One battery change later and I discovered I needed new brakes.  I was down to 3% of brake life and critical is 2%.  I see the battery dying as a blessing in disguise.  I could have easily lost my breaks and ended up in a crash and either hurt or killed someone else or myself.  While my plans for this week didn't include spending over $350 on car repairs, I'm thankful I found it before doing extreme damage and that God had provided the money for me to be able to pay cash.

Fortunately the rest of the week was fairly uneventful.  I'm still really enjoying my job and continue to see that although the need for our office is horrible and no child should have to see us, we are necessary and people value the work we do.  Being appreciated makes the work so much easier to endure.  I'm continuing to figure out what my role is and how to be the best manager I can be.  So, so thankful God has placed me here.

I spent part of yesterday volunteering at Garden of Eatin', the taste of Decatur event that serves as a fundraiser for Decatur Cooperative Ministries.  I volunteer with DCM through my church and was thrilled to be able to volunteer for Garden of Eatin'.  It was so fun - lots of yummy food, fun items in the silent auction along with games and live music.  Don't know how much money ended up being raised but based on the crowds, it must have been pretty good.

Spiritually, I've been thinking a lot about wisdom and knowledge this week.  My reading has been in Daniel and early in the book (1:4), Daniel and his friends are described as "skillful in wisdom" and "endowed with knowledge."  That got me thinking about the importance of both wisdom AND knowledge.  It can be easy to develop spiritual knowledge but that doesn't always lead to wisdom.  It is so easy to gain head knowledge but never apply it to my heart and have wisdom in dealing with situations.  Daniel and his friends had both and both were crucial to surviving captivity under both Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar.  Sanctification is such a journey and I'm thankful God continues to guide me in developing wisdom.  I pray I never lose sight of its importance.

I just posted a book review - one of the best I've read this year - and have one more to post.  I'm praying for another quiet week where I can get one more posted.  Incidentally, I don't think I hit 500 pages, probably closer to 250.  Oh well, at least I got those 250 in.  More next week...

Full Disclosure - A Book Review

Synopsis:  Full Disclosure is a combination of police procedural and love story.  It tells the story of Ann Silver and Paul Falcon.  Ann is the Midwest Homicide Investigator and Paul is a Chicago FBI agent.  Ann comes to Paul with a case that ends up breaking one of his cold cases wide open.  Ann is a mysterious figure who Paul decides he must get to know better.  He and Ann begin to build a long distance relationship via video chat.  As Paul begins to earnestly work the case Ann delivered him and discovers Ann is mixed up in the background of the case.  This only furthers Paul's desire to get to know Ann better.  The case gets more complex as the novel proceeds and Ann and Paul's relationship follows the same pattern.  Ann resists developing a deeper relationship and the more Ann resists, the more Paul continues his pursuit.  The book climaxes in a way that you will never see coming.

My Review:  This is one of the best books I've read this year if not the best.  Circle the October 2, 2012 release date on your calendar and GO GET THIS BOOK.  You won't be disappointed.  This is a wonderfully complex story with lots of twists and turns and wonderfully complex characters.  I loved both Ann Silver and Paul Falcon.  Both characters were so intricately developed - Henderson obviously took great care to create characters who her readers would come to love.  This book has a great mixture of police procedural, political intrigue, and romance but all the story lines intermingle easily.  There are references to characters from previous Henderson novels but the mentions don't take away from the current novel.  I love books with complex plots and this one is no different.  Just when I thought I had the book figured out, another twist popped up.  It made me want to keep reading.  But, I liked it so much I actually put off finishing the novel because I didn't want it to end.  Trust me, this is a book worth getting your hands on as soon as it comes out!

Score:  5 bookmarks out of 5

Bethany House Publishers gave me a free advanced reader copy in exchange for my fair and honest review.

Week Thirty-Six in Review

So, I didn't get a post done this weekend.  I was otherwise occupied on Saturday and just too dadgum lazy yesterday after worship to do it.  So, it got pushed to Monday.  Week 36 was quite similar to the last several.  I'm settling in to a nice routine at work and really enjoying what I do.  It's obvious people appreciate the work we do and it's important for Georgia's children.  That makes getting up and coming to work each day a pleasure.  It's also nice to work for an organization that values its employees and wants to make us better in our roles.  I'm in a seven-month management course and our first real class was Friday.  The entire focus of the class was making sure your managing style matches where your employee is with a particular project - avoiding over-managing or under-managing.  It was great to hear from other new managers on the struggles they are facing - I know I'm not alone in the "what have I gotten myself into" thoughts that creep in on occasion.  So thankful for the opportunities - these are classes that would cost hundreds if not thousands in the outside world.

Sarah and I had a wonderful time at The King and I on Saturday evening.  We began the evening with wonderful traditional, authentic Mexican food at Escorpion down near the Fox.  It wasn't your typical tacos, enchiladas and grease special.  These were small taco plates that were amazing combinations of meats and spices.  I had one that was a beef concoction that was simply amazing and one that was grilled fish.  It was a bit spicy for my taste but still really, really good.  We both enjoyed the performance at the Fox though people need to learn you stay seated after the show has begun (you don't NEED popcorn and coke) and you stay through the curtain calls.  It's RUDE to leave the show while the audience is still showing its appreciation to the actors on stage.  Traffic's not going anywhere, stay in your seats!  Okay, rant over. :-)

I've been thinking a lot this week about contentment.  It's funny how God brings you thoughts in bunches.  Contentment was what yesterday's sermon was on too.  I say I'm content with my life but what does that really, REALLY mean?  I do find times (probably more often than I even realize) when I compare my life to someone else's.  I'm not as pretty as they are, why am I not married/don't have kids, why don't I have a house, etc.  The list is endless quite honestly.  My pastor yesterday brought it home by highlighting the fact that being discontent and comparing yourself to someone else means you don't trust the sovereignty of God.  Whoa, talk about a perspective change!  I've been chewing on that comment now for almost 24 hours and still am not 100% sure how to fully apply it to my life.  Definitely food for thought.

In other news, I finished one of the best fiction books I've read in a long time, Dee Henderson's newest, Full Disclosure.  I think I put off finishing it because I didn't want it to end.  It's that good.  Look for the review in the next day or two.  I'm reminded when I come across good books how much I love to read.  I've had a library card since I was two and I wear mine out each year.  It's such a joy to lose yourself in a book. Sadly, not everyone can read or read with any proficiency.  My friend Brooke over at iblog4books listed these statistics as part of Literacy Week:

• Literacy is learned. Illiteracy is passed along by parents who cannot read or write.
• One child in four grows up not knowing how to read.
• 43% of adults at Level 1 literacy skills live in poverty compared to only 4% of those at Level 5
• 3 out of 4 food stamp recipients perform in the lowest 2 literacy levels
• 90% of welfare recipients are high school dropouts
• 16 to 19 year old girls at the poverty level and below, with below average skills, are 6 times more likely to have out-of-wedlock children than their reading counterparts.
• Low literary costs $73 million per year in terms of direct health care costs. A recent study by Pfizer put the cost much higher. 

Celebrate Literacy Week by picking up a book.  I know I plan to!  I'm not as ambitious as Brooke and her 1,000 page goal but I plan to aim for 500.

Two book reviews to come and more next week!

Week Thirty-Five in Review

I've about decided I like boring work weeks.  I feel more relaxed and am more productive when there is no outside travel or drama complicating things.  I got told again this week that I look so relaxed - it's amazing what job security and no drama will do for someone. :-)  I am thrilled beyond words that God has placed me where He has.  I'm able to use my public health knowledge and in turn, use my "work knowledge" to educate my circle of influence.

I also had an orientation to a management essentials program that CHOA provides for new managers.  It's a really neat program full of information designed to help me be a better manager.  Management at CHOA has based the program on current, top-notch leadership programs from the business world but has tweaked it for use in the health care setting.  The program is a huge asset to me and I'm looking forward to the next seven months.  Lots to learn but lots of great information that will help me be a better manager.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my weekend this weekend and have one more day to enjoy!  I am reading a great new book from Dee Henderson (review to come).  It's probably one of the best I've read this year and one of the top five from the last several years.  Can't wait to review it for people.

Spiritually this week I've been in Jeremiah, Lamentations, and Ezekiel.  I started doing something my mom mentioned in passing once while we were talking.  I've made notes in my Bible every time I've seen God mention the remnant.  It's so obvious all over Jeremiah and Ezekiel - God was punishing the nation of Israel but He had a plan to save His covenant people.  It's a beautiful picture of His love for His people.  Even in the face of extreme disobedience, He had a plan to save.  And then He promises something as beautiful as Ezekiel 11:19-20 "And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them.  And they shall be my people, and I will be their God."  What a beautiful picture of how God treats us in salvation - He gives us a new heart!  Just like the Israelites, God has a plan for us and promises that He will be our God.  What a promise to rest in.

I think I'm signing off now - I have a book to read.  I'm putting off the consulting work I need to do until tomorrow.  I have a whole day to fill and no plans so reading is the plan for tonight.  More next week.