Fiction Book Review: All That We Carried: A Novel by Erin Bartels

Book Description:
Ten years ago, sisters Olivia and Melanie Greene were on a backcountry hiking trip when their parents were in a fatal car accident. Over the years, they grew apart, each coping with the loss in her own way. Olivia plunged herself into law school, work, and a materialist view of the world--what you see is what you get, and that's all you get. Melanie dropped out of college and developed an online life-coaching business around her cafeteria-style spirituality--a little of this, a little of that, whatever makes you happy.

Now, at Melanie's insistence (and against Olivia's better judgment), they are embarking on a hike in the Porcupine Mountains of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. In this remote wilderness they'll face their deepest fears, question their most dearly held beliefs, and begin to see that perhaps the best way to move forward is the one way they had never considered.

Michigan Notable Book Award winner Erin Bartels draws from personal experience hiking backcountry trails with her sister to bring you a story about the complexities of grief, faith, and sisterhood.

My Thoughts:
Erin Bartels created a brilliant and moving story of two sisters searching for hope. She beautifully balances total disbelief with belief in whatever gets you by, while telling a heartrending tale of love and loss. The sisters, as most are, come across very different from one another with a link that joins them forever. Through all of the ups and downs of the camping trip, I felt like I was hiking along the path with Melanie and Olivia. Bartels reveals a spiritual thread throughout the story that left me seeking more. And there is a twist or two. I won't give that away, but I will say it was the perfect way to integrate grace into a tragic story. If you enjoy heartfelt, family stories that delve deep, you'll want to read All That We Carried. I've read all of Bartels' books and this one is my favorite. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Merry Christmas!

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas!

 

Christmas in the Heart

Do you feel it in the air?

Do you feel it in your heart?

The love...

Jesus love came down from God to this world.

The joy...

Joy in the birth of the one who came to walk with us.

The grace...

Poured out on all who believe.

The hope...

Of life eternal with Jesus.

Do you know the good news?

Jesus came to rescue us from ourselves.

To offer the kingdom of God to us.

To give us a way to God, who loves us so very much!

Tuck Christmas in your heart this holiday season.

And share his good news with the world!

. 

 

True Freedom

Until I seek forgiveness and give forgiveness, I'm bound by the chains of sin and despair. 

True freedom comes from reconciliation with God and people. 

 

He Knows my Name

John 10:14-15

I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.

It's good to be known.

In my endeavor to learn more about needle felting, I ordered a couple of hanks of roving from an online vendor. Most of the time I purchase dyed wools, but this time I found natural black Welsh Mountain Top and a beautiful variegated Bluefaced Leicester Top. I'm not sure what I'll make, but the lovely colors and textures drew me to them.

When the bundle arrived in the mail the other day I couldn't wait to open the package. As I drew the scissors through the plastic and pulled the first roving out I stopped. My nose wrinkled. "What's that smell?"

As soon as I opened the bag, I knew the sheepish odor. I recognized the farm fragrance because I grew up next to a sheep farmer. Mind you, it wasn't repulsive, but it was unexpected.

In John 10, Jesus reminded his followers that he knows his sheep and his sheep know him. Maybe he recognized some of the stinky shepherds, or the salty fishermen by their aroma. But more likely, he knew them by their heart.

The shepherd and the sheep are loyal to each other.

When Jesus lived on earth sheep wandered the hills, sometimes falling into a crevice or walking to another territory. You know what the shepherds did? When they noticed one missing, they pursued that lost one because they knew them and missed them from the herd. When the sheep were found they followed the shepherd home.

Jesus knows our names and our hearts. He is the Good Shepherd. He knows his sheep, and his sheep know him. If we wander he will pursue us. He loves us so much that he sacrificed his life for us, to give us the gift of grace and a life in heaven.

Do you know the Good Shepherd?

Unveiling the Past: A Novel by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Book Description:

Newlyweds Sean Eagle and Meghan DeFord are no strangers to pain and loss. As cold-case detectives, they know intimately the anguish family members endure after the murder or disappearance of a loved one. But when a new case hits too close to home, it threatens to pull loose the fragile cords of their young marriage.

Sheila Menke was just a girl when her father left for work and never returned. An investigation revealed he had embezzled enough to start a new life elsewhere, but Sheila could never accept the court’s criminalization of her father. Meghan reluctantly takes the case, secretly fearing it will stir up buried feelings about her own biological father. And while Sean investigates the mysterious death of two young brothers, he longs to start a family. But Meghan worries that with a negligent mother and an absentee father as her parenting examples, she might never be fit for motherhood.

As they delve deeper into the past, both Meghan and Sheila must choose to either stumble along the road of bitterness and resentment or walk the difficult path toward forgiveness and healing. When the cases begin to break wide open, these young women are poised to discover that while earthly fathers may fail, there is one in heaven who is a father to the fatherless.

My Review:
Unveiling the Past rings of redemption, forgiveness, and grace. There are a couple of things I especially enjoyed. The author set the book up in short segments featuring the various points of view, which made the story easy to read. And the story focuses on women who no longer have fathers, but depend on their heavenly Father. Following the cold case detectives as they solved old crimes was interesting and fun. One thing I noticed in this story is Kim Vogel Sawyer used her writing to teach of Jesus' love without being preachy. The reader got to glimpse the way these characters might witness to their co-workers and friends. I also loved Sean and Meghan's relationship with each other. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A Season for Everything

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace.

And a time to take a walk and see the beauty of spring.

As we wait out the COVID-19 virus, Tim and I and many people I know have made walking outside part of their daily activity.

We've trekked around the high school track. Hiked on a trail in the woods and ambled around the neighborhood. I'm happy to report we've witnessed spring's arrival. Regardless of our circumstances, the frustration that eats at us, missing our families, friends, and church, or not working—the tulips peek out with a flourish of color, the bright yellow daffodils wave in the breeze, trees show off their blossoms, robins twitter and tweet, and the sun bursts through the clouds.

This morning in my quiet time, I read a verse in Psalm 43, "Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell." As I read, sunlight spread across my Bible and highlighted the words. Goose bumps raised on my arms. I bowed my head and prayed God would lead me to that mountain where he rests.

His light gives hope in this time of despair. Ecclesiastes tells us there is a season for everything. Good and bad. Regardless of which moment we're in, God remains the same. His light and truth guide us. He offers hope for a hurting world. In him we find peace.

In this season of difficulty, have you prepared your heart? Jesus loves you. He offers peace and hope through forgiveness and grace. Let his light and truth guide your heart.

Want a Second Chance?

U.S. Life Saving Station, Marblehead, OH

Psalm 51:10-12

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
    or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
    and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

He's the God of second chances.

The movie Love Story, starring Ryan O'Neal and Ali MacGraw, hit the big screen in 1970. As the story goes, A wealthy boy meets a middle class girl, they fall in love, boy gets disinherited, they marry, and she becomes terminally ill. Together they navigate this difficult road.  One catchphrase from the movie is still quoted today. "Love means never having to say you're sorry."

Even as a teenager that quote didn't make sense to me. Jesus is the only person who walked this earth without fault. Everyone makes mistakes,even as we strive to be our best selves. God knows we mess up. That's why he sent his son.

In Psalm 51, King David bowed before God and admitted his sins. He knew he needed mercy. And you know what? God was happy to hear from the wayward king. He wanted David to reach out and seek grace.

David understood that only God could renew his repentant heart. David desired God's love. David wanted to have the Holy Spirit renewed in him. That's why he said he was sorry. He sought out the Lord because he knew only the God of second chances could pour joy back into his heart.

If King David had believed the quote about never saying he was sorry, he would never have been forgiven by God. But he knew God loved him with open arms.

Seek God. He wants to give you a second chance.

He Offers Grace

In 2016, Tim and I visited Marblehead Lighthouse and checked out 

the newly built lifesaving station museum. 

The builders replicated the original 1876 station, previously located a mile away.

The station reminds me that God offers rescue to all who seek him. 

He's the God of second chances.

Those Shepherds Couldn't Stop Talking

Luke 2:15-18

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 

On December 22, 2009, our grandson Eli was born. Oh how I rejoiced at this sweet little bundle of love. I told my mom and dad, my siblings, my friends of this beautiful boy who would fill our hearts with joy. You see, I was excited. I wanted all to know that Eli was born. On Christmas day, Tim and I had the privilege to celebrate not only Eli's birth, but Jesus as well. We trekked to the hospital to share the day with Elijah Duncan and his mommy and daddy. What a wonderful Christmas that was!

The shepherds, those men on the hill visited by the angels, ran to find the new baby. The one who would change the world, lay in a manger waiting to meet these awestruck men. Once they'd laid eyes on that sweet little babe, those shepherds couldn't stop talking about him. They told everyone they saw about the miracle of Jesus' birth.

What are you talking about this time of year?

I hope amid the busyness of the season we talk about Jesus. His birth. His life. His truth and grace. Let's be like the shepherds and tell everyone about the King.

Sweet or Stinky, How do you Smell?

2 Corinthians 2:15

For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.

Big Apple Bagel serves the best bagels in Cincinnati. They are the perfect balance of chewy and light. If you stand outside in front of the big picture window, you can watch the bakers process the delicious treats. They pull the dough into an "o" shape, boil them in water, then bake them to a golden brown. When you walk in the door, the smell hits you. That luscious fragrance of fresh baked bread.

Research has shown that smells tug at our memory. Every time I inhale the scent of fresh cut wood, visions of my grandpa come back to me. We had an elevator at work that smelled like oil and metal and reminded me of my dad. A fragrance can conjure up a happy moment and bring back sweet memories.

Odors attract or repel.

As followers of Jesus, Paul says we are the "pleasing aroma" for people who believe and those who don't. As the odor of Jesus, we should smell sweet, drawing others to him. Most everyone has gotten a whiff of a skunk. They reek. The stench they give off isn't a pleasing aroma, instead their smell insults the senses. We've all sniffed a flower. Flowers spread a lovely perfume that draws bees and butterflies. Jesus wants his followers to smell like flowers instead of skunks. Our fragrance reflects our behavior and our faith. People will know Jesus by our aroma of grace and kindness.

Are people attracted to Jesus by your scent? Or are they repelled?

Be a Flower!

Why be a weed, when you can be a flower!

Who's the Coach?

Hebrews 4:14-16
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.  Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

From the bleachers we watched our granddaughter rebound the basketball. As the girls hustled up and down the court, the coach shouted plays. Then she'd call a time-out and advise the girls on what to do, and correct them where they'd made mistakes. She was in the game with them.

I coached volleyball for a few years. Honestly, I didn't have the confidence or experience I needed. But I tried. I loved the girls and the game. As I learned along with them, we grew together as a team. As a coach I took on the role of adviser, instructor, and example. 

In life, Jesus is my coach, mentor, and leader. Jesus had the ultimate experience in living life on earth. He was born and raised to live like his brothers and sisters. He worked with his dad, and walked with the disciples. Jesus experienced sorrow and joy. He loved and lost. Satan tempted him, but he didn't partake in sin. He understood the circumstances men and women live in. That's why we can go to Jesus and talk to him. He understands. He's not some lofty spirit who is out of reach. He's the one who lived on earth and knows how difficult life can be. Jesus wants to grant grace and mercy, if we just ask. Even though he knows our needs, he longs for us to talk to him.

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Before the Time Runs Out

Acts 20:24
However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.

The clock ticks down to thirty seconds. The team needs to score three points to win. Do the players give up? No. The coach uses the clock—down to the last seconds of the game to encourage the players to make a pass, a basket, a win.

Basketball game

We're in basketball season in our family. Three grandchildren play and our son coaches. We watch college teams on TV and in person. Intensity of the games can be exciting. We've witnessed fantastic plays and some that just stink. In basketball, players need to finish what they start. When a player shoots the ball they need to follow through. When the other team shoots, a player needs to rebound. When the point person sets a play in motion, the team can execute a pick or screen. The team pushes through until the final buzzer rings. That's what they signed up for, to finish the game.

As a believer in Jesus, I want to follow through. I need to finish strong. Sometimes I want to give up and take the lazy route. But, Jesus didn't call me to be a slouch. He wants me to be a team player and one who finishes the tasks he sets before me. Maybe it's my age, but I've finally figured out that I just need to plow ahead with what God puts on my heart and not worry. God wants me to continue to serve him and step up before my time runs out.

My aim is to finish the tasks God sets before me; to continue to give glory to God and share the news of his grace.

Grace

Beauty on a Porch

It's All About that Grace, 'bout that Grace, 'bout that Grace

Luke 24:1-6
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb,  but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.  While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them.  In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?  He is not here; he has risen! 

After the spring plows turned the dirt in the fields, my family and I would walk the rows searching for arrowheads. While everyone else in my family seemed to have a knack for finding tips and pieces of flint tools I wandered off, as most little girls would, to find shiny, pretty stones. I got especially excited when I found a rock with "glitter."

But my childish excitement for a sparkly rock diminishes in comparison to the awe Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome must have felt the day they found a stone, or should I say "the stone" rolled away from Jesus' tomb. After witnessing their friend's terrible death on Friday, they'd gone home and rested on the Sabbath before they'd prepared the spices needed to anoint Jesus' body. On Sunday morning, they gathered their supplies and walked to the tomb. The book of Mark reports that the women wondered who might roll away the huge stone that blocked the entrance to Jesus' burial place. But when they arrived, WOW! the huge rock had been rolled to the side of the tomb. And their beloved friend was gone. Not stolen, not placed in another cave, but gone, of his own volition.

And those angels, those wonderful good-news bringing, dressed in white angels, shared the fantastic news with those precious ladies that Jesus had conquered death. Blessed Jesus died a cruel death so that I might live forever. Then God raised him up and breathed life back into him. Can you feel the amazement and excitement? I can. Are you overwhelmed with the mercy and grace Jesus poured out? I am. Praise God for this beautiful joy-filled reason we celebrate Easter.

Rejoice in the Lord! He is risen!!!

The Fog Settled

Romans 4:7-8
“Blessed are those
    whose transgressions are forgiven,
    whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the one
    whose sin the Lord will never count against them.”

September, the time of year when the temperatures are dithering between summer and fall. On a cool morning this week, the dip in temps resulted in a soft fog that settled over the village. As I drove to work I enjoyed the beauty of the low hanging cloud as it touched the trees still green with summer and covered the surrounding hills with a blanket of dew. 

The fog reminded me of the times I've asked God to pour his peace over my family, friends, or someone I don't even know. Or the times I've prayed for a person to feel God's arms around them and his love enveloping them. As I looked at scripture about how God covers people, I read Romans 4 and discovered this quote from the Psalm. God surrounds me with much more than his love and peace. He rains down his grace on me. He's forgiven me and continues to forgive. I am blessed to know my Savior has given me a fresh start and left my past behind. Praise God for grace! 

The Stinky Weed

2 Timothy 1:8-10
So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. (Letter written to Timothy from Apostle Paul)

As Tim and I walked the dogs near a meadow, I noticed pretty purple blooms. I grabbed my camera and clicked. As I focused the lens, I realized I was snapping pictures of ironweed. Yes -- a weed, not a flower. God creates beauty in unexpected places.

The Apostle Paul's life, before he met Jesus, was ugly. He killed Christians. But when he traveled on the road to Damascus and fell before God and declared Jesus as his Savior, he lost his ugliness. Through grace and forgiveness, love and faith God transformed Paul into a beautiful weed. No one expected Paul to have a change of heart. He'd been persecuting Christians for a long time. Yet God's love changed him. 

God's grace can change any sinful, stinky weed of a human into a beautiful bloom. While sin resembles the stinging nettle weed; crowding out good plants, irritating, burning, annoying, and harmful. Grace is more like chicory, the pretty blue weed that blooms along the roadside and brings joy. God can change any heart if the person is willing. Praise God for his grace and forgiveness.

Book review: As Waters Gone By by Cynthia Ruchti

http://bit.ly/1LpxVbR

About the book:
As Waters Gone By (Abingdon, May 2015)

How can a marriage survive when separated by hundreds of miles and impenetrable prison walls?

Emmalyn and Max Ross may have to endure the fight of their lives to mend the tattered fabric of their marriage. His actions ensured she could never be a mother and put him in prison, giving their relationship a court-mandated five-year time-out. On a self-imposed exile to beautiful but remote Madeline Island, one of the Apostle Islands of Lake Superior, Emmalyn has just a few months left to figure out if and how they can ever be a couple again.

Nudged along by the exuberant owner of the Wild Iris Inn and Café, a circle of misfit people in their small town, and a young girl who desperately needs someone to love her, Emmalyn restores an island cottage that could become a home and begins to restore her heart by learning what it means to love unconditionally. Yet even as hope begins to find a place within the cottage walls, Emmalyn still wonders if she's ready for Max's release. She may be able to rebuild a cottage, but can she rebuild a marriage?

My Review:

"Bougie's smile bloomed and spread...'Grace always outweighs gravity'." Words I want to engrave on my heart. Cynthia Ruchti has written a beautiful tale of confusion, fear, love, forgiveness, and grace. As soon as I opened the first chapter and started to read, I wanted to climb in the book and get to know the characters better. Take Emmalyn's hand and walk with her along the beach. Sit and drink tea with Bougie, the quirky innkeeper and even climb on the roof to work with Cora. The story comes to life immediately and holds on until the satisfying end. The author's incredible description paints an inviting setting from the Wild Iris Inn on Madeline Island to the cottage by the lake. I just can't say enough good things about this powerful story. If I could give more than five stars I would.

Disclosure:

I received a free copy of As Waters Gone By from Litfuse in exchange for an honest review.

About the author: 

Cynthia Ruchti has more than three decades of radio broadcast experience with Heartbeat of the Home radio and currently serves as Professional Relations Liaison for American Christian Fiction Writers.

Find Cynthia online: website, Twitter, Facebook

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1Gs5M3Q