Mid-month Mention: 25th Anniversary of 9/11 - Rescued!

This is an early mid-month mention. I bumped it up, because today marks the 25th anniversary of the events of September 11, 2001. This August, we attended revival meetings with evangelist Chris Miller. He mentioned a brief video he made with Marine Staff Sergeant David Karnes concerning rescue attempts on that fateful day. I checked it out and have decided to mention it here on my blog.

 

If you've followed my blog at all, you know what I loved most about this rescue story. It was the importunate, desperate prayers lifted in the midst of this rescue attempt. Whatever the need, a prayer went up. A radio appeared. A fire was put out. A beam was cut without collapsing. God was right there with them, answering and clearing the way for two men to be saved from the rubble.

I'm praising God for the rescue of two other precious souls. During the Chris Miller revival meetings, my husband invited Trevor's girlfriend, Kylie, and her mother, Angie. The church provided evening meals, so we were able to spend time chatting, as well. They live over a half hour away and we were thrilled they took their time to join us. But even more thrilling, they came to know Christ as their Savior from sin and trusted Him for eternal life. They have been rescued from darkness and brought into the light of His grace. I know Trevor is beaming in heaven and looking forward to reunion. Please join us in prayer for their continued spiritual growth.

"Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth." - Luke 15:10 

Before I go, I wanted to make mention of one more link. My good poet friend, Randy Edwards, wrote a poem for a 25th commemoration of the 9/11 tragedy. The poem is called "Climb," and I highly recommend listening to Randy read the entire entry for this poetry podcast episode. His voice is magnetic; his words timely. I love his poetry! Take a moment from your busy day. Watch a video about a rescue. Offer a prayer for two newly saved souls. Listen to a poem that will inspire and encourage.

Book Review: To Find Where She Belongs

This book, To Find Where She Belongs, is the 4th book in the Christian Fiction Reading Challenge. That's a bit misleading. It seems many of the books in this challenge are the newest books in an existing series. When I signed on, I was content to add 12 prescribed titles to my year's reading. However, given the number of books that follow other titles, the number continues to increase. (In all, if one read every title of each series represented, it comes to 32 books! That is far more than some read in an entire year. Of course, you don't have to read each book in every series listed.) Hmm. I'm still considering whether I will stick with this challenge. When I came to this April selection, I decided against reading Robin Lee Hatcher's previous four titles in this The British Are Coming series.

This is also a Western book (not my favorite category). I plugged on anyway, partly because I so enjoy Hatcher's author newsletters. Keely Boyle is a young Irish woman who fears her safety after a man in power makes unwanted advances. She steals to gain money for passage to America, hoping to find sanctuary with a friend who has always raved about a ranch he loves in Idaho. As Keely settles in to ranch life, she battles guilt and shame for the sin she committed in desperation. Then, sparks begin to fly between Keely and the young ranch owner, William Overstreet.

This book provides great commentary on sin and guilt, grace and redemption. God's love can overcome the deepest shame and restore relationships. The problems on the ranch (poisoned water and dying cattle) resolved a bit more quickly than I expected, but added a further layer of conflict. All in all, this was an enjoyable read, even if it was outside of my normal fare (I'm just not a cowboy person).

Book Review: Your Story Matters

I've had this book, by Leslie Leyland Fields, highlighted in my Hoopla favorites (a sort of to-be-read notation) for months. I'm so glad I finally picked up Your Story Matters. Only 2-1/2 chapters in, I recommended it to my friend, Beth, who is considering writing a memoir and has asked me to help her. This book will help far more than I can. Indeed, I'd venture to say, she could write her book herself by following the instruction and encouragement provided in Your Story Matters: Finding, Writing, and Living the Truth of Your Life.

Each of us has a story. Every story is meaningful and important. When we share our stories, we impact the lives of others for good. Not only that, we process and live out the truths God is trying to teach us through the paths where He leads. So, this is not only a writing book. It is chock-full of encouragement to give our stories back to the Master and share them with the people around us, with purpose. You may not consider yourself a writer. But Fields insists your story matters, whether it is told in a few pages to a handful of friends or written in a book for the masses.

I loved that she referenced quotes by Fredrick Buechner, from his memoir, Telling Secrets. He writes, "It is precisely through these stories in all the particularity... that God makes himself known to each of us most powerfully and personally. If this is true, it means that to lose track of our stories is to be profoundly impoverished not only humanly but also spiritually." 

Fields emphasizes how words flesh out God's redemptive purposes for our pain and trials: "Often, redemption comes simply by bringing language--which is bringing light--to the silence. Every time we lock up a person, an event, even an entire decade in the Closet of Forgetting and Denial, we're robbing ourselves of the strength and wisdom that can come from those experiences. Those events came to us with purpose.... We get to shepherd and steward these burdens, all of them--the beautiful, the brilliant, and the horrid.... We have another chance to reclaim and redeem those moments. And sometimes they are redeemed simply by being faced and called out of the dark. When we can name our ghosts, they haunt us less."

Her questions and prompts at the end of each chapter are invaluable. Her insights come from years of writing and teaching writing. If God is going to use our stories as a witness to His power and purpose, we must be willing to share them. As Fields says, "Our job is to tell the truth, to simply write from who we are, where we've been, and we trust God for the rest." I came away energized to share my story for God's glory!

Book Review: Stronger Than the Storm - Highly Recommend

This riveting debut novel, Stronger Than the Storm, by Deena Adams, had me locked in from the start. With well-drawn characters and intense conflicts, the story demands just another page. It resonated with me because of our journey with a wayward adult son. However, any parent will put themselves in these shoes and learn something about themselves from the journey. We all regret our mistakes. The book is gritty, real, and raw. Life is the same. God grows us the most in the midst of storms. It could be summed up in a simple sentence: The scars of sin run deep, but God's grace soothes and heals.

Beth Holbrook is elated by an offer of publication for her parenting book. As a pastor's wife and parenting coach, things are at a high point. Within the space of one day, those successes begin to crumble, when her 18-year-old daughter runs away. Leesa is on a self-destructive path. Indeed, she digs her hole deeper and deeper as the pages fly by. (Oh, how I could relate!) 

Beth and her husband Kevin, like many couples parenting a prodigal, have differing opinions on the necessary response. These pages articulated the very difficulties I fought in seeking the best course of action with my wayward son. They illustrate the gamut of emotions parents and prodigals experience. Will the ripples from Leesa's sin spill over to fracture Beth and Kevin's marriage? Can God bring good from hopeless, unwanted situations?  

The book has won several awards. It earned first place in the American Fiction Awards for the religious fiction category and Contemporary Novel of the Year in the Christian Market Book Awards. I was grateful to read this story of God's redemption, prior to Trevor's death, because it reminded me of God's presence in the battle. Pain drives prodigals, but their pain spills over into other lives. This book is important! Sin scars the entire family. But God... works with our weaknesses to reveal His strengths, and praise God, He is stronger than any storm we face! We can count on God's providential hand to carry us when wounded and weary, and redeem us when broken and spent.

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I moved this review up in my queue as it is currently on sale in e-book form for a few more days. Snag the savings! You won't regret it!

 

Mid-month Mention: Prayer is the Best Support

I need to compose a mid-month mention post full of helpful and uplifting links. At this point, I cannot do so. I am still feeling numb from a hellish week we endured. Much of it, I cannot share. I will share what I can.

At 5:30 a.m., on the last Wednesday in May, I was downstairs having my devotions. After a large thwump, the power went out. I tried to fumble my way upstairs without spilling my coffee. I crept toward the bathroom (where I keep the candles), tripping over Toby (ugh!). Unfortunately, candles themselves are of no use if you can't find matches or a lighter. I also could not, for the life of me, find the flashlight on my phone (I never use it). Our large flashlight had dead batteries. Great!

Finally, John woke and immediately called the power company. All was still black outside so no indication of what we were dealing with. The sun rose, revealing the true scenario. Another limb had fallen from a tree out back. It took out the entire pole and unit in the back yard. The power company arrived to deal with the situation. My husband hooked a generator up to the kitchen refridgerator.

We waited and waited. Trucks filled the driveway, blocking the garage so we could not take our other cold food elsewhere to store. Here are some photos I snagged of the damage - again, I apologize as photography is not my strong suit (is anything?):

I sent out a prayer request to my family, acknowledging my gratitude that it wasn't worse because at least the limb did not, once again, take out portions of the roof like last May. In response, I received messages that sounded like, "Wendy is so put-upon, Lord; help her with yet another complication to her life." Or, advice as to what we should do: "Start cooking [um, no power!] or grilling as much as you can [much of the time it was pouring rain]."

Then, there was the biggest kicker: "Perhaps you should consider having a tree-trimming company come out to assess the property, if you can afford it." Hmm. If only we had thought of that. Wait, we did, long before this! We had tree-trimmers come. They cut down one perilous tree, but explained they cannot go near limbs near power lines. That is the jurisdiction of the power company. We had the power company come out and assess. They claimed there were troublesome areas, but they'd have to get to it later. Unfortunately for us, later was not soon enough. A new pole had to be put in and the power was not restored for 7-1/2 hours (we're grateful for their quick work and know it could have been out for longer than that). We lost some food from the garage fridge, which had climbed to 52 degrees.

Needless to say, when even greater difficulties descended at the end of the week, I did not feel warm fuzzies about sharing. Instead, I fasted and prayed on my own. I did not reach out with prayer requests to family members full of advice. We continue to cling to God, the only One who can do the impossible. In these other dire situations, we need miracles! [Praise God, we saw dynamic answers to two specific importunate prayers!] 

We continue to beg God to change hearts and transform lives. How I pray God will redeem the years the locusts are eating! Please, if you are a praying person, lift our family up in prayer. And if someone asks you for prayer, think twice before launching into advice 😉, just 🙏! After all, it's the BEST thing you can do!

Added 6/11/26: We woke to another tree down. It broke at the trunk. Ridiculous! Again, we are so grateful it did not damage the house. Nobody has come out yet to chop down and take away the other limb, so now that job is just bigger. You can see the ruts in the grass from where they took equipment back to extract the old power line and pole. That's 3 downed trees in a little over a year. Add in the limb that took out the garden fence while we were away at Bryce's wedding in September 2024, and it makes 4. Sheesh!

 

Book Review: The Second Story Bookshop

I enjoyed the play on words for the title of this book by Denise Hunter. The second story bookshop is, indeed, on the second story of a building. However, it is also the "second story" for a woman whose husband has passed away and who seeks a new passion, bookselling. But, everyone is worthy of a second story. Indeed, many characters in this novel find their way to a second chance and a new chapter in life.

The Second Story Bookshop is a grand story of redemption. I love it when bitterness gives way to forgiveness, when brokenness becomes a vessel for God's mercy and grace. Shelby Thatcher has always worked in her Gram's bookshop. Reeling after her grandmother's death, she is stunned by the reading of the will. Instead of inheriting the bookshop, she learns she is only part owner. The secondary owner is her ex, Gray Briggs, who shattered her heart years ago. Then, another blow descends when she discovers her grandmother's debts. Can she forgive Gray and work together with him to restore the bookshop to its former glory and to a profitable margin? Will the town that hates Gray drive him away before he can earn Shelby's forgiveness?

What a seducing promo paragraph on the Amazon page:

"If you're looking for an enemies-to-lovers, second-chance romance set in a cozy lakeside bookshop brimming with healing, heart, and Southern charm, The Second Story Bookshop is your perfect, feel-good escape. Let Shelby and Gray's tender journey remind you that sometimes the path back to love starts at the front step of a bookstore.

Anyone who loves deeply will know pain. But if you avoid pain by shunning love, you shortchange yourself many of life's blessings. This book drives that truth home.

Author Spotlight: Sara Brunsvold

My reading habits have shifted in the past few years. Frustrated with less-than-subtle agendas in modern books, I've focused more on Christian books. How freeing to know I won't have to encounter unsavory content or wade through endless expletives! In addition, I'm honing in on specific authors and following their publication paths. My list of beloved authors is growing.

One author I've added to that list is Sara Brunsvold. I had the rare opportunity to attend an author talk just days after finishing her first two books. Sara is a down-to-earth, personable, and committed author. I am impressed by her drive to submit her writing to the guidance and use of God. She does something I always intend to do before each writing session, but often forget: she prays at the outset of every writing session. That is powerful!

Sara's books provide realistic characters in difficult circumstances that emphasize the grace and purpose of God. I have enjoyed every single one of her titles. Her most popular is her debut novel, The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip, which won the 2020 ACFW Genesis Award for Contemporary Fiction. I had this title noted in my phone many months before I saw an advertisement for her author talk at a local church near me. This book has garnered 734 five-star ratings on Amazon. My review can be found here.

Her second novel, The Divine Proverb of Streusel, really struck a chord with me. It emphasized things we share in common. I grew up in several small towns in Missouri and have a German heritage. Even though I'm not much of a cook, I copied out several of the German recipes shared in the novel. Many of the questions I asked at the author talk focused on this book.

Just a few months ago, Revell released her third novel, The Atlas of Untold Stories. This is a story of a mother-daughters road trip to literary locations in the Midwest. Relationships between mothers, daughters, and sisters can be complex. I loved how the journey led to great self-awareness, forgiveness, and redemption. Click here to read my review. Thanks to my pre-order, I also secured a guide to the road trip, in case I wish to take my own road trip one day retracing the steps of these characters. Shortly after the release, I reached out to Sara for an interview. If you haven't yet read a Sara Brunsvold book, you should remedy that soon.

Q1: Please share with us the research process that went into creating The Atlas of Untold Stories. Did you visit these locations with your own daughters in tow?

Sara: As a lifelong Midwesterner and an English major, I was familiar with the rich literary heritage the middle of the country boasts. I wanted to showcase that heritage. For research, I started inventorying the many Midwest sites connected to American literature. After whittling down the list to those my characters would most likely visit, I re-read the literature associated with those sites and studied the biographies of the authors. I was also able to visit many of the sites myself, often with my daughters and husband along with me. On one trip, my mom was with me, which was a sweet memory.

Q2: Which literary location was your favorite? If a reader only has time or means to visit one location on this literary road trip, what is a must-see?

Sara: If you have time for only one visit, I would recommend the Branson and Mansfield, Missouri, area. The two sites are fairly close together. Mansfield is where Laura Ingalls Wilder lived in her later years and wrote the Little House books. Her home and farm have been well-preserved, and the museum is amazing. Meanwhile, Branson is where Harold Bell Wright wrote The Shepherd of the Hills. The historic farm where the novel is set has been preserved for tours, and a stage production of the story takes place on the farm.

Q3: Did you have a favorite Midwestern author prior to embarking on the research and writing of this novel?

Sara: I grew up near Hannibal, Missouri, which is the boyhood hometown of Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain). He will always have a special place in my reader’s heart.

Q4: In the acknowledgements, you mention praying for future readers every time you sit down to write. What a gift! Can you describe how you prepare for each writing session? Is there a favorite writing location? Important writing utensil? Mindset motivator?

Sara: I start every writing session with prayer. That is a must. I keep my eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfector of my faith and every word that springs from it. Readers are almost always in view for me as I pray over my writing session. Most days, I am writing at home at my desk in the corner of my bedroom. Sometimes, though, a change of scenery helps spark creativity. In those cases, I will go to the library, a park, or a local coffee shop.

Q5: In every novel I have worked on, I've hit several walls (mostly toward the middle of the writing process). What is your favorite or most effective writer's block buster?

Sara: I relate to this! I once heard an author coach talk about “upstream issues,” and that was a game-changer for me. More often than not, the issue is not “writer’s block,” but a kink upstream from the place where the creativity seems to have run dry. I will go back several chapters (sometimes all the way back to the beginning, if necessary) and read/edit my way through the manuscript again. Maybe I made a decision earlier that isn’t quite playing out as well as I hoped. Maybe there is a detail that jumps out at me as a thread I need to pull forward in the scene where I’m stuck. Maybe the pacing is off, or the emotional arc is askew. A time or two, I just needed a reminder of how much I love the story I’m working on. Resolving upstream issues is my go-to fix.

Q6: I'm impressed with how you integrate your faith in your writing. You seem deeply dedicated to pursuing what God wants from your writing. Do you have any advice for Christian writers on how to integrate faith without hammering the message over the story? This is one of my chief complaints about some Christian fiction. I believe the story should supersede and subtly convey the message.

Sara: Spoken like a true artist whose heart belongs to Christ! One thing I observe about the author community is how we tend to overthink this, and I get it. When you are creating something in worship of a Holy God, it is only right to be reverent about what you put on the page. That said, the very same Holy God for whom we are worshipfully creating is fully capable of guiding us on where to use heavy strokes of Christian content in our art and where to have a lighter touch. If we are bowed before Him as we write, He is faithful to guide us. We don’t have to try to figure it out in our own reasoning.

Q7: The Atlas of Untold Stories emphasizes how important it is to allow our children space to become their own person. This is a personal struggle for me. God gives us each a unique story. I read a quote, "You cannot protect your child from their testimony." As a parent with a child attempting to break the chains of drug use, I wonder what you would say is the most important action involved in letting go?

Sara: What a wonderful, convicting quote. This is a deep question, and one I feel ill-equipped to answer. As I navigate the season of motherhood in which our girls are preparing to launch, I have leaned on prayer more than ever. Sometimes it is the only action I can take.

Q8: Branching off from those ideas, what would you say is the most powerful thing you have learned from the story God has entrusted in your life?

Sara: The most powerful lesson I’ve learned in my own testimony is surrender. Surrender to Jesus, surrender to God’s plans for my life, and daily surrender to the work He sets before me. Of course, surrender in motherhood is a big thing He is currently teaching me.

Q9: With these outstanding books under your belt, do you experience pressure to perform to the high standard you've established? How do you combat that pressure?

Sara: If I allow myself to, I certainly feel the pressure of expectations. But I have to remind myself that I’m not the main character. God is. God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, so if He guided me through three books by his grace, He will do it again, for His own glory. That is the point I come back to in my prayers over my writing ministry. He will accomplish what He sets out to do; my job is to be obedient with the skills, time, and opportunities He has entrusted to me. I try to stay centered on that – and my husband is very good at helping me to that end.

Q10: Can you give us a glimpse into what you are working on now?

Sara: My fourth book, which releases in Fall 2026, takes the cross-generational female friendships of Steel Magnolias and mixes it with the forging of Christian community like in Neta Jackson’s The Yada Yada Prayer Group.

I'm grateful to Sara for taking her time to answer my questions. Her contemporary Christian fiction emphasizes hope, truth, and life. I love redemption in any story. It is so encouraging when brokenness finds healing and God moves in lives to restore and uplift. Sara taps into this so well in her novels. Be sure to check them out! You can find out more information, or sign on for her author newsletter, at her author website.

Book Review: He Should Have Told the Bees

My first Amanda Cox book was The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery, a 2022 Christy Award winner. I sought another one to fill my treadmill time and landed on He Should Have Told the Bees. The what-if premise is clear: What if your anxiety, stemming from abandonment issues, explodes when another person holds claim to your safe haven? The topics addressed in this book will hit home with someone in this day and age. Anxiety is rampant. The future feels uncertain. Substances often beckon with peaceful illusions.

Beckett Walsh's life with her father is stable, considering her mother abandoned them when Beckett was quite young. As long as she stays on the farm, helping her father tend their bees, she manages fine. But chaos descends after his death. Beckett learns that her father's will names another individual, Callie Peterson, as a co-owner of the only haven she knows. Who is this woman? Why is she named in the will?

Callie has no clue why George Walsh left her anything. He was a customer at her natural candle and lotion booth. But could this solve her financial problems? Can she keep her dream of owning a store and still provide for the needs of her addicted mother in rehab? Will she ignore the niggle of guilt because she knows this is Beckett's only safe space?

Two separate lives torn apart by trauma. Two separate needs pitted against each other. This book showcases the power of friendship, the gift of grace, and the promise of restoration. Once again, delving into the trauma response of addiction, I'm full of questions about what traumas may have induced my son's addictions. I'm praying for God's power, gifts, and promises in my son's life.  

Book Review: Coming Clean - Highly Recommend

Did someone highly recommend Seth Haines' Coming Clean to me? I don't recall. Someone should have! This book, once read, demands passing along to others. It resonated to my core! 

Although it chronicles his first 90 days of sobriety, it is not merely a book for addicts. It is for anyone who has wrestled with the Lord over the pains and trials of this life. Seth paints vivid pictures of the searing despair that drove him to the bottle. Why do we seek our petty pleasures and diversions instead of allowing God to lance our wounds and heal our soul-sickness? It is easier to numb the pain than to bring it to the altar. 

And besides, pain has a way of giving rise to doubts... about God's goodness, will, presence, and purpose. It is much harder to turn to One you worry has betrayed you or abandoned you. Seth's raw honesty hit me between the eyes. It reverberated in my soul! If life has battered you, if you've sought artificial alleviations, or doubted the very One you claim to love, you need to read this book. Even better, try to find it in audio form because Seth's lyrical prose is breathtaking when read by the author.

How did I miss the buzz about this book? Coming Clean: A Story of Faith was published ten years ago and won a Christianity Today Book Award. I'm certain I wasn't ready for this book in 2015. God knew when my soul needed to hear the poetic words this author weaves about faith and forgiveness. Not only am I more familiar now with an addict's journey, but I recognize my own tendencies to wrestle with faith and seek comfort in clumsy coping mechanisms.

When Seth's infant son, Titus, fails to thrive and literally shrinks, faith and prayer feel insufficient while alcohol promises to numb the pain. He writes, "Is God with us? If faith starts as a mustard seed, maybe doubt does too.... Anyone who's felt the sting of unanswered prayer, shares the same searing question. Where did our God go?" This book is a journal of his process toward sobriety, his coming clean. He apologizes for his swirl of memories and metaphors, but that is the exact reason it packs such a powerful punch. That, and its honesty.

Seth seeks to identify the genesis of his pain and doubt. It seems to go back to a faith healer in his youth who promised God's cure for his severe asthma if he had enough faith. When the cure didn't come, his family moved on to a rigid church that shunned the miraculous and opted for personal holiness. Systems became the idol of choice. In the middle of his ruminations on the various theological approaches (and the inevitable pain they inspire), he poses this passionate question: "If you are not a people that believes in healing, what framework is there to reconcile a sick world?" Jesus didn't come for those who have it all together; He came to save sinners like me.

As Seth attempts to avoid relapse, he often relies on The Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." In brutal honesty, he observes, "If he doesn't act in accordance with our felt need, we see him as absentee, capricious, or a predestining God of sorrow." In our desperate groaning for redemption, we must submit our will to the will of God, just as Christ did in the Garden of Gethsemane, when he felt abandoned. We must forgive the kind-hearted people with their burning words, their platitudes of "it's all to bring God glory." Seth outlines his journey, "moving from doubt to belief, from drunk to sober, from prodigal to unified with the Christ of my youth." Who knows, his thoughts while coming clean might just fortify you on your journey.

Book Review: Good Catastrophe - Highly Recommend

Benjamin Windle's outstanding book, Good Catastrophe, met me in my deepest need. It offers a dynamite blast of hope. If ever I needed hope, it is now. The author references J. R. R. Tolkien's concept of "eucatastrophe," first introduced in Tolkien's essay, "On Fairy-Stories." This word means "good catastrophe." In literature, it is a turning point that takes an expected terrible outcome and, instead, brings triumph out of tragedy.

As soon as I finished this book, I began recommending it to friends and family. I'm not the only one facing significant odds, carrying tremendous burdens, and expecting impending doom. The author notes that life's challenges "trespass into our homes, they blindside us in our relationships, they hijack our health, and they rob us of our finances." But what if those very catastrophes take us to a grander future than we expected?

May and June were brutal! The circumstances in my life demand something to ease the pain. The hope Windle is talking about is not cliché or photogenic hope. Hope has tide-turning power! He says, "It's more than a feeling... it's a worldview.... At the point of deepest pain is the start of the greatest good... [because] pain provokes an accelerated growth response.... What we initially consider as inconveniences or hardships can later be celebrated as tools that developed us." Windle offers relatable examples. In one, he speaks of Stephen Curry, a basketball player known for tremendous accuracy. Curry learned to play on an uneven and rutted court. Those obstacles taught him to strive for greater accuracy so he wouldn't be constantly chasing the ball. In another, the author highlights a musician forced to play a concert on a broken piano. The maestro, maneuvering around non-functioning keys, ended up creating a new and magnificent sound.

This is a simple, yet powerful, book I will come back to again. I know my need for hope will not diminish. Windle's look at the hard life of Job sings of the hope that springs up amid draught and loss. He references the image of the tree in Job 14. Verses 7-9 say, "For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground; yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant." (KJV) Trees can sense the mere scent of water. Let the hope of Christ be like that faint scent of renewing water in your life. If you are demoralized by your trials, if life seems more than you can bear, this book provides a dose of hope that your catastrophe will bring good. 

Book Review: The Letter Tree

Titles in my recent reads have been aligning in strange ways. After listening to You Are a Tree, I ventured into an audio Christian novel called The Letter Tree by Rachel Fordham. This is a modern Romeo and Juliet tale, emphasizing family, forgiveness, and freedom. I'm a big fan of novels that explore relationships forged through correspondence. This one was a love story, but I'm also interested in ones that develop friendships.

After losing her mother in a car accident, Laura Bradshaw lives under the bitter and overbearing hand of her father, head of the Bradshaw Shoe Company. While Laura feels suffocated and unable to follow her dreams, Isaac Campbell suffers from the opposite plight. His father, former business associate of Bradshaw and owner of the rival Campbell Shoe Company, encourages Isaac to do whatever he likes, keeping him out of the responsibilities of the business. The two fractured families have maintained a bitter feud ever since Mrs. Bradshaw's mysterious death.

When Laura leaves a poem in the trunk of a tree at the zoo, she has no idea that a "pine-cone throwing boy" will respond and embark on a lengthy trail of correspondence and friendship. As each day goes by, Laura grows more attached to this mysterious friend. But her father wants to use her as a pawn for a business deal. Thus, she seeks to break off the "letter tree correspondence." Both Isaac and Laura are desperate to learn what really divided their families and if resolution could ever be possible.

I adored this novel. It gave plenty to think about (especially thoughts on forgiveness and how unforgiveness leaves wounds in its wake). The characters were endearing and believable. The pacing kept the story moving. As always, I'm a big fan of books full of redemption. I will look for more by Rachel Fordham.

Book Review: The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife - Highly Recommend

The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife has been called a "funny and moving," "charming and clever," "sweet, touching life-swap adventure you won't want to miss." It is a great debut novel, billed as perfect for fans of two of my favorite novels, A Man Called Ove and Remarkably Bright Creatures. I'm a sucker for redemptive stories and this one was a good one. The willful suspension of disbelief, while taxed, was worth it for this zany tale of mistaken identity. Kindness goes a long way in a world full of hurt and pain.

82-year-old Frederick Fife is in a rough patch. He misses his deceased wife. His money and his house paid for her cancer treatments. He is facing homelessness when an odd series of events thrusts him into a world he doesn't deserve. Bernard Greer and Fred bear an uncanny resemblance. Thus, when Bernard disappears at a park outing, nursing home nurses take Fred home, thinking he's Bernard. Fred tries to set the record straight, but because Bernard typically responded with dementia-addled comments, nobody will believe Fred. Thus, he settles into Bernard's life, loving the care he receives at Bernard's nursing home. Bernard was grumpy, blind, and incontinent. Fred is endearing, lucid, and well-meaning. He is a man of integrity and kindness, intent upon remedying Bernard's blunders from the past. But how long until his mistaken identity comes to light? And is he really not hurting anyone by his deception?

I related to the issues Anna Johnston addressed within these pages: "grief, dementia, social isolation, cancer, and addiction" (as quoted in the author's extensive and interesting acknowledgements). I loved how the story lines merged. The beauty of Fred's intervention in broken lives made me wish for a Fred in my life. This was a lovely, feel-good story, even when things seemed beyond belief. Readers will root for Fred and his willingness to ride the fortuitous wave in order to help others around him. The book illustrates how older adults are often invisible or overlooked. It highlights the deep need we all have to belong and to forgive. It is a tale of second chances and redeemed brokenness. Magnificent! When they make this into a movie (some hints within the closing pages), I'll be there in the first row!

Book Review: Remarkably Bright Creatures - Highly Recommend

Some authors hit a debut novel out of the park on the first swing! This was a gem of a book! I observed the many recommendations from other book lovers and now must rave about it myself. With entrancing characters and multiple story problems presented, Remarkably Bright Creatures sweeps the reader into this magical world near Puget Sound. I honestly was sad when the book was drawing to a close because I wanted to stay in the story longer. Indeed, I had fifteen more minutes to my drive time, so I reversed and listened to the final 5 tracks on the CD all over again. It is a remarkable tale that leaves you in a happy place.

Not that the story shies away from significant loss. No, each character is dealing with overwhelming sorrow and challenges. But as they come into contact with one another, they are changed. The initial narrator is an octopus named Marcellus, who is detailing the final days of his captivity in the Sowell Bay Aquarium. Tova Sullivan is the petite Scandinavian widow, in her 70s, who tidies the aquarium every night. She is not only grieving the loss of her husband to cancer but also the mysterious loss of her 18-year-old son Erik three decades ago. The interactions between Marcellus and Tova are magical. When Tova falls and injures her leg, the aquarium director hires Cameron to fill the position temporarily. Cameron is in Sowell Bay seeking information about the parents he never knew. His past abandonments have left him stuck.

Initially, I thought the title applied to the octopus. After all, they are incredibly intelligent. I had read of an escaping octopus in Sy Montgomery's The Soul of an Octopus (did Van Pelt read Montgomery's book?). Toward the end of this tale, Marcellus attributes this title to humans, and it feels quite apt. For all the bumbling and stumbling we do with one another, at times we can be "remarkably bright creatures."

What a delightful read! It well deserves its recognition as an instant New York Times bestseller! This is one I would happily return to in the future. If you don't believe you can get behind an animal narrator, please allow yourself the willful suspension of disbelief. You will not be sorry! The endorsements are long and varied, but these were three of my favorites that articulate far better than I can:

"Shelby Van Pelt has done the impossible. She's created a perfect story with imperfect characters, that is so heartwarming, so mysterious, and so completely absorbing, you won't be able to put it down because when you're not reading this book, you'll be hugging it." - Jamie Ford, author of Songs of Willow Frost and The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

"Remarkably Bright Creatures is a beautiful examination of how loneliness can be transformed, cracked open, with the slightest touch from another living thing. Shelby Van Pelt makes good on this wild conceit, somehow making me love a misanthropic octopus, but her writing is so finely tuned that it's a natural element of a larger story about family, about loss, and the electricity of something found." - Kevin Wilson, author of Nothing to See Here

"Infused with heartfelt humor, Van Pelt's elegant portrait of a widowed woman who finds understanding and connection with a clever octopus is refreshingly, if surprisingly, relatable. Despite the unorthodox relationship at its core, the debut novel offers a wholly original meditation on grief and the bonds that keep us afloat." - Elle

Mid-month Mention: Hope for my Hurting Heart

In the month of July, my heart was gutted. The love of a parent for a child is a bond like no other. If biological, you have not chosen that child; that child was chosen for you by God. The Lord gives an intensity of love upon birth that cannot be rivaled. Yet, that child, chosen by God for you, can also bring an intensity of pain, betrayal, and heartbreak.

I was searching up something entirely different, when I happened upon the scripture writing videos of The Homespun Wife (Sherry M. Hefner) on You Tube. I thought perhaps I might get back into scripture writing. I had used that practice several years ago, but had revamped my morning quiet time without incorporating the writing of scripture. You Tube highlights other videos along the side bar and I noticed one by The Homespun Wife called The Truth About My Son. This video resonated with me. It is also terrifying to me. Despite five years in this, we are at the beginning of our walk with an addict. I feel overwhelmed when I recognize that this journey will probably stretch on for years. Her son was turning 37 a year ago. Ours is on the cusp of his 20s. When I think about decades more of this trial, my heart wants to give up in defeat. But The Homespun Wife's message is one of encouragement:

"You are never abandoned."

 "God is your only hope."

In the scripture writing video, Sherry mentioned her husband's sermon series, challenging his listeners to analyze what things in the world keep them from their calling from God. I immediately thought of my son's addiction and how it has kept me from God's calling on my life to write. I mentally asserted, "I will not let my son's addiction keep me from God's calling on my life to write!" Another sermon asked listeners to list "Lord, I give this brokenness to you: (my son's addiction)." Another one encouraged listeners to write, "I want to please God through: (my prayer life)."

Next, I followed Sherry's You Tube page to discover a new book she has just published called We Have This Hope. Since she already has a huge following on her You Tube channel and Facebook, she will probably do well in getting her book out to the masses. I may purchase it. Mostly, I'm glad I stumbled upon her You Tube channel because her words ministered to my aching heart and reminded me that God has called me for a purpose and I cannot let the trials of this world stand in the way of that calling. I will continue to pray for my wayward son (and others on this painful journey). I have resumed daily scripture writing. You may wish to watch her video about a new scripture writing Facebook group and join that group (although I just learned yesterday that the group is temporarily not taking new members due to the huge response, but I imagine it will open again at some point). If you follow any of these links to The Homespun Wife, I pray her words encourage your souls, too!

"I will be with you as I was with Moses;

I will not fail you or abandon you.

Be strong and courageous! (NLT)

Book Review: How to Read a Book

I remember enjoying The One-in-a-Million Boy by Monica Wood. So when I saw another title, How to Read a Book, on the library acquisitions list, I put my name on the hold list. Three days before it was due, I finally dove in and devoured it in 2 days. Although it is not a clean title (some sexual activity described), the story caught me up, and I valued the writing.

How to Read a Book tells the story of the intersection of 3 people who meet at a bookstore. Their lives have already intersected, but the bookstore serves as a conduit for redemption and forgiveness. Violet is a 22-year-old recently released from prison after killing a teacher in a drunk driving accident. Harriet, a retired schoolteacher, runs the prison book club. Frank is the husband of the woman Violet killed. 

Several powerful themes spin in the pages. One is the idea that we are all human and the playing field is level, no matter what our actions have been. I loved this line, "People set their husbands afire, they nurse their dying mothers, they rob demented old men, they sing songs that bring listeners to tears, they kill a woman while drunk on love and 86-proof. The line between this and that, you and her, us and them, the line is thin." The book also delves into second chances. Violet deserves a second chance, despite her manslaughter conviction. So do Harriet and Frank.

Finally, the book highlights how stories function and how they change us. With stirring, poetic passages about the "meanwhile," within a story, the author stirs the reader to contemplate how to read a book and how to read a life. "Even the least eventful life holds an avalanche of stories.... The one I chose - the one that now composes this epitaph - isn't a story at all. It's what Harriet would call the meanwhile, the important thing that was happening while the rest of the story moved along.... I took a life. I lived and died. Meanwhile, I was loved." Beautiful! The writing and lessons within these pages captivated and comforted me.

📒 Content caution: sex

Book Review: A Christmas Prayer

I searched Hoopla for another Christmas novel to pass my time on the treadmill/exercycle. If I had visited its Amazon page, I might not have selected this book. Several endorsements for Kimberla Lawson Roby's other books contained words like "juicy read," "full of sassy sensuality," and "liberal dashes of sexual satisfaction." I'm glad I went in blind. Other words from the endorsements ring more true for my experience of this book: "She pushes her characters hard, spotlighting their flaws." (USA Today) "Roby [deals] with real issues... that are important to women today." "Roby has a talent for underscoring the universal challenges of people of faith." This African-American Christian novel takes genuine struggles and brings them to a point of redemption.

Alexis Fletcher still reels from the death of her mother. The prospect of a new family would console her if only her fiancé's mother loved and accepted her. Instead, her future mother-in-law seems determined to break up their relationship. What drives this intense animosity? How can Alexis celebrate the holidays despite her grief and struggles? Her heartfelt Christmas prayer may be the answer to her deepest needs.

Although it may not have made the list in my previous post of Christmas book recommendations, A Christmas Prayer offers realistic dilemmas delivered into the hands of our gracious God. You don't have to be African-American to relate to the characters and issues presented in this Christmas novel. In a season of hope and joy, Christ brings our pain and conflict into His sphere of redeeming love. While the characters are flawed (like all of us), God's intervention brings healing and peace.

Mid-month Mention: When There Are No Words

I fell in love with Andrew Peterson's work bit by bit - first through his song, "Is He Worthy?", at the Sing Festival. Then I learned about his Rabbit Room blog when reading and reviewing Leif Enger's book, Virgil Wander. I also watched Peterson's address at the 2017 C. S. Lewis Summer Institute on "Calling and the Kingdom of God.". Next, I encountered his books on creativity, Adorning the Dark and The God of the Garden (both of which I highly recommend). Although I knew about the Rabbit Room, I only recently discovered the Rabbit Room Chinwag Facebook group. I joined and now I receive "rabbity posts" every day from like-minded creatives.

One of the members of the group, Michael J. Tinker, is a songwriter with a new album called, "When There Are No Words." I was drawn to this title, since it expresses the same sentiment as my tag line for my book, Watching the Wayward: Psalms for Parents of Prodigals. Apparently, he is starting a podcast by the same name. The podcast offers interviews with artists exploring grief and hope in their work. I listened to the first episode, an interview with Andrew Peterson, and deemed it worth the hour spent! There are already three more interviews available, as well: Sara Groves, Douglas McKelvey, and Jamin Still. I'm so happy I happened upon the Chinwag group and this new podcast in particular. Check it out!

Book Review: Murder, Motherhood, and Miraculous Grace

The deeper the darkness, the greater God's grace appears and the brighter His light shines through our woundedness. Murder, Motherhood, and Miraculous Grace is a very difficult book to read. The darkness is overwhelming. Yet, through this tragic tale, I recognize anew my own capacity for evil and sin and my reliance on God's gift of grace. Debra Moerke, with the assistance of Cindy Lambert, tells her story of fostering, then losing, a precious child. When caught up in feelings of judgment and anger, God steps in to remind of her own need for grace. He prompts her to answer the call by showing grace to one whose actions have wounded her beyond measure. This story goes deep into the depths of sin, yet rises to the triumph of forgiveness and mercy, shown by both God and Debra (through God's help).

How easy it is to look at the sins of another and think, "That's despicable! How could someone do such a thing? Why did God allow this extreme evil? How can He possibly redeem this brokenness?" Although Debra Moerke doesn't go into great detail, she honestly admits she is just as capable of the evil action taken by the birth mother in this story. Indeed, her actions (actions society sanitizes and accepts) bear the same results. When the birth mother calls Debra with her initial request for a prison visit, God compels Debra to respond with grace and go. Then another request requires even further grace, but God enables her to shine forth His love to overpower the darkness. We are all sinners in need of God's forgiveness and grace. Only He can redeem the fallout of our broken lives. This story is especially important because it is not only a testimony of redemption, but a reminder that any light in our lives comes from the Father of light, who infuses our darkness for the glory of His kingdom. May God be praised!

Book Review: The Book of Lost Friends - Highly Recommend

Back in the day, before cell phones, I spent a stressful, terrifying few hours with no idea where my husband was or what had happened to him. It was gut-wrenching and distressing. Here's my best recollection of the events of that day: On a snowy winter morning, we took the highway, headed for a marital counseling session. As I drove, a neighboring driver began gesticulating wildly, attempting to get us to pull over. We had no idea who this was. I took our expected exit and kept driving (the guy following) until I pulled up behind a police car on the side of a road. The guy claimed a piece of ice from the top of our vehicle struck and cracked his windshield. The officer directed us to take the matter to a court building very near our counseling site. Why didn't we insist on staying together? John told me to drop him off and go to the session, then return for him afterwards. I spent the next hour "on the couch," so to speak, and returned to the court building but found no trace of my husband. I think I asked around and a person saw him get into a vehicle with another man.

After endless waiting, I was unsure what to do. How helpless you feel when you've no idea where your loved one has vanished to, if you will ever find them again, or if they have come to some sort of brutal end. Because I was younger then, I don't think my mind played out all the worst-case scenarios as it would now, but I was beyond distressed. After several hours, a cab pulled up and my husband stepped out.

The relief was palpable. During the drive home, he explained. Someone at the court building said they had to file an accident report at the highway's toll booth. The man with the cracked windshield, eager to get his desired resolution, took John there, but then claimed he had to get to work and could not drive John back to the court building. Someone in the toll booth allowed my husband to use the phone, and he attempted to call to leave a message for me with his location. The counseling center, bound by confidentiality laws, refused to pass any message on to me. The next dilemma? He had insufficient funds to hire a cab to take him back to the court building. He called one anyhow and a kind-hearted cabbie provided the fare for free. In the end, they labelled the shattered windshield as "a road hazard," so the whole episode had been a pointless venture into terror and grief.

Thus, I could relate to The Book of Lost Friends. Although I didn't face the intensity the slaves experienced, I walked a mile in their shoes. This book is based upon factual accounts taken from advertisements in a Southern paper, where slaves sought information about lost family members ripped away from them. Lisa Wingate does a marvelous job of weaving two time periods into a cohesive and impactful tale. In one story line, it is 1875 and the slave Hannie Gossett follows her owner Lavinia (with Juneau Jane, Lavinia's half-sister from the father's second side-family) on a quest to find information about the missing plantation owner. Each girl has a unique story to share as they grow together on their journey. When they happen upon the pages of the book of lost friends, Hannie determines to find her people.

In the second story line, it is 1987 and Bennie Silva begins a new teaching career in a dilapidated community in Louisiana, on the heels of a failed engagement. She is unsure she has what it takes to nurture a vision for a better tomorrow in the hearts and minds of her young students. Finally, a history project about the local Goswood plantation lights a fire in both teacher and her students. Of course, there are those who do not want the truths of the past revealed. Can Bennie push through this obstacle? Will the book they find in the plantation house bring lives together? Might she have a future with Nathan Gossett? Or will the same mysterious piece in her past that foiled her engagement hinder her new love interest?

Once again, I'm so glad I took a gamble on a longer audio book. The narration was outstanding, and the story was important. This book brings to life so many historical truths and dreadful realities of our American past. Each character, and unique story, will move you. I highly recommend this Lisa Wingate book. It will wrench your heart out, but piece it back together again. It didn't stop with the pain, but brought that painful past into a present resolution and redemption. This is historical fiction at its finest!

Book Review: Yes to Life

I cannot imagine the anguish Holocaust victims faced in the atrocities afflicted on them. Yet even when stripped of all dignity and freedom, Viktor Frankl continued to find meaning in life. After three harrowing years of bondage and demoralization, he emerged and rewrote the contents of a manuscript confiscated with his belongings. Man's Search for Meaning came together in nine intense days of writing. A year later, the lectures compiled in this book, Yes to Life, were delivered in Vienna. What amazed me most is that he didn't respond simply to the fate of the Jews, but expanded his argument to include any threatened life (be it internal, by suicide, or external, by society). He writes, "Our unique strengths and weaknesses make each of us uniquely irreplaceable."

Frankl affirms the value of every life. Each individual person matters. He expresses the arguments he is most familiar with from his time under the Nazi regime, "it would be conceivable that the state, as the guardian of public interest, should free the community of the burden of these highly 'unproductive' individuals [be they elderly or incapacitated by mental limitations] who consume the bread of the people who are healthy and fit for life." But Frankl asserts every person holds value. In those concentration camps, Nazis deemed only those fit for work as worthy of life. Frankl urges three separate areas give life meaning: in creating, in experiencing (loving), and in reacting favorably to what fate inflicts. "[Death and suffering] do not rob the existence of human beings of meaning but make it meaningful in the first place."

We cannot foresee when that suffering will come to us that will lend even more meaning to our lives. "None of us knows what is waiting for us, what big moment, what unique opportunity for acting in an exceptional way." He urges his listeners and readers to say yes to life in spite of everything because each hour is a gift with promise. Frankl inspires us to live in exceptional ways through our actions and reactions to what life presents. He writes, "Any hour whose demands we do not fulfill, or fulfill halfheartedly, this hour is forfeited, forfeited 'for all eternity.'" With Frankl, I want my life, my suffering, my death to bear meaning. May I live up to that responsibility. May I not shrink back when called upon to suffer.