A Love Surrendered, A Review

What a beautiful love story. A Love Surrendered is the the story of the remaining O'Conner in Julie Lessman's The Daughter's of Boston and The Winds of Change Series'. Julie offers romance in a way that touches not only our hearts but also offers us a choice. Her stories are based not just on man's love but on God's as well. She reminds us that being a Christian does not mean being boring or without love but rather that if we do it God's way there is just so much more to any relationship.

Set in the last months of Prohibition Steven O'Connor a fed.. is determined to be the best he can be. The best son, the best brother, the best friend, the best fed and he is going to do it all on his own. After making mistakes in his life that almost destroyed his family while in college, Steven is not about to mess up his life again. He wants to hold up his honor and not embarrass his family again.

Orphaned and left to live with her standoffish aunt, Annie Kennedy wants to start again. She is determined to ignore the God who took both of her parents, the God her father had been committed to. Instead she is determined to follow in her wilder sisters footsteps and live a little. Only problem is, she is just not that girl. While she values her friends she is missing something in her life. In a moments weakness, her aunt hears her cries and gives her a letter left for her from her father, to be read on her 18th birthday. In it he reminds her to trust in God and she will never be alone.

When Steven and Annie meet is is instantly attracted but she is keeping a secret from him. Her sister is the girl who Steven was madly in love with in College and betrayed his family with. While Steven and Annie slowly fall in love we watch them struggle with themselves and their refusal to live God's plan. It is a struggle that they must deal with every moment of the story and yet slowly they come to the realization that once you make the choice and live it, it isn't really that difficult at all.

Another intriguing aspect of this book is we get to see peaks into the lives of the siblings whose stories have been told in previous books. Sometimes it seems a bit heavy handed and confusing but we watch the lives or ordinary people coping with choices, making mistakes and working through their problems. As I got into this story I found myself truly enjoying these asides.

In a world that is so often filled with fifty shades of something.. it is refreshing to read a story about love that expounds waiting not jumping into sex the moment a character meets. Ms Lessman tells a sweet story and we should truly treasure her work.

Shauni

This review is based on the ARC of A Love Surrendered provided by netgalley

Happy Birthday Dr Seuss

Over at Speculative Fiction they are doing celebrating Dr Seuss' birthday by doing Seuss style blog

Here's my attempt

Happy Birthday Dr Seuss
you'd be here if I choose
you'd be here to write a book
you'd be here to meet a zook

If I had my way
You'd be here to stay
writing writing every day
maybe even writing a play

If you were here
I would stand up and cheer
wishing you well
with my silly spell

but you are not
things aren't so hot
you've been gone a while
But I still smile

when I hear about ham
and someone named sam
whenever a hoo let's out a shout
or a screech is out and about

I miss you today
All of the way
But at least we know
what you tried to show

that you were you,
that is truer than true
and there is no one alive, who is Youer than You!!

@Shauni

hey don't laugh it's a poem

A Reminder

I was very fortunate that my parents allowed me to attend a High School of my choosing.. Back way before magnet schools.. I asked to be transferred when I was a Sophomore and my parents graciously allowed me to attend Whittier Christian High School. Especially amazing as they were not and are not Christians.. and yet they allowed God's plans for me to happen..

One of the perks of attending WCHS is the fellowship I still recieve and since the advent of the internet and facebook we can be in as much contact as we choose. One of my friends posted this verse today.. and it spoke to me.. reminded me.. so I thought I would share with you all.

Matthew 6:19-21
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. "

Too often, we as Christians get caught up in the daily grind of keeping up with the Joneses.. and frankly we should ignore that desire and instead focus our goals on keeping up with God. Yes we can get all sorts of fancy stuff and show off to all our friends and neighbors but in the end what will that get us? Absolutely NOTHING.. no we obtain true treasures by serving God.. doing His work and sharing His word.. and God being great and all.. stores those treasures for us.. where no man can take them.

You know that is amazing.. when you think about it.. not only are we storing up treasures by serving God.. we are securing them. There will be no chance of them getting lost, or stolen or... letting go of the things of this earth is a hard struggle but one if learned a great relief..

Not too long ago I lost ALL my things.. and I mean everything.. pictures, baby books, kids artwork, EVERYTHING... it was horrid and sometimes I still grieve but if I truly listened to God and let go of wordly treasures I would understand that these things are just that things.. not of any true value or worth.. While I lost all my things.. God has cradled me and my children in His hands over and over again.. and that my friends is the true treasure..

Shauni

A Moment of Peace

Something happened today that hurt me very deeply, well last night, and me being me I automatically started to lash out. I was quite pleased that I able to refrain from snarking at the people who had hurt me and was able to take joy, honest hoy in their accomplishment. BUT, it was hard! 


My Inner Voices kept popping up with malice wanting me to think unkind thoughts to feed the hurt and anger. Every time this happened I stopped and spoke with God. I told Him "I don't want to be this person. I don't want to think these thoughts. Please help me with my struggles." I will admit, I stopped often.


About mid morning, I found myself sitting in a waiting room at the Doctor's office (for a friend) and I pulled out my kindle. Now normally this means I will shortly be engrossed in some book or other. NOT TODAY!! Today I was compelled to open my Bible ap and did a search for forgiveness.. tangent, do you know the word forgive is only mentioned 89 times in the Bible.. at least the NASB version... Now, back on track.


The important part was as I was thumming through the selections that had the word forgiveness in it looking for something.. not sure what I was moved to stop at Ephesians 4: 11-32. I must have read verses 17-31 twenty times over and over again and most especially... vs 31-32

Ephesians 4:31-32

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

³¹ Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. ³² Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. 

WOW.. just think.. 2000 years ago when St Paul wrote this letter, God knew I would need to read it today! Praise God! What a wonderful reason to rejoice.. God knew I would struggle with this for all of my life and today would finally come to Him with it.. I am so very blessed!

Shauni 

God Never Gives you more than you can handle.. how often in life have you heard that particular phrase? I have heard it more times than I can count and believe me I hate that particular expression.. I can hear you gasping from here..

To me the nature of Christianity is that you offer your burdens to God and He bears them for you.. I have this visualization and yes it is my wonky imagination NOT reality.. I see God sitting on a cloud watching me.. laughing.. waiting.. you know like a kid with a water balloon... anyway.. there sits God, on his cloud and here I come.. all I can do it myself.. I can handle it.. No you caused this.. don't go to God now.. you never go during the good times why do you think He wants to hear from you now... when what should happen but a lightening bold slams into me.. I look up and there is God laughing.. saying you can do it all yourself? Well BAM bad marriage, still on your own.. BAM single mom of four.. still on your own? BAM.. homeless.. there God sits just tossing bolts at me waiting.. yes waiting..

I know this is almost blasphemy.. but to me it says.. God WANTS me to lift my burdens up to Him.. God WANTS to bear my burdens..

1 Corinthians 10:12-13 "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man;
but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape,
that you may be able to bear it."

Isn't it interesting? The most famous verse on God helping us to bear our burdens is not on our struggles and day to day life but rather on dealing with temptations..  It's sort of like that whole separation of church and state thing.. you know the one that isn't in the constitution..  oops tangent..

I still think this verse applies to many walks of life.. Yes we will be given burdens, we will be tempted we are not expected to bear these burdens alone.. we are not expected to resist temptation on our own.. we are encouraged to go to God and share.. to offer up to Him all our supplications.. all our hopes and fears.. our struggles and yes even our triumphs.. because in the end we did not triumph, God did.. and when we fail.. we have to ask ourselves did we fail? If by failing we serve God then we triumphed...

I struggle.. I am a needy creature.. I want accolades.. glory... triumph.. so often I do not offer my worries up to God.. stupid me.. I suffer needlessly.. all because I am a "strong" individual.. yeah.. total whack job.. I should be prostrating myself before God and offering it all up to Him.. I am working on it.. Pray with me.. for me..

Shauni 

Freedom From Religion

There is actually an organization of that name.. Freedom From Religion.. wow.. In a country that was founded on the right to worship God, I just don't understand this need to be Free of it.. I don't understand why a small select group of individuals get to demand that we, as a nation cease and desist.

Are you aware that the phrase separation of Church and State is never once used in the Constitution? The phrase "wall of separation between the church and the state" was originally coined by Thomas Jefferson in a letter to the Danbury Baptists on January 1, 1802. His purpose in this letter was to assuage the fears of the Danbury, Connecticut Baptists, and so he told them that this wall had been erected to protect them. The metaphor was used exclusively to keep the state out of the church's business, not to keep the church out of the state's business. Interesting isn't it? That over the years people have insidiously twisted something stated by Jefferson to PROTECT a church into something that destroys it?

It bothers me, because what our constitution actually says is.. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

What does that mean? It means that we will not have a National Church, like the Church of England.. we chose not to have a National Airline.. doesn't mean people are trying to separate the airlines and the government.. Officials still fly, some even fly commercial! You don't see a bunch of people running around demanding that no elected official uses an airline.. so what's the difference? We can fund and airline but not a church?

I understand that we, as Christians are under attack. That Satan is thrilled by the constant undermining of the minority and the silence of the majority.. Speak up.. Demand your rights to your faith before a select few have them all taken away..

What a Friend

Music is a constant in my life.. not that I have any talent what so ever but I have a profound love of song.. *rolls eyes* well some songs.. Usually silly camp songs.. but the other songs I adore are hymns.. I will find myself humming or singing to myself in a regular basis.. Lately I have been singing/humming What a Friend We Have in Jesus...

While this is a beautiful song it is an even more beautiful reality.. Jesus is the very best of friends and as is so often the case.. that makes it all to easy to take Him for granted. We, as Christians need to remember.. a true friend is always there for us.. BUT we need to return the favor, so to speak. We (make that I) need to always be there for Jesus.. Because we have this awesome friend who not only died so that we might live.. He also carries our burdens for us.

Matthew 11:28-30
King James Version (KJV)

 28Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Thus the reality of a Christ like life.. The thing NON Christians never quite get. Because we have this amazing friend, life's burdens are easy. I remember once being told that Christianity was a crutch, something people used to lean on in hard times.. It was said with a sneer, instead of in wonder. I remember thinking no, living a Christ like life is hard..really really hard.. choosing the right path over and over again.. then I realized, in a way they were right. We do have something to lean on, SOMEONE, someone who will bear our burdens for us. So if you need to call Christianity a crutch, go ahead.. so will I.. Although there is no sneer in my voice when I refer to my crutch, my Savior.. no there is joy, wonder, awe and amazement.. you can have the sneer.

So dear friends, I will tell you.. What a Friend I have in Jesus..

In case you don't know the words to the song, here they are..

1. What a friend we have in Jesus,
   All our sins and griefs to bear!
   What a privilege to carry
   Everything to God in prayer!
   Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
   Oh, what needless pain we bear,
   All because we do not carry
   Everything to God in prayer!
2. Have we trials and temptations?
   Is there trouble anywhere?
   We should never be discouraged—
   Take it to the Lord in prayer.
   Can we find a friend so faithful,
   Who will all our sorrows share?
   Jesus knows our every weakness;
   Take it to the Lord in prayer.
3. Are we weak and heavy-laden,
   Cumbered with a load of care?
   Precious Savior, still our refuge—
   Take it to the Lord in prayer.
   Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
   Take it to the Lord in prayer!
   In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
   Thou wilt find a solace there
4. Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised
   Thou wilt all our burdens bear;
   May we ever, Lord, be bringing
   All to Thee in earnest prayer.
   Soon in glory bright, unclouded,
   There will be no need for prayer—
   Rapture, praise, and endless worship
   Will be our sweet portion there.

I hope this touches your heart, it came from mine

Shauni