Archive for June, 2009
Review: Love’s Pursuit by Siri Mitchell
June 30th, 2009 | 
Author: ABOUT THE BOOK
In the small Puritan community of Stoneybrooke, Massachusetts, Susannah Phillips stands out both for her character and beauty. She wants only a simple life but soon finds herself pursued by the town’s wealthiest bachelor and by a roguish military captain sent to protect them. One is not what he seems and one is more than he seems.
In trying to discover true love’s path, Susannah is helped by the most unlikely of allies, a wounded woman who lives invisible and ignored in their town. As the depth, passion, and sacrifice of love is revealed to Susannah, she begins to question the rules and regulations of her childhood faith. In a community where grace is unknown, what price will she pay for embracing love?
If you would like to read the first chapter of Love’s Pursuit, go HERE
MY THOUGHTS
I have to admit I can recall reading only one other Puritan story – Hawthorne’s classic Scarlet Letter. I’m pretty sure I read some others as part of literature courses, but none stand out in my mind. As a historical novel, Love’s Pursuit opened up a whole new world and produced an interesting, compelling read.
The story’s premise is how does one deal with fitting the mold? Susannah is considered the “good” girl, but is the “good” girl always good or does she have a rebellious spirit inside? (How many of us have been in this same dilemma during our lifetimes?) How far is she willing to follow that rebellious spirit?
The love story in Love’s Pursuit is truly beautiful. Through the hero, Daniel, Susannah learns that not everything in life is as it seems. He also shows her that God gives grace, something her religion never taught her. I love how Susannah became her own person while around Daniel – she didn’t fit the mold.
My only “complaint” about the story is I was slightly confused when the first person point of view switched from Susannah to another character, Small-Hope. Other than a break to indicate that the scene had changed, the reader received no warning that she was suddenly in the head of a totally different character. As the story progressed, the verbal clues and writing style showed the difference between Susannah’s and Small-Hope’s scenes, but initially it was a little disconcerting.
Finally, one of the Reader’s Questions in the back stood out to me. It asks if the reader considers the story a tragedy or a romance. Given that the ending of Love’s Pursuit isn’t the typical book ending, I contemplated the question for awhile and decided that the correct answer isn’t listed. I believe it is a “tragic romance.” (How’s that for skirting the issue?) Love is pursued, found, lost. In the end, the reader knows that while Susannah is crushed by events, her life will go on – she’s young – and she’ll have many happy years.
If you enjoy stories that break outside of the box and don’t follow the usual plot sequence, Love’s Pursuit would make a great addition to your library. The historical details also make this a great book for anyone studying the Puritan era or lifestyle.
Reflecting on Goals
At the end of 2008, I posted three personal goals for 2009. Since we’re coming to the close of June, … Can you seriously believe June is almost gone and the year is half over? I can’t! … I want to evaluate where I am at with my goals. (See my 3-month follow up post here.)
Here’s my original goals…
- I want to strengthen my business.
- I want to organize.
- I want to write my novel!
So, how am I doing?
Strengthening: I still feel like I’m doing okay in this area. As before, the income is sporadic (comes with the territory of freelancing). Right now, I have two projects I’m working on and four that I’ve given estimates for. While I would love for all four of those estimates to turn in to work, one in particular would be awesome. Pray that it comes through! In the meantime, I’m working on three very specific goals:
- Goal #1: Advertising – In early June, I advertised my services in the state writers’ conference program – no hits yet from that, but I’m hoping! With our upcoming additional income (read: workers’ compensation settlement – WOOT!), I’m planning on some local advertising, primarily in a really awesome rural W.Va. publication called Two Lane Livin’ (great content, huge readership, reasonable rates – definitely works for me).
- Goal #2: Web Site – While the Skala Creative site is celebrating its one year anniversary, I’m working towards developing a more dynamic site that will attract visitors and retain them. The main addition will be a blog with new and revolving content as well as a redesigned portfolio. (Shout out to Jared at Filament Pop for helping me re-develop the site! Thanks, Jared!)
- Goal #3: Networking – So much of today’s freelance world involves networking via social media, which is great when you live out in the sticks. I have a personal goal of responding to 3-5 Twitter writer friends a day with the hopes of engaging in conversation. I also shamelessly self promote on Facebook and emails.
And I’m trying to participate in the ACFW loops by responding to questions I feel fall in my area of knowledge.
Organizing: Still feeling good in this area! Other than staying aware of this need and not slacking, I’ve established my daily routine and am still lovin’ my iPod Touch. In the last half of the year, I need to work on organizing those awful stacks of papers that self-propogate overnight. Personally, I think it might be a lost cause.
Writing: While I’m excited about all my goals, writing is the one that I’m most excited about. I discovered the “loops” on the ACFW site and have learned tons just in the past two weeks. I can’t believe how much I was missing out on by not visiting the loops! And, here’s the best part concerning writing …
Last week, through a series of events, I felt like God finally gave me the “go ahead” to write the story on my heart. If you’ve been around Ramblings-n-Writings for awhile, you know that I’ve dabbled with writing a novel. However, I never had the peace I needed to devote a lot of time to writing. Over the past year, I’ve done research, thought of scenarios, dreamed about characters, and I’m finally ready to roll! I truly believe it will be a beautiful story in the end. Two specific goals…
- Spend the next month (July) concentrating on writing and polishing with the intent of submitting to a contest in September. Again, not sure if it will work out since I just found out about the contest last week. Since the number of contest entrants is limited, I’m praying a spot will still be open when I’m ready to submit.
- Attend ACFW Conference, September 17-20, in Denver, CO. I would LOVE to do this. Absolutely LOVE it. Not sure if the details will work out, but praying they will! Going to the conference could involve a potential cross country road trip for the Farmer and me. I’ve never been west of Chicago, so we’re tentatively planning on hitting up all the big sites in the western USA. And after about 6,000 miles, we’ll be back home.
Good things are happening here and I’m excited to see what the rest of 2009 holds. But, as always, when good things happen, the Devil attacks. For the last six months, it seems like we’ve been attacked constantly, one thing after another in every area – from family to finances to friends.
Through it all, I’m challenged each day to keep the proper attitude and perspective on life and to continue on doing what I know is right and acceptable in God’s eyes. The verse that comes to mind almost daily is Psalm 119:165 …
Great peace have they which love thy law:
and nothing shall offend them.
Need a New Bible Study Book?
It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!
You never know when I might play a wild card on you!
and the books:
Live Deeply: A Study in the Parables of Jesus
David C. Cook; New edition edition (June 1, 2009)
AND
Live Relationally: Lessons from the Women of Genesis
David C. Cook; New edition edition (June 1, 2009)
MY THOUGHTS:
Have you been looking for a new Bible study for your personal use or a small group? Let me encourage you to check out Live Relationally and Live Deeply. Depending on what your interests are, one of these brand new studies could be your answer.
Each book is a 10 week study with five 20 minute lessons for each week. Each lesson includes Lift Up (prayer), Look At (Scripture reading, questions), Learn About (new insights – historical facts, additional references – as they pertain to the study questions), Live Out (application), and Listen To (quotes from other believers).
Live Relationally: Lessons from the Women of Genesis includes:
- Eve: Trouble in Paradise
- Noah’s Wife: Behind Every Great Man
- Sarah: Stand by Your Man
- Hagar: Where Do I Fit In?
- Lot’s Wife: Living in the Past
- Rebekah: A Fairy-tale Romance
- Rachel and Leah: He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not
- Dinah: True Love Waits
- Tamar: A Woman Scorned
- Potiphar’s Wife: The Desperate Housewife.
Live Deeply: A Study in the Parables of Jesus covers:
- Root Determines Fruit (Matthew 13:1-23)
- Looks Can Be Deceiving (Matthew 13:24-43)
- What Goes Around Comes Around (Matthew 18:21-35)
- All’s Fair in God’s Love and Word (Matthew 20:1-16)
- Actions Speak Louder than Words (Matthew 21:28-46)
- Always Be Prepared (Matthew 24:45-51; 25:1-13)
- Use It or Lose It (Matthew 25:14-30)
- The Best Things in Life Aren’t Things (Luke 12:13-34)
- There’s No Place Like Home (Luke 15:1-32)
- Good Things Come to Those Who Wait (Mark 13:1-37)
Scripture quotations, unless noted, are from the New King James Version. The books are user-friendly and attractively designed. However, some readers might want a separate notebook to answer the Look At and Live Out questions in more detail.
While I haven’t had time to complete all the lessons in both books, I did skim each book and spent some time working through one week of lessons from each book. (My favorite part of each lesson was the Learn About providing those extra details that made me think!) Even though I wasn’t necessarily doing an actual study, I was still impacted by the stories, quotes, and messages in the lessons.
I’m looking forward to sitting down and using one of these books for my personal study some time soon. =) And, if I had to pick one book over the other, I would choose Live Relationally – there’s just something about those women in Genesis and getting to know them better that appeals to me.
Scroll down to read the Introduction and Day 1 study of the first lesson in each book.
Lenya Heitzig is an award-winning author and popular Bible teacher. After beginning her ministry as a single women’s counselor with Youth With a Mission, Lenya married Skip and together they started Calvary of Albuquerque, one of the fast growing churches in the country. The author of Holy Moments and coauthor of the Gold Medallion-winning, Pathways to God’s Treasures, Lenya currently serves as Director of Women at Calvary, overseeing weekly Bible studies and yearly retreats. Lenya and Skip live in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Visit the author’s website.
Penny Pierce Rose is the award-winning author/coauthor of several books and Bible studies, including the ECPA Gold Medallion winner, Pathways to God’s Treasures. She has served on the board of directors for the Southwest Women’s Festival and develops Bible study curriculum for the women’s programs at Calvary of Albuquerque. Penny, her husband, Kerry, and their three children, Erin, Kristian, and Ryan, live in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Visit the author’s website.
Product Details:
Live Deeply:
List Price: $14.99
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: David C. Cook; New edition edition (June 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1434799867
ISBN-13: 978-1434799869
Live Relationally:
List Price: $14.99
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: David C. Cook; New edition edition (June 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1434767485
ISBN-13: 978-1434767486
AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTERs:
Root Determines Fruit
Matthew 13:1–23
Lenya adored Mrs. Johnson, her elementary school teacher, because she had the ability to bring Chitty Chitty Bang Bang to life. Lenya’s sister would anxiously wait for her to arrive home to retell the story in every detail. Penny loved nothing more than spooky bedtime tales from her granddaddy. She’d lie awake at night, jumping at every sound, wondering whether the boogeyman was real. All our kids loved trips to the library for story hour.
Since ancient times, storytellers have enthralled audiences with tales both entertaining and instructive. In 300 BC, Aesop, the Greek storyteller, featured animals like the tortoise and the hare in his fables vividly illustrating how to solve problems. The Brothers Grimm gathered fairy tales like Hansel and Gretel in nineteenth-century Germany to teach children valuable moral lessons. Baby boomers were mesmerized when Walt Disney animated their favorite stories in amazing Technicolor.
However, throughout history no one has compared to Jesus Christ as a storyteller. Rather than telling fables or fairy tales, He told parables. A parable is a short, simple story designed to communicate a spiritual truth, religious principle, or moral lesson. It is a figure of speech in which truth is illustrated by a comparison or example drawn from everyday experiences. Warren Wiersbe simply says, “A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.”1 Throughout this study we’ll learn from the stories Jesus told, comparing them to our lives and putting His eternal truths into practice.
Day 1: Matthew 13:1–3 Floating Pulpit Day 2: Matthew 13:3–9 Fertile Parable Day 3: Matthew 13:10–13 Few Perceive Day 4: Matthew 13:14–17 Fulfilled Prophecy Day 5: Matthew 13:18–23 Four Possibilities
DAY 1
Floating Pulpit
Lift up…
Lord, I love to gather with Your people and listen to Your Word. Help me to be a faithful hearer, not only listening to what You say but obeying Your commands. Thank You for being in our midst. Amen.
Look at…
Jesus proved Himself to be the promised King—the Messiah of Israel—through His impeccable birthright, powerful words, and supernatural deeds. Despite His amazing miracles and the many ways He fulfilled prophecy, the religious leaders rejected His lordship. Knowing the religious leaders had turned on Him, Jesus directed His attention to the common people. Matthew 13 tells how Jesus stepped onto a floating pulpit on the Sea of Galilee and spoke in parables to explain how the gospel—the good news of salvation—would inaugurate the kingdom of heaven on earth.
The parable of the Sower is one of seven parables Jesus taught to describe what His kingdom would look like as a result of the religious establishment rejecting Him. This parable was a precursor to the Great Commission that Jesus would give His disciples after His death, burial, and resurrection: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). There is no evidence that the religious leaders stayed to listen to Jesus’ simple stories. Yet after this teaching session, the resentment of the religious leaders only deepened.
Read Matthew 13:1–3.
On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. Matthew 13:1
Explain what Jesus did on this day in His ministry.
Matthew 13:1 is the continuation of a critical day in Jesus’ ministry. Briefly scan Matthew 12; then answer the following questions to learn more about this “same day.”
What day of the week is referred to here?
What miracles did Jesus perform on this day?
Describe Jesus’ encounters with the religious leaders.
What did He teach about becoming a member of His family?
According to Mark 3:6, what did the Pharisees begin to do on this fateful day?
And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow.” Matthew 13:2–3
Explain why Jesus got into the boat.
How many people stayed to hear Jesus’ message?
What method of teaching did Jesus use in speaking to the
multitudes?
What types of things did He teach in parables?
Galilee was an important region to Jesus. Fill in the following table to learn more.
Scripture Galilee’s Significance
Matthew 4:18–21
Matthew 17:22–23
Matthew 26:31–32
Luke 1:26–28
Luke 2:39–40
Acts 10:36–38
We’ve learned that many people came to know Jesus in Galilee. Journal about the place where you encountered Jesus and how meeting Him affected your feelings about that location.
Jesus was “moved with compassion” for the multitudes that followed Him. Circle below to indicate how you respond to the many people who are lost and looking for a shepherd.
Eager to share the gospel
Impatient with their ignorance
Anxious to get away
Concerned for their eternity
Frightened by their unruliness
Other __________________
Journal a prayer asking God to supernaturally fill you with compassion for the multitudes that don’t know Him.
The multitudes crowded around Jesus, so He turned a boat on the Sea of Galilee into a floating pulpit. In his book Fully Human, Fully Alive, John Powell tells about a friend vacationing in the Bahamas who was drawn to a noisy crowd gathered toward the end of a pier:
Upon investigation he discovered that the object of all the attention was a young man making the last-minute preparations for a solo journey around the world in a homemade boat. Without exception everyone on the pier was vocally pessimistic. All were actively volunteering to tell the ambitious sailor all the things that could possibly go wrong. “The sun will broil you! … You won’t have enough food! … That boat of yours won’t withstand the waves in a storm! … You’ll never make it!”
When my friend heard all these discouraging warnings to the adventurous young man, he felt an irresistible desire to offer some optimism and encouragement. As the little craft began drifting away from the pier towards the horizon, my friend went to the end of the pier, waving both arms wildly like semaphores spelling confidence. He kept shouting: “Bon Voyage! You’re really something! We’re with you! We’re proud of you!”2
If you had been there as the boat was leaving, which group on the pier would you have been among: the optimists or the pessimists? More importantly, if you had been in the crowds along the Sea of Galilee, would you have joined the Pharisees seeking to harm Jesus or the crowd eagerly listening to the stories Jesus told?
Listen to …
The best leaders … almost without exception and at every level, are master users of stories and symbols.
—Tom Peters
Eve–Trouble in Paradise
Genesis 2:18-3:24
The first trouble in paradise was man’s aloneness. For six consecutive days–as God created light, the cosmos, the land and sea, the stars and planets, the creatures in the sea and sky, and every living thing that moves, including the ultimate creation of man–God declared, “It is good.” But there was one thing that wasn’t good: Man did not have a companion. So God created the perfect mate for Adam. She would be the counterpart for him physically, spiritually, intellectually, and socially. She was intended to complete him. She was more than a mate–she was a soul mate.
We know this woman as Eve. Although the Bible does not describe her, there is no doubt that she was the most beautiful woman who ever lived. Why? She was God’s masterpiece. The Divine dipped His paintbrush into the palette of dust and clay and breathed life from His wellspring of inspiration to form a portrait of perfection. Just imagine a woman with a face more beautiful than Helen of Troy, a body more statuesque than the Venus de Milo, a personality more captivating than Cleopatra, and a smile more mysterious than the Mona Lisa. She ate a perfect diet, so her figure was probably flawless. Because of an untainted gene pool, she was undoubtedly without physical defect. Due to the antediluvian atmosphere, her complexion was age-defying perfection. She was never a child, daughter, or sister. She was the first wife, the first mother, and the first woman to encounter evil incarnate. That’s when real trouble in paradise began.
Day 1: Genesis 2:18-25 Paradise Found
Day 2: Genesis 3:1-6 Innocence Lost
Day 3: Genesis 3:7-13 Hiding Out
Day 4: Genesis 3:14-19 Judgment Pronounced
Day 5: Genesis 3:20-24 East of Eden
DAY 1
Paradise Found
Lift up …
Thank You, Lord, that I am fearfully and wonderfully made. You have created me in Your image to glorify Your name. May I fulfill Your will in my heart and home. Amen.
Look at …
We begin our study when God made man and woman. Though God created both humans and animals, this does not mean that they are on equal footing. People are made in God’s image, setting us apart from animals in a profound way. We possess a soul. The soul refers to a person’s inner life. It is the center of our emotions and personality. The word soul is first used in Genesis: “The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being [soul]” (Gen. 2:7). In other words, humans possess intellect, emotion, and will.
For instance, dogs aren’t bright enough to realize they’ll never catch their own tails; cows don’t weep over the beauty of a sunset; and a female praying mantis can’t keep herself from chewing her spouse’s head off. People, on the other hand, have the ability to acquire knowledge and experience deep feelings. They also have the capacity for self-control. While animals act instinctively, we as humans should behave transcendently. We are God’s special creation endowed with the gift of “soul-power.”
Read Genesis 2:18-25.
And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And Adam said: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. Genesis 2:18-25
Explain the problem and solution God first spoke about in this passage.
Describe in detail the task God assigned to Adam.
Compare and contrast Adam to the rest of the living beings.
In your own words describe how God created woman.
a. When Adam met his mate he made a proclamation. What do you think “bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh” signified for Adam?
b. What did he call his mate and why?
Here we find the first mention of marriage in Scripture. Explain God’s intent for marriage.
a. What else do you learn about the man and wife in this passage?
b. Why do you think this is relevant?
Live out …
a. God declared that man needs companionship. Read Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 and explain some of the reasons why it is better to have a mate to come alongside you.
Read the sidebar concerning “Threefold Strength” and talk about how you have experienced God’s supernatural strength in your life and/or marriage.
Many women today struggle with the way they look, think, and feel. But when God made Eve from Adam’s rib, this was not His intent. When He made you, He made you to be the person you are too. With this in mind, journal Psalm 139:13-14 into a personal psalm praising God for making you just as you are.
For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb.
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works. Ps. 139:13-14
Before the fall, Adam and Eve were naked and unashamed. It’s probably difficult to imagine being unashamed about our looks, actions, or thoughts. But Jesus came to free us from condemnation (Rom. 8:1). Read the following Scriptures and talk about how we can either stand ashamed or unashamed before God.
Psalm 119:5-6
Isaiah 41:11
Isaiah 49:23
Jeremiah 8:9
It’s safe to say that none of us is perfectly content with our frame. We all wish we were better, thinner, richer, healthier, smarter, or younger. We may think that if we were different in some way people would accept us, respect us, or love us more. Maybe we’d even love and respect ourselves more. Like Eve, we would walk in this world unashamed.
A recent University of Waterloo study determined that people’s self-esteem is linked to such traits as physical appearance, social skills, and popularity. Research associate Danu Anthony noted that acceptance from others is strongly tied to appearances. Furthermore, the study found that self-esteem is connected to traits that earn acceptance from other people. “People state emphatically that it is ‘what’s inside’ that counts and encourage their children not to judge others based on appearances, yet they revere attractive people to an astonishing degree,” Anthony says. “They say they value communal qualities such as kindness and understanding more than any other traits, but seem to be exceptionally interested in achieving good looks and popularity.” The bottom line is that people’s looks and behavior are intimately linked to being accepted by others.3
As women of faith, we know that acceptance from others is not nearly as important as our acceptance of One Man–the God/Man Jesus Christ, the second Adam. Only by accepting Jesus Christ’s sacrificial death will you be made whole: “You are complete in Him” (Col. 2:10).
Listen to…
The woman was formed out of man–not out of his head to rule over him; not out of his feet to be trampled upon by him; but out of his side to be his equal, from beneath his arm to be protected, and from near his heart to be loved.
–Matthew Henry
Posted in book reviews | 
Tags: devotional books, Jesus' Parables, Live Deeply, Live Relationally, women in Genesis | 
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Review: Tour de Force by Elizabeth White
ABOUT THE BOOK
Gillian Kincade is a soloist with Ballet New York, a sought-after guest artist, and a committed Christian. Though she may be an anomaly in the world of dance, Gilly believes her devotion to God isn’t compromised by following her dreams. Then she meets Jacob Ferrar.
Jacob is the brilliant young artistic director of the Birmingham Ballet Theatre and a born-again Christian. When he offers Gillian the lead in his latest ballet, she accepts, knowing it won’t necessarily further her career, but it will touch her soul.
On the chaotic road to opening night, Gilly and Jacob develop a deep professional respect for each other and begin to fall in love. Then their brilliant first performance is destroyed by a terrible accident, and suddenly both must face an uncertain future. Together, they dance the fine line between personal vision and God’s will, listening for the guidance of the Father’s heart.
MY THOUGHTS
As a reader who has a longtime interest in the fine arts and has good friends in the arts, I found Tour de Force to be a compelling read about the pressures Christians deal with “behind the scenes.” Every decision made, every response is a reflection on who the artist is not only as a dancer/musician/painter, but also as a Christian.
To me, nothing about the book seemed superfluous or unrealistic. The pressures, the parties, the relationships, the schedules, and the rumors are all a stark reality in the performing arts.
I never studied ballet, so I had no concept of the physical strain a dancer’s body goes through. Author Elizabeth White carefully depicts the grueling routines and consequent blisters, aches, and pains. But just as she describes the physical aspect of ballet, she reaches into the heart and soul of the dancer describing how the dancer is transformed by the music and message. And the reader is swept away to the world of ballet.
Tour de Force is an excellent book to settle back in the deck chair with this summer. If you have an older teenage daughter considering a career in the performing arts, I believe she will benefit from reading Gilly’s story and seeing how Gilly seeks God’s approval in every choice.
Side note: Tour de Force is the first book I’ve read by Elizabeth White. However, Gilly’s sister Laurel is the main character in Off the Record, a book that precedes Tour de Force in the timeline. Tour de Force easily stands alone, but reading Off the Record first may lend some information about Gilly’s interaction with other family members.
And, in closing, I have to say that this book has one of the most stunning covers I’ve seen. It’s gorgeous!
Look! More Water!
Why is it that whenever I sit down, dream up a bunch of writing projects, plan a blogging schedule, and am content with how things are finally fitting together someone throws a wrench in the wheel???
I was feeling so good about everything last week. Even my body was cooperating – for those that don’t know, I’m cursed blessed with a crazy ride on the hypothyroidism bandwagon.
And then Friday happened. I woke up to a loud crack of thunder just as the skies opened up and the rains came down.
We have a small mountain stream coming out of the hills behind our house. The stream feeds into 18 inch culvert pipe that runs under our yard and out on the other side of the driveway.
After an average rain, the stream looks like this …
That photo was from last November. Notice the high bank, about 4-1/2 to 5 ft, on the left side.
When I first looked outside Friday morning, the stream was barely running. In fact, it looked sorta like this …
That’s actually from 5 days before, but you get the idea. It didn’t even look like that first picture.
About 15-20 minutes after the skies opened up Friday morning, the stream looked like this …
Um, yeah… Quite shocking. Water was roaring out of the hills. And, honestly, I haven’t seen that much water in our stream in the 5 years we’ve lived on this property.
I immediately realized something was blocking the entrance to the culvert pipe. I called for help, ran to get a shovel, and proceeded to almost lose the shovel in the pipe. The suction was so strong against the pipe that there was no way to pry what we later discovered was a log away from the pipe entrance.
Because the log was blocking the bottom portion of the pipe, the dirt and small rocks washing down the stream started to pile up. Before it was all over, we had a 4 foot high island in the middle of the stream and a sandbar in the backyard.
Remember the photo with the daisies? Here’s Spot standing on the island.
Notice he’s almost level with the top of the bank? He’s standing where the bottom pool of water is in the daisy picture. Crazy, huh?
So, that mess is what consumed most of our Friday morning and afternoon. Then, just when things were getting back to normal, our electricity went off. *sigh*
Not only were all my ideas for Friday totally messed up, but it rolled over into Saturday too. No computer work. Almost no housework done. Seems like I did a little bit of nothing since it was incredibly hot Friday night with the humidity level at 90%. If you blinked your eyes too many times, you broke into an immediate sweat. Yuck!
What have I learned these past weeks after periodically losing our DSL, the flooding, and no electricity? Flexibility!!! And not to sweat the small stuff. What day I post a blog post is no big deal even though it stresses me out when I can’t do it like I plan. It’s all about flexibility.
And even with all the ugliness of the water, there’s still beautiful things, such as these …
