Saturday, March 16, 2024

Murder in an Irish Cottage

by Carlene O'Connor

Since the action (murder) takes place on summer solstice and summer is mentioned several times...I am logging this as one of my June mystery picks.

I LOVE the Irish cozy mystery series by Carlene O'Connor, I especially love to read during the day and listen to it as I fall asleep at night.  The narrator does a FABULOUS job.  With that said, this one took me forever to get in to.  In fact I started to read it three separate times before I was able to stick it out.

I am so glad that I kept trying.

Once you reach chapter ten or so, the story really takes off and the mystery draws you in.  There are little clues dropped throughout the entire book, so in one chapter I thought it was one person and a few chapters later I was asking myself, 'why in the world did I think it was ____, because clearly it is _________?!? Only to once again bounce back to the original suspect 😊.

This week I also needed a spot of comfort and familiarity (rough week!) in my reading, so I re-listened to Snow Queen by K.M. Shea.  

Happy St. Patrick's Day (tomorrow)!  🍀

Saturday, March 9, 2024

What I have learned so far Judges - 1 Kings 16

Judges : in chapter two when God asks this after reminding Israel that He brought them out of Egypt with the promise never to break covenant with them and the command not to make a covenant with the people and to tear down the altars : "Yet you have disobeyed Me.  Why have you done this?" (chpt. 2 vs 1-3) I feel like this sums up the entire book - they are told to do one thing and in the end (after the Godly leader they have at the moment dies) they do the opposite.  The book of Judges ends with 21:25 : "In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit." And God specifically warned them NOT to do this!  Deuteronomy 12:8.

Since I am reading the Bible chronologically, I am using an app and it placed the book of Ruth after Judges chapter 9.  I realize other plans and Bibles do not necessarily place Ruth here...but I went ahead and read Ruth between chapters 9 and 10.  We LOVE the book of Ruth in our family.  One year, one of my girls was obsessed with this book of the Bible.  We have read it so many times, I have lost count.  Still, this time through I saw things I had not noticed before and made new connections.  Like in chapter 2 - verse 2 - this connects to the command/promises of Leviticus 19:9 and Deuteronomy 24:19.  And chapter 3 verse 9 connects with Leviticus 25:25.  

1 & 2 Samuel:  Samuel is one of my favorite, favorite people in the Bible.  This time through I reveled in Hannah's prayer noting what she notes about God : There is NO one holy like the LORD, there is NO One besides Him, NO Rock like God.  The LORD is a God who knows, by HIM deeds are weighed, He brings death and makes alive, He brings down to the grave and raises up.  The LORD sends poverty and wealth - He humbles and exalts, He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap.  FOR THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE EARTH ARE THE LORD'S AND ON THEM HE HAS SET THE WORLD.  (read it in its entirety chapter 2:1 - 10)
 
Realizing how wicked Eli's sons were by connecting 2:12 - 17 to Exodus 29:27 and Leviticus 7:22 and Leviticus 21).  Then in chapter 8 how Samuel warned Israel what asking for a human king really meant, then connecting it to Ecclesiastes 5:9.

And then comes 1 Samuel 13 and 15 and all the far reaching effects of Saul's sin here.  see Deuteronomy 25:17-19, Exodus 17, and then Esther noting Mordecai and Haman's ancestry (chpt. 2, 3 respectively)

King David - it was REALLY amazing to read about King David in 1 and 2 Samuel and then read the Psalms he composed during that time of his life.  Especially as he clung to God while evading Saul's crazy anger (one example : 1 Samuel 15-16 - Psalm 8 and 23) and then when David grieves his sin with Uriah and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11 & 12 and then Psalms 6, 20, 21, 32, 38-40, and of course Psalm 51).

1 Kings - It was AMAZING to read 1 Kings 1 - 4 and then immediately dive into the book of Proverbs.  I wrote this verse at the top of the book of Proverbs : 1 Kings 4:29 "God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore."

After the book of Proverbs came the Song of Solomon before the plan resumed in 1 Kings 5.

But after reading Proverbs and every word of Solomon's beautiful prayers in 1 Kings 8...I was blown away by Solomon's story and what all he forfeited by loving many foreign wives.  The most heartbreaking verse in 1 Kings 11 is : "Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love.  See Exodus 34:15&16, 2 Samuel 7, and Ecclesiastes 7:26. 

What drove home the depth and consequence of his sin was in reading Ecclesiastes in its entirety between 1 Kings 11 and 12.  Wow.  I LOVE how Solomon ends the book of Ecclesiastes though - 12:13&14 : "Now all has been heard; here in the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.  For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil." 

Chapter 13 in 1 Kings has long confounded me.  This story blows my mind every single time I read it and leaves me asking : WHY?!?!  Why did the Man of God go back and eat, why did the prophet lie and trick him????

Another moment where I wanted to just stand up and shout WHY was with Jeroboam.  Here is this guy who God sends His prophet to &  God makes this guy an AMAZING promise.  The promise is this : God will take him and make him ruler over all his heart desires and God will give him the people of Israel to be king over.  All Jeroboam has to do is walk in obedience to God.  God would build this guy a dynasty as enduring as the one He built for David.  (1 Kings 11:29-39)

BUT then Jeroboam chooses fear instead of faith.  1 Kings 12:26-33.  The irony of all of this is that in building the two idols in Dan and Bethel (because Jerusalem was "too far" to travel) they went further to reach the idols than they would have if they had simply obeyed God.
 
Over and over and over again God mentions the obedience of David.  It is amazing to see how far into the future the blessings stretched because David followed God.  And yet, He also mentions Jeroboam.  And how the sin of Jeroboam continually plagues Israel as king after king after king follows in his footsteps (until you get to Ahab and the Word actually points out that Ahab considered it trivial to commit the sins of the house of Jeroboam (1 Kings 16:29-33).

This time through I did something my mom mentioned that helped her, I marked the kings that followed God with green and the kings that did evil the sight of the LORD with red.  I also wrote out beside the chapters the name of the king and whether he was king of Israel or Judah.  This has been VERY helpful.

Next post will be about Ahab, Jezebel, Elijah, and Elisha and the faithfulness of God through it all.


Thursday, March 7, 2024

This week...

This has been SUCH a hard week.  Like all I want to do is crawl in bed, eat a bucket of chocolate, and pretend like someone else is in charge and can make the decisions...

I did read two books.  

Well, sort of.

I went ahead and gave another book of Irene Hannon a chance (it is the second book of hers that I read, but the third in this series.  So I read book two first and book three second and skipped book one completely.  If you are confused, that's ok, so am I 😃)

I liked it better than the first book I tried, but I think I am ok not reading anymore of hers.

I guess I better include the title, since it is supposed to count for a book challenge 😐:

Tangled Webs by Irene Hannon.  

What I liked about this book:  It really made me stop and think about right and wrong, even when it is brutally hard.  And how choosing one wrong choice, even for a strong reason...you still cannot foresee the fallout.  You have no idea how your sin will spill over into other people's lives and consequences often stretch so, so much further than you can ever anticipate or prepare for.

The second book is 31 Verses to Write Upon Your Heart by Liz Curtis Higgs.  I am not quite done with this one yet, but I do plan to finish it by Saturday.  I really, really like this book.  It came at the perfect time - with a very sick husband, sick teens, (& the fallout that means), and a pet that heads to the vet tomorrow - it feels like life has imploded this week.  I am SO ready for the weekend and (hopefully) healthier days.  

Hope you guys had a great week 💖

Saturday, March 2, 2024

What I have learned so far...Genesis through Joshua

As 2023 drew to a close, I tried to squeeze in a quick B90 - what happened was a slow, deep dive into the books in Chronological order.  What is so, so awesome about reading the Bible each time, is that it proves that it is indeed alive and active and God-breathed.  (Hebrews 4:12 & 2 Timothy 3:16 & 17)

Each time through I learn something new, something I never noticed and make connections I did not notice before.  Each time the Holy Spirit reveals more and more of who God is and how I need to reorient my thoughts, words, and actions as a result.

Amazing!

Here is a list - book by book - of what I have noted this time through (some are questions - things I do not understand, some are mind-blowing - drawing praise from the tips of your toes).  This isn't everything, I wouldn't have enough room to type everything, so I am just going to choose a few things from each book:

Genesis - this also has been pointed out in both the fall and spring session of our Bible study but this promise God made to Abram - it continues to unfold/be upheld to this very day:
God promised Abram :
I will
- make you a great nation
- bless you
- make your name great
- make you a blessing
- bless those who bless you
- curse those who curse you
- bless all people on earth through him

26:24 - "I am the God of your father Abraham.  Do not be afraid, for I am with you;..."  The reason we need not fear is because God is with us.  This is repeated over and over and over throughout the entire Bible.

Job - This is SO reassuring to me : Job 12:10 "In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind."

Exodus - THIS : Exodus 3:16 - when God sends Moses to assemble the elders of Israel - I have NEVER stopped to ponder this before - "I have watched over you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt."  That realization that He meant what He said (& says over and over throughout His Word) - He NEVER leaves you.  Ever.

connecting Exodus 4:11 & 12 to Proverbs 20:12

Leviticus and Hebrews - for the first time ever I read through Leviticus and then the book of Hebrews.  This time as I went through Leviticus I noted the offerings and sacrifices God asked of Israel, but I also noted how often He said : Be holy, for I am holy.  And when He said "I am the LORD, who makes him holy." (21 vs 15)  and the NEATEST connection I made this time is in Leviticus 23 - where God teaches about The Festival of Trumpets, The Day of Atonement, and The Festival of Tabernacles and then in 1 Kings 8:2 where Solomon offers the sacrifices after the temple is completed.

Numbers - there is SO much here about Who God is.  The story that inevitably sticks with me and confounds me each time is the story of Balak and Balaam.  This time through, I am citing each instance of where Balaam is mentioned later in the Bible :
Numbers 22
Numbers 31:8, 15-16
2 Peter 2:15
Jude 1:11
Revelations 2:14
Deuteronomy 23:3-6
Joshua 24:8-10
Micah 6:5
Joshua 13:22

Deuteronomy - I noticed how many times "remember" is mentioned.  Pay attention, remember, observe, walk, and revere - all of these words caught my attention.  The neatest connection this time through has been from my Bible study = Deuteronomy 25:17-19 where God says =  REMEMBER what the Amalekites did to you.  The original story is is Exodus 17:8-16, then God's admonition to blot out the name of Amalek comes to fruition in 1 Samuel 15 - but the fallout from Saul's disobedience is seen all the way in Esther (note Mordecai and Haman's lineage)

Also the reminder that it is God's job to repay - Deuteronomy 32:35 (Romans 12:19, Proverbs 20:22, and Proverbs 24:29)

Joshua - this time through I noticed these connections :

Joshua 1 and Numbers 27:18-23
Joshua 3:3 & 4 and Numbers 4:15 and 2 Samuel 6:6 & 7
Joshua 9 and 2 Samuel 21 and Exodus 34:15

I also paid close attention to the boundaries given to Israel.  God was VERY specific about the land boundaries that He gave Israel.  I also love how the book ends.  Joshua 24:32 connects to Genesis 50:25 and Exodus 14:19.

I am currently in 1 Kings, so next post will be Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 Kings (1 - 11), Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. 💖

The Book of Lost Names

by Kristin Harmel

This is a beautiful, beautiful book.

I have been on a waiting list for a long time at our library for this book … BUT … it was so, so worth the wait!  I love the main character Eva!  It is hard to read this book in light of present day developments, it feels like history is repeating itself.  But I guess that is exactly why we should read books about WWII: to remember.  And to not turn a blind eye as evil tries once again to rear its ugly head.

Eva's love of books and the opening paragraph of this book are what drew me to the story, the author's way with words and ease of flipping from past to present tense are what kept me reading.  

So often when I try to read a book that either flips perspectives (those books that were so popular a few years ago told between his and hers point of view - UGH.  Those books really frustrated me because just as I found myself getting a good grasp on what one character was thinking, feeling, or motivated by...here came the next one changing it once again and by like chapter six I had no idea who I was reading about).  I also normally do not like the books that flip between past and present tense because I so often get so confused that I find myself flipping back to the chapter to double check what decade/century it is in, and this is so much harder with the kindle version.  

Not this time.  

She so flawlessly wove in the transition and so beautifully unpacked the narrative that it really adds a great layer to the story. 

I have so many quotes highlighted, but after completing the book I do not want to chance giving anything away, so I decided not to post them here.  But I will say -  GO READ THE BOOK!!!  💖

Friday, February 23, 2024

Controlling the Tongue

by R.T. Kendall

Oh my.

This book is amazing.

It is convicting, encouraging, and full of practical Godly counsel on how to conquer one of (if not the most destructive) body parts that we have : the tongue.

Mastering what you say and how you say it and when you say it is hard enough, but also having the wisdom and self-control to just be quiet - HARD but so, so good!!!

The chapters where he addresses these two topics hit me the hardest:

"Dignifying the Trials of Life" with words of submission and praise (instead of complaint and doubt/unbelief) and "The Proof of Self-Control" with the fact that you have to come face to face with the fact that this will be a life-long battle.  These are sobering, jarring chapters that really jolt you awake and force you to face the reality that you will be held accountable and your tongue (the words you speak) really can build someone up or tear them down in an instant.

I HIGHLY recommend this book.  In fact, if I could recommend two books to read this year, I would recommend this book and Still and Quiet Mind by Esther Smith.  

And if I could be so bold as to recommend the order you read them in, I would suggest that you read Still and Quiet Mind first, then immediately follow with this one.  💙

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Thin Ice

by Irene Hannon

I left a review on Goodreads, but although this was a good book (no major red flags with it) - I just didn't connect with the story.  So, while I liked it, I didn't love it.  

The pace was slow in places and the story failed to capture my attention.  I knew I was reading a book the entire time, instead of being so captivated that I forget that detail.

Christy was an Olympic hopeful who fell short of her goals and called it quits after a bad fall.  Six months after their parents passed away she is horrified to lose her sister through a horrific house fire.  A few months later she connects with an FBI agent to try to figure out what in the world is going on.  Was that really her sister in the fire?  And if so why is some pyscho contacting her, trying to convince her that he sister is still alive?