Here to Stay

This is the first book I read by Melissa Tagg, and I really enjoyed it. It has been a while since I have read contemporary fiction, and I was reminded how much I enjoyed these type of books. I had not read the previous book in the series, and I really didn't realize there was one before this one. Let me tell you a little bit about the book Here to Stay.  

About the book:
After playing nomad for five years, Blake Hunziker has finally had enough of adventure. Not sure what reception he'll get from everyone back in Whisper Shore, he's stunned at not only a warm welcome from his hometown but also a job offer. The job is his if he can successfully pull off the annual Christmas Festival. If only he knew the first thing about coordinating events...

If there's one thing Autumn Kingsley knows, it's Whisper Shore. For years, she's been stuck running her family's inn when all she wants is to see the world. Now she has a visit scheduled from a potential investor who could take over the inn, as well as a dream job offer in Paris. But with just two weeks to whip the inn into shape, her chance at escape is a long shot.

The Hunzikers and the Kingsleys may not get along, but Blake knows Autumn's the only one who can help him. She agrees to a trade--she'll help with the Festival and he'll help with inn repairs. But what was meant to be a simple deal quickly becomes much more than that when the guy who's done running away joins forces with the girl who can't wait to leave.



My thoughts:
This was such an enjoyable book for me and I read it rather quickly. The characters face inner struggles to which the readers can relate. There is a family relationship struggle between Autumn and her Mom and sister since her Dad died. This struggle is evident through the entire book. Blake is back in town and does not receive a welcome from some in the city; he carries with him guilt over his brother's death. Autumn dreams of living in Paris, and it looks like that dream is about to come true, causing mixed feelings for her as she prepares to leave Whisper Shore.  Blake and Autumn's families have had a disagreement for years and are known for not getting along.

Should Autumn continue with her dream to go to Paris or abandon her dreams for the sake of the Kingsley Inn?

I hope you will check out this author.  I look forward to her next book for sure.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for my review. Thanks!

Have a day of blessings!

Thankful Thursday

The last Thursday of May....I always have mixed emotions at this time of year as summer is coming and the school year is ending.  I know with the coming of summer comes having my boy home with me...I've been counting down how many more grocery store trips I have until he gets to be with me! And library trips and sleeping late and pajama days!   We have many fun things planned for summer. I know also that it will go so fast and by the end of the summer I will have a 10 year old heading to 5th grade!  I can't believe it!  I was getting end of year teacher gifts ready and thinking how I will be feeling this time next year doing the same thing.

This week I am thankful for...
~ celebrating marriage to my wonderful husband.  Our 13th anniversary is coming on Monday!  I love him so much and am so thankful for him and the blessing it is to be his wife.

~ hearing my boy and how the things he says blesses my heart.  He makes me laugh by his random statements at times and other times I pause and say wow!  I'm so glad I'm his Mom!

~ an enjoyable time camping with some of our family at the river.  The river was the lowest my father in law had ever remember seeing it.  Then while we were there we got some beautiful rain.  Our tent started leaking Sunday morning but not too bad by the time we got up.  We came home Sunday night. And then Monday slept late and did laundry and put stuff up before seeing my Dad. 

~ the lyrics of the song "Miracle of the Moment" by Steven Curtis Chapman.  This song came on iTunes radio and blessed me to hear them again.

~ seeing some growth in our little garden.  We have picked two tomatoes so far.  :) 

Have a day of blessings!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. What news story are you following right now?  None really. I looked at the election results last night from the run off elections we had here.

2. What's the last thing you wanted but didn't get?  The first thing that came to mind when I read this was our baby we lost when I had a miscarriage last year.

3. May 28th is National Hamburger Day...when did you last have a hamburger? Other than your own kitchen or BBQ grill, where is your favorite place to go for a hamburger? And for all you non-meat eaters out there...when you're invited to a cookout what is the one side dish you hope is on the menu?  Well we cooked burgers when we were camping this weekend, but I had a hot dog. I don't remember when I actually ate a hamburger prior to that. I like the burgers at Texas Roadhouse.

4. How have your priorities changed over time?  It seems a lot if them are the same for me. Some things I think of that have always been priorities to me remain the same today....things like family, Bible reading, volunteering, saving, giving, church.

5. What's a favorite memory with your grandparents?  I have many memories of my grandparents. One with my Peepaw is when he would pick me up after school to take me and my cousin to get ice cream. Also he would pick me up in the summer from the hospital where I was volunteering.  I remember when he'd come pound on our door on Saturday mornings and wake me up!

6. On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being fantastic!), how good are you at multitasking? Share an example.  Probably 6-7. It depends what it is but usually I'm pretty good at multi tasking. There are times of course when I need 0 distractions and just have to get the one thing done.

7. How would you summarize your highs and lows for the month of May?  May is a busy month. I've been working on vacation plans while doing end of school year stuff so it's felt busy.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.  We went camping with some of the family this past weekend. It rained a lot on us in the night, and at one point the tent started leaking after so much rain. We came home Sunday. Because of all the rains, my father in law got stuck because they had to wait for a low river crossing to go down before they could get out of the camp.  The rain was so nice and so needed here. Also, I think I got into some chiggers.

Have a day of blessings!

Thankful Thursday

Time once again for Thankful Thursday! 

This week I am thankful for...
~ the way my husband takes care of us each day.  He is concerned about our well being and shows his love by the things he does.  One example this week was when I woke up about 1 a.m. one night with a headache.  I usually can tell when I am going to have one but this one sort of surprised me.  He was so concerned for me and wanted to stay awake while I was awake in case I needed anything. 

~ taking treats to school for my boy's "pretend birthday."  Since his birthday is in the summer, each May I take treats to his classmates.  This year he chose ice cream cups.  His class enjoyed it and were appreciative. He asked me if I could bring him lunch too so I picked up his choice at Subway and we had a nice lunch together first before handing out the ice cream.  I loved how his face lit up when he came in and saw me. 

~  figuring out more of our vacation plans...our stops and where we will stay and such.  I'm excited about it now, and it will be here before we know it!

~ enjoying the day at Field Day for my son's school last week.  The weather was great, the kids really had fun, and it was just an all around nice day.  My husband took off from work for the day, and we enjoyed watching the events together. 

~ good bargains at the city wide garage sale.  I found jeans (in really good shape) for my boy for $1.  He needed some the next size so I was glad to have found them.  He found some things also to buy with his own money....books and drawing paper and a cool hat.

Have a day of blessings!
 

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Under what circumstances do you do your best thinking?  Probably when I am relaxed and not under a deadline, when I can ponder things and pray about the situation. 

2. Are you a risk taker? What's one big risk you've taken?  No I'm not a risk taker.  I like to plan things out and know the outcome.

3. Some of the most common phobias according to the National Institute for Mental Health are-fear of spiders (arachnaphobia), snakes (ophidiophobia), heights (acrophobia), fear of spaces from which escape is difficult (agoraphobia), fear of thunder and lightening (astrophobia), fear of dogs (cynophobia), injections (trypanophobia), social situations, flying (pteromerhanophobia) and fear of germs and dirt (mysophobia). True phobias affect only about 10% of adults, but of those listed which would you rate as your greatest fear?  I have always had a fear of big dogs since I was attacked by a Doberman when I was a little girl.  Every time I see one I get a feeling of caution inside.  I also fear snakes, just because I don't like them! 

4. Are you settled or do you feel the need to move somewhere new?  I feel settled here and like our home and community.  We've been here for 3.5 years now.

5. What is something you find annoying when dining in a restaurant?  It is annoying to me when the server comes by too many times, like if he/she doesn't have many tables and keeps coming to our table to see if we need anything. 

6. Daffodil yellow, sunset orange, spring green, or sky blue...your favorite color this time of year?  There is for sure a lot of color this time of year.  I love to look up and see the clear blue sky.  It is particularly noticeable to me after we've had a day with a dust storm. 

7. If you were going to take a holiday all by yourself, where would you go?  I can't imagine going anywhere all by myself!  My husband always does the driving and figures out how to get around places.  I'd be lost if he wasn't with me probably!

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
The end of the school year is nearly here.  I made a countdown for Caleb using balloons.  I blew up balloons and each day at the end of the day he gets to pop one.  I think he will be excited to see it when he gets home.  I got teary eyed in church the other day when I thought how I needed to make his "welcome to summer ___ grader" sign;  thinking of having a 5th grader is just hard to believe! 
 
Have a day of blessings!

Thankful Thursday

Happy Thursday!  Hope you are having a nice week!  This week has been less busy for me, and I've been able to get some things done that have been on my "to do" list.  We are working on our vacation plans.  Summer will be here soon! 

This week I am thankful for....

~ fun planning vacation with my husband.  We have looked online together and through brochures to decide what to do (also getting Caleb's input too).  I was thinking how it is a nice thing to do together. 

~ the stories my boy tells me after school.  Some days he doesn't have much to say about his day and others he will talk and talk about things that happened or his classes.  I love being here to hear those stories!

~ having such a nice Mother's Day weekend.  I got to see my Mom, and it was a nice day.  My Mom and Caleb surprised me with flowers in my flower bed again.  It was extra special because the two of them had a tradition to plant flowers for Meemaw for her birthday/Mother's Day weekend for the past several years. 

~ receiving nice thank you notes in the mail.  I got the sweetest card from one of my former students.  I'd sent him a small gift for his high school graduation, and he sent the sweetest thank you card. 

~ Chinese food for lunch.  I had a doctor's appointment this week and stopped on my way home for Chinese....I'm the only one who eats it so I don't get to have it too often!  It was a yummy treat!

Have a day of blessings!

Rhinestone Jesus

 

I was so excited to receive Rhinestone Jesus by Kristen Welch to review.  I have read the author's blog "We are THAT family" for years now and am thrilled to share her wonderful book with you today.  I read this so fast and really enjoyed all of it and was looking forward to writing my review! 


About the book:  ARE YOU SETTLING for a shiny, pinned-on, ornamental faith? Get ready for one that’s messy, bold, and courageous.

In high school, Kristen Welch wore a big, sparkly rhinestone “Jesus” pin every day and carried her Bible wherever she went. (Yes, she was that girl.) But she didn’t realize her faith, though sincere, was shallow; much like her artificial accessory, it would one day tarnish, no longer a true reflection of who she was.

Real life and motherhood catapulted Kristen into places and situations she’d never imagined. There came a day when she stood in the slums of Africa, poised on the brink of a risk bigger than any she’d ever taken. And she knew she didn’t stand a chance—unless she was ready to put aside the rhinestones and get branded by the real thing.

Rhinestone Jesus is the spiritual adventure story of one woman who went from living a safe, “good-girl” faith that didn’t cost much, to realizing that God was daring her to say yes to a deeper, more authentic way. This book throws the doors wide open for any woman who’s ever thought of herself as “just a mom.” Read it and be inspired. Be empowered. Say yes to God right where you are—and stand amazed at how your life will shine. Tyndale House Publishers

My thoughts: 
I felt I could relate to Kristen so much in this book and learn more about her and her family than I already knew from reading her blog.  She has lived a Christian life, even wearing a JESUS pin to school (I remember those pins and had one myself so seeing that on the cover made me want to know more about this book and read it myself!).  But things change for her as she is standing in the middle of an African slum on a trip with Compassion International.    Her whole life changes when she comes home and realizes there is more to following God than how she has lived so far. 

She shares so honestly and openly about her family, her marriage, and her struggles.  I appreciate that she doesn't paint some rosy picture of a perfect little life she lives before or after she said "yes" to God.  She is just a normal woman who trusted God with her life and family and said "yes" to being used for Him when she saw a need.   

Reading this book was very thought-provoking to me and really made me ponder my own life and what saying "yes" looks like for me.  I normally don't reread books but this is one I wouldn't mind rereading.   I liked the pictures that are included throughout the book as well, these make it more personal I thought.  

I hope you will read it too and be changed by it. 

About the Author:
Kristen Welch writes the parenting blog We are THAT Family (you know the ones). She is an (in)Courage writer, a Compassion International blogger, and a regular featured contributor to LifeWay's HomeLife and ParentLife magazines. In 2010, Kristen founded Mercy House, a nonprofit maternity home in Kenya, Africa, which rescues young pregnant girls from extreme poverty. Mercy House is almost entirely funded by readers of her blog. Read Kristen’s blog at www.wearethatfamily.com .

Author Q & A:
1. What is your hope for your book, Rhinestone Jesus?
My hope is that every person who picks it up will be inspired to say yes to God right where they are.

2. That’s an interesting title. Can you provide for us some context and meaning?
Rhinestone Jesus is a very personal title. As a teenager, I wore a rhinestone pin on my clothes that spelled J-e-s-u-s. I was introverted, so this was a way for me to "wear" my faith without having to say much about it. I was involved in Theatre Arts and each year they gave up made-up awards. I won The Rhinestone Jesus award from my peers.

3. What message do you hope will resonate with your readers?
That God can do anything through anyone. He asks us to do the impossible-not because we are capable, but because we need Him to accomplish it. Saying yes to God requires ultimate dependence in our inadequacy. And He does it so that He will be glorified.

4. What do you feel "just a mom" can do with bold faith and a God-inspired dream?
I think the beauty of my yes to God to start a maternity home in Kenya is that I am just a mom. It’s obvious to everyone who has witnessed this story, that I’m not the real author—God is. It’s proof that He can use anyone to do anything. When I initially said yes in the small daily stuff, I didn’t know it would lead to Mercy House. But I was called to obedience and that’s really what Rhinestone Jesus is about: saying yes to God right where you are and not waiting to have all the answers or a perfect life before you obey.

5. How did you feel God’s leading to step out in faith?
It was saying yes to a lot of small things that led my family to a greater yes. We were terrified and still are most days, but God is faithful and teaches us through the challenges and victories. Our yes to God isn’t really about success or failure. It’s about being obedient.

6. What prompted you to follow through with this particular dream or calling—founding Mercy House, the non-profit maternity home in Kenya, Africa to rescue young pregnant women from extreme poverty?
 Starting Mercy House was a response to what I saw in Kenya. I saw a need and couldn’t find anyone meeting it. I prayed that God would send someone. And He sent me (dangerous prayer, by the way!) I have always felt that God wanted me to encourage and connect mothers through writing. Mercy House in many ways has become an extension of that dream that started as seed many years ago.

7. How has this dream taken shape? Can you provide an update?
Mercy House runs two residential homes with pregnant and teen moms in Kenya. We have babies of all ages. It’s a lot like a (loud) home, where the girls live and learn, heal and grow. They stay with us until they are able to return home or until they can live on their own. We also reach out to single mothers in the slums surrounding the homes, with plans to expand this outreach in years to come.

8. How did you lead and mobilize a community to care deeply, and help build this dream?
When I returned from that first trip from Kenya, I was wrecked. I processed the emotions on my blog for months. Looking back, I can see that I was in labor, working hard to birth something. I believe other moms were too, and when I asked for help, they said yes with me.

9. Why is it important to you to affirm moms who wonder whether their work really matters?
Because many wonder if it does. I think it’s part of our make-up--we long to make a difference and we wonder if what we do does, in fact, matter. I am compelled to tell mothers YES. It matters so much more than you think. It doesn’t matter how small or big, saying yes to marriage, motherhood, and ministry--you name it, it matters.

10. What have you learned about listening to, and obeying God’s call?
Sometimes people call me brave. If they only knew… Not only am I not courageous, I live with the same fear and inadequacies as other God-sized dreamers. Without a doubt, I think the Church (with a capital C) lacks obedience. I did for so much of my Christian life. I think if we have faith to believe in Jesus, we also have to believe that when we do what He tells us, He won’t leave us alone. It’s been the hardest journey of my life, stretched me further than I thought possible, but I’ve never been alone, not for a second.

11. How have you, and those closest to you, been impacted by trusting God and saying yes to a deeper, richer, more authentic faith?
Simply put, it has changed every area of my life, in so many ways. I can honestly say I’m not the same person. When we step out and obey, God changes the world—our world. He changes us. My family said yes with me and God has used that to alter the legacy we will leave in the future.

A complimentary copy of this book was provided to me by the Tyndale Reviewers Program for my review.  Thank you! 

Have a day of blessings!