What I am reading...

I awoke to this song

being played

softly in my mind. 

credit: joey feel blog this life i live

Rory Feek is one of my favorite people.  I subscribe to his blog This Life I live. Joey Feek died of cancer and Joey told her story and continues to write about life. He has a gift for sharing.

He is a truly great storyteller and his writings are at the top of my reading list. His words make me cry, laugh, close my eyes and dream. His story is real life.

He just finished a new book and
you can find it and more on his webpage:
http://www.thislifeilive.com/  

Or if you want, you can travel to his farm, enjoy sunday church service, dinner at his sisters cafe, or attend one of his concerts.

Just felt like sharing today.

Till later...

I want to know more...

about Lydia. 

She was all alone in a place she wasn't wanted. She had made a promise, kept a secret and was headed for a new life in a distant place. Having left her position as a teacher in an upscale girls school in Syracuse, Lydia was poised and mannerly however her beauty was not always appreciated.

From her first step off the stage coach in Cimarron Creek, her life was not at all what she had dreamed.

Her fiance was gone,

his promises were not kept,

and she found herself all alone. 

The only kind face in town that afternoon was the town sheriff, Travis Whitfield. who would help her unravel a mystery even to him she could not reveal.

Though Lydia had done nothing wrong, her secret had to remain a secret, as she tries to find the man she had agreed to marry.

The war was over, for some, but others would not accept her as the scars of the Civil War were still fresh. Lydia was the second unwelcome northerner in town and the first was still missing. It was the Sheriff's job to find out why.

Their friendship grows along with their trust in true love and faith in God. Opal, an entertainer in the local Silver Spur Saloon, and Catherine Whitfield, of the established Whitfield family become close friends with Lydia as they all try to find their way in this small town. The further I read, I learned to appreciate their true feelings for one another and understand their commitment to their friendship.


A stolen Heart, a book by author Amanda Cabot, is the first in a trilogy set in Cimarron Creek, a small town in Texas around 1880.

Revelle Books are so well made. I knew this book would be easy to hold, have larger print than most, and would lay open when I set it down. All of which I find important when I choose a book to read or to give for a gift. I want to feel the quality in my hands.

Amanda Cabot has won me over as an author. She tells a well written story that kept me interested, sparked my detective skills and drew a picture of life in the 1880's.

The characters remained true, and built lasting friendships that I want to understand and follow. I am excited to know that their lives will be continued in the following two books at Cimarron Creek. And that Lydia's story will continue.

Amanda Cabot is a well recognized author. 

For more about her you can go to her 

website:

http://amandacabot.com/index.htm

facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/amanda.j.cabot

Twitter feed:

https://twitter.com/AmandaJoyCabot/

Bookbub:

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/amanda-cabot

Her book is available on Amazon.com

https://www.amazon.com/Stolen-Heart-Cimarron-Creek-Trilogy/dp/0800727568

I am going order the rest of this trilogy as it becomes available. I found this book to be a pleasure to read and I am looking forward to reading others that Amanda Cabot has written. Her story telling skills are admirable, easy to follow and imagine.

Disclosure: I enjoy reading!  I always have and always will! My review of this book is just that, my own opinion of how I liked or disliked this book. I received a copy of this book from the Publisher in exchange for my review. However, all opinions and summaries expressed are my own, without any influence, and are copyright protected.

Redeeming Grace

She stood there, in despair and sorrow, as her husband took his last breath. Her life was now changing, right before her eyes, as she watched his chest slowly stop rising. The feeling of despair, reeking with fear, and uncertainty. I felt her pain as though I was there standing next to her.

I couldn't put this book down. I had to read more about Naomi, her husband Elimelech and their two sons who lived in Bethlehem in 1297 BC. I stumbled along trying to remember who was who in the first few chapters of this book. The further I read, the more I wanted to know.

The author, Jill Eileen Smith had taken me into the streets of Bethlehem, into everyday life around the time of 1297 BC. Their daily life now became a picture in my mind, not just words on a page.

Ruth's daily life, as I imagined, became vivid in my mind thanks to the  words of Ms. Smith. Her ability to describe their life became the story for me.  I knew about the Book of Ruth, a short book in the Old Testament, had been unrelatable other than lessons in church. Now it had been put into a story so riveting and full of descriptions I could easily picture their faces, their emotions, and their daily life.

"believe with the eyes of the soul,

even if the eyes of the body could not see"

page 291

Redeeming Grace will immerse you in nagging doubt, loneliness, uncertainty and the joy of loyalty and faithfulness, finally reaping the reward of eternal love and forgiveness.

I am so glad that I read this book. Ms. Smith is an excellent writer, whose written words have allowed me to see through the pages and into a world I had never imagined before

Redeeming Grace

Ruth's Story

a book by 

Jill Eileen Smith

Disclosure: I enjoy reading!  I always have and always will! My review of this book is just that, my own opinion of how I liked or disliked this book. I received a free copy of this book from the Publisher in exchange for my review. However, all opinions and summaries expressed are my own, without any influence, and are copyright protected.

I turned the page...

I recently subscribed to the Oprah Magazine and received my first issue a few weeks later. The cover photo was beautiful, it was Oprah with the Grand Canyon behind her.  Oprah looked so healthy and the colors of the Big Canyon well, words could not express how beautiful it was. 

I turned the page, then another, then another and then another. It was all advertising, trying to sell me something. So I turned another, finally I came to the index. I wanted to read about Oprah's Grand Canyon adventure. I couldn't make heads or tails out of the index, it was just a list of titles and credits. So I turned another page, finally I found a page titled  "Behind the scenes".

I read an article titled "Get the Look". Here was a list of suggested clothing to make my trip in style. They were pretty and I imagined myself dressed for the scenery just as Oprah was.

Except... for the price!  Backpack $395;  leggings $168; shirt $225. I felt my self-worth plunge, but only for a minute,then I began to feel a little upset with Oprah. Really Oprah? 

I guess I could give up eating this month so that I could be in style as I walked those same paths of our Grand Canyon. Well, I like to eat, so figured I could shop at my local Goodwill and pick up an entire outfit for about $35. I was in, I could win that vacation and stay warm and look cool. I signed up.

On to the next article. I turned the page, another advertisement, then another, I then found "The Question" page and read 

"Our next question: What piece of clothing best expresses your inner you?". 

I'm not sure I want anyone to know my first answer. 

Strictly out of embarrassment, I thought about it again "What would be my second piece of clothing that best expressed my inner me?". 

Embarrassed again, I thought, well,  what about my third piece of clothing that best expressed my inner me? Finally an answer that I could share with others! It would have to be... my yoga pants.

How old am I, I asked myself?  I guess I am old enough to put comfort first, above fashion, above my outward appearance, above what others may think of me. My clothes, shoes and accessories must meet the "comfort test" before any purchases are made.

What is your piece of clothing

that best expresses your inner you?

Go to oprah.com/gcasweeps for a chance to win this great vacation. 

A Bend in the Road...

I can't remember the last time I actually finished reading a book, other than a manual, or a text book. So when I started this new journey of of healing, of wanting to be a happier me, I knew I had to add Bob's book store to my list of resources.

Bob owns

Always Buying Books

in Joplin, Missouri.  

Bob is a quiet man who loves his friends and family, his community and his country. Bob is my friend and a Vietnam Veteran. He also knows just about everything about books.

I stopped in his store recently and asked him to recommend a book for me. 

Knowing me pretty well, he recommended the Author Nicholas Sparks and led me to a display of his books.  I picked "A Bend in the Road". Bob also told me that Nicholas Sparks was a great storyteller.  He was right.


A Bend in the Road is a book about a man who lost his wife and is raising his young son by himself. He is heartbroken and left with many unknowns about how the love of his life died.  The story takes on extra meaning when you find out he is a county sheriff who can't solve the mystery that has left him so broken. I won't say anymore about the plot, except to tell you it has a happy ending.  My kind of book.

It took me only a week 

to finish this book.  

Foremost, I made time to read, time to be quiet, to focus. Thehubs even bought me a special chair, helped find a place and moved furniture so that I would have a quiet corner all to myself, away from noise and distractions.

Quiet time,
a time to slow my brain,
focus on one thing and relax.
It was so easy, yet took me so long
to find.


So if you have any questions about books, new books, old books, rare books, vintage books, or any book at all, ask Bob. You can find Bob on Facebook at "Always Buying Books" in Joplin, Missouri. Or you can call Bob at 417-781-1720, email him at abbooks@mchsi.com or check out his website at alwaysbuyingbooks.com.

You might even get to meet his Brother Bill.

A book is a gift you can open again and again.  Garrison Keillor

This review is my opinion, not endorsed by anyone.

Sunday Ponders...

What I am reading...     Kdaughter brought me a book by Joel Osteen.  I had heard of him and that he was a rich preacher that had a huge church somewhere in Texas. That was all I knew about him so before I started reading this new book, I did a little research. Yes he is a rich preacher who has worked hard to build a literary career. His sermons are televised to over 7 million people weekly in over 20 countries. 

"When I grew up, the devil was a reason why I had a headache or the devil was the reason I got mad today. We always blamed the devil. I think today when I say the enemy, I like to make it broader. Sometimes the enemy can be our own thoughts. We've trained ourselves the wrong way. Or the enemy can be our own lack of discipline. Some people preach about hell like you're already going there, and to me the Gospel means 'Good News.' I'd rather say God is a God of mercy. So I think the people already know what they're doing wrong, and I certainly believe in hell. But to me, when I see thousands of people before me, it just doesn't come out of me to say, 'You guys are terrible, and you're going to hell.' I'd rather say that God is a God of mercy. You've got to live an obedient life, but for every mistake you’ve made, there's mercy there, and I believe we can do better." Joel Osteen

 I printed this quote on my color printer and framed it in a beautiful frame. I set it on the bathroom sink counter and it is the first thing I read each morning. 

It has reminded me of the choices I have in my life, and my responsibility for them.

 This is one part of my healing process,

my journey to be a better me. 

I want to be happy and 

I do believe for me, it is a choice.

I have begun my journey to communicate my feelings without expecting anything in return. I gave up writing for almost 2 years. I need it, it exposes me, holds me accountable and guides me along to the next step. It empties my soul, it takes out the garbage so to say.

I am also saying "NO".

This is not as easy as I thought.

I am now journaling, some may call it bullet journaling, however, my journal has no rules, no expectations, no disappointments, no drama.

I plan to share some of my ideas as I go and by sharing this with you, I am making myself accountable to this journey. I hope you will come along, share your thoughts and ideas, lift me up and hold me accountable.

Linking with 

Bookdate What are you Reading!

As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. Richard Pearcy