Ascent from Darkness by Michael Leehan

Ascent from Darkness by Michael Leehan was gripping, revealing, and honest. He starts from age 19, and follows his descent into the world of satan and a spiritual realm that many of us are comfortable not knowing about; but his account opens up the readers eyes to its reality, and therefore allows the reader to become more keenly aware that we’re not alone; we’re indeed surrounded by dark, as well as light, in this world. I have to commend Mr. Leehan for the tact he uses in sharing details of his life that could easily turn one’s mind to impure thoughts; he is able to do it in a way that the reader feels protected, and yet still aware of the message he is trying to get across. One area of difficulty was when he would diverge from the ordered timeline of events and bring in happenings from the past or the future to further explain an experience or series of experiences. I found these times to be confusing to the storyline. However, it did not dissuade me from thoroughly enjoying this book. I appreciated the honest testimonies written by people from his life during his darkness, as well as people who have become a part of his life after his salvation. Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Stumbling Into Grace by Lisa Harper

“So today I’ve been thinking…” and thus begins a light, delightful book that reminds me of sitting to chat with a friend who is able to share her life with me in such a way that I walk away a little more uplifted, a little more thoughtful, and a little more appreciative of this Jesus I follow. Each chapter begins with that same opening, and leads you into, as the back cover describes, “part diary, part devotional....hilarious and poignant stores from Lisa’s own life”. I had no idea who Lisa was before, but I can honestly say now she is a woman I admire. In a world where so many woman are too afraid to be single, too afraid to be alone, it is refreshing to have this insight into a woman who is living that life and following her Lord, even as she stumbles through that walk, as so many of us do. This is a great book to read when you may not have the mindset to devote to an in depth study for the moment; a great book when you are traveling and want something not too heavy; a great book for vacation devotions by the beach or a warm fire; or as I found, a great book for a mom who just needs a quick moment of peace in a hectic and crazy day! Fun, delightful, and just enough insightful! Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Christian Encounters:J.R.R. Tolkien

The Christian Encounters:J.R.R. Tolkien by Mark Horne is a short, easy to read in an afternoon book. It gives a through overview of the life of Tolkien, without dwelling too long on any one area. A unique feature is that it ties in the potential and real relationship of Tolkien’s life to that of his storylines in his most famous publications, The Hobbit, and Lord of the Rings. Most of the information appears to be drawn from several previously written biographies, but there is a bit of speculation throughout by the author himself. The end, following Tolkien’s death, is a little bit too much of a commentary in relating his influence on the more modern fantasy stories such as Harry Potter and Dungeons and Dragons; and while that may be true, given the controversy of those stories within the Christian realm, I think a few more references may be appreciated. I did enjoy learning more of his relationship to CS Lewis, however. Having personally read both of Tolkien’s most famous stories, but never a published account of Tolkien’s life, I found this book to be a wonderful insight, and enjoyed knowing more of his Christian background and how it may have played into his stories. This is also a great reference for young people who may just now be discovering the wonderful world of the shires.

Psst....I'm tired of waiting for "Someday"....

I want to start DOING all those things I have always said "well, someday...."
I want to redo my kids bathroom...
I want to hang current pictures....
I want to play games with my kids more...
I want to stop working at 5ish like it's a normal job...
I want to start exercising every day again...
I want to lose the weight I've been saying I would lose since my last baby.
I want to know what it's like to be a skinny minny! (within the reasonable range that I can be with a body that's born 4 kids...
I want to be a gardener.
I want to take more pictures of my daily!
I want to organize my files online!
I want to redo my kids playroom!
I want to wake up early, and grab hold of the promises God offers.
I want to go deeper that I ever have with Him.
I want to stop feeling guilty for stuff that really has nothing to do with me!
I want to LIVE the FREEDOM my Jesus promised! (And figure out what that means!)

A Place Called Blessing by John Trent & Annette Smith

A Place Called Blessing

A Place Called Blessing is about a young man who has lived a life of difficulty, and lived under the false presumption that it is a result of his own actions rather than seeing the truth of it as an unfortunate result of accident. Therefore, when taken into a family who loves him more unconditionally than he realizes, he begins to understand what true blessings are, and the powerful impact of love, and ultimately, forgiveness.

It was a simple story, a very easy read, a little gripping. As a novel, I desired more to it; but knowing it was more an illustration of a spiritual lesson being taught based on John Trent’s Book The Blessing, I can honestly assume that it fulfills that purpose. However, if I am looking for a novel to just sit and enjoy without pondering the deeper lessons, I do not recommend this book. If you are looking for a simple read, even one to share with your family, this is a great book. If you are familiar with John Trent’s The Blessing, which I am not, then I am assuming that this would be a wonderful supplement to that teaching. At the end, there is a chapter by chapter group of discussion questions that bring the lessons to better light; having not read The Blessing, I found them to be helpful in understanding the ultimate purpose.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

A Reluctant Queen by Joan Wolf

At the onset, I was not too thrilled to begin A Reluctant Queen due to the overwhelming market there is for the fictional retelling of Esther in recent years. Insofar as plot goes, it is the basic storyline you will read from the Bible, with much more embellishment to turn a short biblical telling into a novel. It should be noted, as the author points out herself, that she has taken certain liberties with the originally story and changed key details, starting with making the King Xerxes who is the husband of Esther in the biblical version, and placing him as the brother of the King who Esther instead marries. This was disappointing from the outset. The other main characters appear to remain in their proper roles, however, though again liberties are taken. The 2 men who tried to kill the king was done in a way that again, moves away from the truthful biblical account.

All of that being said, once I was able to set aside this as being a retelling of the story of Esther and view it more as a loosely based historical piece of fiction, I was able to read it with a more relaxed opinion. The detail given to the culture is superb, and opened my eyes to the time in which Esther did live. It was slow to get moving, and I struggled to really get involved and enjoy the book until midway through. However, I did appreciate the way the author weaved the story of Esther and some of the details in and gave them a different light. I also appreciated seeing the struggle Esther dealt with in knowing all along she was a Jew, while her husband did not.

In the end, it was a fairly enjoyable read, but if you prefer books that base themselves on biblical stories to be more accurate, I’m afraid you will be disappointed.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

It's not passing fast enough....

Water thing is working on fridge, miraculously.
Back is better, thanks to now 2 visits to chiropractor.
Leak quit in washing machine.
For a week and a half.
Started again yesterday.
Discovered location today after dismantling it a bit.
Replacement and another cha-ching coming up. My Dave Ramsey Emergency Fund only goes so far!!

But.
God is still on His throne. And He gives me the strength for all things.

I've determined I'm not in a storm, though. That would be obvious, and would require a great amount of sudden strength to persevere through.
No, I'm likening this more to Chinese Water Torture, where they drip drip drip water on your face until you lose it.
Not as heavy as a storm. Just a little bit, here and there.
Until you lose it.
Lord, help me to not lose it! :)