review - Plain Perfect

Plain Perfect by Beth Wiseman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is a wonderful book!  By the first chapter I was hooked.  If you aren't familiar with Amish, this is a good book to start with as the main character was raised "Englisch", but ends up becoming Amish.  So you can learn about the Amish right along with Lillian.



Will Lillian find the peace she's looking?  How will she respond to the death of a loved one?  And what part with the handsome Samuel and his son, David play in Lillian's life?  Will Lillian be able to overcome her past (and her mom's mistakes) to find the peace she's longing for?



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review: Same Name (tv show)

My family and I watched the premier of "Same Name".  A TV show where a celebrity changes places with a "regular joe" who happens to have the same name.  My family and I were so excited to see it.  We thought it looked like a fun show.  And for the most part, it was.  However, it had cussing in it.  How hard would it have been to edit that out?  Not at all.  I am so tired of TV and movies throwing in stuff that add nothing to the show, but offends so many.  The previews for the next week didn't look any better than the premier.  This is one show we will not be watching again.  

book review - Journey to the Well

Journey to the Well: A Novel by Diana Wallis Taylor

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


With this being only my second Biblical fiction, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I loved this book!  We know very little about the "woman at the well" that Jesus talked to.  We know she had had 5 husbands and at the time of her encounter with Jesus, she was living with a man that she was not married to.  Ms. Taylor does a great job of giving this character life.  The book starts right before her first marriage.  We feel what she feels, pity her, and wish her a happy ending.  We see her struggles and her joys.  The author did her homework and kept it current with the times. (ex. - women didn't learn to read, looked at the ground in the presence of men, if widowed were expected to marry the kinsman redeemer, etc.)  Like the first Biblical fiction I read, I didn't always agree with the author's take on things, but it was still an enjoyable book!  Just keep in mind - it's FICTION.  It's not a theological book.  It's not a book of facts.  But if you read it as fiction, I think you'll enjoy it also! 



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review - Hope (third book in the Brides of the West series)

Hope by Lori Copeland

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Hope Kallahan, like her sisters, is leaving the comfort of home to become a mail-order bride.  Her father, who was a pastor, has passed away, and the sisters don't want to be a burden on their aunt.  Since there are no eligible men in her hometown, the sisters decide answering ads for mail-order brides is the only choice they have.  While Hope is traveling, her stage is robbed and she is kidnapped.  The outlaws think they have a senator's daughter, and Hope worries what will happen to her if they find out they've got the wrong girl.  Three of her captors are bumbling idiots, but the fourth seems different somehow.  What Hope doesn't know is he's really a government agent who infiltrated the gang.  What comes next is a journey of one adventure after another.  Hope's faith is tested from the beginning.  Will she be able to get by on her father's faith, or will she learn a faith that is all her own?  Will she ever make it to her fiance? 

This is the third book in the Brides of the West series, and I loved it as much as the first two.  Each of the books has a wonderful spiritual lesson for the characters to learn as well as the readers.  I highly recommend this series! 



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Want to join me?

Do you want to join me in losing the weight of discouragement and self-doubt? Renee Swope, from Proverbs 31 Ministries is offering a FREE “7-day Doubt Diet.” Just click here to enter your information in her sidebar, and you’ll receive a week’s worth of devotions from her upcoming book, A Confident Heart. And be sure to let me know so we encourage one another along the way.

Review - Michal

Michal by Jill Eileen Smith




This is a Biblical fiction.  It was the first one I've read, and I like it.  It takes a woman that's only mentioned a few times in the Bible and gives her a full story, feelings, emotions, etc.  I did not fully agree with some of the things included in the story, but it was still a good read.  Just keep in mind it's "fiction".  It's not a theological book.  While the author did do her research, no one fully knows what happened except God and He only gave us limited information in the Bible. 

I have often read a story in the Bible and thought "I wonder how that made them feel?"  This book is exactly that.  The author took the few verses she had to go with, and gave Michal a full story.  She was in a tough position - daughter of Kind Saul, but in love with his enemy - David, who happens to be the anointed one to replace King Saul.  She marries David, but then Saul runs him off, and she is turned over to another man as his wife.  Her life takes many turns, and things don't quite turn out as she had them planned.

I really enjoyed Michal, and look forward to reading the other books in the series. 



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Book Review - The Outlaw's Bride by Catherine Palmer

The Outlaw's Bride by Catherine Palmer

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


A pretty good book.  It's a short, easy read.  There were some places where things seemed to be repeated - like the hero admits his love, then later admits his love again as if it's the first time.  But overall, it's a fun book if you are looking for a quick read.  It's based on true events although the main characters are fictional.  It centers around the Lincoln County War in New Mexico. 

Isobel Matas has come to New Mexico territory to retrieve her land titles from the man who killed her father, and then get her revenge by killing him.  But as soon as she arrives at her destination she witnesses a murder, and is seen by the murderer who vows to kill her.  Noah Buchanan is there to rescue her.  Once they are safe, they decide the safest place for her is married to Noah - changing her name and her appearance from that of a rich Spanish woman to a plain cowboy's wife.  This arrangement will benefit both of them - safety for Isobel, and proving to Noah's boss that he has settled down so his boss will sell him some land.  Their plan is to annul the marriage as soon as each gets what he wants.  But things are strained by the tension mounting in Lincoln, which eventually becomes the "Lincoln County War."  Both Noah and Isobel's lives are changed by the events leading to the war and each person's need for revenge.  The spiritual side is nicely woven in, and isn't overly preachy. 



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What God is teaching me right now

I believe that God is always teaching us something.  He is constantly working to make us better.  It's our job to learn the lessons, and apply them to our lives.  So here's what God is teaching me right now - 

1. Trust Him always!  I have recently been hurt by someone very close to me.  I am working on rebuilding my trust in them.  But the first lesson in that is that God is the one I should be putting my trust in.  People will always fail me.  God is the only one that is faithful.  I don't mean this in a "I don't trust anyone" kind of way.  But I mean it in more of a - God is faithful, and I need to trust Him first and always!  Our of that, He will teach me to trust others again.

2. I don't need to see the whole picture, I'm only responsible for my next step.  I am the type of person that wants all the answers right now.  I want God to show me where our next move is, and all the steps to get there.  But that's not always what He wants to show me.  He wants me to focus on the here and now.  I am responsible for trusting Him, and moving to the next step that He leads me to.  I don't need to see the whole picture, only trust in the One that does.  

3. I need to work on me.  Yes, someone hurt me greatly, and they have many lessons to learn (in addition to the ones they already have), but I have many things to learn also.  I am not blameless.  I have issues too.  And I need to let God work on me.  

4. To have friends I must be a friend.  I need to be the friend that I want to have.  Instead of getting upset that friends do or don't do certain things, I need to treat them the way I want them to treat me.

5. My children are a blessing from God.  It is my job to teach them, love them, and guide them.  I am truly blessed with each of my kids, and would consider it a blessing to have more!  They are my "job" right now, and I need to do a better job!

I am so thankful that God takes the time to teach us how to be the people He wants us to be.  He is always faithful!  And He doesn't just leave us to figure it out on our own.  He is there every step of the way!  Praise God!!

So what is God teaching you right now?

couponing

So I've become a couponer!  And yes, I'm a bit of a stockpiler also.  However, what I'm not, is a hoarder!  I see shows like "Extreme Couponing", and I just think "why?"  Just b/c you can go buy 100 bottles of mustard, does that mean you should?  I think not!  To me, that's an addiction.  I'm all for getting a good deal!  I got my husband some free deodorant the other day.  I got him enough to last the next few months, but I did not bring home enough deodorant to last him the rest of his life.  Why in the world would I?  I think it's people like that who give couponers a bad name. (and of course those that are fraudulent/dishonest - but that's another story.)  Although, I don't understand why the cashier gets so upset if I get something for free b/c  the store isn't losing any money.  They get reimbursed for the dollar amount on the coupon and then some.  So why do they treat couponers like crooks?  Just b/c we want to save some money doesn't mean we are trying to cheat anyone.  But just b/c we can get 100 free bottles of mustard, doesn't mean we have to.   

overwhelmed

Do you ever have times when you just feel like everything that could go wrong is?  Well that's where I'm at right now.  Our house has several repairs that are needed, but they are going to be pretty costly, and it's just not in our budget right now.  My cellphone is completely dead, and no one can figure out why. (I'm hoping for more answers tomorrow.)  The baby is sick, my knee is messed up, my eye is infected, etc.  

And there are some pretty big issues.  For instance - which church does God want us at?  My husband - the youth pastor - was invited to do his thing at a church last Sunday.  It went pretty well, and it looks like where God may be leading us.  But it's not the kind of church I had in mind.  You know how it is when we make plans without first asking God what He wants?  Well, this church is basically the same church we always end up.  Not that it's the exact same church, but the same idea - big building, small numbers, older members, etc.  However, they do have a great youth group, and that's where we come in.  I was hoping for big (as in membership), full time, lots to offer our family, etc.  But it appears God has other plans.  I will go where He wants us, and I will do my best to "bloom where I'm planted", but I was really hoping for "more" this time.  

Another big issue is a trust issue I'm dealing with.  It involves someone very close to me.  I was mislead, lied to, hurt, and eventually betrayed.  I don't know how to deal with this.  I'm really struggling here.  It's not someone I can just write off - I have to work this out.  I know God is going to have to do a lot of work in me.  The trust is gone, and the hurt feelings abound.  I don't want to play the victim card, but that's exactly what I am.  And it hurts.  I am totally innocent here, and I just don't know how to deal with this.  The person has realized their sin, repented of it, changed the circumstances, and asked for forgiveness.  But I am still struggling.  I can't just "let it go".  I can't trust this person right now.  They may know they have repented, but I can't be sure.  I know that's not my place, and as a Christian I am expected to forgive.  And I will.  I just don't know how to move past it right now.  But I'm working on it.  I think it will just take time.

Ok, the baby's crying, so I guess my 5 minutes of "me time" are over.  Until next time... 

time to update

I have fallen behind on the blogging.  OOPS!  But in my defense I've been super busy lately.  I now have a crawler in the house!!  Yes, Mikayla is crawling!!  She has been for about 2 weeks now.  I am so proud of her.  She loves being able to follow Mommy around.  She's doing great with solids, and so far loves everything we've given her.  She is still not sleeping all night, which is taking a toll on me and hubby.  But I just keep telling myself - eventually she'll sleep all night.  I repeat this over and over at 2:00am when she's awake. ;) 

Church situation is still up in the air.  We are talking with another church about merging, but I'm not sure if it's God's will or not.  We also don't know if this is where God wants us to stay - merge or not.  So we are still waiting.  In fact that was my message from God a couple of weeks ago in my quiet time.  I was reading in Exodus about the Israelites being trapped between the Red Sea and the Egyptian army.  God said to them "Stand still and watch what I will do."  (that's my paraphrased version)  I felt God saying "that's what I want you to do - Stand still and watch what I will do in your life and in this situation."  So that's what I'm doing - at least trying to do.  My selfish nature pops up every so often stressing and worrying about what's going to happen next.  I start asking questions like "Will there be a place for my husband in the merged church" (as youth pastor - his current role in our church), "Should we be focusing on finding a full time ministry?", "Are things being handled properly?", "Why do they treat my husband like this?"  But God's promise to me is still there - He will work things out for my good. (Rom 8:28)   My directions at this time are to Stand still and watch what He does.

Thoughts on "Army Wives" (you might be surprised)

One of my favorite shows on TV right now is Army Wives.  Now if you are a fan also, you probably think this blog is going to be about which soldier is not coming home.  All I could find online yesterday was speculation over which soldier has been killed.  I even read some crazy posts where people are outraged that the show is making us wait another week.  Now I will agree to being very disappointed with that - but it's called RATINGS!  That's how they get you coming back!  Cliff hangers are a big deal in TV dramas, so let's move on! 

But I digress.  What I really want to talk about is a statement made by Rolland to Joan regarding their daughter getting into a good preschool.  He said "the most important thing we can give her is a good education."  At first I thought nothing of the statement.  I did think - "it won't be the end of the world if she doesn't get into some snazzy preschool.  It's preschool - not college."  But later, I was thinking about his statement.  And it struck me as way off.  A good education is very important.  It prepares your child for the future.  But I don't agree it's the most important thing we can give them.  What about love?  or values?  or a moral code?  a love of the Lord? self-respect?  To me, those things top education.  You can be at the top of your class, but if you're a self-centered jerk that uses people and cheats to get to the top, it's not really going to matter.  Shouldn't the most important thing we give our kids be the knowledge that we love them no matter what?  And more importantly, that God loves them.  Isn't that more important that a good education?  I think so.

Oh and while I'm at it - my thoughts on the other issue - Jeremy will be killed off.  I know everyone is thinking Chase, and it might have been when there were talks of a spin off staring Pamela.  But now that the spin off isn't happening, and Pamela wants to get back with Chase (and be an "army wife" again), I'm going with Jeremy.  If it was any of the others, their wife wouldn't be an Army Wife anymore, and therefore not fit with the point of the show.  And Jeremy mentioned last season that he left everything to Molly in his will.  He's also planning a wedding, so to kill him off would be very dramatic.  There's my 2 cents. :) 

why do I even make plans??

Why do I even bother making plans?  Do you ever ask yourself that question?  Today was another day like that.  I had planned to do floors today - vacuum, mop, possibly steam clean the carpets.  But guess what I did - I popped my kneecap out of place and then back in.  Have you ever done that?  Let me say - it hurts!!  I do this every couple of years.  I will just be sitting down and when I move my knee - POP.  It pops out and back in.  OUCH!  It usually brings tears to my eyes.  Today I immediately took the ibuprofen b/c I know how bad it gets.  But I decided it would be best to skip the floors today, and focus on something I could do sitting down.  So instead I worked on laundry - so I could sit and fold it and let the kids put it up.  It all worked out, and work got accomplished, just not what I set out to do.  

So to answer my original question - If I don't make plans, I just sit around wondering what I could do.  I know there's tons to be done, but I usually just play online.  And that's not beneficial to anyone.  So while plans usually get changed, as least I make plans.  And when it becomes obvious that my plans aren't going to workout, I plan something else.  I also have long-term plans.  Sometimes it becomes obvious that these plans need to change.  At one time, I planned to have 4 kids, finish my college degree, and go into counseling when all my kids were in school full-time.  Plan #1 changed when the stick developed 2 lines and I knew #5 was coming in 9 months.  I still haven't had time for plan #2.  Right now hubby is taking online classes, and I think we could only survive with one of us in doing homework all night.  So the other will have to wait.  Although I do often feel like a counselor with my friends, so I guess I'm already doing that one.  

New plans - stay focused on my walk with God and live according to His plan, keep the house in order, raise the kids, possibly have more kids, and support my husband in whatever he's doing.  And I'd like to get a treadmill. :)


What are you long-term plans?  Have you thought about where you want your life to go?  What do you want your life to look like in 5 years?  10 years?  Are you doing anything right now to reach those goals?  Maybe today you can take a few minutes and jot down a few things for your future, and then start moving towards those goals. 

Have a blessed day!!

sometimes plans change

Today was suppose to be Megan's surgery day.  I had a long night - partly from waking up thinking about her surgery, and partly from waking up afraid she might get up in the night for a drink of water (a big no-no before surgery).  We all got up on time, and I decided to start laundry and then get myself ready.  Then I realized I needed to give the baby her medicine.  When I turned around Megan was eating breakfast!!  As you know, the day of surgery you can't eat anything!!  I guess it was just habit for her, and I had put out the boxes of Poptarts (yes, I know - not the most nutritious breakfast, but it was fast), so she ate one.  I immediately grabbed the phone and called the hospital.  The very nice lady said she would ask around and call me back.  A few minutes later I get the call from the surgeon - no surgery today.  He was so nice about it.  He said he was treating it as if it was his own kid, and he wouldn't risk it with he own child.  He said not to worry about it, and we would just reschedule.  I'm so glad we are going with this surgeon - he's great!  We have been very blessed with specialists for our kids.  We always end up with great ones.  Wish I could say the same for regular doctors, but that's another story.

So our plans for today - sit at the hospital all day - were now out the window.  Hubby had already taken most of the day off, so we just decided to hang out as a family.  We ended up at the grocery store.  I know that doesn't sound like a good time, but you can make it a fun time!  The kids love helping put stuff in the cart, pushing the cart, picking out things to eat, and hunting for the items we have coupons for.  We do it like a treasure hunt - who can find this item?  Of course, the baby got cranky, but after a bottle, she fell asleep in the cart and was good the rest of the trip.  Madi (3 y/o) had a meltdown when we first got there b/c she didn't want to ride in a basket, but once we let her out and explained the importance of staying with us and helping out, she was fine too.

After our shopping trip we came home and made lunch.  Then we picked up the house and laid down for naps.  Of course, the baby wasn't tired b/c she slept at the store, but after a while, we both fell asleep on the couch.  Thank goodness for a comfy couch b/c I ended up there for an hour!  Guess I was more tired than I realized!  

Speaking of the baby - Mikayla (6m/o) is so close to crawling!!  She gets up on hands and knees and rocks back and forth.  When this doesn't get her where she wants to be, she just rolls there.  But she will figure it out very soon!


So the lesson for today - we have plans, but God changes them.  And we can either get upset and mad b/c things don't go our way, or we can look at it as a new opportunity and just go with it.  Today, I decided to just go with it.  At first I was upset, and very mad at myself for not saying something to Megan sooner, but then I realized I couldn't change what happened, so I might as well go with the flow.  Things didn't go as I planned them, but God always knew what today held.  And I'd rather go with His plans!


Prov. 16:9 (NLT) "We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps."

Spring Break - day 1

Today was the first day of Spring Break.  I had several things I wanted to get done today, but the kids were a little wild, so we didn't get as much done as I had hoped.  Two of the  kids did get the bathroom clean, so that was something.  And the other 2 made sure the bedrooms were picked up.  I kept the laundry going all day, and tried to keep the living room picked up.  So as their reward for working around the house today, we went to the library for books.  

Tomorrow Megan (6 y/o) is having surgery to remove a cyst on her neck.  One of our friends from church will be her surgery nurse, so that should help with her anxiety level.  I think  having a friendly face with her at all times will be a huge blessing!  This surgery is to remove a duct that has developed a cyst on it.  It has been infected twice, and we're told it will continue to get infected until it is removed.  We decided to do the surgery during spring break so she wouldn't have to miss a week of school.  Originally my husband was supposed to be at AT this week, but when he told those over him that his daughter was having surgery, they decided he can do it later in the year.  I am so glad he will be with me!!   The other kids will be staying with my mom.  I'm sure it will be a long day.
 

what's missing?

Have you ever looked at your life and felt like something was missing?  Well, I did recently.  I couldn't put my finger on it, just felt restless.  For one thing I felt like I was just coasting through life.  Like I wasn't putting enough effort into anything.  But things have started to change.  This year while I read through the Bible I decided to start underlining any verses having to do with women, marriage, motherhood, etc in pink.  I went straight to Proverbs 31:10-31.  As I was reading the verses and underlining them, I realized that's what missing!  I am not doing what I should be doing to be a "wife of noble character".  My house and my family aren't being cared for as they should b/c I was being lazy about my duties.  

So that's when things started changing.  I've been doing more to improve myself as a wife, mother, homemaker, friend, daughter, sister, etc.  My first responsibility is to my husband and kids.  So I have been trying to be a better wife and mother.  I have made many changes, and those in my house seem to be enjoying it.  I am also doing better in caring for my home.  The first step has been to organize the house.  Besides the everyday things - keeping up with the housework and daily tasks - I've started organizing and de-cluttering the house.  This process will take a while b/c I'm doing it with the help of a 3 year old and 6 month old.  But that's ok.  They are learning in the process.  And as long as it's getting done, I'm not going to force myself to a timetable.  

I'm also going to start sewing, cooking healthier meals, teaching the kids more responsibility, doing more to go "green" and keep the family healthy, among other changes.  But we'll get into those in another post.  

Physical health is another area I'm working on.  I have been going to the gym at least 3 times a week.  Well, I missed this week b/c I've been sick and barely had the energy to walk to the kitchen, let alone go to the gym.  But I will start back next week.  And I'm eating less at each meal.  For now, this will have to work.  I figure it's a good start - exercising and eating less - that's the key to losing weight, right?  My ultimate goal is to have a treadmill at home, so I'm not tied down to the gym's daycare's schedule.  And if I have a sick kid, I can still get in my workout.  I know, I know - you can walk outside for free.  Yes, but have you read the part about the 2 small kids?  Weather would be a factor, and I live in a state with bi-polar weather.  

I'll leave you with this funny conversation I had with my youngest son (8 yo).  son: maybe you're pregnant (regarding being sick)
me: no! definitely not pregnant
son: but you need to be pregnant. (said with such calm)
me: why do I need to be pregnant?!?!? 
son: so I can have the most siblings of all the kids in my class.
me: who has the most right now?
son: ____ has 5 brothers!!  
me: that's not too bad - you already have 4 siblings
son: he also has some sisters.
me: hhmm, well, we might have to let him win.

But I don't think my son is convinced. lol  ;)

Time for something new

I have a big family.  Some people think I'm crazy for having 5 kids.  But I love it, and wouldn't even mind adding to our family.  (Did I say that?)  Although with a six month old that still doesn't sleep through the night and who is currently sick and extra cranky, I have days of thinking we have enough.  But that's another post.  So I've been reading a book about the logistics of raising a large family.  And while I don't agree with everything the writer says (I have no problem sending my kids to school every day), I have learned a lot.  And while reading this book, I have been wondering about other large families.  How do they manage all the kids, chores, finances, meals, day-to-day stuff, comments on their big families, etc.  So I started searching around.  And I would find groups or forums for large families, but I started noticing they had a lot of similarities, and they didn't look that much like my family.  One of the biggest things was homeschooling.  I have nothing against homeschooling.  But it is not for me.  I know it is for some, and more power to ya!  But it is not for me.  I am not called to be a teacher.  Granted, I am not really happy with the public school my kids currently attend, but my solution to that is to try to find a way to send them to private school (like I went to), not to pull them out completely and teach them myself.  In fact, the book I'm reading made it sound like one of the worst things you can do to your kids is send them to school.  Really??  

So like I said - none of the groups seemed like a fit for me.  So I decided to just start blogging.  I have not been faithful about blogging in years - since my husband was gone for 6 weeks, and I used it to keep him updated.  But I am going to try to do better.  This is going to be hard b/c one of the changes I am making right now is spending less time online, and more time taking care of my family.  But I think I can manage some time in the evenings or during naptime to get in a few blog posts.

So if you have several kids, I would welcome your input.  If you are going to tell me that 5 kids is too many, well, I'm sure there's something else you can read on the internet.