Friday, October 28, 2022

L O U D

 



I want it loud 

Like it is in my soul 

Loud to drown out inside 

I want it screaming 

So I don’t have to  

I want it rushing at me 

I want it pounding at me 

When I feel like stopping 

I want loud 

So I don’t have to listen

So He gave me loud 

Music pounding in my ears 

Reminding me of truth 

Loud wind shoving at me 

Cooling me off in the heat 

He gave me loud thoughts 

Demanding to be heard 

And then He gave me quiet 

Where the wind had stopped 

And all the distractions were gone 

And He met me there 

In the quiet, He whispered 

And I was finally ready to listen


Saturday, October 15, 2022

September Highlights

It was not an incredibly busy month. A lot of it was just spent prepping for the wedding, and getting back into the swing of fall activitys. 


It was my oldest nieces birthday this month, so we got pizza then went to Main Event. We played tons of Laser Tag, and arcades. It was a fun, long night of celebration!

So one day at lunch, my tooth just chipped off. A whole forth of it. O.o So I had to get it filled, which was uncomfortable, but not as bad as I had imagined. I didn't realize I wouldn't be able to eat afterwards for a few hours, so Sarah sat with me while my mom went and got lunch until I got to get food. <3 

The Cameron Park Zoo has hosted a running challenge for years, but this year my sister and I decided to join. So I started a 5k training program, and have actually been able to stick to it really well! I'm excited to see how the last month of the training goes. Hopefully I'll actually be able to run it. At the moment I'm still in the stage of wheezing through most of the running. XD

Our kitten, Scruffy. She's the runt of her litter, and is just about the sweetest thing. 

Bible Study Fellowship started up again. This year we are studying a lot in Kings, Chronicals, and some of the minor prophets. It's not my favorite part of the Bible, but BSF always does such an amazing job with their study's I'm excited to see how it goes. 

I got a game called Nancy Drew at Magnolia Gardens and it was incredible. It was like an escape room in a box. We had to read a lot, solve codes, and make a timeline of where everyone was. There was even a locked box we had to get into. O.o It was a blast! 

So my brother and his fiancee (Liz) were getting married up in the Dallas area, so we traveled up there for the wedding! On the way we got to go to the biggest Half Priced Books in Texas. It was so awesome! We toured Michaela and Liz's new house, and got to attend a prayer breakfast for Liz. We stayed at a lovely little house by a lake, and got to see an absolutely amazing sunset. We helped set up for the wedding, and spent an lot of time in the kitchen joking around. The day of the wedding we had to get up insainly early, so I was part of a slightly later crew that brought breakfast for everyone. We were in charge of a waffle bar for the reception, so we set that up, and then were in photos. None of us were in the wedding, so it was a little easier making time for things. The wedding was in a beautiful little chapel, and went off amazingly well. They were married! My whole family spent the next 45 minutes serving waffles, keeping things refilled, and making sure everything ran smoothly. It was hectic, but we did get amazing chocolate cake with chcoclate covered strawberries for our trouble. XD Needless to say, but the end of the reception, we were pretty tired, so after clean up, we packed up our AirBnB and came home. 

Rebekkah and I took an evening, set up our hammocks, with tikki torches, and read for an evening. It was the perfect way to chill out after a busy month. Now that it is finally cool out again we definitely be doing this more often!



No re-reads. Someone should be proud of me. XD But my favorite new book was a toss up between Findinging Gods Life for My Will and The Extraordinary Education of Nicolas Bennidict. Both epic books. 



Paddington 2: I loved this even more than the first one in some ways. Paddington is such a sweet soul. <3 

Newsies: I missed this after seeing it in person, so I had to watch it again. This music, the dancing, it's all incredible. 

Bad Hair Day: This is such a cute movie. It reminds me of the Disney movies they used to make like Radio Rebel, or Starstuck. It was cute, innocent, and a bit sappy in places. A great movie to relax with. 

Mission Impossible: If you ever see a month without MI listed, you probably need to ask after our mental health. XD 

MacGyver: This show is just fun, and it's cool to see MacGyver's ingenuity. 

Bluey: Kid shows just do not get much cuter then this. It's fun, it teaches kids good lessons, and I don't think there's much better after a long day then Bingo's little giggle. 

DS9: My sister Sarah and I just finished season six! Just one more season to go. =) 


It's crazy how fast this month went! How was your month? 


Saturday, October 8, 2022

My Top Five Books This Year

 This is the last day of Five Fall Favorites hosted by the epic Kate. Big shout out to her for all the work she put into this! I had a lot of fun doing this, and getting to talk to all of y'all!


These are my top five books of the year so far. Click on the covers to go to the Goodreads page, and click on the titles to read my review!


1. Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott


I did not expect to love this as much as I did, but wow. It was a bit rambly in places (what classic isn't), but I loved the story and seeing how each character followed God. 

2. Happy Birthday Mrs. Piggle Wiggle by Betty Macdonald


I discovered this series this year, and had a delightful time going through the books. This was my favorite of all of them, though. <3



Ah, my last book in the MBS series. This was a bittersweet read, knowing it would be the last new book in this series. But it lived up to the other four books, and I loved every page. 

4. Finding God's Life For My Will by Mike Donehey


This was one of the most encouraging books I read all year. It's open and honest, and very encouraging. 

5. Grace by Contract by Rachel Rossano


This was an awesome Beauty and The Beast retelling. The characters and everything were just perfect. And, one of my favorite things, the romance was pretty light!


Click on the photos below to get today's free ebook, and see who won the giveaway!



Well, that was a blast! I am so glad to have been able to do this. Thank you for joining me! 
What is your favorite book that you've read this year? 


Friday, October 7, 2022

Five Awesome Historical Books



Hey! Today we're here with the next to last day of Five Fall Favorites hosted by the great Kate! Today I am sharing five awesome historical fiction books. 

Click on the image for the Goodreads page, or the title for my review. 


1. The Robe by Lloyd C. Douglas 


This book was one of the most incredible historical fiction books I have ever read. It helped me really see Jesus through the eyes of the time. 

2. From the Dark to the Dawn by Alicia A. Willis 


The book made me laugh, and cry, and want to read it all over again the moment I had finished. 

3. Brothers at Arms by John J. Horn


This amazing adventure takes you through the jungles of Peru, following two brothers that could not be less alike. The following series is also great, but this one will always be my favorite.

4. Interrupted by Rachel Coker 


This book is such a bittersweet coming-of-age story. I have never read a book quite in this style, and it still moves me every time I read it. 

5. Wings of a Dream by Anne Mateer


This book has always been amazing, but after quarantine, it meant a lot more to me since it takes place around the outbreak in the 1920s. The main character, Rebekah, is just about the best. <3


Click on the photos below to get today's free ebook, and enter the giveaway!




Thank you so much for joining me! Come back tomorrow for the last day! 
What if your favorite historical fiction?


Thursday, October 6, 2022

Five Amazing Romances


Hey there! Welcome back to day four of Five Fall Favorites hosted by my friends Kate! Today I'm going to share five of my favorite romances. I'm a sucker for a good romance, so this was a fun list to put together. 

Click on the titles to read my full reviews, and click on the book covers to take you to the GoodReads page!


1. Love Comes Softly by Janette Oke


This is one of the purest romances I've ever read. Actually, the book is much more about Marty's relationship with God, and the romance takes the second spot to that. That alone makes the book something special, but the way she crafted the relationships with all the characters was amazing. 


2. True Devotion by Dee Henderson


No one does a romance like Dee Hendeson, and in my opinion, this is one of her best. Kelly and Joe were an amazing pair and their slow, sweet romance still warms my heart even if I know how it ends.

3. The Substitute Guest by Grace Livingston Hill


They say Grace Livingston Hill was the pioneer of Christian romance, so I don't feel like this list would be complete without one of her books. This book is one of my favorites of hers because it holds a lot of happy memories of reading it with my family at Christmas. 

4. A Name Unknown by Roseanna M. White


This book has one of the most precious romances ever. These are some of the most unique characters I've ever read, and they are so perfect with each other. 

5. Follow the Dawn by Rachelle Rea Cobb


I have read this book twice, both times I sat down intending to read a few chapters, then ended up reading it all in one sitting. You don't see many books with really quiet main characters, so this was fun to read about. 


Click on the images to enter the giveaway and get the free ebook for today!



Come back tomorrow for more! 
What is one of your favorite romances?

Wednesday, October 5, 2022

Five of My Favorite Mysterys

Welcome back! This is day three of Five Fall Favorites hosted by the amazing Kate! Today we are going over mystery books!

As always, click on the photo for the GoodReads page, and the title for my review. 


1. The Mystery at Lilac Inn Carolyn Keene


Nancy Drew began my love for mystery at only about ten. I quickly devoured the rest of the series, but this book remains one of my favorites. Our library had an audiobook of it, and I listened to it on repeat until they got rid of it. Nancy is forever one of the best. 

2. The Negotiator by Dee Henderson


No one writes suspense like Dee Henderson. This book is intense and the mystery was very well done. The family elements in this series are very well done, and I fell in love with each of the siblings. 

3. The Van Gogh Deception by Deron Hicks


This book is different from my normal, the mystery revolved around art theft, and Art (the main character) trying to remember who he is. I love a good amnesia story and this one was done extremely well. 

4. Five Star Spy by Perry Elisabeth Kirkpatrick


This series is such a refreshing one in the Christian Fiction genre. The characters are epic, the mystery intriguing, and it feels like a TV show. This book in particular is my favorite because Emily really shone in it, and it made me laugh incredible hard. 


5. Kate's Informant by Sarah Holman


This series is one I've loved for a very long time, and it just keeps getting better. This book was not only a very good mystery but helped me through a tough patch in my life. 


Click on the photos below to get today's free ebook, and enter the giveaway!




Thanks for joining me today! What is one of your favorite mysteries? 


Tuesday, October 4, 2022

My Favorite Fantasy Books

Hey everyone! I am so happy to be back for the second post in Five Fall Favorites hosted by one of my favorite people in the universe, Kate! Today I have my top five fantasy books! 

Just like yesterday, click on the titles to read my full reviews, and click on the book covers to take you to the GoodReads page!



1. The Horse and His Boy C.S. Lewis


This is my favorite of the Narnia books. Shasta is such an amazing character and his growth over the book was so well done. Also, you get to see the Pevencies which is epic. =)


2. The Heart of Arcrea by Nicole Sager


The book combines the best parts of fantasy having a quest, characters rising out of low places, people making a family out of friends, and, of course, sword fights. Druid is still one of my favorite characters because he's gentle, humble, and a good leader. 


3. Resistance by Jaye L. Knight


The is one of the most brilliantly written series that I've ever read. The characters and plot are incredible. I cannot wait for the last book to come out!

4. The Green Ember by S.D. Smith


This may be labeled as a kid's book, but it is definitely not just for kids. This book made me laugh, it made me cry, and made me want to hug the characters. This series would make a great read-aloud. 

5. The Twin Arrows by Kate Willis 


This little book is so sweet. Talk about a book with an amazing supporting cast. I mean, the main characters are epic, but the side characters are just as good, which is rare. 


Click on the photos below to get today's free book, and to enter the giveaway!





Thank you for coming by!
What is your favorite fantasy book?