Spring Break 2025

When Sean appealed to join his friends for a spring break trip, I lacked enthusiasm. Still, both Bryce and Trevor went on spring break trips for their senior year in high school. They went with friends. Sean wanted me to accompany him, since none of his friends had room in their cars or accommodations. So, I located a cute little inexpensive Vrbo studio apartment. I intended to sleep on the (pictured) loveseat and give Sean the queen bed. 

Our arrival was harried. After many flight delays, we didn't arrive until after 11 p.m. and then the Uber driver could not get us to our accommodation because the roads were blocked for a seafood festival. We ended up walking a block in the rain. The Vrbo did not have the same loveseat. Instead, I spent four nights on this reclining loveseat.

According to my fitness watch, I snagged good sleep every night regardless of an inability to lie flat. The little apartment was adorable and cozy. Our only difficulty was with the set-up for the bathroom - a flat floor with no lip around the shower area to keep water from flooding the whole floor. This we remedied with a towel on the floor outside the shower area.

The seafood festival was fun, but I ate more Mexican food than seafood. Here's the last of 3 bountiful tacos I purchased for $6:

And a photo of a fabulous chicken, spinach, and mushroom quesadilla at a restaurant:

I spent a bit of time enjoying the back patio overlooking an inlet of water. 

For the most part, though, I sat in the little apartment and read. That was fine. Sean had a blast hanging out on the beach with his friends. On the last day, we checked out at 11, walked around, and got seafood. Good thing I saved on the tacos, because his market price fish and chips cost $25. Nothing like fresh fish! (Sorry, no photo.) We took an Uber to the airport around 2, but thanks to bad weather in Indiana, our flight was delayed repeatedly and didn't take off until 9:15 p.m. We learned later that a tornado actually touched down in the neighboring town and took the roof off a few warehouses. John said the sound was ominous. We are grateful to God that none of our tree limbs came down, we didn't lose power, and John arrived safely to pick us up around 11:30 p.m. I'm glad to have had the happy memories of a trip with Sean.

Book Review: Decluttering at the Speed of Life

2025 was going to be the year of the big purge. I set a goal: daily tackle small amounts of clutter. "Daily" proved too difficult. Still, I did well in January and February. Then came March. My momentum sputtered. Too many days, I noted in my log as "no purging." Ugh! What I needed was another jump-start. What I needed was Dana K. White's book, Decluttering at the Speed of Life.

Dana articulated the very thing that keeps me from working on de-cluttering or organizing. It is all too overwhelming. The task makes me feel like I'm about to climb a mountain. So many profiles painted in this book are relatable. I am a "wanna-be-repurposer." I keep countless jars and plastic containers because they're too cute to throw away or could be useful in the future. My bedroom has a chair that magnetically attracts piles of clothes. Indeed, I could relate to the "vicious cycle of excess." My closets are full of too many clothes. My craft supplies abound, yet I seldom do crafts of any kind. I am always thinking about tomorrow, but it puts a great stress on today because of the overabundance of stuff I maintain. Much of it is unnecessary.

Here are some of Dana's tips: 

• The only way to deal with the overwhelm is to start.
• Start with what is most visible. This way, you see results right away and you build momentum.
• Purge the straightforward stuff first (not the sentimental piles) as this builds momentum, too.
• Only fill the space you have (or the "container"), so start with favorites, and donate whatever doesn't fit the space.
• Physically touch things to determine if they are necessary.
• Look! Don't assume you know what's in that box.

I will have to remember her advice when we move. She suggested searching "moving supply calculator," to tell how much stuff your new home can hold. "Use the recommended number and size of boxes for the space you're moving into as your reality check." It is easier to pare down when you acknowledge you can only bring a few boxes with you into your smaller space (since we will downsize in the coming years). Maybe after reading this book, I can regain my purging momentum.

Book Review: The Story She Left Behind - Highly Recommend

Seeing the buzz, I put my name on the hold list for Patti Callahan Henry's book, The Story She Left Behind. Although I've heard of this author, I had never read one of her books. My impetus to read quickened when I learned she was speaking at a library event south of Indianapolis. I snagged a ticket to the event and plunged in, reading the book in 3 days. What a great book! It deserves its recognition as an instant New York Times Bestseller. What a fantastic opportunity! I loved the reading and the author talk.

When she was eight, Clara Harrington's author mother disappeared. Now, twenty-five years later, her divorce propels her to return to live in her childhood home with her dad and her eight-year-old daughter, Wynnie. The mother hunger lingers. Then, she receives a phone call from a stranger named Charlie in England who claims to have found her mother's papers in his deceased father's study. Clara and Wynnie cross the ocean and arrive just as London is shrouded in the fog of the Great Smog. They flee London with Charlie, heading for his home in the Lake District. Can they, together, solve the mystery of her mother's disappearance? Will they learn why Charlie's father had the papers?

It is always a privilege to hear firsthand tidbits about an author's journey. Plus, it enhances the reading. For example, I was surprised to learn that this story is actually based on a true literary mystery. It weaves together small details from one author's disappearance with tidbits from the life of Beatrix Potter. If you read the novel, do not neglect the author's note at the end. It explains which parts are drawn from history and which parts are improvised to complete the story. This was an easy read and the pages fell away. I immediately recommended it to a friend with a special love of Beatrix Potter. When I told Jen about the book, she was already familiar with Potter's personally-created language. This was all new to me.

I loved hearing about Patti Callahan Henry's journey into the rabbit trails of her research. While reading The Story She Left Behind, I felt Wynnie's character seemed precocious beyond belief. Then, I attended the talk, and learned that the author whose disappearance led to Henry's novel was indeed that precocious as a child. The book emphasizes the importance of words and language. It addresses the difficulties we sometimes have when we cannot find the words to communicate what we wish to say.

The talk also whet my appetite to read more by this author. After talking about her book, Becoming Mrs. Lewis, I decided to stick around, even though I had no book to sign. When my turn came, I eagerly asked if she had done research at the Marion E. Wade Center (where I worked, in my college years, transcribing C. S. Lewis' personal correspondence). She had! We talked briefly about Dr. Lyle Dorsett and his wife, Mary. She kindly took a photo with me before I dashed off to keep the line moving. Oh, how her wrists must have hurt by the end of the evening! I noticed many people in line carrying multiple copies of her books, all seeking a signature. I'm thrilled to have personally encountered this author and her book.

Wishing you had the privilege of attending one of Patti Callahan Henry's book talks? The author wrote an interesting article, on creating personal languages, for the Readers Digest web magazine. On her author website, you can read a blog post on live video interviews which aired on her Facebook page in February and March. Plus, her book was highlighted on the Friends and Fiction podcast. This is a podcast that she created, together with 3 other bestselling authors, to highlight and discuss books. Don't have an hour to get engrossed in this story? Well, here's a ten-minute interview with the author:

Mid-month Mention #2: The King of Kings Movie

On Tuesday, I went with two other women from my Bible study to see Angel Studios' new movie, The King of Kings. Although the movie is animated, and appropriate for children, adults should not shy away. Several things deserve commendation. It provides a clear articulation of the gospel. We all commented on how appealing it was to tell the story of Christ through the medium of a story told by Charles Dickens to his son. As the story goes along, the viewer begins to feel all of the emotions being expressed by Walter Dickens on the screen. I loved how the creators didn't shrink back from tastefully showing difficult scenes like the woman caught in adultery or Christ's time on the cross. Moreover, they clearly explain how sin separates us from God. Without Christ's sacrifice on the cross, we would be unable to bridge the chasm between sinful man and holy God. 

This story-within-a-story is loosely based on Dickens' The Life of Our Lord. Dickens wrote that book specifically to share the story of Jesus' life with his children. While Dickens is not someone I would reference as a clearly committed Christian (nor are the celebrities voicing the characters, I'm sure), I felt his tale provided an educational foundation for key stories in the Bible that demonstrate Christ's power, purpose, and plan.

I would not label it an evangelistic tool, however. It introduces kids to portions of scripture, but I would never look to a film to create a transformed life. Indeed, I noted a Reddit feed of atheist parents expressing the movie as "safe" because it presents Christ's life as "legend" rather than "truth." Still, it opens a dialogue for parents and children, and it gives a basic outline of the life of Christ. It felt reminiscent of the "Walk Through the Bible" teaching tool, condensing large amounts of Biblical details into manageable and memorable story.  

Of course, since I'm a Christ-follower and a Dickens-lover, it appealed to me. But the tale is appealing to others, as well. It is billed as the "highest opening-weekend for an animated faith-based film." It has achieved a Cinemascore audience rating of A+, a rare feat. There's no better time to take the young children in your life to learn about the life of our Lord than during the Easter season! Well-timed, Angel Studios!

Book Review: Becoming Elisabeth Elliot

When I was at Wheaton College, I befriended a floor-mate named Andrea Howard. She was delightful (spunky, funny, fun). It was interesting to learn about Elisabeth Elliot (Andrea's aunt) and the story of her husband's martyrdom in the jungle of Ecuador. Once, while at Wheaton, Elisabeth came to the college to deliver a lecture. I own 2 of her books about Jim Elliot and love a particular quote from him I found once in Paula Rinehart's Better Than My Dreams. Thus, when Sara Brunsvold mentioned Ellen Vaughn's 2-part biography of Elisabeth Elliot, I was eager to dive in.

Becoming Elisabeth Elliot shares the initial parts of Elisabeth's life (her growth, her courtship, her loss of her first husband, and her struggles with her missionary role). It is clear, God's ways are not our ways. From the very beginning of her missionary career, she faced obstacles head on. After nine months of work on the Colorado language, all of her linguistic notes, files, charts, etc. went missing when someone stole her suitcase off a truck. Despite frustration, she accepted God's will and termed it her "school year." No explanation could suffice. She wrote, "Faith's most severe tests come not when we see nothing, but when we see a stunning array of evidence that seems to prove our faith vain. If God were God, if He were omnipotent, if He had cared, would this have happened?... It was a long time before I came to the realization that it is in our acceptance of what is given that God gives Himself." For her, it came down to obedience, regardless of the cost.

In another passage, toward the end, Vaughn writes, "For Betty, the sad days weren't times to be denied, suppressed, or avoided. Betty's medical training, and her theology, did not allow her to deny the existence of pain... It showed God was at work. If she walked the path of obedience, He would in fact use her very pain for His good purposes. But the problem with pain is that it hurts."

Anyone who has encountered unexplainable suffering will find comfort and hope in these pages about Elisabeth Eliot's life. She was not a saint. She had her own personal quirks and personality edges. Yet, her life is a primer for accepting God's will, even when it is hard and makes little sense. We must accept His will even when the outcomes remain unquantifiable. Elisabeth Elliot's pain and struggles drove her to deeper obedience than sunshine and flowers ever would. May I remember her example when I'm called to walk a hard road. This honest 2-part biography would be a fine addition to a personal library.

Mid-month Mention: Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt

I went back and forth on whether to post this. Only my regular blog visitors will read in time to join in the fun. Yesterday, I learned of a scavenger hunt put together by Christian fiction writers. Their goal is to expose the reader to more Christian authors and expand newsletter participation. I am all for this! What a thrill to discover more authors writing wholesome books. I spent a good chunk of time yesterday morning pursuing a third of the scavenger hunt websites and clues. Now, I've signed on for a handful of author newsletters. I'm eager to explore more today, but the deadline for completing the scavenger hunt is very near. Complete the hunt by tomorrow (4/13/25) at midnight (Mountain time) in order to be entered for a chance at five top grand prizes.

Lisa Tawn Bergren, an author I had never heard of, is the first stop on the scavenger hunt. Once you visit this page on her website, you will find the instructions for participation and the first clue for the scavenger hunt. Making note of it, you follow the link to the second author on the scavenger hunt, Gabrielle Meyer, another new-to-me author. Of the first third of author participants, I had read 3 authors before. What a wonderful idea! You have chances to win prizes. If you sign up for newsletters, you even receive some free reading materials. This is a great introduction to authors (although, I fear I will sign on for too many newsletters and find my inbox inundated)! I had a wonderful time reading each entry (many full of tid-bits of historical details I'd never encountered).

If you participate in the scavenger hunt and find new authors to explore, let me know. I'd love to hear what authors you found enticing in this array of Christian writers. If you miss out on this current opportunity, don't worry. It appears the scavenger hunt is available twice a year. I assume if you visit Lisa Tawn Bergren's website and search for "scavenger hunt" you may be able to figure out approximately when the fall hunt is slated. I intend to keep my eye out anyway.

Author Spotlight: Becca Kinser

(photo collage property of Becca Kinzer's author website)

Becca Kinzer is a critical care nurse who lives in Springfield, Illinois. She writes clean, lighthearted, humorous stories. Her first novel, Dear Henry, Love Edith, won the 2024 Carol Award for debut novel. This was my first introduction to Kinzer's writing, and I really enjoyed that epistolary tale of mistaken identities. In it, a young woman rents a room from a man she thinks is an older gentleman. They keep missing running into one another, so he assumes she's a spinster. As their correspondence blooms, so does love and a myriad of obstacles.

Sometimes it is difficult to follow-up on a successful debut, but Kinzer wrote an equally funny novel in her second book, Love in Tandem. Charlotte Carter faces the dismantling of her beloved small town music program. Desperate to save it, she agrees to join her ex-fiance's brother in a tandem bike challenge, hoping the prize will secure funds to save the music. As these opposites approach the 500-mile trek, their pretend-dating scheme runs into plenty of snags. Is love inevitable on a bicycle built for two?

I would have loved to have driven to Springfield, Illinois, to meet and interview Becca Kinzer. I appreciate her light-hearted humorous stories. They lifted my spirits on some gloomy days. Since I'm not gifted with the ability to write humorous tales, I admire this skill she demonstrates. Alas, instead of an interview, I'm relying upon information from the book club kit for her upcoming book (available,  with discussion questions, through Tyndale in their Crazy 4 Fiction book club kits).

As for writing with humor, Kinzer follows a driving principle. She writes, "There's a saying in the writing world that if there's no tears in the writer, there's no tears in the reader. Well, my interpretation is if there's no giggles in the writer, there's no giggles in the reader. Let's just say I had plenty of giggles writing certain scenes in this story." Kudos to Kinzer for making readers giggle!

You can influence the success of Kinzer's third book by purchasing it on its upcoming release date, April 15th, 2025. In this book, First Love, Second Draft, Kinzer focuses on second chances. Gracie is a rom-com writer who writes a baseball romance series. Noah Parker is a forty-year-old pitcher who is famous for one perfect game. When the two meet, there's a bundle of banter and a surfeit of sparks. But can their love overcome the complications they face?

In the book club kit, Kinzer discusses how to story germ originated. She writes about "having trouble sleeping. Scenes about a baseball player and his wife kept playing out in my mind. What if the absolute best night of a baseball player's professional career coincided with the absolute worst night of his wife's personal life?" Sounds like a great premise, no? Apparently, she wrote the book before her other two books took off. She teasingly liked to call the manuscript, "First Love, Seven Hundredth Draft." Ha!

I think I'm looking forward to the book most because it promises a story of redemption. Kinzer says, "There's an element of redemption and forgiveness that always goes hand in hand with a second-chance romance. I don't think the world can ever get enough of that type of story." I hope to find the encouragement Kinzer sought to instill in this story. She hopes readers "learn to cling to God through everything, especially the disappointments and seasons of waiting. By keeping a tight grip on our faith, we'll never lose reason to hope. And as with all my stories, I hope readers get some good laughs along the way."

Want a taste of the tale? Click here for a free flash fiction story, "Famous First Date," introducing Gracie and Noah. If you visit Becca Kinzer's author website, you can access two free novellas when you subscribe to her newsletter. Then, head to the Amazon page for her new novel, to secure your copy on the release date. Or if you'd rather purchase a signed copy, visit the author's website where you can purchase one from The Sly Fox. I'm wishing Becca all the best of success as this third novel reaches the light of day and into the hands of eager readers everywhere. Maybe someday I'll get to meet her and ask the myriad of questions bursting in my brain. 

Book Review: The Olive Farm

After a few unacceptable attempts at audio book novels, I moved to the non-fiction section this time. I happened upon Carol Drinkwater's memoir, The Olive Farm. Drinkwater is an actress I'm unfamiliar with. I enjoyed listening to her tale of finding love and family in her dream-come-true, owning an olive farm. 

The author narrated it and I was eager to find out what she looks like. It said on the cover, "Drinkwater will be forever remembered for her part as the wholesome Helen Herriot in the television series All Creatures Great and Small." Although I couldn't access the one she performed in (from the '80s), I dashed off to the library to pick up the newer Masterpiece Theater version of All Creatures Great and Small. It was great fun watching the three seasons of the show (something I may not have done had I not listened to Carol Drinkwater's book). 

I loved the author's narration. Her British accent was delightful, and she rattled off in French too. It turns out she has a whole series of books with the word olive in the title. I could access them on Hoopla, but I think I'll pass. She even has a new one coming out this year, called Return to the Olive Farm (also available on Hoopla). My Hoopla audio list keeps growing and growing. Not to mention, I've recently learned how to access audio books on Libby.

Book Review: Saving the Saved - Highly Recommend

I grew up in The Salvation Army. They believe a child of God, a Christian, can lose their salvation. One of the primary dangers in this view is an inflated sense of self-preservation. It leads to believing one has the power to negate what God has done on your behalf ("void His promise") because your actions supersede God's act of forgiveness that He has declared as FINISHED. Contrary to what they think, we are not the lynch pin holding our security in place! Praise God, He paid the debt I could not pay. He holds me, by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, a seal of promise, assuring my eternal ("eternal," not "temporary," not "probationary") life! He is the author/sustainer/perfecter of our faith.

While Salvationists would agree that we cannot DO anything to gain our salvation, they say we must DO something to keep our salvation. They assert we can "choose to come out from under that seal." In that case, what's the point of a seal? Living with constant fear one has not repented from each infraction (and, yes, we continue to struggle with SIN) leads to a performance-driven faith. I now believe that is an error, and a grievous one. It makes me think of a phrase I once heard stating there are only two religious camps: DO and DONE. I rest in what He has done, not what I do.

Salvation is a gift, an act of grace, "Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:9) First, He justifies; then, He sanctifies. On the cross, Christ paid the penalty for our sin. Once we are His child, sealed with the Holy Spirit, that Spirit helps us fight against the ongoing presence of sin we will battle until death. We are not out from under the consequence of sin, but we are FREE from the condemnation of sin. Again, I trust in Christ's act, not my actions, for my heart is desperately wicked and the battle against sin continues (Romans 7:14-25).

We are neither co-saviors, nor co-judges. God will decide each individual's spiritual destiny. Indeed, it is not our place to speculate. (We cannot determine someone in scripture ended up in hell because they did not repent of their waywardness.) Praise God, it is not our call. Yet everyone will answer for where they place their faith. Are you trusting in your sufficiency (your ability to remain obedient) or in a deep and abiding trust in Christ's sufficiency (His obedience in taking your sin penalty on the cross)? Are you wearing His robes of righteousness or your own?

I face tension with family members who believe in the Army's 9th doctrine, that "continuance in the state of salvation DEPENDS upon continued, obedient faith in Christ." It rankles all the more because I have a wayward son. I have a child who, despite attesting dependence upon Christ for salvation, makes harmful choices that others perceive as unrepentant rebellion. Indeed, if they pronounce judgment on one in scripture who, despite writing books of the Bible, strayed, they believe my child is in danger of hellfire. Yes, it's personal! Yet, Paul's letter to the Corinthians reveals it is possible to follow Christ and still indulge in seasons of sin. Indeed, those willing to pronounce judgment on my son should examine their own sin indulgences.

Perhaps all of this led me to Bryan Loritts' book, Saving the Saved: How Jesus Saves Us from Try-Harder Christianity Into Performance-Free Love. Loritts is determined to teach the reader how to rest in God's performance-free love. He argues against spiritual meritocracy (using our performance to gain God's approval). I loved this comment, "If anything I ever do of eternal value is because of God's grace, and if anything I ever do that brings shame is covered by God's grace, where is the boasting... the shame?" He urges us to come to Him "with the outfit He supplies. Life in the kingdom means I come out of my old clothes of performance and receive the new ones of abiding in Christ."

I loved his comments on prayer. He likened it to a 3-year-old, with arms outstretched, asking her daddy to carry her. He argues for the humility required to pray fervently. "Every day I spend in prayerlessness is a day wasted in pride--a day in which I say to God, 'I got this.'" And we don't hold the results against God. "He's worthy to be praised when breast cancer is cured--and just as worthy when the disease takes a life. We don't follow God for outcomes or for the benefits package; we follow Him because we love Him."

His discussion on Matthew 11:30 ["my yoke is easy; my burden is light"] brings special encouragement to my weary soul. He explains that, in the Greek, these words mean "custom-made." A carpenter measured the yoke to fit a specific ox's neck. "As the Divine Carpenter, Jesus knows you inside and out.... He customizes the yokes and trials of our lives so there's nothing we go through that we cannot handle.... You and Jesus are yoked together. He's in this with you, and there's nothing... you can't handle... in God's amazing love."

As Loritts speaks of why our failure is never final, he focuses on Peter's denial and subsequent use for the kingdom. He talks about our need for fresh, daily grace, and how that should make us gracious with others. Here is where the message hit me between the eyes. Unforgiveness is an affront, a sign of hypocrisy. I have exhibited this very problem and must repent of it. Loritts writes, "The unforgiving 'Christian' puts on a display of arrogance, assuming in their unforgiveness that they are the only ones truly worthy of being forgiven, of receiving God's performance-free love." Oh, how I need repentance.

Our repentance is not, however, to GAIN his love, but is an expression in RESPONSE to his performance-free love. We must be careful not to confuse salvation with sanctification. First, we repent of our sin and seek His forgiveness and His atonement (eternally expunging our sin debt). Then, our further repentance is a process of sanctification. It expresses our desire to become more like Him out of gratitude for the reconciliation we had no hope of attaining on our own. 

Our salvation makes us a child of God. It is an act of adoption that renders us secure. I would never look at my child and say, "That's it! You've gone too far. I no longer love you or call you my son." He is and will always be my son and nothing he does will negate that status. The truly saved do not need to be saved again, and again, and again. Indeed, believing such renders Christ's atoning work as equivalent to the Old Testament covenant sacrifices. (Here it would be good to look at Hebrews 6:4-6 - do we crucify Christ over and over to reclaim our salvation?) No, the saved rest in God's performance-free love and will greet the bridegroom wearing His robes of righteousness, not their own (filthy rags).