Hi, everyone! Starting April 1st I'll try to do this thing called Thankful April. Each day of the month I'll be writing down things I am thankful for. On the 1st I'll write down 1 thing, on the 2nd - two things, on the 3rd -3 things and so up to 30 "thank-you"s to God on the 30th. Each Sunday I'll post the previous week's list of "thank-you"s here. Altogether there's supposed to be 465 of them! I hope I'll go and do it each day.
Do you want do it with me? I'd be thrilled. If you have a blog, you can post there and comment here with a link to your blog. If you don't, you can just share that you're doing it. You can start and stop whenever you want, of course. Or you can try for all 465.
Let's be thankful to God this April!
Monday, March 31, 2014
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Right Where I Belong by Krista McGee
Typical Natalia: “I will never, ever allow myself to fall in love. I won’t do to anyone what my father does to these women. And to me. Never. Do you hear me, God? Make me single. Have me travel the world or work with orphans or whatever. But don’t make me fall in love. I won’t do it. I can’t.”
Natalia Lopez will never date. That is what God wants for her - to be single. Right? Certainly He doesn’t want her to create a family only to mess it up later like her father did. However, as Brian Younger comes into the scene, Natalia’s resolution wavers. He’s a Christian, a pastor’s son, a tall, fun boy who, more than anything, wants to serve Jesus. Natalia won’t admit that she thinks about him all the time. God wants her to be single. Right? Little by little, Natalia comes to realize God has placed her right where she belongs…
Natalia struggles to understand that even though some families might break, that does not mean having a family is bad. God has a plan for her and He has her right where she belongs. The story is shown from two people’s points of view as is the second in the series. This book is fully centered on God. He helps the characters overcome their difficulties and doubts. Right Where I Belong will help you grow spiritually as well as entertain you. And I love Krista McGee's writing!
This is the third of Krista McGee's first series. The first book of the series was First Date, the second one - Starring Me. For more on Krista McGee visit her website and facebook page.
Disclaimer: I got this book for an honest review on Booksneeze.
Natalia Lopez will never date. That is what God wants for her - to be single. Right? Certainly He doesn’t want her to create a family only to mess it up later like her father did. However, as Brian Younger comes into the scene, Natalia’s resolution wavers. He’s a Christian, a pastor’s son, a tall, fun boy who, more than anything, wants to serve Jesus. Natalia won’t admit that she thinks about him all the time. God wants her to be single. Right? Little by little, Natalia comes to realize God has placed her right where she belongs…
Natalia struggles to understand that even though some families might break, that does not mean having a family is bad. God has a plan for her and He has her right where she belongs. The story is shown from two people’s points of view as is the second in the series. This book is fully centered on God. He helps the characters overcome their difficulties and doubts. Right Where I Belong will help you grow spiritually as well as entertain you. And I love Krista McGee's writing!
This is the third of Krista McGee's first series. The first book of the series was First Date, the second one - Starring Me. For more on Krista McGee visit her website and facebook page.
Disclaimer: I got this book for an honest review on Booksneeze.
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Glasses, Contacts, the Bible and Heaven
On Tuesday I got contact lenses! I don't have awful eyesight, but it isn't good either. So, apart from my fear of taking things in and out of my eyes and the fact that they don't sit very well sometimes, I'm good. :) No, really, it's cool to see far off without having to put on glasses. So I thought of an analogy to our lives that I personally think is pretty good. Here it is:
In life we by ourselves don't see far. We are all near-sighted, seeing just today's problems and thinking that's all there is. The farther out, the picture becomes more and more blurry and sort of irrelevant. We think that we don't have to see it, that we're OK with seeing what we see.
Then God gives us glasses- the Bible. And when we look through them we see a bigger picture, we see in focus things we didn't see at all before. And that is good.
But sometimes we forget or choose not to put on the glasses. We stumble back into our blurry, unclear world until the next time we remember them and put them back on. Some of us are better at remembering. Some might have contact lenses that they wear most of the time. Still, they take them off to "rest" their eyes, to get a break from the "pressure". They don't understand that a "break" from seeing God isn't a break. It's misery.
But get this: one day we won't need glasses or contacts at all. Why? Because the One who made them and gave them to us will give us something even better: perfect eyesight. We will be with Him and we will see Him. We will see Him clearly...
That will be in heaven. I can't wait to be there.* How 'bout you?
*That's not at all to say that we should end our lives and go to Him right now. God has a plan for us on this earth. That's why we're here. And when we're done He'll pick us up Himself. :)
In life we by ourselves don't see far. We are all near-sighted, seeing just today's problems and thinking that's all there is. The farther out, the picture becomes more and more blurry and sort of irrelevant. We think that we don't have to see it, that we're OK with seeing what we see.
Then God gives us glasses- the Bible. And when we look through them we see a bigger picture, we see in focus things we didn't see at all before. And that is good.
But sometimes we forget or choose not to put on the glasses. We stumble back into our blurry, unclear world until the next time we remember them and put them back on. Some of us are better at remembering. Some might have contact lenses that they wear most of the time. Still, they take them off to "rest" their eyes, to get a break from the "pressure". They don't understand that a "break" from seeing God isn't a break. It's misery.
But get this: one day we won't need glasses or contacts at all. Why? Because the One who made them and gave them to us will give us something even better: perfect eyesight. We will be with Him and we will see Him. We will see Him clearly...
That will be in heaven. I can't wait to be there.* How 'bout you?
*That's not at all to say that we should end our lives and go to Him right now. God has a plan for us on this earth. That's why we're here. And when we're done He'll pick us up Himself. :)
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Spring
I love spring. I loves seeing the snow melt and patches of brown and green appear. I love having "rivers" trickle and then later roar down the streets. I love the warmer temperatures, the new life. I love SPRING.
You know, we can be renewed too. Anytime. By a God who loves and cares about us. That's something way more amazing then spring's little "miracles".
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
2 Corinthians 5:17
How about you? What season do you love? What Biblical truth does it remind you of? Have you recently experienced a renewal?
You know, we can be renewed too. Anytime. By a God who loves and cares about us. That's something way more amazing then spring's little "miracles".
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
2 Corinthians 5:17
How about you? What season do you love? What Biblical truth does it remind you of? Have you recently experienced a renewal?
Monday, March 24, 2014
Heading Home by Renee Riva
Typical A. J.: The rowboat smashes into the dock with a thud. A startled mallard plunges into the lake and paddles quickly away. “I’m home!” I yell at the top of my lungs. I’ve waited eight long years to hear myself say those two words again.
Quick note: I haven’t read the other two in the series, so maybe some of my thoughts on Heading Home aren’t the same as the ones others would have. And at least one spoiler is in there, sorry!
A.J. has been in Italy for 8 years. Now she is finally going back to her home on the island! There she is reunited with her dog Sailor and friend Danny. Has he grown up! The two of them seem to like each other more than just friends. But A. J. was thinking about becoming a nun. And nuns can’t marry. Now A.J. is torn between what she believes to be her calling and her love for Danny. What does God have in store for her?
A. J. is a 18-year-old girl with a wonderful sense of humor. I have laughed at what she says numerous times. An original character, I think. The nun/true love problem is unique too. And her family is large and provides a source of entertainment as well.
Sadly though, mostly there wasn’t that much on living the faith. A. J. would go on with her life and then all of a sudden she thinks about God for a few scenes. And then He’s not there for a while again. Lost in “the fun stuff” A.J. is doing, I guess. Another disappointment was that the whole nun problem was solved too easily and by about the middle of the book! And then the other half was mostly about them planning the wedding. Maybe this is the climax of the whole series and is worth half a book if you’ve read the other two. But if you only have read this one book, it gets boring easily. There is this other problem about them marrying: what church should they be married in? She’s a Catholic and he’s a Baptist. And there’s some discussion about God around that. But when that problem is solved, God is mostly not mentioned till the wedding where she says “thanks” a couple times. Sad.
To sum that all up, Heading Home is a book I suppose is better read after the other two in the series. It is a light read with a lot of good, clean humor. But if you want something that really encourages your faith, you just might want to pick up something else.
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Wailing into dancing
Even if you might be feeling down now, God can wipe your tears and make something grand and remarkable out of them. Trusting Him is hard, but always worth it.
Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.
You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy. Psalm 30:11
How about you? Are you having a hard time? Do you turn to Him? When was a time when God changed your wailing to dancing?
Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.
You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy. Psalm 30:11
How about you? Are you having a hard time? Do you turn to Him? When was a time when God changed your wailing to dancing?
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Joy
Some people think that God is looming over them with a frown. Some think He looks down on having fun and is mad when they enjoy ourselves. Sure we shouldn't do some of the "fun" things (quotation marks, mind you) others do, but God is not against having fun or rejoicing. Really. He tells us to be happy a lot in His word. If you search "joy" in Biblegateway there are 242 hits and that's not counting the "rejoice"s and "be glad"s. Cool. Amazing. Intriguing. Let's rejoice in the Lord and in our salvation! Amen!
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. Psalm 28:7
Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him. Psalm 33:1
Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
Psalm 100:2
Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”
Isaiah 12:6
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Romans 12:12
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Philippians 4:4
How about you? How easy (or hard) do you find it to rejoice?
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. Psalm 28:7
Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him. Psalm 33:1
Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
Psalm 100:2
Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”
Isaiah 12:6
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Romans 12:12
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Philippians 4:4
How about you? How easy (or hard) do you find it to rejoice?
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