Saving Cicadas: a review

Saving Cicadas

By Nicole Seitz

Book Description

A novel of unconditional love and the freedom of letting go.

When single mother Priscilla Lynn Macy learns she's having another child unexpectedly, she packs the family into the car to escape. Eight-year-old Janie and Rainey Dae, her seventeen-year-old sister with special needs, embark on the last family vacation they'll ever take with Poppy and Grandma Mona in the back seat.

The trip seems aimless until Janie realizes they are searching for the father who left them years ago. When they can't find him, they make their way to Forest Pines, SC. Priscilla hasn't been to her family home in many years and finds it a mixed blessing of hope, buried secrets, and family ghosts.

Through eyes of innocence, Janie learns the hard realities of life and the difficult choices grownups make. And she must face disturbing truths about the people she loves in order to carry them in the moments that matter most.

My Review: This book was certainly an easy read, but I don't think it was my favorite style. Without giving any of the story away, I struggled with some theological issues in this story in reference to angels or ghosts. That being said, I did appreciate the author's note at the end which explained why she chose to write the story in this way, and that she realized the story was not accurate with scripture.

Video Diary

In March I finally was brave enough to share my simple piano skills in order to document the progress that I had already made.

This month I have been very dedicated to learning my all-time favorite song.

O Holy Night.

It seems to be a rather cliche song to choose. Afterall pretty much every Christmas album out there has covered it in some attempt to be unique.

But I joke that it was really MY favorite first.

So when I was given the choice to pick a Christmas song to learn for December, I instantly knew it would be this one.

It's a bit of a stretch for me because it was adding some new concepts that I had not learned previously, such as using the pedals.

But I played it diligently.

Seriously sometimes dozens of times a day.

John laughed and said that he knew I was just trying to perfect it before my next lesson.

Uh, yeah!

My piano teacher noticed the amount of time that I dedicated to practicing this song in particular. After all, December was not a month for any extra time on my hands because of final exams.

She commented that my overall piano playing has even improved in a short amount of time because of how much practice I have done on this one song.

My head swelled a little at that one!

But practicing this song is therapeutic. Playing the piano is such an excellent stress-reliever. So of course while I was anxious about studying I was practicing it over and over.

The video makes my piano sound horrible tinny. I assure you that despite my elementary skills it does sound better in person.

So anyways, hope you enjoy!

The Story of Us: The Next Chapter

For a long time now, I have not updated "The Story of Us".

For those of you who have read my blog for a long time will know that I created this ongoing story to show where we have come from, and also where we are headed.

If you would like a refresher, simply go to the side bar titled "Labels" and click on "The Story of Us".

Interestingly enough, I re-read the last update in this series and here is what it says at the end...

"Now almost 4 years later, I really enjoy the small town life and can hardly imagine living in "the big city" again. John enjoys his job (most of the time) and is currently dreaming about what road to take in his career. There are many options available, but we will just pray and wait and see what God has in store for us next."

So what is in store for us next?

I am just finishing up my first semester of distance classes through the U of R and have signed up for 3 more classes for the upcoming Winter 2010 semester. I am exhausted from all of the MANY hours of studying that I have done this week, but it will be a great feeling of accomplishment and rest shortly.

I have also found a great certificate program to combine with my desired Bachelor's of Social Work. The certificate program is for "Child and Family Studies", both levels I and II.

This will be a great way to implement any elective classes that I need to take with my degree. CFST Level I requires 5 classes and CFST II requires 10. At the end of the Winter semester I will have 4 of the 10 classes needed for the Level II certificate.

I'm not exactly sure how I will be using my degree in the end. After all, that is still 5-6 years away. But I am excited about gaining these two certificates as well as my degree, when I am finished school.

*********************************************************

God is also telling us that it is nearing the time to move.

I was not expecting this, although this spring we will have been here for the expected amount of time for this detachment posting.

However there are several factors here that lead us to believe that we would not be moving in the next year, thus extending our stay here.

Last week John got an email regarding a "transfer planning document". It was quite a shock for both of us. I must say that I struggled greatly with it at first.

I like to plan ahead. I like to be prepared. I like to know what is going to happen next.

This felt like getting slapped in the face. It sure woke me up to the cold reality of actually having to move and say goodbye and all that stuff.

Yet in typical God style, He showed me that it will all be okay.

2 nights after John came home with that news I was reading in my devotional book.

Now I have to confess that I am not very faithful with spending time with my bible lately. Life has just felt too busy with school and everything that I just don't do devotions as often as I should, or would like.

I'm actually going through the book "Live Relationally", which I reviewed several months ago. If I had read this daily like I planned, then I wouldn't have heard the message that was clearly written JUST for me.

Seriously. It felt like it was hand written by God.

To Jenn.

Had I read it 4 days earlier I wouldn't have gotten it.

Or 4 months later. It wouldn't have had the same impact.

Here's what I read...

"Noah lived in a world that was crashing in around him. And God had a solution: 'It's time to move."

Whoah....

Wait it gets better....

"Have you ever felt like that? Has God ever interrupted your plans by uprooting you from your cozy nest only to drop you into unchartered waters? Let's face it, no woman looks forward tothe day her husband comes home and says, 'The boss says it's time to move."

See what I mean about hand written?

The lesson in this story was all the ark. It had no navigational system whatsoever. Noah had zero control over where they would end up. He just had to trust God. Completely trust God.

Gulp.

Yep. So that's where things are at. I had to take a complete 180 degree turnaround to see that maybe this wouldn't be all bad.

Afterall I wasn't so sure about this place in the beginning. And I ended up making some of the most dearest friends of my life. God knew that we would need each other for the current chapters in our lives.

And I expect that we will remain friends forever.

I am so thankful for them!

We still have lots of questions, and we aren't completely sure where we will be moving yet. One of the biggest kickers is the housing costs everywhere else in the world but here! Most likely we will have to double or *gulp* triple our current mortgage.

I know, I know....I have to completely trust that it will all work out.

Let's just say that process is going to take a while!

Finals Are DONE!

Oh what a wonderful feeeeeeeeeeeelinnnnnnng,

Oh what a wonderful daaaaaaaaaaay.

Last night I came home to find the girls had each made a card to celebrate the end of finals and greeted me at the door with big hugs.

Ella is getting really good at printing. She wrote all of the card, except for a little assistance on the letter "r".

And look at the fine art of gluing stuff onto paper!

I saw this card, and read the front, "Alligator Mom".

Brie gets frustrated right away..."That's not what it says!"

Uh....huh?

I guess she wanted to just say mom. And then she wanted to point out the alligator in the green swamp. If you look closely, you'll see him in there!

And this was the inside of my card from Brie! I think you can figure this one out for yourself. She drew candies, balloons and streamers to celebrate!

John also made an excellent homemade supper of perogies (my absolute favorite!), and chocolate cheesecake made with Baileys. Mmmmm....

I had absolutely no idea that John was doing this. I guess he secretly made the perogies while I was writing my first exam on Monday night. And the cheesecake was baked as soon as he got home from work yesterday.

After supper John handed me a very heavy present. I was not expecting a present so I had no idea what could possibly find inside.

Guess what it was?

A MACBOOK!!!

I am now the PROUD owner of a laptop computer!

We had talked about purchasing one someday, but John decided that really I could use it now while I'm in school. I spend hours typing up study notes, and he thought that if I could take this to class, I would save myself a lot of time.

Isn't he THE BEST?

Thank you John. I love you!

Last day of classes

Tonight I will attend the last class for this semester already.

Hard to believe how quickly the times passes!

But I'm heavy into studying for finals already.

And trying to figure out which classes to take next semester.

I have signed up for 2 classes for sure, 1 is televised again and the other is only online. It should be interesting to try that out too.

I'm also waiting to hear back if I have "permission" to take one of two other classes. It's nearing the harassment stage if I don't get a reply SOON.

2 classes a semester just isn't enough when I have MANY years ahead of me already.

Plus John and I have some other big decisions to make in the near future.

This could possibly explain the massive headache that I went to bed with last night. And woke up with this morning.

*Sigh*

One day at a time. Right?

Healing Sands review

Healing Sands

A Sullivan Crisp Novel
By Nancy Rue and Stephen Arterburn

Book Description

In the struggle for healing, when do you fight and when do you surrender?

Ryan Alexander-Coe is a talented photojournalist who has been on assignment all over the world. But when her two sons choose to live with their father after her divorce, Ryan must give her career up for a small-town newspaper job in order to be near them.

Life spirals out of control when her fifteen-year-old son is arrested. Desperation--both over the fact that she cannot believe her son commited this crime and that he refuses to talk to her--sends her anger level soaring . . . and eventually sends her storming into Dr. Sullivan Crisp's office in search of ways to cope with her anger. Sully is in town assisting at one of his clinics and continuing his search for Belinda Cox, the woman whose guilt-inducing counseling caused the death of his wife and daughter. When Sully's search ends in disaster, both he and Ryan will have to fully rely on God--rather than themselves--to survive these storms.

My Review: I have read the other Sullivan Crisp books recently and this one did not disappoint. I think that I enjoyed the characters from this story the most out of any in this series. The main character in Healing Sands is dealing with a lot of anger as her life has not turned out the way that she would like it. Yet she finds healing through the assistance of a great therapist a.k.a. Sully. I have enjoyed getting to know Sully through this series and this one dives in even deeper into his background as he also tries to find healing from his painful memories. Very unique characters with a very real story.

The Gift Of Sponsorship

This season of "gimme gimme" is upon us.

Why not consider giving to someone who truly needs it?

You can begin to change a life today!

You can sponsor a child through Compassion.

Through your sponsorship you will be providing for their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.

Is there any better gift than that?

There are many children who have been waiting for over a year to be sponsored.

Would you please consider offering one of them a better life this Christmas?

Or if you aren't able to commit to $35 right now, maybe you could consider sending a one-time gift? You can send vegetable seeds, dental care, school supplies and so much more.

Please pray about it today!

Finding Christmas

Christmas is everywhere . . . even where you least expect it.

Join award-winning author and storyteller James Calvin Schaap as he uncovers the grace, joy, and love of the season through seven heartwarming tales of miracle moments in a messy world. This beautiful and inspiring collection of contemporary Christmas stories will remind you what grace looks like--and where to find it.

Endorsements

"Jim Schaap knows our lives. He re-fires our memories. He draws us into settings familiar. He causes us to inhabit the worlds of plain folk struggling with the problems of an ordinary life--and he makes it all so very, very important. . . . Schaap writes sacred mystery into our common lives."--from the foreword by Walter Wangerin Jr.

James Calvin Schaap, a professor of English at Dordt College and president of the Chrysostom Society, is the award-winning author of twenty-two books. He lives in Sioux Center, Iowa.

To read an excerpt from Finding Christmas, click on the book icon at the top of this page.

"Available at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group."

The Christmas Dog review

Christmas miracles can come from unlikely sources.
Betty Kowalski isn't looking forward to the holidays. She just can't seem to find Christmas in her heart. Maybe it's because her husband is gone. Maybe it's because she's missing her children. Or maybe it has something to do with her obnoxious new neighbor, who seems to be tearing his house apart and rearranging it on the lawn.
But when a mangy dog appears at her doorstep, the stage is set for Betty to learn what Christmas is really all about.
My Review: This was an entertaining story by Melody Carlson. I enjoyed the light humor mixed with the quirky characters. It provided a good reminder that God cab be found even in the presence of a mangy dog.

To read an excerpt of The Christmas Dog, click on the book icon at the top.

"Available at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group."

The Unfinished Gift review

Taken from the back cover: Ian Collins is an old man without his son. Patrick Collins is a young boy without his father. On his Christmas list are only three items. He wants the army to find his father. He wants to leave his grandfather's house. And he wants the dusty wooden soldier in Grandfather's attic - the one he is forbidden to touch.

My Review: WOW! Excellent book. I knew I would like it when I read the quotations from other authors on the front and back covers both mentioning the need for kleenex while reading it. I was very impressed with the high quality of this book, especially knowing that this is the first novel for Dan Walsh. The storyline is gripping and the characters are realistic. It is an emotional tale but definitely worth reading! I am looking forward to Dan's second book "The Homecoming", which will be released as the sequel in June 2010.

Click on the book icon to read an excerpt from The Unfinished Gift.

"Available at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group."

Green Works Cleaners review

I was recently given the opportunity to try out Green Works laundry detergent.

After several washes I am still impressed with the quality of this product! My clothes smell wonderfully citrusy (is that even a word?), the laundry is clean, and it is better on the environment too.

Green Works is made with 95% natural ingredients that come from plants and minerals.

I am somewhat skeptical about "green" cleaners that are rapidly appearing on the shelves these days, but I really appreciated the information provided on the Green Works site.

Q. What does natural mean? Are Green Works® products 100% natural?

A. Currently, there is no industry standard definition for natural cleaners. To create Green Works® natural cleaners we set ourselves a very stringent standard. The ingredients must come from renewable resources, be biodegradable and free of petrochemicals. Green Works® cleaners are at least 95% natural. In certain cases we had to use synthetic ingredients, like the preservative and green colorant. But we're working hard to develop natural alternatives so the entire line can be 100% natural.

• 
  

  Q. Why is Green Works® more expensive than traditional cleaners?

  A. The cost of natural ingredients is significantly higher than what is used in traditional cleaners. Green Works® products cost less than other natural clearers and when you consider they are more natural and clean with the power you expect from Clorox, the premium price is a good value.
• 
  

  Q. Is Clorox merely jumping on the green bandwagon?

  A. We've been working on natural products for the past 5 years. We set ourselves a difficult task–to set the standard for natural cleaning and create products that clean with the power you expect from Clorox. In fact, we delayed Green Works® products from hitting the shelves by 6 months to further perfect the formula. We are fully committed to continuing to develop natural products that continue to set the standard for natural.

So Scary

This afternoon I had the biggest scare of my life.

I have been trying to tackle my ever-growing list of things to do before finals begin.

We were watching a friend's child for a little while this afternoon and then we had about 10 minutes before picking up Brie.

Ella decided that she was going to take extra time getting her coat, shoes etc. so we ended up being a little late getting to the elementary school.

It really was only about 1-2 minutes late.

But, oh what a difference those 120 seconds can make.

We got to the school and saw many cars driving away already.

No Brie in sight.

She is usually a prompt girl, but we patiently waited for her to come around the side of the school. (Her classroom entrance is on the opposite side of where we pick her up)

Still no Brie.

I saw my lovely friend, who is also a wonderful teacher, as she was supervising the schoolyard. She must have sensed the growing panic in my voice/eyes as she told me that she saw Brie a few minutes earlier.

A few other passers-by also commented that they too saw her a few minutes ago.

But still no Brie in sight.

I literally picked up Ella as I held her to my hip like a baby and RAN to the van to begin searching for her!

I have never been so scared as I was frantically driving and scanning the sidewalks.

My plea to God has never been more heartfelt.

We fortunately found Brie about 4 blocks away, running as fast as she could on her way home.

She was scared too.

There were tears and embraces.

And MANY sighs of relief.

I am SOOOOOOO thankful that she was fine.

But she crossed 3 streets by herself. I asked her if she remembered to look both ways before crossing.

Nope. Didn't remember.

Thank you God for watching over her today.

Thank you for caring teachers who were beginning to drive around town looking for her too.

Thank you for the happy ending.

Please let this never ever happen again.

Awesome Book Sale!

For those of you who enjoying reading, like me, there is an excellent fiction sale on right now!

I purchased MANY books from this sale last year, and just made another order yesterday.

Seriously, great prices.

Book Closeouts has an annual Black Friday sale (for the US thanksgiving) so all fiction is 50% off their already low prices.

So books are now about 2-3 dollars. The sale continues until Dec. 2nd.

I purchased about 15 books yesterday.

For $45.

Forty Five Dollars! For fifteen books!

AND there is also free shipping right now!!!

It does not get any better than that!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Book Closeouts! I typically shop there at least a couple times a year, but this is definitely the best time to stock up on any fiction that I would like to read. This sale doe not include children's books, but that's okay. I think they have enough books for now. Now it's time for me to get some new ones!

Crafty

Lately I have been in a craft-ing mood.

Now it could be because I tend to be a procrastinator.

Or it could be because the school semester is slowing down. (eek, is it only 3 weeks until FINALS?)

But there is something about this time of year where I feel like sitting down and creating something.

I'm not starting to cut fabric for Ella's quilt, although it is purchased.

I'm not really making Christmas cards, but I have begun.

I'm not even making birthday invitations for the girls, but just planned out what they would like with what I am able to create.

But I have planned out a month's worth of activities to coincide with the candles of Advent for the kids during the church services. I'm really excited about the first Sunday, which is one week away.

We are making these, except with a star shape instead:

Looks fun, hey? And it's actually REALLY easy to do because I have tried it out.

I've even begun to look at Easter crafts.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME???

This is very messed up, people!

So in order to get this craftiness out of my system, our family went on a nature walk today, looking for large pinecones. The girls had lots of fun exploring our neighborhood in search of this treasure.

Then we made them into little bird feeders.

We all had a fun afternoon!

AND...I even wrote a small paper for school this afternoon so it wasn't all procrastinating.

Not really.

The Story of Christmas: a review

Read and Share: The Story of Christmas
By Gwen Ellis

Book Description

The Story of Christmas from the Read and Share™ Bible is a colorful retelling of the birth of Christ and the events surrounding it.

Based on the International Children’s Bible, this book begins with the birth of John the Baptist. Next comes the angel appearing first to Mary, then to Joseph, the trip to Bethlehem, the birth of Jesus, the angel’s announcement to the shepherds, the wise men and their gifts, fleeing to Egypt, and at last heading home to Nazareth. The “Can You Retell the Story” activity at the end of the book is a fun way for children to learn to tell the story themselves.

The animated DVD includes a 15-minute story plus coloring pages and other bonus features.

My Review: My girls have enjoyed reading this book and watching the included videos. I like that each story is simple and not too lengthy, but also accurate to what the bible says. Each story comes with a good discussion question too to help encourage good dialogue between ourselves and our kids. The videos match the book and is certainly entertaining for kids who love to watch anything media-related (a.k.a. my kids!).

This book would make a nice gift for someone with younger children.

Focus On Parenting

This past weekend John and I attended an all-day conference that was created by Focus On The Family.

There were many speakers, but our favorites were definitely Mark Holmen and Kevin Leman.

The main purpose for the conference was to help families see that the responsibility of sharing our faith with our kids lies within ourselves, and we need to stop blaming the "church" for the lack of young adults leaving their childhood faith behind and not ever returning.

The statistics are actually quite alarming. Studies vary in percentages, but at best it appears that approximately 50% of kids stop attending church once they reach adulthood. The worst statistics said it was closer to 61%.

As one speaker put it, if you have two children the chances are very high that one of them will quit going to church someday and never return.

Or if you have three kids, maybe two of them will.

He asked us which child we would choose.

*GULP*

I don't want that to be either of my kids.

Why is it that most people don't see this as a problem?

I posted a review a while back about "How to Raise a Modern-Day Joseph". Actually the author for 'Raising a Modern Day Joseph' was at the Focus on Parenting conference. He had some excellent points about this crisis, but I also like the action plan that is in the "How To" book.

I have also ordered a few books from authors at the conference. The one I am most looking forward to is "Faith Begins at Home".

Another statistic is that parents are 2-3 times more influential in their children's faith than any church program.

So John and I will be setting some realistic goals for our family. But it has to begin with us. In my own life. And in his.

We need to live out our faith every day. Read our bibles. Do family devotions. Talk about God/church/life with our kids.

The busyness of school and life seems to get in the way, but we need to focus on the long-term. I'm thinking a realistic plan will be in the works for 2010. The girls will be able to help make decisions about what we are going to learn (and how we will do it) throughout the year.

It will be neat to look back in 2011 to see what we have accomplished!

Remembering

So thankful for my freedom.

The freedom to vote.

The freedom to choose to attend university.

The freedom to choose to work or not.

The freedom to worship God.

I don't even begin to comprehend the sacrifice that was made for me, but I am truly thankful.

Compassion El Salvador

Today marks the beginning of another Compassion Bloggers trip.

This week a group of bloggers will be in El Salvador.

I really know nothing about this country, so it will be interesting to hear more details as they are posted.

Today is also the 6th birthday of the girl we sponsor. Happy birthday sweet Ashly! We are thinking of and praying for you today.

I actually just sent her some tattoos in the mail last week, which she should get in time for the 2010 Olympics. Correspondence is slow, but oh so worthwhile! Not too long ago, she sent us a lovely drawing that is now permanently on our fridge.

My girls talk about Ashly ALL the time. They would love to meet her, so we have begun to pray that God would make this possible some day.

There are many kids who still need a sponsor and I have chosen to take a more active role with Compassion to share my experiences and look for more sponsors. Would you consider it today?

It's only $35 a month and will forever change a child's life.

It would also make a wonderful Christmas gift for someone.

Please pray about it.

Also, to help get your kids involved Compassion has created a fun website for them.

Glee

Can I just say that this new release makes me very happy?

I am really enjoying this show for it's quirkyness and great music.

Now I can share the love of it with my kids too.

Afterall, they already request "Step by Step"...

Heh, heh, heh.

I probably shouldn't admit that online!

Ah well. It's fun to relive those days every once in a while.

Touching Wonder: a review

Heard the Christmas Story a Few Too Many Times?

With his instant classic, Touching Wonder, author John Blase

breathes new life into the story of the Nativity

Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX—Little children understand how amazing the Nativity story is. But, sometimes, as we become men and women, we put away the childlike with the childish. The result? We lose something vital—the wonder of it all. When author John Blase went looking for the lost wonder of Christmas, he went back to the place he’d last seen it—the stories from Luke 1-2. What he found fills the pages of his new book, Touching Wonder: Recapturing the Awe of Christmas(David C Cook, September 2009), with flesh and bone and dust and night and a baby’s cry; the intimate union of human and divine—the Incarnation.

By boldly imagining the first two chapters of the gospel of Luke, writer, editor, and former pastor John Blase has created an instant classic for Christmastime. In a tale that reads like a novel parallel parked by the record of Scripture, Blase beckons those who could use a little wonder in their lives to step onto the stage of history and witness the long awaited coming of the Messiah. With Eugene Peterson’s The Message Bible translation as his backdrop, Blase adds his own voice and commentary to the historic events, exploring the renowned drama from an array of viewpoints.

In Touching Wonder, readers will meet a cast of unruly unlikelies—a frightened teenaged girl, a worried carpenter, a collection of senior citizens, a disillusioned young shepherd, even an angel or two—moving toward the realization that the little one just born is the One. This imaginative retelling of the grand miracle will leave readers wide-eyed, slack-jawed, and heart-full. The Lord is come!

In this lovely and distinctive book to be read…and re-read…and pondered in the heart, young and old will recapture the wonder of the Christmas story by seeing through the eyes of those who lived it. The book’s graceful design and Amanda Jolman’s beautiful line drawings combine to make this a thoughtful Christmas gift as well as a wonder that families will treasure for years to come.

Author Bio: John Blase’s work includes Living the Questions and Living the Letters Bible-study series, the Worldviews reference book (TH1NK), Real Life Stuff for Couples, and The Message Children’s Bible. A former pastor, John currently edits by day and writes by night. He and his wife, Meredith, have three children and make their home in Colorado.

Touching Wonder: Recapturing the Awe of Christmas by John Blase

David C Cook/September 2009

ISBN: 978-1-4347-6465-2/hardcover/128 pages/$12.99

www.davidccook.com

My Review:

This book was easy to read in little bits and was a quick read. I appreciated the new perspective that it gives as we examine how different "characters" in the christmas story would have reacted to their situations.

Multiple Personalities

This halloween brought 3 different outfits for each girl.

I did not go out and buy them each 3 costumes, in fact I only purchased the giraffe costume secondhand for $5.00. The rest of the items we already had from previous years, or from the dressup box.

The girls each picked out what I thought was going to be their costume for the year and wore them to school. Ella was a giraffe, and Brie was Jasmine from the movie Aladdin.

When Oct. 31st came I was in the process of getting those same costumes ready again when both girls announced that they each wanted to be something (or someone) different.

So Ella became a beautiful princess and Brie was an equestrian.

That night we were on our way to a friends' house for a halloween party and the girls each wanted to wear another costume, so out came the dressup clothes again. I didn't take pictures of this but Ella was dressed in a blue dress and Brie was in pink. Both had matching accessories for the evening.

Having girls is sure fun!

Venting

Stupid prof tonight.

She cancelled class last week.

Then tonight she wanted to do one hour of "group discussion" to summarize the chapters that we have gone through already.

One. Hour.

Need I remind you that I am taking this televised class by MYSELF?

The prof had an audio-bridge planned, but the Department of Highways was on there instead, and she had no backup plan other than to summarize something my ourselves.

For one hour.

I struggled to get to class on time after my busy day of picking up Ella from preschool, picking up our sitter from high school and then picking up Brie at the elementary school.

I already had a busy day of halloween treat bags for the kids to take to school, and trying to work on my essays that are due next week.

Then it was lunch prep, pick up Brie from school, eat and drive her back.

Then I took Ella to preschool for her halloween party.

Then I picked Brie back up to go to piano lessons. Brie absolutely hates to miss any school so then I have to drive her back before I return for my own lesson.

Then I had to stop at the store for about 10 minutes before I began picking up the kids. AGAIN.

*SIGH*

I am tired.

My house is not very clean, but I have no time to clean it.

John is home tomorrow.

Hurry up dear!

That's Too Much, Bob!

Do you ever have one of those days or weeks?

It just feels overwhelming and/or impossible?

I thought I was doing not too bad...

Getting over a bad cold, but I got to sleep in until 9 am this morning.

Yes.

Nine in the morning!

John is away all week so I had pleaded with the girls to have mercy on me last night.

It apparently worked. I was rather shocked!

For the last few days I have not been able to do any schoolwork since my brain was a big mushy pile because of this cold/flu stuff.

Now that I am recovering though, I have 2 big essays due next week. I am only half done one of them and have not started the other.

Agh!

And then to top it all off tonight on my way home from class...

I discovered that I had a flat tire.

Actually not exactly a flat tire.

More like a tire that was cracked in a few places.

????

So I

s l o w l y

drove home and called some friends.

Because John is away this week.

Typical!

I remember a few years ago when he was away on some training and the ceiling started to leak.

Good times, people.

Good times.

Let's just hope that is all.

(By the way, my title is a reference to The Price Is Right, for those who are curious)

Double Cross: a review

From Suicide to Sacrifice

In James David Jordan’s new thriller, Double Cross,

an ex-Secret Service agent deals with the truth about her past

“The day my mother came back into my life began with a low December fog and a suicide.” So begins James David Jordan’s latest novel, Double Cross, which follows the exploits of Taylor Pasbury, a young ex-Secret Service agent with a checkered past and a penchant for finding trouble. Even as a high school kid, Taylor knew she was not like most other girls. Raised by her father, a retired Special Forces officer, she learned to camp, shoot, and most of all, take care of herself. Now a young adult, Pasbury opens her own security agency and finds herself in the middle of a mysterious case full of danger and intrigue.

When the top assistant of her former client turns up dead, all signs point to embezzlement and suicide. But in the world of Taylor Pasbury, nothing is as it seems. A trail of clues leads to Taylor’s mother, who abandoned her when she was nine. What begins as a suicide investigation becomes a personal quest to find the truth about her past.

Double Cross is an action-packed story that provides thrilling twists and turns as well as a thought-provoking look at the personal and spiritual struggles of characters who are as complex as they are flawed. Ultimately, it’s a story of self-examination that describes Taylor’s journey toward the conclusion that some sacrifices can never be earned.

James David Jordan is a successful business attorney in Dallas, Texas, and was named by the Dallas Business Journal as one of the most influential leaders in that legal community. Jordan followed his aspirations of becoming an author, taking five years to create his first book, Something That Lasts, which was well-received by both critics and the public. His second book, Forsaken, won the Reader’s Choice award from RelzReviews and The Suspense Zone.

Jordan writes with a commitment to tell page-turning stories that challenge readers to explore and grow in their faith. With gripping authenticity, Jordan examines subjects of family and faith and skillfully draws readers into the crisis faced by Taylor Pasbury. Along the way, readers will find ample opportunity to re-assess their own life situations and wrestle with their own thoughts about forgiveness and grace.

Double Cross by James David Jordan

B&H Publishing Group October 2009

ISBN: 978-08054-4754-5/softcover/302 pages/$14.99

www.jamesdavidjordan.com

My Review:

This book quickly captured my attention and I didn't want to put it down. I love the main character Taylor, who is far from perfect and yet so very likeable. (go figure!) The storyline was gripping and action-packed. "Double Cross" is book two in a series, but I found it very easy to follow without having read book one first. I am an instant fan of James David Jordan and will be on the lookout for more of his books to come!

The Last Word: A Review

The Last Word

In her second installment of the Sophie Trace Trilogy, Kathy Herman rolls

Henderson, Kingsbury, and Blackstock into one with both suspense and spirituality

Heart-pounding suspense meets heart-challenging truth as best-selling author Kathy Herman returns to Sophie Trace in her new page-turner, The Last Word (David C Cook, October 2009). Based on Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the gentile,” Herman’s second installment in the Sophie Trace series triumphantly demonstrates God’s miraculous ability to heal the broken.

This theme comes to life in Vanessa Jessup, a twenty-year-old college student who becomes pregnant while having a secret love affair with her psychology professor and has to make a choice: either end the pregnancy or end the relationship. The biblical truths she learned growing up prompt her to choose life and to go home to the refuge of her parents’ counsel and a right relationship with God.

When Vanessa arrives home, her mother, Sophie Trace Police Chief Brill Jessup, is stunned to see that she’s pregnant—and by one of her professors. While Brill is glad her middle daughter rejected the father’s abortion ultimatum, she’s also hurt that Vanessa ignored her upbringing and angry that the professor has disappeared without as much as a nickel of child support.

But that’s not all Brill’s got on her plate. One of her detectives has been killed, and the attacker has threatened to come for her next. When a second cop is wounded, public criticism mounts as Brill attempts to stay alive long enough to catch the perp. And she’s trying to find the deadbeat dad as Vanessa struggles to make decisions about her future.

In spite of Brill’s best efforts to stay safe, the murderer finally kidnaps and threatens to kill her and then commit suicide. As her life hangs in the balance, Brill becomes concerned that her attacker is about to die and is not saved and refuses to be silenced in her witness of God’s love for him. In a show of grace under pressure and fierce determination, Brill will manage to have the last word, even if it kills her.

Author Bio: Best-selling suspense novelist Kathy Herman has written fifteen novels, including CBA bestsellers The Real Enemy, Tested by Fire and All Things Hidden, since retiring from her family’s Christian bookstore business. Kathy and her husband, Paul, have three grown children and five grandchildren and live in Tyler, Texas.

The Last Word Book 2: Sophie Trace Trilogy by Kathy Herman

David C Cook/October 2009

ISBN: 978-1-4347-6785-1/390 pages/softcover/$14.99

www.davidccook.com www.kathyherman.com

My Review: I am a big Kathy Herman fan. I own several of her books, including Book One in the the Sophie Trace series, "The Real Enemy". So when I was offered the chance to review Book Two, I was very excited! This book, "The Last Word" does not disappoint. It is suspenseful and edgy with a great dimension of faith as well. I would definitely recommend this book.