The Story Keeper Book Review

I was privileged to be a part of a sister circle that got to read The Story Keeper this past summer before it was published. Each circle had 5 sisters and there were over 20 circles. We each had the book for up to 2 weeks. Most of us read it much more quickly than that! As we read, we jotted notes and underlined all over the book. It became quite well used by the time we were done. I was the 2nd in our circle so only got to read one person's comments. However we all became Facebook friends and have emailed each other, too. It has been fun to be a part of a group that shares a love of books like we do.  I really enjoyed being in the Sister Circles and hope to do it again.  Below is my review of The Story Keeper that I have put on several sites.

The Story Keeper Book Review

The Story Keeper by Lisa Wingate is an intriguing story within a story. The past and the present are woven together and the relationships are intertwined in unexpected ways.

The main character, Jen Gibbs, is a new editor for a major publishing house. She finds an old manuscript on her desk that captures her attention. Not only does the story grab hold of her, but the connection to her past scares her a bit. She ends up going back to more than she bargained for. She learns more than she expects. And she finds more than she dreamed of. It’s a journey filled with emotion, mystery, and hope.

The Story Keeper is filled with nuggets of truth, quotes you’ll want to keep. The stories are captivating and will give you an appreciation of all that life is.

 

 

Dreaming on Daisies Book Review

Dreaming on Daisies Book Review

While this book is the  4^th in the Love Blossoms in Oregon series, it could be read alone. However you will want to read the whole series so you can meet and get to know the varied characters in the story. Each character adds depth and personality to the story and makes you feel like you know the whole community.

I just finished reading Dreaming on Daisies by Miralee Ferrel. It is a story about a family that has its foundation in lies and secrets. Each member has their own resulting wounds and pain. Bitterness and pride get in the way of healing. This book touched me in ways it might not touch others because I have had some experience with feelings of abandonment as a couple of the characters in the book do. Mine was not the same as theirs,  but made me sensitive to their situations all the same. I could relate to their feelings. I could feel their pain and misunderstanding.

Things change in the book as a virtual stranger ends up living on the ranch and helping out,  and an unexpected romance develops with neither person sure they can trust enough to love. Conflicts arise, tempers flare, confrontations occur, and eventually through God’s grace,  healing begins in the way each of them needs.

Forgiveness is the catalyst for change and it made me think of those situations in which I need to forgive also. It is a moving story that will make you feel deeply. Sometimes I got frustrated with the characters just as I would if the person were real. And I rejoiced when they got it right! It was a good book, but you should read the whole series! It is a fun read and you will enjoy the whole community if you read them all.

Peter Gives Me Hope

I have heard the story of Peter, one of Jesus' disciples, many times. He always seemed bigger than life to me. I thought of him as impulsive, brash, and even too outspoken. I knew Jesus loved him and chose him. I knew after Jesus' death, resurrection, and ascension, that he became a real leader in the church. But it always irritated me that he denied Christ after Jesus told him that he would. Why wasn't he on guard? Why wasn't he more loyal?

We recently went to the Passion Play in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, and I saw a retelling of Jesus' last days on earth. I saw Peter deny Jesus three times and then look at Jesus and weep. He had said he wouldn't do it, that he would even die for him, but he then denied him. Just a few days ago in my Bible reading, I reread the story and felt all those feelings all over again. How could he do it? I know he loved Jesus and followed Him. Were the circumstances too much that he could not stand with Jesus?

I don't know all that Peter felt, but as I thought about this, I was eventually relieved by the story. Peter gives me hope. He, who knew Jesus personally, and was His friend and disciple, failed Jesus. And Jesus, who knew he would do it, forgave him. He, not only forgave him, but still used him mightily in building His church. He trusted him again. He found a purpose for him.

Now I could say that I have never denied him like Peter did, and that would be true. But to say I have never denied him would not be true. Every time I have failed to give God credit for what He has done, or I have not admitted I am a Christian, or shared His love with someone, I have denied Him. When I don't have time to pray or read His word, but call Him Lord, I am denying Him. I, too, am guilty.

But Peter gives me hope. If Jesus forgave him, he will forgive me, too. If Jesus was ready to use Peter in ministering to others, He can use me, too. I know He doesn't just give up on us, even if we sometimes give up on Him. He desires us to come back into relationship with Him and He wants us to be fulfilled in life. He is willing to pour into us, making us more than what we thought we could be.

I am thankful that God's Word doesn't just tell success stories. It tells of real people with real problems, with real sins in their lives. And it tells how God changes them, works in and through them. Some of the heroes in the Bible were at first failures. God, in them, made a difference.

Peter is one of those people. He failed God, denying Jesus, but went on to make a difference in the church and the world. We, too, despite our failures in our walk with God, can be used by Him. Peter gives me hope.

Urgent vs. Important

Have you ever heard of tyranny of the urgent? Have you experienced it? How many times have you done something because you had to, not because you wanted to or even had planned to? So many times we do whatever we do because we feel obligated to or are forced to. We deal with the urgent because it's, oh so, urgent.

What is the urgent? What is so necessary that we have to act on it now? And do we always do what is urgent rather than what is truly important? How do we choose which priority we accomplish?

Does someone else's crisis always constitute a crisis for us? If a friend is desperate for help, do we just drop everything and go help? If the church calls and has no teachers for Sunday School, do we agree to it because no one else is? If your child needs money, do you do all that is possible to save the situation? Do you do anything for a parent, sibling, or other relative?

When do you say yes? When do you say no? For some people, it is really hard to say no because it could hurt someone. But do you always say yes so as to not disappoint someone? What is a good justification for saying no?

I have struggled with this because I am a care giver so I want to help others. Sometimes I have a hard time figuring out who to say yes to because more than one thing pulls at me. What do I do if more than one of my children want me to babysit for my grandchildren at the same time? Well, I said yes, and yes, and yes, and had 10 children under 7 for a whole weekend! Fortunately my daughters were home and available to help. But my saying yes impacted them, too.

So when do you say yes? For me, if I have no reason to say no, I usually say yes. That is not always the best way to make a decision. Sometimes there are other circumstances that I should take into account. For example, I may say yes to having company right after having been gone. Instead of enjoying a good time with company, I may be on edge or tired, trying to meet needs when I wasn't adequately prepared to. I did this a few years back, hosting  a teacher and students for a few days after I had been gone on vacation. I didn't feel ready. I was exhausted and I did not feel like I was a good host. Or I have had people over when my own children had needs I should have been meeting. I also have committed to doing things when I could/should have been doing things with my husband or others. Some of my commitments have, out of necessity, included other family members when it was not what they necessarily wanted to do.

I also have done things because one of my children has committed to something and needed me to be there as well. Sometimes that has been just fine and sometimes it has taken away from something else.

What I feel like I need to do is to weigh my priorities when asked to do something. God is my first priority and doing His will is important to me. Next is my husband and family. Friends, church, work, and other commitments follow that. So I need to look at what I am agreeing to and see how it fits in with my priorities. And I need to weigh also what could suffer if I do what I am being asked to do.

Will my priorities get out of whack if I choose this?

The other things I need to consider are whether the activity or commitment uses my gifts and talents. Am I doing what God made me to do? Or am I just doing what everyone else thinks I should do? I need to be who God wants first or I lose myself. I also have to consider my time and resources. Some things are good, but will wear me out so I am not good for anything else. Doing what is not right for me can really be a chore and make me weary. Occasionally we will be asked to do something way out of our comfort zone and that can be good if it is from God. We learn to trust Him more and He will bless our obedience. So prayer is a big thing. I try not to say yes (at least for the big things) unless I have prayed. I would like to say I pray about all of them, but I am prone to act on impulse occasionally.

So should the tyranny of the urgent rule your life's choices? I think not, but it will at times. You have to take care of young children. You have to cook and eat and take care of your health. Many things just have to be done.  However with prayer and planning, you can make better choices and maybe not feel so overwhelmed. You can say no. And when you say yes, it will be to the right things. You will be choosing to do His will and be who He created you to be.

I am still learning how to do this. It's a lifelong process. Don't give up!