I'm back and exhausted after a long day at the Regional Cheerleading competition, but I couldn't wait to share the good news. Molly's team took second and will be going on to compete at the State finals in two weeks (yes, on Valentine's Day!). I'm so proud of the whole team; they really nailed the routine and looked fantastic. Here's a picture of the with their award, Molly is on the far left in the middle row.
Mia is so excited today she is nearly leaping right out of her skin. Tomorrow is her sixth birthday, and she gets to celebrate it at school today. Last night we baked cupcakes for her class today, and I let her dress up in a fancy dress for the occasion. Add to that that Friday is her show and tell day, and she gets to wear a crown all day today, and she's a very happy little girl. She was singing "Today is my birthday, and I am the birthday girl" all the way to school this morning. It was a long eight miles, but I can't help but smile at her exuberance. We're not having her party tomorrow because of Molly's cheerleading competition, but she will get to pick out a Build-a-Bear on the way home. This time she's going to make a ballerina bear in honor of her dance classes. Sunday is the real big day with the party at Chuck E. Cheese.
I went to see Howard at the hospital yesterday. He's deteriorated rapidly this week. On Monday he was sitting in a chair and sipping broth. On Wednesday when Mom and Aunt Audrey went to see him, they thought they had walked into the wrong room because they didn't recognize him. He's lost much of his hair and turned a ghastly shade of yellow. He's also back on the ventilator. I'm really glad I had to chance to spend some time with him alone yesterday. I talked about the kids, and he reacted as much as he could by moving his eyes and forehead. I read some passages from the Bible to him too. I had to leave to pick up Mia from the bus, and when I said good-bye, he mouthed bye-bye to me and puckered his lips as much as he could to blow a kiss. I know that I will treasure those kinds of moments in the days to come.
Christian Writers' Market Guide 2009 by Sally E. Stuart is another outstanding update to an essential annual work. Stuart has been releasing these guides for several years, and they just seem to get better and better. There are literally thousands of contacts broken down into subcategories for easy searching to help just about any writer find a market. The CD-ROM has additional contacts for even quicker results. Stuart is constantly finding new contacts for writers while weeding out old ones, and this edition offers readers the opportunity to get regular updates from Stuart's website. This is one book that Christian writers can't do without. I love reading my copy each year, because I always find new ideas and inspiration.
I'm starting a new book contest on Monday, and February will be filled with contests here, so you'd better come back soon! Have a terrific weekend!
It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!
You never know when I might play a wild card on you!
and the book:
Revell (January 1, 2009)
The Someday List Blog Tour Giveaway
Stacy Hawkins Adams is a nationally-published, award-winning author and speaker. Her contemporary women’s fiction novels are filled with social themes and spiritual quests that take readers on journeys into their own souls.
Learning to let go and let God has been one of the hardest lessons I've had to learn as a Christian. I still struggle with it daily, but there are some situations where it's easier for me to surrender than others. Recently, we've had a great deal of upheaval and drama in our lives, so I've started a prayer journal. I have a regular journal where I write Scripture and quotes that strike my heart, prayers and praises, and things I learn on my faith journey. I started this new journal to remind myself to truly trust him. I'm reading a great book called When God & Grief Meet by Lynn Eib, and in my reading last night, Eib described two different ways we can look at trusting God in all situations. We can be resigned or surrendered. If we are resigned, it means that we aren't happy about it, but we didn't really have a choice. Surrender, however, is a choice, and one that I'm not very good at yet. In this new journal, I jot down just a few words about each prayer: Jesse's dr visit, Mia's cold, Howard's health, etc with the plan that as a prayer is answered I can mark it off with a date and maybe a note about how it came to pass. It's also a reminder when I open up the book to not worry about the prayers I have already noted in it. It's ok to assail Heaven with repeated prayers, but it's not okay for me to be stressing about them all the time.
In the last few months, I've had a few problems that were so big there was absolutely nothing I could do to improve them for the better. Sure I could have gone in fists aswinging and try to fight my way out, but I was so overwhelmed by it, it made more sense to pray to God and ask Him to do whatever was best for everyone involved. In every circumstance where I did that, He took care of the problem in an amazing way. On the other hand, small problems that should be less worrisome, give me more headaches, because I feel like I can do something about them and so I should. I'm hoping that as I continue to journal, I can learn to trust God with the small things as well as the big things, because He has more than proven Himself faithful.
Parting the Waters by Jeanne Damoff is a beautifully written story about how God used one family's tragedy for his glory. Jacob, the author's fifteen-year-old son, nearly drowns on a youth group outing and revives only after twenty minutes of CPR. Jacob suffered major brain damage from the lack of oxygen and doctors quickly tell the Damoffs that his brain is essentially dead and that it would be completely ethical for them to remove his feeding tube and allow him to die. Instead the Damoffs lean on their faith and community, and God comes through in amazing and miraculous ways. This is the kind of book that as you are reading it, you have to keep putting it down to tell everyone around you about the events within because they are too powerful not to share. Damoff is honest about her grief and anger about the loss of the Jacob who could have been, and her story is a testament to faith. It's a wonderful book that will bless everyone who reads it.
Howard was sitting up in a chair last night, and they are even giving him some thin broth to eat on his own. Apparently he had several strokes, so the movement on his right side is still limited, and he is a bit confused about time and place. I'll go see him again later this week.
Today is the beginning of a very busy week. Jesse has a medical procedure scheduled for tomorrow which will take a few hours, and after that we are hoping to visit Tristan and Howard at the hospital, and then do a little shopping. Tomorrow night Molly's cheerleading squad is performing their competition routine at the basketball game, so we're going to see it before Saturday. Saturday, the big day, is both Mia's birthday and cheerleading regionals competition. We're having Mia's party on Sunday at Chuck E. Cheese, and she can't wait. The first thing she did this morning was count the day on the calendar until her birthday. There is so much to do and get done this week, and of course, Saturday I could feel the beginnings of an RA flare-up. I feel like my body is betraying me just when I need it to function best. I've been praying for relief from the pain or at least a mental release from the frustration and guilt I feel whenever a flare-up happens. In the meantime, I have to weigh out what is a want and what is a need. What errands and chores can only be done by me, and what can I delegate. As a control freak, my brain says nothing can be delegated, but my aching body says different. I've learned so much from and through this illness, and yet I still fight it. I crave some peace of mind.
Mom just called and told me that Howard has been removed from the ventilator! What an amazing miracle. She's going to see him tonight, and if I can see him tomorrow, I'll have more news. Your prayers have absolutely been felt, thank you so much!
Necessary Heartbreak by M.J. Sullivan is the first book in the When Time Forgets Trilogy. The genre of Christian fiction has been expanding by leaps and bounds. Necessary Heartbreak is a moving novel about a father's love with a twist involving time travel. Michael Stewart is still suffering from a gaping wound in his heart after the death of his wife. He's been raising their daughter, Elizabeth, alone for thirteen years, and the pain of trying to do it all by himself has left him bitter toward God and overprotective of Lizzie. While the two of them are volunteering at a church event, they discover a door in the floor of the church's basement. Lizzie's irrepressible curiosity brings them down a ladder into a dark tunnel that seems to go on forever. At the end, they stumble blindly into what they think is a Passion play, but they quickly discover is 1st century Jerusalem where a man can be arrested just for questioning a prisoner's beating, and a young girl can be forced to marry a Roman soldier who wants to own her. Michael and Lizzie are taken in by a young widow named Leah who helps them navigate this strange world. Michael's disbelief in God is put to the test by encounters with Jesus himself. The father and daughter have to learn both to let go of and lean on each other in new ways. Sullivan's writing is clunky in a few spots, but Michael is a powerfully sympathetic character. The reason for Michael and Lizzie's travel into the past isn't made clear by the end of the book, but I'm sure that Sullivan will clear that up in the second book. Michael does use some strong language in the book, but it's always in character. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series and learning more about the Stewart family and their mysterious tie to the past.
For a wonderful story about how God moves through tragedy, read David Meigs' blog about his family's recent house fire. I love stories like this!
I love watching my kids grow up. It's fascinating to see them become someone completely different than you and yet have bits and pieces of you at the same time. Mia has a huge heart full of compassion. That's not something I could have taught her, so it's a gift of her own, and I love to see it at work. Yesterday I took the kids to see my Uncle Howard. And thank God, he is doing so much better! When we got there, he was awake and aware of us. He reached out to hold my hand and waved at the kids. He still had all of the tubes down his throat, so he couldn't talk at all, but he expressed himself through frowns and smiles. I talked to him about what the kids were doing in school and their lives while holding his hand. Mia stood right next to me at his bedside the entire time with a big smile on her face. She reached out to hold his hand and talked to him without any fear. Doogie is no fan of hospitals, so he only stayed in the room in a few minutes, and Molly and her boyfriend left shortly after. I don't blame them one bit. Watching someone you love in that condition is incredibly difficult, and they didn't know Howard that well, so in some ways he is a stranger to them. Mia refused to leave with them. She wanted to be with him. When we said good-bye, he reached out for her and cradled her cheek in his hand. It was hard to keep the tears back watching the two of them together. Without a word from him and only a few from her, an incredibly amount love passed between them.
After some more shopping, Mia, Doogie, and I went to see the movie Hotel for Dogs. It was a cute movie but was a little mature for Mia. The two main characters are foster children, and at one point, all of the dogs are taken away and the children are separated. Mia was so upset, she was ready to leave the theater and go right home. At first, I was a little frustrated so I cuddled her close to me and tried to explain what was going on, but then it hit me that what I had witnessed from her in the hospital room was evident again in the theater. Mia was feeling a deep empathy with the characters and the pain was overwhelming her. I whispered that sometimes we have to go through sad times in order to have happy times again. She kept her head buried in my lap for awhile, but as the mood of the movie picked up, so did she, and by the end, she was her normal bubbly self again. I can't help but wonder what plans God has in store for her and her heart.
By Reason of Insanity by Randy Singer is an astounding and compelling novel. I read a lot of books within a year, and something that many authors try to pull off is the shock ending. If it's done well, the entire book benefits from it, and the reader walks away from the book amazed and impressed by the author. If the author fails, the reader feels completely betrayed and played by the author. Either way, it's the kind of book that a reader tells their friends about. By Reason of Insanity is one of those books. Cat O'Rourke is a journalist in Virginia Beach who has been sent to cover a high profile murder in Las Vegas being defended by Quinn Newberg, a slick lawyer trying to save his sister, Annie's, life. Annie killed her husband in self-defense after facing years of his abuse. Quinn uses the insanity defense to free her, and instead ends up with a hung jury and a mistrial. When Cat returns home to Virginia, a mysterious Avenger of Blood starts murdering rapists who were never convicted and the lawyers who freed them. Cat starts covering the story as a matter of her work, but the story quickly becomes personal when she begins having visions of the crime and then becomes the prime suspect. Cat calls Quinn for help with her defense when even she starts to doubt her own innocence. Singer is a hugely talented author, and I am a huge fan, so I expected good things before I even cracked the cover of this book. But Singer pulls off the near impossible by keeping the reader wondering about Cat's innocence (without manipulating or lying to the reader), and then pulls off an ending that literally made my jaw drop...twice! This is the kind of book that if you have a friend who doesn't read Christian fiction because they don't think the writing is as good quality as regular fiction, you need to give them this book. Singer never proselytizes or preaches, and the writing is spot on, as good as it gets.
The hospital is weaning Howard off of the ventilator today, so they have limited the amount of visitors to him. I'm planning on seeing him again on Tuesday. Baby Tristan is still in the hospital too, and his parents are hoping to take him home Monday or Tuesday, so please pray for his health as well.
Mia has a unique view on boys and dating. A couple of months ago, she informed me out of the blue that she had a boyfriend. I swallowed hard and asked her for his name. She named a boy in her class and followed up with, "But he doesn't know it yet, so we have to keep it a secret." I smothered a giggle and nodded in agreement. Two weeks ago she said that she was going on a date on her second recess. My eyes about popped out of my head and asked her what she meant by a date. Her response was that she had decided it was time to let this boy know that he was in fact her boyfriend, and so she was going to tell him at the second recess, hence a date. Jesse talked to her before bed that night letting her know that you can't just tell a boy he is your boyfriend, and that she's actually too young to date. She accepted that without complaint, and that was the end of it until yesterday. After school, she said that had a real boyfriend so she didn't need her pretend one (a stuffed Sneetch) anymore. Thinking that she had changed her mind, I asked her who he was. With a roll of the eyes and a "Mo-om" worthy of her teenaged sister, she said that it was still the original boy. I said, "Mia, honey, does he know that he's' your boyfriend yet?" And she replied as she had two months ago, "No Mommy! It's a secret." I can see that raising Mia is going to always be interesting.
Forever Lily by Beth Nonte Russell is a moving memoir of how a woman's quest to find herself brings her instead to adopt a Chinese baby girl who stole her heart. Russell traveled to China with her friend, Alex, to help Alex adopt a baby girl. But when they arrived in China and Alex met the girl who was to be her daughter, she couldn't find any love in her heart for the infant. Russell was initially forced to change and feed the child, but quickly found her heart stolen by the dignity and sadness in Baby's face. Russell captures her head over heels fall into love with a child who almost immediately owned her heart with grace and joy. The reader can't help but ache with Russell as Alex plays tug of war with her emotions going from Here, take the baby to I want the baby. Russell's anecdotes about the adoption and the crisis state of the orphanages in China are well written and thoroughly enjoyable. Less enjoyable are her "dreams" that she intersperses throughout the book which correspond a little too closely to the events in her life. Russell believes in reincarnation and seems to be channeling a former life as Empress of China. Yeah, Empress, no one is ever a peasant. Those stories diminish the power and quality of a story which should be about the growing love between a mother and daughter and instead becomes a woman's self-indulgent analysis of her past life.
Mia, Molly, and I are going to see Howard in the hospital tomorrow. A CAT scan found a major infection in his leg which had to be removed, and now there is some inflammation around his gallbladder, but he is too unstable for surgery. Otherwise there are no new changes. I'll update you tomorrow after our visit.
With the beginning of a new year, I made a new commitment to attend church more regularly. Jesse and I kind of fell out of the habit in the last couple of months of 2008. I was overworking my body on during the week and spent the weekends recovering, and Jesse doesn't like going without me. But I missed corporate worship very much. I do read my Bible and some devotional books every night, but my time with the Lord was becoming dry and I missed that spark that comes from singing and praying with fellow believers. This last Sunday was a terrific reminder of how important going to church for me really is. The morning's Sunday school lesson was about resting in the Lord and how sometimes He makes us wait for His own purposes. It was a revelation for me to know that this waiting that has been forced by my RA is part of God's purpose for me. The teacher asked us where we go when we need a place to rest or seek sanctuary away from the world. Everyone who answered gave a different response, but when I thought about them later, I realized that every answer had something in common: we all seek peace through nature. Whether it was walking through a snowfall at night, sitting on a front porch listening to the birds, or resting in a hammock enjoying the feel of the sun, we all found peace in creation.
Then in the pastor's sermon, we were discussing the second chapter in Acts about the Holy Spirit's coming on Pentecost, and Pastor described the three different acts of the Spirit. When we come to Jesus, we are baptized by the Spirit, and then believers are indwelt by the Spirit. The third state is being filled with the Spirit. It's different from the indwelling in that it's when we allow the Spirit to guide us and do God's work through us. I recognized that my prayer with Howard and my family last Wednesday was my allowing the Spirit to fill me, and in my prayer journal that night, I prayed to be filled regularly. I want to be drunk with the Spirit and feel that incredible peace and faith that comes with it.
One of the things that I both struggle with and love about my new church is the hymns. So many of the songs they sing are different than those I grew up hearing and became familiar with in the Methodist church. When we do sing one from my childhood, I sing out strong and love the comfort of knowing every note. But the blessing of the new songs are that sometimes I am surprised out of my complacency by reading lyrics that touch my heart in a completely new way. We sang Heaven Came Down by John W. Peterson, and I couldn't help but tear up as I thought about praying the Sinner's Prayer with Howard. I can't wait for him to wake up enough to share this song with him. Its lyrics are a beautiful testimony about our salvation, that baptism of the Spirit. I've kept that song close to my heart this week, and I'm anticipating more comfort and joy in church on Sunday. That is an amazing blessing.
The Centurion's Wife by Davis Bunn & Janette Oke is an interesting look at Jerusalem and the Roman Empire in the days immediately after Jesus' death and resurrection. Alban, a Roman centurion, has been summoned by Pontius Pilate and directed to investigate the claims that the body of Jesus has been stolen from the tomb by his disciples. Alban has been working to elevate his career in the empire by asking for the hand of Pilate's niece Leah in marriage. Leah has been working as a servant for Pilate's wife, Procura, since the dissolution of her family after her father's bankruptcy. She wants nothing more than to serve for the rest of her life to avoid a loveless and painful marriage like her sisters have suffered. But the whims of a servant mean nothing to Procura who sends Leah on her own mission to discover what happened to the mysterious Nazarene. The days immediately after the resurrection are briefly discussed in the Gospels and the book of Acts, but Davis and Oke bring to life the fear and hope surrounding the Jewish community. Alban and Leah each follow their own path to faith by questioning those who met Jesus and witnessed the events of the crucifixion, bringing it to life for readers. The question about whether Jesus swooned on the cross or the disciples stole the body from the tomb are still bandied about today, and the authors treat them seriously and answer them well. I loved their portrayal of the sisters Mary and Martha, and the deep faith that embodied all of Christ's followers. It's not just a fictional novel about the Bible, it also answers the doubts that have surrounded the resurrection for over 2000 years. The ending speaks to the uncertainty of the future, but the faith we have to place in the Lord about it.
The Green Bay Packers are up against the Buffalo Bills in the annual Click for Cans challenge from Chunky Soup. The Packers have won for the last six years. Chunky Soup will donate 18,000 cans to the Packers if they win to be distributed to local food pantries. The contest ends tomorrow, so go here and vote for the Pack today!
It's a good day to be an American. I was glued to the television this morning watching the inauguration of 44th President Barack Obama. It was beautiful to see the hope and tears on so many faces around the entire country watching him take the oath. His speech was absolutely amazing. If you didn't watch it, you can read the transcript of it here. What an amazing country we live in! The hand off of power was completely peaceful. How many other countries can have so many former leaders watch with smiles the swearing in of a new leader and political rival. President George W. Bush said that today is a great day for America. Amen!
I've been reading a lot of biographies about the forming of our country, and I thought that today was a perfect day to share a few of them with you.
Strength and Honor: The Life of Dolley Madison by Richard Cote is one of the best biographies I've read from this era. Dolley was raised as a Quaker by a man who gave away all of his slaves and then lived with the financial downfall that came from that decision. She married a handsome young lawyer named John Payne who soon left her widowed with a young son. ThePaynes had moved to the newly formed city of Washington, the nation's capital, and during their marriage she was introduced to political circles. A natural born hostess, Dolley was introduced to James Madison, a man several years her senior, and the two developed a powerful affection and love for each other. Dolley was a vital part of Madison's political career. He was a quiet man in public and preferred his privacy, but Dolley won over everyone she came into contact with, smoothing over ruffled feathers and making his presidency a success even after a hated war. Dolley is best known for rescuing George Washington's portrait from the White House before it was burned by the British during the War of 1812, and Cote does a wonderful job of using that instance as a touchstone for Dolley's life. Her courage and spirit saved several American artifacts and gave the people hope in the days to come. Sadly, Dolley's son was a complete profligate and drunkard who gambled away the family fortune, and because she trusted him with her finances, she ended her life in abject poverty and debt-ridden. She was a lady to the end of her long life and Cote does the reader a great service in sharing her story.
Nathan Hale: The Life and Death of the First American Spy by M. William Phelps is an interesting and enlightening look at a much mythologized character from American history. Nathan Hale sounds like the kind of young man every parent wants for a son. Smart, loyal, and devoted to his family and friends, Hale attended Yale as a young man and soon determined to to become a teacher. He worked at two different school districts before signing on to the Colonial Army. Hale was driven by a desire to defend his country's liberty as shown through letters to his friends and family. Phelps portrays him as the stereotypical All American boy with a great deal of faith. Reading about the quest General Washington sent him on seems a bit like watching a train wreck happen. It seems ill thought out and doomed from the start. Hale was well known throughout the area as a teacher and took his own identification papers with him to appear as a teacher looking for work as he went through British territory to gain information about their troops and movements. Phelps offers an alternative way for Hale's capture instead of the usually accepted betrayal by a Tory cousin. I've read evidence for both, and Phelps' seems viable. Hale probably never said the words attributed to him: I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country. The words are similar to those from a play by Cato and were attached to him well after his death in a newspaper article. Hale was stoic and loyal to his country to his ignominious end by hanging. The saddest part of the book for me was the lack of outrage after his death. His brother was forced to track down Nathan's regiment and do his own investigation to try and discover what happened to him. There were no newspaper articles or declarations released by Congress or Washington. The war went on, and Hale's death was nearly forgotten for several years until a newspaper wrote an article about him and his death birthing the legend that we all read in history books today. The book loses its power toward the end and drifts just a bit. That said, Phelps illuminates the true story of one of the first American martyrs.
Samuel Adams: A Life by Ira Stoll shines a light on a forgotten Founder of America. Samuel Adams who has become best known for a brand of beer is one of the least discussed American Founding Fathers, but it was his words that helped form the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and organized the Boston Tea Party. Adams, a cousin of second President John Adams, was a deeply religious man and those beliefs shaped every aspect of his life. Every letter and article he wrote had a basis and reference to God and the Bible. That faith led him to believe that America had certain rights that were being denied by the British, and he wasn't afraid to speak his mind in several newspaper articles about them. He served Massachusetts as a representative for much of his life and helped draft its groundbreaking constitution which helped form the foundation for the American Constitution. Adams did have some prejudices against Catholics and Quakers, but was rather enlightened about the paradox of Americans demanding their freedom while owning slaves. Stoll does a remarkable job of revealing Adams' beliefs through his personal letters as well as his public ones, but he doesn't cover Adams' personal life with as much depth. His children are rarely mentioned, so his relationship with them and his family is undefined. The book loses its focus a bit after the forming of the Constitution, and it was a tough slog through the last chapter or so. Adams is a fascinating part of American history with an incredible amount of drive, and Stoll does a great job of capturing that. As a rather poor man without the money of Washington and Jefferson or the education and culture of John Adams, Adams is a relatable, everyman kind of American hero.
A quick update on my Uncle Howard. Bad news: he now has a staph infection in his mouth and the site of the port in his stomach. Good news: yesterday he blinked his eyes in response to questions and squeezed his son's hand. Today he nodded his head just a bit. We're taking each small step as a victory.
My uncle Howard is still in critical condition. The CAT scan ruled out a stroke, thank God, and he has been showing some movement on his right side, saving us from the fear of paralyzation. However, they've been weaning him off of the sedation over the last couple of days, and he's not showing any signs of waking up. The doctor is a bit baffled. So keep praying.
I promised a review of Susan May Warren's A Perfect Match a week or so ago, and I like to keep my promises, so here you go!
A Perfect Match by Susan May Warren in the third book in the Deep Haven series, but it's no trouble to slip into this book without being familiar with the first two. Ellie Karlson has just started as the interim fire chief of Deep Haven, Minnesota when she ends up rescuing the town's pastor, Dan Matthews. Sparks quickly fly between the two, and they each for their own reasons do their best to quench them. Warren uses lots of metaphors about fire, without ever overdoing it. Her detail about the work that firemen do is fascinating and adds to the story's interest. This is not one of Warren's best books, and as it is a reprint of a 2004, and I can see how her writing has flourished since then. The plot involving arson seems a bit forced and the perpetrator is obvious. However, I always love how Warren weaves faith through the very fabric of every story and then uses it to make her characters grow and come to life. It's a good romance with plenty of heat.
Today's pic is another one from CuteOverload.com. If you haven't checked them out yet, do it today! I love their animals pix and so does Mia, except for this one. She's not a big fan of spiders.
Howard was not flown to Bellin hospital because of a new health crisis. Bellin is just able to offer more intensive care than the hospital in Iron Mountain. Now a nurse is with him 24/7 monitoring his stats and keeping an eye on him. He's not actually in a coma (yay!) but is heavily sedated so that he doesn't pull out the tubes that are helping him to breathe. He still looks so sick. They did a CAT scan on him today, and tomorrow he's getting an MRI. He isn't moving his upper right side at all, so that's of some concern. He can't even completely close his right eye. I prayed for him again at his bedside last night, and when I was talking to the nurse, he started stirring and waking up, because he recognized my voice. For now, family has to keep quiet and keep visits to a minimum for his body to recover.
In good news, we have a new cousin today! Jesse's cousin Debbie gave birth to Tristan Carl last night. He's about four weeks premature, so he only weighed 5 lbs and is in the NICU, so I ask that you keep the family in your prayers.
Last weekend a new movie opened up, and I was lucky enough to review the book it was based on over two years ago. I wanted to rerun my review today in hopes that you will go check out the movie. I can't wait to see it!
Not Easily Broken by T.D. Jakes is the first book I’ve read by the bishop, but I’ll definitely be returning for more! Dave and Clarice Johnson’s marriage is shaky to begin, but after an accident shatters Clarice’s leg, it appears that their relationship may also be destroyed. Dave is drawn to Clarice’s physical therapist, Julie, and things begin to spiral out of control. I was moved by the in depth look Jakes gives to both spouses’ sides of the story without excusing either of them. One of the strongest elements of the book is the realistic dialogue. Jakes captures conversations, flirtations, and fights with equal strength, and it really brings the characters to life. He also incorporates God into the story without being preachy or forcing the characters to act in ways that seem unrealistic.
My RA is really acting up today. I think it's a combination of cold weather with a stressful week. I'm taking it easy today so I can go to church tomorrow morning. I'll be back tomorrow with a new review!
Wednesday I got a phone call from my mom letting me know that my Uncle Howard was going in to surgery and the doctors didn't expect him to survive the process, but he would die without it. I talked about Howard a few months ago after his initial diagnosis of cancer. I knew that he was ill in the hospital, but I was hoping to go see him on Saturday. It's a long trip from here to Iron Mountain, well over two hours. I really wanted to share God's word with him in hopes that he would come to Jesus so he and the rest of the family could be assured of his salvation, especially with his health failing. But with Mom's phone call, talking to him suddenly became an immediate worry. I rode up north with my mom, stepdad Jeff, and aunt Audrey. Before I left, I fired off two emails. One to my personal prayer warriors asking for them to pray for his health and his possible salvation. The other to my FIRST family of bloggers asking the same thing.
The mood on the way up was somber and seemed to last forever. We were worried that we wouldn't make it there before he was taken in to surgery, but we made it in plenty of time. That was just the first of the many ways that we knew God was with us. Howard needed surgery because he had displaced his feeding tube which caused septicemia to spread throughout his system. He looked awful when we got there, and they were holding off on the surgery until his electrolytes came back up through the IV. I brought my Bible along in hopes that I would have the chance to share God with him. I went in with my mom and aunt, but prayed to God that there was no way I would feel comfortable talking to him about it with those two in the room. God works in funny ways sometimes. Suddenly both of them were struck with the urge to go to the bathroom and left me alone in the room with Howard! :) I talked to him about God and His love and asked him if he wanted God in his life. He was in and out of consciousness, but for this, he looked at me and nodded. He couldn't speak because of the oxygen mask, so I asked him if I could pray with him. I prayed the Sinner's Prayer for both of us, and when I was done, I felt a feeling of peace about Howard and his health.
I am normally an emotional person, but before we got to the hospital, I asked God to give me the strength not to cry for my mom, and he answered. I didn't cry all day. If you know me at all, you know this in itself is a miracle. Another miracle: before he was taken into surgery, Mom, two of my aunts and I were alone with Howard, and I was suddenly struck with the need for prayer. I said, "You know what we need?" and my aunt answered, "We need to pray!" We held hands with Howard and prayed for the doctors and for his comfort and healing.
We were all praying that Howard's son Dustin would make it to the hospital before he went into surgery, but it didn't happen. After Howard was wheeled into surgery, I walked outside for a little time alone. Instead my phone rang, it was Dustin looking for the hospital (God coincidence #1). I led him right back to the waiting room and on the way, one of Howard's nurses came out and I introduced Dustin to her as Howard's son (God coincidence #2). A few minutes later, she came into the waiting room and asked Dustin if he wanted to talk to Howard before he went into surgery, because he had a little bit of time (God coincidence #3). It was such a blessing for the two to be able to see each other.
Initially after the surgery the doctors were very positive about taking him off of the ventilator the very next day, and we all drove home with joy in our hearts. I'm still feeling joy about Howard's salvation, but Mom called a little while ago to let me know that Howard is being helicoptered to a bigger hospital in Green Bay where they can provide some more care. He hasn't woken up yet and is still on the ventilator. So I ask for your prayers for Howard's healing from the sepsis, pneumonia, and cancer that are raging through his body. And please pray for our family. I'm heading down to the hospital with my mom as soon as I'm done blogging.
Sweetwater Gap by Denise Hunter is a powerful story about redemption and God's love for us. Josie Mitchell is forced to return home to save the family apple orchard. Her sister is pregnant with twins and can't do the heavy work that needs to be done to keep the business going. Orchard manager Grady MacKenzie isn't happy to see Josie who he views as a flighty, city girl with no business butting into his life. While this sounds like a normal set up for lots of Christian romances books, this book is anything but typical. Josie has been diagnosed with an illness that leaves her future up in the air, and the choices she's made are ones that will make the readers want to cry and tear their hair out. Josie is an extremely frustrating character at first, but when Hunter reveals the truth behind her self-loathing and despair, I was moved to tears. The scene in the cemetery was one of the most moving I've ever read, and I could hardly breathe around the lump in my throat. Who hasn't felt unworthy of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross? Anyone who has ever felt this way will ache for Josie. Grady is a great romantic hero, but it's his faith that makes him stand out (and Hunter describes his appearance as a bit like Sawyer from Lost). This is the rare novel that will stick with you long after you've put it down.
I'll give an update tomorrow on Howard's condition. Please pray. Today's pic is Howard with his wife Nancy and Mia.
It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!
You never know when I might play a wild card on you!
and the book:
Harvest House Publishers (January 1, 2009)
J.P. Moreland is distinguished professor of philosophy at Talbot School of Theology. His many writings include Kingdom Triangle. Dr. Moreland served ten years with Campus Crusade for Christ, planted two churches, and has spoken on more than 200 college campuses and in hundreds of churches.
Molly and her cheerleading squad had a big competition on Saturday. They worked for I can't tell you how many hours to put the routine together and then get it down. She's at school every night until 5:20, plus some Saturdays and a few other hours here and there. I felt awful, because I wasn't able to go to the actual competition. I was still recovering from the flu that hit me last week and didn't think that sitting in a hot, crowded gymnasium for six hours would be a good idea. I texted her throughout the day to see how she was doing, and her boyfriend kept me updated when she couldn't. They took second in the Cheer Dance category, which is nothing to be ashamed of, but I know that the girls are hopeful of more at the Regional competition on the 31st. I am so thankful to the Kilgore family for videotaping their performance and then putting it up on YouTube. I am also incredibly proud of Molly. When you watch the video, she's in the third row on the far left at the beginning of the routine.
Kiss by Ted Dekker and Erin Healy is a suspenseful novel about the power and value of memory. Shauna McAllister awakes from a six week coma with no knowledge of the previous six months. What she finds is her brother severely injured from their car accident, charges of drug use and abuse, and her father on the brink of winning the Presidential election. When she tries to recover her lost memories, she's told in kind and not-so-kind terms to let the past die. But Shauna feels lost and without foundation in her life without knowing what came before, so she begins to seek answers, even as they put into question who she can trust and who she's become. To be honest, I'm always a little afraid to read Ted Dekker's books. His Christianity is so fierce and uncompromising, it makes me a bit nervous, but when I read the reviews and synopsis of Kiss, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to read and review it, and I'm so glad I read it! The authors create this situation around Shauna that the reader can't help but become emotionally involved. As the lies were building around her, I wanted someone, anyone, to step up and defend her and clear away the lies and deceit. They do a terrific job of placing some red herrings and not making the bad guys too obvious, so the thrills add up quickly. There were a couple of spots where the editing wasn't great. When the reader is forced to stop and reread a sentence a few times to get the gist of it, breaking up the flow of reading, that's a spot the editor should have caught and polished before publication. Aside from that, it was definitely a book I didn't want to put down until I had devoured the last page. I hope that the authors aren't through with the McAllister family, because there are more stories to be told there.
Randy Singer is one of my absolute favorite authors, and he's come up with a unique premise for his new book. The Justice Game, coming this summer, is about gun control and involves a trial about guns and their role in our society. Singer is offering readers the chance to determine the outcome of the trial within the book. This is so cool! Go to his site and watch the video. After you've watched it, vote for who you think should win. Singer will take all of the votes and allow the majority to determine the trial in the book. So go and watch the video, vote, and then put The Justice Game on your wish list. I can't wait to read it, and no, I'm not telling how I voted!
