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Remember who you are: Review of The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson

I recently finished reading Andrew Peterson’s The Wingfeather Saga, books 1-3 (a fourth is on its way). Below are some overall impressions of each of the books. I wouldn’t want to ruin the story for anyone, so I didn’t get too specific about plot. My husband read these first and it was hard for him to not talk about what happens in each of the books until after I’d read them. I’d recommend these books in a nanosecond.

On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness

I have loved Andrew Peterson’s musical stories for years, and after my husband (who typically does not read books quickly) tore through this series, I was eager to give them a shot. This first book in The Wingfeather Saga starts slow and builds a lot of background for the Igiby family. It’s not that it’s a hard read or a bad story or anything. I love the relationships between the children, their mother and grandfather, and the trouble they find themselves in. Everything I love about Peterson’s music translates to the pages of this story somehow, and I found myself wishing there was a soundtrack for the book. I am wowed by Peterson’s creativity in forming a world with fascinating and frightening creatures with detailed descriptions and amusing names. I’ve said that I’m not a fan of the fantasy genre, but I think I’m being won over of late by works like this. I look forward to sharing these stories with my kids as they get older and letting their imaginations run wild. This book will whet your appetite for more. (And thankfully, there are more!)

North! Or Be Eaten

If the first book started slow, then this book is the opposite. I felt like it started with action and never let up through the whole book. It was intense and thrilling. The middle book(s) of a series sometimes lack a little as they pave the way for the conclusion, but not so this one. It was my favorite of the three (a fourth is to come). The Igiby children learn tough and valuable lessons as they flee for their lives. They struggle to work together and wonder if their mission is worth it. They long for the good-old days, before they knew who they were and the responsibility that carried. Worked throughout the story is the struggle of living enslaved to an evil power (the Fangs) although life was simpler and fleeing and fighting that evil for the promise of something better. As in the first book, the creatures and lands Andrew Peterson created in his mind translate well on the page. Maps and illustrations are a small part of that. He has the ability to take a familiar animal and transform it into something fitting for this mythical world. A page-turner, for sure. My husband warned me not to read them too quickly or I’d find myself at the end wanting more. But the story is so good, I couldn’t put it down.

The Monster in the Hollows

Just when you think you know what’s going to happen and how things are going to end, Andrew Peterson gives you a shocking and surprising twist. And you LOVE him for it. The Igiby family finds themselves in their mother’s homeland but things are far from easy. Peterson weaves deep truths into this story, the most memorable for me is this: Remember who you are. The characters struggle with identity and perception and guilt and shame. Through it all they grow and change and affect the world around them for good. I didn’t want this book to end because book 4, the concluding piece, is still a long way off. But Peterson’s story is so captivating, you can’t take it slow. So my only word of caution is that once you start this series, you’ll finish it quickly and find yourself eager for the conclusion. Book 4 can’t come soon enough!

Dream on

I’ve been thinking about dreams a lot lately. Not the whoa-what-was-that-all-about kind of dreams you have in the night and try to explain to your husband over breakfast. (Not that this ever happens to me …). No, the other kind. The awake kind. The kind that keep you afloat when you feel you might be drowning. Those far-off, seemingly unattainable hopes and goals for your life.

© Alexandru Mitrea | Dreamstime.com

We need dreams. I need dreams. In the past few months, I’ve found myself mired in hopelessness, wondering if life will always be this struggling just to get by, relying on others for help, worrying if we’re doing the best thing for us and our kids. In some ways, the answer to those questions is “yes.” But in other ways, it’s “no.” It doesn’t have to always be like this. To remind myself to keep dreaming, in the positive sense, I started a notebook just to record my dreams. Things like places I want to visit or travel to, features I’d like to have in a home, stuff I’d like to do before I die (the bucket list, you know). I wanted a reminder that I have dreams. And I should keep having dreams. And I need to keep dreaming because those dreams aren’t necessarily out of reach.

And I’ve been hearing stories of people, women mostly, who have dreams that scare the pants off of them. And I keep hearing this in my head:

Dream big.

I’ve heard that if your dreams don’t scare you a little, they aren’t big enough.

And that’s what I want to do: Dream big.

The company I’m applying to work for has this as their vision: to invest in the dreams of the poor. They offer small loans to people in poverty to start a business to help earn an income for their families.

Investing in dreams. I thought about the people who have invested in my dreams. My parents, in sending me to college and taking out loans and helping repay those loans. A generous couple who sent me to my first writers conference where I hadn’t a clue what I was doing there but the experience of being there sparked something in me that I’ve been fanning into flame ever since. My grandparents, who have given time and money and support, in everything. The list could go on and on with family members, teachers, professors, mentors, co-workers, friends and virtual strangers.

That made me wonder if I’ve invested in anyone’s dreams and how I can do that.

And I wondered how many dreams I’ve carelessly crushed. A line from The Waiting’s “Mercy Seat” haunts me: For there you cover every lie I spoke, and every promise that I broke and every dreamer that I woke.

Father, forgive me, for any dreamers I’ve tried to wake.

And then this, from the Psalms:

When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dreamed.

Our mouths were filled with laughter,
our tongues with songs of joy.

Sometimes it’s good to remember what it is to dream. To smile at the prospect. To tremble in fear and excitement. To stretch beyond what we’re capable of and find that God is there to help us. To try something new. To fail. And to try again.

Not all of our dreams will come true, but that doesn’t mean we stop dreaming.

Whatever your dreams, dream on.

And on and on.

Saturday smiles: springs in the desert edition

As you read this, I’m sipping a Starbucks, maybe nibbling a scone, chatting with a friend/fellow writer/mentor, all of which make me smile. And believe me, I’m in need of some reasons to smile.

I’ve never actually been to a desert. At least not the no-water-in-sight-sun-beating-down-for-days kind. I remember driving through the desert to see a national park, maybe in Utah, maybe in Arizona. But I’m thinkin’ our deserts here in America have nothing on say, the Sahara. I can only imagine what it’s like to literally thirst for water in the desert, or desperately seek relief from a hot sun.

Figuratively speaking, I’m so there. Our season of financial dryness — no full time work, dwindling savings, little government assistance — lingers with not much sign that it will end. This was a roller coaster week for me with a few highs (an unexpected $20 to put gas in the car; finding 4 cans of salmon in the cupboard that I didn’t know we had; progress on my current writing project; kindness and generosity of friends) and a comparable number of lows (running out of butter and Crisco, staples in my efforts to bake more things at home instead of buy them; possible car troubles; stubborn kids). I’m no big fan of roller coasters in real life. About once every few years I think, why not, and ride one only to remember why I don’t usually ride roller coasters.

I’m looking for peace. Steadiness. Certainty.

Most days, I come up empty. Until I sit and listen for God’s voice. He’s not speaking loud and clear these days. He’s whispering. In code. I’m desperate to crack it, but it would seem He’s not ready to reveal the message yet. Instead of a message, He grants me the things I can’t get on my own. Peace. Assurance. Calmness of mind. Truth. Hope. Joy. Without Him, these things are in short supply.

So, I take note of the little smiley things about the week. Those little springs that give me momentary relief from the heat and pressure of wandering in the desert.

For starters, my husband, Phil, has been phenomenal (or maybe that’s Phil-nomenal) these last couple of weeks as I wrap up a writing project. He puts dishes away and does laundry. On Thursday he swept and tidied the living room (hardwood floors and one sorta nasty rug) while we were at a playdate. Yesterday, he deep cleaned the stove top. It sparkles. He watches the kids while I work. And this week we considered switching roles. I applied for a job. For which I apparently have a preliminary phone interview later this month. Phil is excited about the Mr. Mom role. I’m excited at the possibility of leaving the house on a regular basis. Above all, I’m grateful we’re a team.

And my kids. I complain and whine and groan about how hard this parenting gig is, but these two are creative and cute and funny. (I’m a pushover for jammies. Maybe because I’m reminded of their sweetness when they are quietly — and finally — in slumberland.)

They say ridiculous (and sometimes profound) things like “I’m overwhelmed. Do you know what overwhelmed is? It’s when you’re praying and you overflow.” That, from a 4-year-old.  And the way the 2-year-old prays for our food at mealtimes is sweet and always punctuated by a loud “GOODBYE” after the “amen.” Watch out, world, we have some enthusiastic ones here.

Books make me happy. Last weekend we went to a book sale in town. The kids each got to spend a dollar they earned for participating in the Summer Reading Program. They came home with three books each. Phil and I scored this box, which really reflects our book tastes in a box.

History. Christian fiction. Bible study. Atheist primer. Humor. Drinking. (Mainly the coffee, tea and soda variety.)

We had some awesome playdates with friends this week. The kids got a lot more social time than they’re used to, and even though I have work to finish, it was good to emerge from the cocoon and speak with real live humans again. (I tend toward hermit on the social scale.)

I’ll leave you with a few more smiles.

And if you need a reason to smile this week, you can borrow some of mine.

 

All's well that ends well: Review of The Deliverer by Kathi Macias

Finally! Book three in Kathi Macias’ Freedom series is here! And The Deliverer is everything I hoped it would be.

The Freedom series — which also includes Deliver Me From Evil and Special Delivery — shines a light on human trafficking, telling the story of a young Mexican girl, Mara, who was entrusted to her uncle and promised a better life in America. Mara becomes a victim of human trafficking until, almost by accident, she encounters a young man delivering pizza. You can read my reviews of the first two books by clicking on the book titles above.

I’ve been eagerly awaiting this book, and it wraps up the continuing story of Mara and Jonathan, and others whose lives have been forever changed by human trafficking. I’m generally a happy endings kind of girl and this one definitely delivers. Sometimes, though, the cynic in me wants to reject a story with happy endings because in life, things don’t always work out that way.

Make that, in this life, things don’t always work out that way. What The Deliverer brings is the Gospel message — good news! The characters in Macias’ novels have been through some horrible, painful, tragic experiences, and it might be easy for us to say, Why doesn’t God stop that kind of suffering? My question is: Why don’t we? God doesn’t want people to be subjected to the horrors of sex slavery, as these books describe. BUT He can set things right. He can redeem the most awful circumstances. In this life. And in eternity. That is the good news in a nutshell, that God is one day going to make everything right, the way it was meant to be.

So, I’m okay with this book ending happily. With loose ends neatly tied up and people set on a path of healing and wholeness. Because that’s the ideal. That’s what we’re living and striving for.

Yes, human trafficking is terrible. And yes, God can make it right. And wants to make it right. And we can help him do that.

This was my favorite of the three books, and I’m so grateful that Macias tackles these tough issues to expose to the light deeds done in darkness. It can’t be an easy subject to write about, but she does so with grace and truth. The books opened my eyes to some ugly realities, but they didn’t leave me unchanged. That, my friends, is the power of the written word.

Read on for an interview with Kathi Macias.

While this is the third and final  book in the Freedom Series, I’m sure there are people who are just  learning about it. Would you please share what prompted you to write  these books on such topic as relevant and difficult as human  trafficking?

I was finishing up my previous fiction series for New Hope Publishers (the Extreme Devotion Series, dealing with the persecuted Church around  the world) when Andrea Mullins (the publisher at New Hope) asked me what topic I wanted to tackle next. We discussed a few possibilities, and  then she suggested human trafficking. I was aware of it and thought it  was terrible but had no idea how widespread it was. I agreed to do some  preliminary research and get back to her. When I discovered there are  more than 27 million people held in various forms of human trafficking  (sexual slavery, forced labor or military conscription, involuntary  donation of body parts/organs) and that many of them are children (including an estimated 100,000—300,000 MINORS held in sexual slavery in  the US today!), I was horrified. I was also convinced that I had to do  everything possible to help educate others about this widespread horror  and to call them to join the fight. Not only have I now written/released  the Freedom Series on human trafficking, but I’m speaking on it  everywhere/every chance I get.

What was your original objective in writing these books, Deliver Me From Evil, Special Delivery, and The Deliverer? And, what are you hearing back from people who have read the books? How are they taking action?

Originally my plan was to see the books alert readers to this horrific crime and,  hopefully, challenge them to get involved in fighting it some way. That  seems to be happening, but on such a larger scope than I had imagined.  The response from readers is overwhelming! Pastors have written to say  they are challenging their entire church to get involved on some level,  and I’m being invited to speak all over the country on this topic. I am  thrilled to see the Light being shined in this terrible darkness at  last! As for specific actions, pastors and civic leaders are inviting me  (or others in this ministry) to come and speak to their  congregations/groups to help educate them on this massive tragedy.  Readers tell me they are posting about my books all over the net to help  snag people’s attention. I’m getting invitations to speak on radio and  TV as well. I’ve also been contacted by readers who are getting involved  in setting up safe houses for rescued victims, which is a huge need. I  was even contacted by the Department of Homeland Security and invited to  participate in group conference calls on the topic. Overall, I’m  thrilled at the way God is using these books to help sound the alarm and  to “rescue the perishing.”

It seems there is always someone in your books who is an intercessor. Why is that important for you to include?

This  is vital to me, and as you said, I almost always include an intercessor  in my novels. I know there were intercessors in my own life who prayed  me through some incredibly dangerous and difficult times, and I  appreciate those heroes of the faith more than I can express.  Highlighting their importance in my books accomplishes two things: it  enables me to honor those faithful intercessors who often get no  recognition in this world, and it also calls others to get involved in  intercession as well.

You  write books as you often call them, parables with a purpose, on topics  such as human trafficking, the persecuted church, illegal immigration,  and your Christmas 2012 book is about homelessness. Some might call you  an advocate. Why is it important for Christians, and the church as a  whole, to discuss these issues?

You’re  right that I call my novels “parables with purpose,” because I believe  Jesus is our example and that’s what He told to His followers—parables  with purpose. He didn’t just tell them “nice stories” to entertain them.  He told stories that would grab them right where they lived, and then  challenge them to change their hearts, their minds, and their lives. The  Church has always been at the forefront of serious social change,  leading the charge to abolish slavery for instance, and leading the  charge on these other issues is right where the Church needs to be now.  The first step is to discuss the issues, to make people aware of them,  and then to call them to action. I believe gripping fiction is one of  the most effective ways to do that.

Will  you give us a glimpse, a taste of things to come — without getting too  far ahead — of what’s in store for your next series and books on the  horizon? 

In addition to the 2012 Christmas novel, Unexpected Christmas Hero,  dealing with homelessness in America, I will be releasing a new series  starting in January. The first of the three novels is called The Moses Quilt,  and it deals with a contemporary interracial romance, set against the  background of a quilt that tells the story of the courageous,  faith-filled woman known as Harriet Tubman. A contemporary novel dealing  with the issue of abortion will follow, with the first woman doctor in  America, Elizabeth Blackwell, as our backdrop heroine. The final book  will be built around the much beloved Fanny Crosby, as we deal with the  issue of people with disabilities. That series is from New Hope  Publishers, but I also have a book releasing in the Spring of 2013 from  B&H Publishers called Last Chance for Justice. It’s part of the multi-author Bloomfield Series, and I’m very excited about it.

You also write a devotional blog. Can you tell us what the focus is and where we can find it?

I  started writing a weekly devotional several years ago, in response to a  request from the then newly formed group CAN (Christian Authors  Network). I sent it out as a group email and had about 40 recipients  then. The devotional mailing quickly grew and expanded beyond the CAN  group, with countless readers signing up to receive it. I also started  posting it each week on my devotional blog , which is part of my primary website ,  where you will also find my “Easy Writer” blog, which is more  writing-related. (You can also sign up there to receive the weekly  devotional in your inbox.) Over the years the devotional has been picked  up by Crosswalk, Black Christian News, Latino Christian News (I offer  it in Spanish as well as English), Believe.com, Christians in Recovery,  etc., so the readership has mushroomed beyond anything I ever imagined.  God is amazing, isn’t He?

Finally,  we know you as an award-winning author, but you also enjoy speaking for  women’s events, and other groups, as well. On what areas or topics do  you focus your speaking presentations? How can a church or group find  out more about having you speak for their event? 

I  speak on various topics, including the issues I address in my books,  but on other topics too. One of my most requested topics is “When  Passion and Purpose Collide.” That, along with several other popular  topics, can be found in the speaking section of my website . To see my current speaking schedule and/or to explore the possibility of having me come and speak, visit my website and click on the Christian Speakers Services button to make contact. You can also see some of my speaking endorsements here.

For opportunities to win a free copy of The Deliverer by Kathi Macias, please visit Facebook.com/CSSVBT.KathiMacias.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book from the author in  exchange for posting the author’s interview and/or book review on my blog. This blog tour  is managed by Christian Speakers Services .

The leadership dance

Today’s post is part of a syncroblog on leadership sponsored by Evangelical Seminary. The question up for discussion: What makes a good leader? Click here to join the conversation and see what others are saying.

My husband and I are smack dab in the middle of the toughest leadership assignment we’ve ever had. Not military service. Not deadline editing. Not youth ministry.

Parenting.

With two tiny followers, following us 24/7, our leadership styles become painfully obvious. My husband, at his best, is a patient teacher, guiding our children in the ways of faith and life. At my best, I’m an encourager, cheering on their efforts to learn and grow and be independent.

At our worst? Well, that’s a different story.

I find that in parenting, as in other leadership positions, finding balance is frustrating. Our kids, who are 4 and 2, are past the point of needing us to help them all the time but not yet to the point where they don’t need us at all. When they were babies and solely dependent on us, tiring as it was, I knew what to expect of my leadership. Now, though, sometimes they need me and sometimes they don’t.

So leadership becomes like a dance. And not so much the graceful ballroom type of dancing but more the hokey pokey kind. (Sing it with me: “You do the hokey-pokey and you turn yourself around … that’s what it’s all about!”)

A good leader knows when to put a hand in to help and when to take a step back and let the one being led do the work.

Like when Jesus called Peter to walk on water. He didn’t take Peter’s hand and help him out of the boat. He let him take the first steps. Then, when he was (almost literally) in over his head, he stepped in to keep Peter from drowning. He let the disciples watch him, follow him, learn from him, then he sent them out on their own to minister.

When my 4-year-old is smearing peanut butter all over a slice of bread (and the table and the chair and the floor), it’s so easy to want to take the knife and do it for her. When my 2-year-old wants to grab the milk jug from the fridge (and I hover nervously so he doesn’t drop it), it’s easy to take it from his little hands and do it myself. As leaders, it’s easy to do the hard stuff for the people in our care. We can micromanage, hover and criticize because the task wasn’t done the way we would do it. It’s harder to step back and let people learn.

Good leaders can see when a person’s in trouble and needs help. Good leaders recognize the right time to let someone run with a project and give it their own personality. Good leaders trust. And encourage. They teach and teach again, with patience and compassion. Good leaders step back and hope the ones they’ve led go further than they ever did.

I’ve read that good leaders don’t make followers; they make more leaders.

So, what’s your take? What makes a good leader? And what have you learned from the good leaders in your life?

A work of art: Review of The Girl in the Glass by Susan Meissner

I can find no appropriate words to describe how beautiful Susan Meissner’s new book is. Magnificent. Stunning. Fabulous. Somehow, they all fall short.

The Girl in the Glass is a masterpiece, a story that draws you in from the first page and doesn’t let go. Written in the voice of Nora, the long-dead Medici daughter, and Meg, the 30-year-old, travel book editor who longs to see Florence, Italy but has never been, the book brings these characters into the room. I could feel Meg’s longings, disappointments and emptiness. I could hear the same from Nora on the eve of her wedding. And as the story moves along, I wanted to break out my dusty pictures of Florence and relive a trip I took almost 14 years ago. Meissner captures Florence in a way that made me feel like I was there yesterday. And if you’ve never been, you’ll feel like you have been after reading this book.

Usually when I read a good book, I want to tear through it to find the ending. (I’m not a read the ending before I’ve read the rest kind of girl.) Not so with this. I wanted to savor each word. Take it in. Linger. I didn’t want it to end, even it meant good things for the characters.

One of Meissner’s skills is the intertwining of history and present-day. She did it with A Sound Among the Trees, the only other book of hers I’ve read, and it’s captivating. I can’t wait to pick up more from her.

This is a love story. But not in the way you think. It’s less about girl-meets-boy and more about girl-meets-city and finds more of herself than she knew existed.

Can I say it again? I loved this book. Too bad I don’t speak any Italian. Maybe then I’d find a word that fits.

Read the first chapter here.

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In exchange for this review, I received a free electronic copy of this book from WaterbrookMultnomah Publishing Group through its Blogging for Books program. For a chance to win your own copy, click here and rank this review on the Blogging for Books site.

The end of summer: Seven things I'll miss

So it’s Labor Day. The unofficial end of summer. Or maybe that happened for you earlier this week, or the week before, when the kids went back to school.

For the first — and last for probably two decades — time in our married lives, we are not bound to a school schedule. And let me tell you, it’s a little weird. In the five years we’ve been married, my husband has been in school. Our daughter will start kindergarten next year. So, this year, August, September, they’re just months. I remember, a little, what this was like the first fall after college. When for the first time in my life that I could remember, I wasn’t starting a school year. My working world continued, for the most part, as it had the previous month. And suddenly, I was a grown-up whose “year” didn’t start in August or September but in January.

I happen to love fall. I’m not a hot-weather girl. Humidity and I are not friends, and when the temperature rises beyond 90, I get cranky. I prefer open windows to air conditioning, pants to shorts and sweaters to tank tops. But summer has its moments, and even though we have a few more official weeks of it, I’ve made a list of seven things I love about summer and will miss as the season changes.

© Melissa King | Dreamstime.com

1. Hanging laundry on the line. If there was a sunny day this summer, I had clothes on the line. I think I can count on one hand the times I’ve used the dryer in the last 2 months. It’s been partly an economic decision and partly a we-can-so-why-shouldn’t-we decision. As the weather turns, those clothes-hanging days will dwindle. I’m not yet a die-hard winter clothes hanger like our Mennonite and Amish neighbors.

2. Flip-flops. So easy to slip on. And off. Terrible for my feet, but I can’t resist. I wore out one pair this summer. Maybe the pair I just bought will make it till next summer, but I will wear flip-flops with jeans and a sweatshirt, until my toes start to freeze. I know people who will wear them until Thanksgiving, or even into December. Socks and boots are soon in my future.

3. Time it takes to leave the house. In summer, when ushering three people out the door, maybe you need to grab a hat and a bottle of sunscreen. In winter, it’s layers and layers and layers of clothes. I find myself having to start getting the kids ready about 15 to 20 minutes before I want to actually leave the house so we can get hats and gloves and coats and boots on, if necessary. And I’m guessing this will be the year that we get all bundled up and someone says to me, “I have to pee” just before we walk out the door. In some ways, summer is easier.

4. Playing/sitting outside. We’ve spent many days this summer with the kids riding bikes or playing with sidewalk chalk or bubbles or even just reading books or coloring outside. I did a lot of reading on the porch. Spending time outside in winter requires much more activity. I don’t see myself sitting outside with a good book in the middle of winter (unless it’s a balmy day).

© Alison Grippo | Dreamstime.com

5. Fresh fruits and vegetables. I’m not a gardener (yet) but I appreciate those who are. I love seeing fresh local produce in the grocery store and visiting the farmer’s market for some homegrown fruits and veggies. I feel like our meals are much more colorful in the summer and we eat with more variety. Fall still brings us squash and apples, so all is not lost. Winter is dull in the food department. (Although we tend to make more soup in winter, and I love soup!)

6. Summer reading programs. The kids did the library program this summer and loved it. We read a lot of books, made some neat projects and treats, and they won some cool prizes. On Saturday, they get to each spend a dollar, courtesy of the library, at the annual book sale. I participated in the Tyndale Summer Reading Program again this year and read a lot of books for me. I love being exposed to new authors and new ideas, which is one of the major benefits of the program. (That, and earning a free book for every five books I read.) I won’t stop reading now that we’re heading toward fall. I’ll probably read more, in fact, but there’s something exciting about summer reading programs. (Yep, I’m a word nerd. High five!)

7. The pace. Even though summers are busy for a lot of people, the season tends to be filled with things we WANT to do not things we feel we HAVE to do. We’re more relaxed. We go on vacation. We have more flexible schedules for leisure and play. (Generally speaking.) With fall comes school activities and the BIG holidays and family gatherings. Church activities start again. Life is FULL. And before we know it, it’s the first of a new year and we’re tired. Summer passes all too quickly, but it seems time really does fly in the fall.

Those are my top reasons for missing summer. I welcome fall and all its coolness and color.

What will you miss about summer?

Saturday smiles: Hold on to hope edition

I had a rough day today. Stress is in plentiful supply and today, I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders.

It’s hard to smile through those times, but hope is not gone.

I read the following in the first of Andrew Peterson’s The Wingfeather Saga, On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness: “And the thing before us is to wait in this old cottage without giving up hope. Even if hope is just a low ember at night, in the morning you can still start a fire.”

There is always hope. Tomorrow is another day.

And these words, a portion of 2 Chronicles 20:12, that have been ringing in my mind: “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

September brings with it a whole lot of challenges. Even in those challenges, we have hope. God, the unchanging, unresting, even now works for our good.

And when the future seems hopeless, as it seemed to me today, it’s good to remind your soul of what’s true, even if you don’t feel it.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/ugD0i5Y3cw8]

Trouble in Paradise: Review of Tidewater Inn by Colleen Coble

When a historical preservationist inherits an old inn on Hope Beach in the Outer Banks, she gains a load of trouble, too. Libby learns of her inheritance — and a brother and sister she never knew she had — from her friend and business partner, who is kidnapped as Libby watches on a beach cam. Libby heads straight for Hope Beach to search for her friend, claim her inheritance and discover her future.

Colleen Coble’s Tidewater Inn is full of suspense, mystery and, of course, romance. What I love about Coble’s books is that they’re a good blend of all three. Of the four Coble books I’ve read, I enjoyed this one the best. Libby is searching in lots of ways, and her struggles to find family, purpose and identity are universal. Coble has a way of transporting readers to her destinations, and suddenly a vacation to the Outer Banks is on my “someday” list.

If you’re looking for an escape, and don’t mind a little trouble in paradise, pick up Tidewater Inn. As summer comes to a close, a virtual trip to the seaside might be just the thing to let the season linger longer.

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As part of the Booksneeze program, I received an electronic copy of Tidewater Inn free from Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for this review.

Limping into church

Last week, two days after minor outpatient knee surgery, my husband limped into church with his knee bulging with bandages.

He drew quite a bit of attention, including questions like: “What’d you do?” and “Get in a fight?” and, my personal favorite, “She kick you?” (Yes, all 5’4″ of me kicked my 6’0″  husband hard enough to make him limp and send him to the hospital.)

They were concerned and like family, that sometimes comes out with humor. Even this week, people asked about his knee.

Funny, isn’t it, how easy it is to ask and answer when the wounds are physical.

The same day people were asking my husband about his knee, I was spiritually and emotionally limping into church, carefully preparing an answer to the “how are you?” question that was honest yet not overwhelming. Because frankly, I’m not fine. Or good. Or okay. But I say those things to protect myself from an all-out public cryfest.

Because if I answered honestly, I’d be a puddle of tears, and I might not stop crying. And you might hear me doubt God. And wonder if He’s there. And question whether He’s good. And lament our lot, for now.  And for some reason I think those things aren’t appropriate for church.

Am I the only one who puts on an everything’s-fine face on Sunday mornings?

My husband’s recent surgery and church attendance make me wonder how many of us there are. How many of us are limping on the inside but walking tall on the outside? How many of us are feeling not quite right and need some rest but don’t feel like that’s a good excuse to miss church or Sunday School? How many of us are desperate for someone to really ask us about our internal wounds and at the same time scared that if they do they might regret it? (You can’t see me, but I’m raising my hands yelling, “Me! Me! Me!”)

This isn’t the first time I’ve wondered this.

And I still wonder what to do about it. Do I just let it all out? Do I admit that this is definitely NOT how I envisioned life after seminary? That even though I’ll be a pastor’s wife someday, I’m not all that happy with God right now?

I have people who know these things; people I run to when I just need to say, “Life sucks!” But I feel like a fraud when I appear to have it all under control on Sunday mornings. Because I am so. not. in. control.

I have not lost faith. I won’t lose faith. Because Jesus has changed my life in incredible, impossible ways. He means too much to me to give Him up.

I am wrestling, though. Wandering in a desert that seems to be without end. Clinging to the slimmest of margins. Trusting in what looks impossible by human standards.

And that’s not always pretty.

So, accept my apology for putting on a happy face when I feel anything but happy. Forgive my feeble attempts to convince you I’m fine when I’m not.

Teach me how to let you in so I don’t feel like a fake. Help me to show you my wounds without shame.

And let me do the same for you.