Provision, an Unexpected Miracle

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Oct 242011
 

So, the car.

Yeah…that thing. Well, the shop it was at (ShopA) is no longer getting our business…

The car got towed there on Thursday evening last week. The keys were left in the drop box and HubbaHubba called them up first thing on Friday morning letting them know to what car the keys belonged. We were told that there was a car that was scheduled for that day that they had to do first, but it wouldn’t take long and then they would get ours in and call us with a diagnosis.

Friday drags by…I start to get more and more concerned with each passing hour and no word. This couldn’t be good at all. Finally, HubbaHubba calls them about three in the afternoon…

The car ahead of ours was giving them some problems, but they were still going to get ours looked at . O.K….

At four, HubbaHubba calls again. The guy he talks to says he took the cover off the shifter and it all appeared to be intact, so on Monday, they’ll have to totally tear apart the transmission to diagnose the problem. At this point, I see dollar signs before my eyes like on slot machines twirling. This really can’t be good.

So all weekend long, we go without a car. Spent Saturday at home. We arrange for a ride to church on Sunday.

Today, HubbaHubba goes to work way early with a co-worker. He runs around in a company truck half the day. Finally at noon, he calls ShopA. No, the car hadn’t been looked at yet…But they will have an estimate at two. Two rolls around, and still no estimate. When HubbaHubba talks to them again, they say it was looked at, but they don’t have an estimate as the guy who looked at it went home sick and didn’t tell them anything. So, HubbaHubba has it towed to ShopB.

Within  a half hour, he gets a call saying that the cable broke, it will be about $375 to fix including the tow over and it will be done on Wednesday afternoon (being as the car is a first year ever Ford Focus, each part is proprietary and has to be ordered from Ford, hence the delay).

Well, you see, that was a bit of a concern. We don’t have a spare $375 sitting around. Things have been tight, especially with the added costs of living in this town since the tornado. Hubba told them to go ahead and do the repairs.

Then, the money was provided. Not going into details but let’s just say that God is good.

I was so stressed over getting the car repaired. I was struggling greatly with how much this was going to cost and the fact that I saw absolutely no way to pay for it. And yet, my God was more than faithful in providing. I kept hearing that still, small voice telling me that it was going to be alright, to be patient and to have faith. I was terrified when HubbaHubba had me write the check for tithe on Sunday, knowing how much it was and how that would detract from the funds to pay for the car. And yet, God came through again. One would think I would know better than to fret and worry. I really should know better. May this stand as a testament to how awesome the God we serve is, and as a reminder to me that God does care and He has a way that far exceeds our thoughts and plans.

The Mercy, A Review

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Oct 222011
 

Ok, it is really no secret, I love Beverly Lewis’ writing. Have since she started years ago with the The Shunning. So I was thrilled to get to review the third book in The Rose Trilogy, The Mercy.

Hen’s husband is living with her again in the Dwadi Haus since his accident on the day they were to start divorce proceedings. His arm is broken and he’s lost his sight due to a concussion. Can Hen prove to him that she still loves him and wants to respect and honor him, despite his desire for a divorce? Can Brandon finally understand his need for a Savior and give up his worldly desires for the sake of their daughter? Can they both learn to compromise and to seek the other’s wellbeing above their own?

Rose finally is able to move on from loving Nick. After breaking up with Silas so he could pursue the girl he truly loves, Rose figures she is destined to be remain single. However, that changes when Isaac starts to court her. Can Rose finally let herself be loved by another? Can she finally give up her childhood dream of being married to Nick since he is no longer a part of the community? But is there something that isn’t right with Isaac too?

I love the themes of family and faith that abound in Beverly Lewis’ books. I love how she shows instead of preaches that what we do affects others, even if we think they won’t. That faith is the most important thing followed by our family. Reading this book I was struck with how we forget such basic things so often. We forget Who sustains us through all things, and that we do have the support and love of our family to draw on also. We do need to be reminded that we need to seek the Lord first and also seek the good of our families.

I highly recommend the entire Rose Trilogy to read. While fiction is a great diversion, these books also remind us of what is truly important in life.

I received a copy of The Mercy by Beverly Lewis from Bethany House in exchange for this review. All opinions are mine and mine alone, and no other compensation was received.

Forsaking All Others, Tyndale Review

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Oct 202011
 

A good work of fiction should still be able to teach you something or at the least cause you to pause and think. Such is the case with Forsaking All Others by Allison Pittman.

Have you ever wondered what you would do when confronted with the truth when you had been blindsided by a lie? How far would you go to protect not only yourself, but your children? Those questions must be answered by Camilla Fox after she is rescued from certain death in a blizzard. You see, as a young lady, Camilla had been wooed by a man of the Mormon faith. She converted to it and was living the perfect life with her husband and daughters when he brought in a second wife. That started a chain of questions and searching for Camilla. She realized she had been hoodwinked by the Mormons and concluded that the only thing she could do was to return to the faith of her childhood. Which then meant that her husband was committing adultery. However, she lived in pre-statehood Utah which was basically controlled by the Mormon church and there was no way to divorce her husband. So she ran away.

She is found by the US Army and nursed back to health. She tries to reconcile with her husband but when that doesn’t work out is faced with decisions no woman should ever have to make. Should she remain in an unfaithful marriage? Should she remain in Utah as an apostate to the Mormon church and risk being killed? Should she return to the home of her childhood? Upon receiving word from her mother that her father is dying, she returns home, only to still be faced with questions. Questions from her family, her church and still herself. How will she get her daughters back? How will she provide for them? Can she do what she sets out to do?

Mrs. Pittman masterfully wove her words into this story. I could see the characters, their patterns of behavior and it was like I was there as the fly on the wall observing the story play out. The story was quite believable and was very well executed.

I highly recommend this book (and the rest of the series) for your reading enjoyment. It will cause you to think about a lot of things.

I was given a copy of the book Forsaking All Others from Tyndale in exchange for this review. All opinions are mine and mine alone, and no other compensation was received.

Congratulations!

 Giveaways, Uncategorized  1 Response »
Sep 262011
 

I have drawn the winners for my three giveaways by using random.org. Congratulations go out to:

Ginny Owens: Vanessa

Theo (2 Winners): Vanessa and Heather H.

The Shunning: Heather H.

The winners have been notified and have 48 hours to send me their mailing addresses so I can get those sent off to the vendors. If I don’t hear back from them by Wednesday evening (or Thursday morning for a true 48 hours and since we do have church that night), I will have to draw a new winner for that giveaway.

Keep on the lookout for the Jeremy Riddle CD review and giveaway coming up in the next few days.

Edited to change out a winner whom I never heard back from.

A New Band, These Hearts-A Review

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Jun 242011
 

I just got this new CD in the mail and this is the first chance that I have had to listen to it. The CD Forever Ended Yesterday is by a new band called These Hearts.

I like a wide variety of music. In fact, we listen to nearly every genre there is (there are a few exceptions…) These Hearts are classified as a Hard Rock band. While not as hard as the music my husband prefers, it definitely has the Hard Rock flavor. Yet it isn’t overly so. Which for me is a relief. I can not stand songs/bands that seem to do nothing than blare their bass and scream into the microphones.  Some bands make my throat hurt listening to them. Not so with These Hearts. They do know how to sing and harmonize. And the instrumentation is more intricate than what I am used to hearing with Hard Rock music.

While this album may not be on my list for daily listening, it is something that I will be playing on occasion. Especially on days when I need the more distinct beat to help me accomplish certain tasks.

I can’t wait to let my husband listen to this album. He really likes Hard Rock and I am pretty sure he will like this band, a lot.

If you want to check out These Hearts, go see their Facebook Page, My Space page,  You Tube or Amazon

About These Hearts

In a time when an infinite amount of genres seem to be concocted daily, it takes quite a bit of creativity to blur the lines across so many.  These Hearts understand that it takes that dash of ingenuity paired with an innate desire to put forth the hard work that comes along with being a band in this day and age.

Among a sea of like-sounding music, These Hearts have raised the bar and then some by bringing a fresh, upbeat rock sound to ears everywhere in strong conjunction with a meaningful, church-based upbringing that has everything to do with the quintet’s musical and writing process.  The band’s unquestionable commitment to their faith in Christ is present in all aspects of their musical journey.  With an urgency to declare to fans, friends and family that “they are loved, and there is hope,” These Hearts demonstrate the ever-present effect that faith plays in the group’s life.

While it’s understood that hardships are an unavoidable bump in the road, These Hearts note that they solely rely on their faith for guidance.  “Whether it’s the loss of a loved one, a previous band member leaving, or even being in financial trouble, friendship and having Jesus in our lives has played a pivotal role in getting us through these tough times,” says guitarist Daryl Van Been.

The group has certainly put their own blood, sweat, and tears into creating and sharing their music with the masses.   “Being in a band is about the most unstable job you can have but we want to glorify God with the gifts that he has blessed us with,” says Van Been.  Impressively touring across the US while unsigned,  they performed with notable acts such as MXPX, Bouncing Souls, The Devil Wears Prada, Silverstein, and Four Letter Lie, and selling over 3,000 copies of their self-produced EP Mistakes and Second Takes on their own gives some insight into the band’s dedication to their craft.

These Hearts was formed in August of 2007 by way of Fargo, ND. Consisting of Ryan Saunders on vocals, Isaiah Folk on drums, Kyle Colby and Daryl Van Beek on guitars, and Tyler Rice on bass, the band began playing shows in October and quickly began establishing a name for themselves in the upper Midwest.

The Christian, post-hardcore group has no intention of slowing down any time soon; recently signing to the legendary Victory Records, These Hearts will release their debut album Forever Ended Yesterday, produced by Craig Owens (Chiodos), on June 21st.  These Hearts have graced the stages at festivals like Cornerstone, Agape, Ichthus, and Sonshine, and it will be hard to miss the band out spreading their positivity and faith-based values to the world in the coming year, as they intend to continue touring and playing music for fans new and old.

Disclosure of Material Connection; I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless,, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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