Spring is Here

 

I am sitting outside on a beautiful day watching the kids play and writing this post.  Spring officially sprung yesterday and everyone seems to be enjoying being outside.  Today my lawn was mowed for the first time of the season—I admit I didn’t do it.  But it was done anyway.  Now as I am sitting outside I hear a neighbor’s mower.

It is hard to believe how much better nice weather can make you feel.  But just hearing the birds sing and see the trees and flowers bloom does send a reminder from God that He is still in control and all is right.

I intend to spend more time in this fresh air in the days ahead.  With the beauty that spring brings it is easy to see God’s handprint.

Until next time,

This is Life on the Edge.

Tidbits for Thought

 

I want then to have full confidence because they have complete understanding of God’s secret plan, which is Christ himself  In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Col. 2:2-3

Play Ball!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Well ball practices have officially begun so you know where I will be now in the evenings and Saturdays.  I must admit I do love being outside when the weather is as nice as it has been lately.  Oh yeah, I took my book with me to read.  What could be better than this?

Manna for Women

Surely the consolation of old age is finding out how few things are worth worrying over.

Dorothy Dix

Thought for the Day

 

FEAR-

False

Evidence

Appearing

Real

Remember I am not a God of Fear.

Love God

Today’s Thought

 

He will never leave us or forsake us.  He has promised us this and my Father always keeps His promises.

God’s Reminder for Today

 

“Follow me and everything will be all right”

Love God

Bible Puzzle

Can you find the 16 books of the Bible hidden in the paragraph below? (One minister found 15 books in 20 minutes, but it took him weeks to find the last one.)
I once made a remark about the hidden
books of the Bible. It was a lulu; kept
people looking so hard for facts... and
for others it was a revelation. Some
were in a jam, especially since the
names of the books were not capitalized.
But the truth finally struck home to
numbers of our readers. To others it
was a real job. We want it to be a most
fascinating few moments for you. Yes,
there will be some really easy ones to
spot. Others may require judges to help
them. I will quickly admit it usually
takes a minister to find one of them, and
there will be loud lamentations when it
is found. A little lady says she brews a
cup of tea so she can concentrate better.
See how well you can compete. Relax
now, for there really are sixteen names
of books of the Bible in this paragraph.

Review of God Loves Broken People Sheila Walsh

I was looking forward to reading this book because I have read several of Ms. Walsh’s books and thoroughly enjoyed them.  I chose this book because I am going through a difficult time and hoped to be encouraged and uplifted by this work.  I did get some enlightening thoughts from this read but all in all found myself scratching my head and wondering how this fits into be broken.
I did not completely grasp the concept of brokeness in the example of Ms. Walsh’s husband and son being late in arriving home.  I did however get the idea that much fear and doubt can be avoided if we cling to Jesus and his grace.
Although, I did not find this book overall encouraging or easy to grasp, I did find some nuggets that made it worth the read.
This book was provided by Thomas Nelson Publishers through their Booksneeze program in exchange for an honest review.  The opinions expressed in this review are solely mine.

This is God’s Day

 

This is the day the Lord has made.  I will rejoice and be glad in it.

Father, I need to remember this today.  All three kids missed the bus again.  After rushing to get them to school, I developed a bad case of mooditude—the feeling you get when you feel  a bad mood coming on to destroy your positive attitude.  Ok that is not a real word but it should be.  Until next time—“the edge” is getting closer.  I fear I will fall off one day—never to be heard from again.

Funny Prayer about Getting Old at the Caregiver of the Year Dinner

Storm Victims

 

  We have had our share of storms and tornados lately in Ky,,
TN, Il, MO, and Ind.  Damage was done to homes and other possessions.  The greater damage was the loss of lives of so many people.  We need to keep these people in our prayers.  God commanded us to bear each others’ burdens.  Now is that time.

Father, we know you are in control and nothing happens without a reason.  We know you have a plan for us and your ways are higher than our ways.  Hold these people in your arms and comfort these families.

It’s Me Again—I Hope You Remember Me

 

I am sorry about being out of touch for so long.  So much has been going on in my life lately—actually I have been having medical problems that are still not taken care of.  But I have decided that in order to get over the fears and doubts of all this I WILL blog more.  I will not promise I will be here every day but I will visit with you on a more regular basis.

Just keep me in your prayers and thoughts.  I know that God is in control and He is my encourager.

Love Is In The Air

Well, it’s that time of year again.  Hearts can be seen everywhere you look.  The stores are stocked with candy and valentine cards.  You can’t watch TV or listen to the radio without hearing about Cupid and love.  All that is fine.  There is nothing wrong with love.  It is one of our Father’s commands.
What I have trouble with, however, is why only one day a year is set aside for showing someone you love them.  Shouldn’t we show each other we love them all year long?
I am glad God does not show us His love one day a year.  Aren’t you?  He shows us everday He loves us.  When we look around at the beautiful flowers and all of His creations, we should feel His love all around us.
Think about it.  God loves us all. 

Across the Wide River by Stephanie Reed

About the Author:
During her childhood, Stephanie Reed’s family would often pass through Ripley on their way to her grandparents’ home.  The signs she read about the Rankin House were what prompted her to write this story. 
Synopsis:
Lowery Rankin has seen the horrors of slavery.  He has witnessed friends beaten because of the color of their skin.  He risked his life helping refugees get to freedom.  He feels he is being called by God to fulfill this mission but at times feels as though he is a failure in his life.  He acts with courage when he helps a refugee but feels he does not show courage when confronted about his beliefs about slavery.  Throughout the book Lowery battles to conquer his greatest fear.  He must learn to speak up with conviction about his stance on this issue that means so much to him.
My Reaction:
Ms.Reed has written a novel of the pre-civil war era that plunges the reader into the depths of this era.  She successfully captures the drama and dangers that are rampant in this period of American History.  I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about this time in our history.
Disclaimer:
I received this book from Kregel Publications in exchange for a review.  I was not required to write a positive review only that the review is honest.  The opinions expressed in this review are solely mine.

What’s It Like To Be Married To Me by Linda Dillow

 

About the Author:
Linda Dillow is the author of numerous books including the best-selling Creative Counterpart and Intimate Issues (with Lorraine Pintus), as well as a popular speaker at women's conferences around the world.
Linda lives in Monument Colorado with her husband, Jody. They have four grown children and 10 grandchildren.

Synopsis:
Linda Dillow has written the best " marriage handbook" for women that I have found. She has a guide that encourages women to look into the mirror that shows what we can become.
She uses biblical principles, Anecdotes  from women across the country, as well as, sharing her experiences in a 47 year marriage.
This book is a book every woman should read. It should be on everyone's bookshelf.

My reflections:
I was intrigued by this book since I heard an interview with the author. I never stopped to think about this question before. When I did stop and think about it – I really began to see a lot of fallacies I've been holding onto. The author asks the difficult questions that really hits the bull's-eye of self-examination. Some of the questions were  harder to answer that others but all of them started me on a journey of self reflection. I am taking the insights to heart and am slowly putting them into action in my life. My marriage is not reached the “aha!” moments where everything is rosy but I do see gradual improvements daily.

This review is part of the Amazon VINE program. The opinions expressed in this review are solely mine.

Shattered by Melody Carlson

 

About the Author:

Melody Carlson is the best-selling author of more than 150 books including the TrueColor series. She has won various awards for her writing, including the Gold Medallion and the Rita. Melody currently lives in the beautiful Oregon Cascades mountains with her husband.

Synopsis:

Everyone keeps secrets. Everyone sneaks out of the house at night.  But the night Cleo Nielsen left home against her mother's instructions, started her on a nightmare that threatened to destroy her and the one she loved. Because of her disobedience she could not tell anyone her secret. To ease the pain of her guilt she turned to drugs to push the events of that night away.

Through her aunt Cleo found the love and forgiveness that only comes through God.

My thoughts:
Melody Carlson writes books that addresses sensitive issues that face the youth of today. Her books and show readers the world were promises of broken and life is not always fair. Her books will strike a chord in the reader's hearts. Her characters are credible and her issues are real.

I received this book from NavPress in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are solely mine.

The World is a Puzzle

 

There was a man who had a little boy that he loved very much. Every day after work the man would come home and play with the little boy. He would always spend all of his extra time playing with the little boy.

One night, while the man was at work, he realized that he had extra work to do for the evening, and that he would be able to play with the little boy. But, he wanted to be able to give the boy something to keep them busy. So, looking around his office he saw magazine with a large map of the world on the cover. He got an idea. He removed the map, and then patiently toward up into small pieces. Then he put all the pieces in his coat pocket,

When he got home, the little boy came running to him and was ready to play. The man explained that he had extra work to do and couldn”t play just now, but he let the little boy to the dining room’, and taking out all the pieces of the map, he spread them on the table. He explained that it was a map of the world, and that by the time he could put it back together, his extra work would be finished, and I could both play. Surely this would keep the child busy for hours, he thought.

About half an hour later the boy came to the man and said,”Okay, it's finished. Can we play now?'”

The man was surprised, saying " that's impossible. Let's go say." And sure enough, there was the picture the world, all put together, every piece in its place.

The man said," that's amazing! How did you do that?" The boy said," it was simple. On the back of the page was a picture of a man. When I put the man together the whole world fell in the place."

Author unknown

The Final Summit by Andy Andrews

About the author:
Andy Andrews has become one of America's most influential people. He is a best-selling author and an in demand speaker. He has been invited to speak by four presidents and at military bases worldwide.
He lives in Orange Beach Alabama with his wife Polly and their two sons.

Synopsis:
Andy Andrews has done it again! He has written another book that is a real page turner. In this sequel to the Traveler’s Gift we are again introduced to David Ponder. Ponder is now 74 years old, his wife, Ellen, has died and he is now alone.
Just as he thinks his life has sunk to its lowest point he is contacted by Gabriel, the Archangel. He is needed to lead “The Final Summit” to save humanity. Together with the help of fellow travelers Anne Frank, Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, Joshua Chamberlain, and hundreds of other travelers, he must come up with the one solution to save mankind. Time is running out and the solution must be found quickly to avoid the catastrophe that will befall humanity.
In this book, as well as its predecessor The Traveler’s Gift, Andrews explores the principles that some of our greatest leaders have used on their way to success. I highly recommend this book.
I received a copy of The Final of the Summit from BookSneeze in exand change for an open and honest review. The opinions in this review are solely mine.

Thank you all so much for following along with the Pearl Girls™ Mother of Pearl Mother's Day blog series. I pray you laughed, cried and were touched by the translucent stories of real life written by new moms, stepmoms, grandmas, adoptive moms, and moms without moms. Iridescent reality. And how poignant that the translucent nacre which coats the sand stuck inside an oyster’s shell is called Mother of Pearl. Mothers surround children with their love and with God’s love so they can grow in grace. I hope you'll join us this December for the third annual 12 Pearls of Christmas series. 

AND ... thanks too, to all of you who entered to win the beautiful hand crafted pearl necklace. I'm thrilled to announce that the winner is ...

 

Jennifer (heavensent1)!

 

Jennifer, please email 

amy@pearlgirls.info with your mailing address.

 

If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls

™, please visit 

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