Ps 91 (NKJV)

3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler, and from the perilous pestilence.4 He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day,6 nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Guest blogger - Suzanne Hartmann

Today I have the awesome privilege to welcome Suzanne Hartmann as a guest on my blog. Welcome Suzanne.




AUTHOR BIO

Suzanne Hartmann is a homeschool mom of three and lives in the St. Louis area. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Composition & Linguistics from Western Illinois University. To relax, she enjoys scrapbooking, reading, and Bible study. She began writing fiction when her children were young, and four of her short stories were published in a Milliken Publishing reading workbook. PERIL: Fast Track Thriller Bk. #1 is her debut novel.

On the editorial side, Suzanne is a contributing editor with Port Yonder Press and operates the Write This Way Critique Service. Through her blog, Write This Way, she has become known as an author who can explain writing rules and techniques in easy-to-understand terms. Her popular Top 10 series of articles formed the basis for her e-book on the craft of writing, Write This Way: Take Your Writing to a New Level


 “FIELD TRIP” RESEARCH


Whenever an author starts a novel, there will eventually come a point when he or she needs to do some research. Most of the time we search for information on-line or check books out from the library. Maybe an interview or two is in order. The most fun type of research, however, is when it can be made into a field trip.
I had multiple opportunities to take “field trips” to gain research material for my novel, PERIL when I began volunteering with Midwest Raceway Ministries. For four years, I worked as a chaplain during the NASCAR Nationwide and Truck races at Gateway Speedway, just outside St. Louis. Not only did I have a chance to attend races, but I was given a Hot Pit Pass and experienced the action from the infield. My favorite part of the “research” was watching qualifying from pit road.

After the first race I worked at, immediately went home and made some changes in the manuscript of PERIL. One of the changes had to do with pit wagons, the mobile observation/tool station that crew chiefs sit on in the pit stall during the race. I had a completely inaccurate picture in my head. When I realized how big they are, I completely took out a small section of a scene I’d written wouldn't work at all because of the size of the pit carts.

Beyond getting a feel for what it was like to be at a race, a couple of unusual things I observed while volunteering at the track made their way into PERIL, where they add flavor to the scenes at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. Below, the picture corresponds with the snippet shown from the manuscript:
 
 
In the blue and yellow car behind it, a tall crew member had one leg in the car and one leg out as he helped push his team's car forward.

Another scene I saw but wasn't able to snap a picture of it is captured in the following snippet:

As they walked down pit road, Joanne pointed towards two crew members in bright yellow firesuits tossing a football back and forth while the rest of their crew lined up next to their car. Neil chuckled. "Guess everyone deals with the stress before a race differently."

While the research I gained from reading books about NASCAR gave me the majority of the information needed to create the settings at the various NASCAR tracks in PERIL, it was the experience of being at the track that added the details which make the scenes truly come alive with realism. As my character Stuart, a NASCAR champion, says in the book, "...there's nothing like watching a race live.”



Here’s a little about PERIL and how the NASCAR aspect fits into this Christian suspense novel:

A top-secret agent.

A high-profile assignment.

Danger at a NASCAR track.

A top secret agent with enhanced strength, who must use her extraordinary abilities during several high-profile assignments, from the White House to NASCAR tracks, while escorting the first Muslim king to convert to Christianity. When unwanted publicity and the attention of a NASCAR champion threatens to expose her secrets, she becomes a terrorist target with danger surrounding her on all sides.


“Plenty of action and unexpected twists.”

Foreword by Jimmy Makar, GM of Joe Gibbs Racing







Thank you for hosting me on your blog today, Ginger. Before I close, I would like to invite your readers to enter the give-away I’m hosting to celebrate the release of PERIL, my debut novel. At the end of this blog tour (12/16), I will give away a KINDLE to one lucky entrant. For details on how to enter, follow this link: WIN A KINDLE

Thank you so much for coming and giving us an inside look at NASCAR.

Where can we find your book on-line?

At my website: Fast Track Thrillers


 Where can we find you on-line?

My Website – FastTrackThrillers

My Blog - Write This Way

Facebook – Suzanne Hartmann – Author         

Twitter - @SuzInIL



Friday, November 25, 2011

"A Bride's Portrait of Dodge City, Kansas" book review


A Bride's Portrait of Dodge City, Kansas by Erica Vetsch is a story about the lives of two people who are ashamed of their past; a past that binds them together in unexplicable ways. Ms. Vetsch pulls you into the thoughts, fears, and trials of Adeline and Miles with her excellent writing. We get to see how they overcome their own fears by focusing on the well being of others instead of just themselves.

Well-written books allow us to see through the eyes of the characters and this one falls easily into this category. I enjoyed the book from beginning to end and look forward to reading more of this author's work.

Back cover blurb:
Adeline Reid, once the sweetheart of a notorious train robber, is determined to keep her shady past a secret and her heart protected. Her newfound focus on her work has gained her two things - a successful portrait studio in Dodge City, Kansas, and a life free of romance. Unfortuntately, Addie's inquisitiveness brings trouble back into her life when she unwittingly holds a clue that can expose a killer's identity. Will she find herself looking down the end of a gun barrel, or will a handsome deputy nab the murderer before the shooting starts?

Having risen above his dirt-poor childhood, Miles Carr is living the dream of his life - working as a deputy to his hero, Bat Masterson. But when the investigation of a shopkeeper's murder leads him to the aloof Adeline Reid's portraint studio, his focus becomes skewed. Can Miles keep his mind on the case with a pretty photographer in his sights?



If you are interested in purchasing this book, please use the link below and help support this blog.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

A Day of Thanksgiving to a Faithful God


Did you know God is faithful?

1 Corinthians 1:9 "God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."

1 Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."

2 Corinthians 1:18 "But as God is faithful, our word to you was not Yes and No."

1 Thessalonians 5:24 "He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it."

2 Thessalonians 3:3 "But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one."

2 Timothy 2:13 "If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself."

Hebrews 10:23 "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful."

1 John 1:9 "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful."

On this national day of Thanksgiving, don't forget to be thankful to and for the One who is faithful. His faithfulness is not based on our faithfulness, but on his goodness.

Oh, God, thank you today for being faithful, even when we're not. Today as we celebrate a day of thanksgiving help us to be ever mindful of your faithfulness. Keep our hearts and minds focused on you and not on what we can "get" from the coming season. In all the busy-ness, help us to be in tune with your heart to the homeless, orphans and widows. Open our eyes to help those in need this season. Thank you God for your Son and his faithfulness to follow your will to death. I love you Lord. Amen


God bless you all.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

"Love Finds You in Annapolis, Maryland" book review



Love Finds You in Annapolis, Maryland by Roseanna M. White is one of those books that once you pick it up it's almost impossible to put down. I started one evening and finished the next day. The book drew me so much that I rushed through what I knew I HAD to finish so I could get to my reading. I also found that at the end I didn't want it to be finished. Though the story wrapped up neatly, I just wanted to keep reading. I didn't want it to be over. The characters became real to me and I wanted to learn more about the rest of their lives. Can you tell I enjoyed it immensely?

Back cover blurb:

In 1783 peace has been declared, but war still rages in the heart of Lark Benton. Never did Lark think she’d want to escape Emerson Fielding, the man she’s loved all her life, but then he betrays her with her cousin. She flees to Annapolis, Maryland, the country’s capital, and throws herself into a new circle of friends who force her to examine all she believes. Emerson follows, determined to reclaim his bride. Surprised when she refuses to return with him, he realizes that in this new country he has come to call his own, duty is no longer enough. He must learn to open his heart and soul to something greater… before he loses all he should have been fighting to hold.




If you are interested in reading this book, please use the link below and help support this blog. Thanks.

Monday, November 21, 2011

"Along Wooded Paths" by Tricia Goyer



Along Wooded Paths by Tricia Goyer is unlike any Amish book I have ever read. Typically the Amish are portrayed as steadfast and unwavering, except those few who convert to the English life-style. This author gives us an inside look at the struggles of one woman, Marianna, as she tries to choose between a God-fearing Englischer or the Amish man she left behind in Indiana, who has come for a visit. It's nice to know that the Amish are normal people with normal struggles when dealing with right and wrong - or sometimes just good and better.

At first I wasn't sure I was going to like this story. Marianna comes off a bit selfish in the beginning and that kind of threw me. I kept reading, however, and am glad I did so. She realizes her self-centeredness and puts aside her own struggles to help others. I, too, sometimes focus to much on myself and forget that others have needs greater than my own. In the end, she makes the choice that is right for her (no spoilers allowed here).

It is the second book in the Big Sky series, but it read as a wonderful stand-alone novel. I look forward to book three.


~~~~
From the back of the book:

Although proud of living apart from the world, Marianna Sommer's newly relocated Amish family is discovering that life in the remote mountains of Montana requires working together with the Englisch.
As Marianna pours her life into helping those around her-and receiving their help-her heart further considers two directions. She's torn between the Amish man from Indiana whom she has long planned on marrying and the friendly Englischer who models a close walk with God like she’s never seen before.
Who should have young Marianna's heart? What is God asking of her through ongoing family struggles and this romantic and spiritual tension? The answer is found along the wooded paths.

~~~~
And here's the trailer.   

~~~~
If you would like to purchase this book, please use the link below and help support this blog. Thanks.



As always - under HIS wings,
Ginger

Friday, November 18, 2011

Interview with Pamela S. Meyers


Q: Give us a little preview of Thyme for Love.

A:  April Love has always dreamed of being a chef. When her Aunt Kitty hears of a in-house chef position for a non-profit organization housed in a lakeshore mansion next door, April returns to Canoga Lake, Wisconsin, where she’d spent many summers growing up, to apply for the job. When she discovers her former fiancé Marc Thorne working there, she wonders if this position was really God’s intention for her. After all, Marc all but left her standing at the altar to chase his own dreams in California. It doesn’t take long to realize Marc is hiding secrets and despite returning feelings for the man, April determines she will not make the same mistake as she did eight years earlier. But when their boss is found dead and Marc is framed for his murder, April has no choice but to turn sleuth to keep Marc from being accused of a murder he didn’t commit.



Q: What made you want to write this book?

A:  I’ve always loved romance and mysteries, and decided to write a story that married the two elements together. I grew up in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin and have always been fascinated by the many 20th Century mansions that dot the lake’s shoreline. I toyed with the idea of setting the story in one of those homes, but decided to create a smaller lake and village just to the east of Lake Geneva to gain more freedom with some of the details of the story and its characters. I loved having the area located close enough to Lake Geneva that April and Marc could go there for a meal at one of the actual restaurants there. I also gave them backgrounds that involve working on Geneva Lake as many college students do during the summer months.



Q:  Have you always wanted to be a writer?

A:  In one way or another I’ve always written almost since I could hold a pencil. When I was eight years old I asked for a diary for Christmas and I wrote in it at different times of my childhood. I still have that little book and it contains bits and pieces of my life from age eight until sometime in high school. Even into my adult years I’d journal from time to time, but never thought of turning that “need” to put words to paper into a career until years later. While completing my bachelor’s through an accelerated adult program, one of my professors suggested I could make a living writing. I published several magazine articles, but as the hankering to write stories grew stronger, I began taking fiction writing classes. At a local writer’s conference a multipublished author suggested I could turn one of my short stories into a novel. That was all I needed to hear. I soon joined American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) while the organization was in its infancy and through their writing courses and conferences I continued to grow in the craft.



Q: Have you written other novels besides Thyme for Love?

Oh yes. My first novel which I would classify as a women’s fiction languishes in my computer at the moment. Authors very seldom publish their first written work as that often turns out to be a practice project. The storyline still resonates with me and I’d love to one day pull it out and rework it. There are a couple other stories that will probably never see the light of day. I’m very excited to have a novel set in my hometown of Lake Geneva, Love Finds You in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, coming out in June 2012 from Summerside Press. It’s a 1933 historical romance, and I had a blast researching for the story.



Q. Do you have any plans for a sequel to Thyme for Love?

A. I’m so glad you asked. Thyme for Love is part of a three-book series called “On the Road to Love.” Books 2 and 3 involved April and Marc, and both are set in Canoga Lake. In Book 2, Love Will Find a Way, April moves into an old Victorian home with plans to turn it into a restaurant and catering business. It isn’t long before a discovery made while they are renovating the home threatens to hijack plans for the grand opening. In Book three, Love’s Reward, April and Marc’s wedding plans are in full swing, until it becomes apparent there is someone who doesn’t want them to marry.



Q. Sounds intriguing. I can't wait to read them. How do you get your story ideas?

A. There’s an old adage to write what you know. I might add to that, to always keep your eyes and ears open for a possible story line. That first novel I wrote was sparked by something someone said to me when she showed me a picture of my great-grandfather’s grave. My Love Finds You in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin story grew out of wanting to know the history behind the beautiful lakeshore recreational building that has become an icon of the area. Just today a newspaper article sparked an idea I’d like to develop into a proposal.



Q. What is your daily writing routine?

A. My best writing time is morning, but I’ve had to make myself work outside the box at times when that kind of schedule doesn’t work. Since I am a morning person, I find it best to set my alarm as if I’m going to work. I get up at 5:30 and spend at least an hour in my Quiet Time with God. Then I try to walk daily for exercise before settling down in my home office to write. I recently converted unused space in my dining are into an office and that has helped tremendously with getting the sense of “going to work.” This helps me stay on task. Too many years actually working Monday through Friday probably contributes to that. On days I have an obligation away from home in the morning, I have had to force myself to be creative in the afternoon and early evening. I think as I start working on deadlines more and more that’s going to be essential.



Q. What advice do you have for new authors?

A. Persevere, persevere, and persevere. I started out aspiring to be published in novel writing more than ten years ago. I had the raw ability and desire to write, but that skill had to be trained and honed, much like a young colt has to be trained. I have learned that writers need to develop what we jokingly refer to as rhino skin and also we need a positive teachable attitude. Join critique groups, take writing courses, attend writing conferences where great teaching occurs and you’ll have opportunities to meet with industry professionals and pitch to editors and agents. ACFW has a great yearly conference ever September that is for fiction writers only. I cannot tout ACFW enough. It is a must organization to join for anyone who writes fiction from a Christian point of view.



Q. When you aren’t writing, what fills your days?

A. I volunteer at my church in the multicultural ministry, helping Japanese women learn to speak English and lead a women’s small group Bible study. I’m also chapter president of my local ACFW chapter which meets monthly. Also, I enjoy reading (surprise, surprise) and movies. Love to cook and find new ways of making things. You’ll find an adaptation of a recipe someone gave me called Chicken George at the back of Thyme for Love. I loved having April prepare it in the novel, and look forward to experimenting with more recipes for the sequels.


Thank you, Pamela, for coming to visit with us today.

My review of Thyme for Love is posted here.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

My Teacher



My Teacher


From week to week I don't know what I'm going to share about here on Thursdays. Today's post came to me this morning as I was having my quiet time.

I read 1 Corinthians 10. I felt led to tell you about it today.

Verse 6 says, "Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted."

What things? The next few verses list them for us.
  • vs 7: do not become idolaters
  • vs 8: do not commit sexual immorality
  • vs 9: do not tempt Christ
  • vs 10: do not complain
Those verses also list the consequences the Israelites faced. Since Paul tells us twice that these were written to be our examples of things not to do AND listed the consequence, I think we need to heed what the Lord was doing.

  • vs 7: if you go to Exodus 32, you find that God was so angry with the people, He wanted to destroy them all. Only Moses' pleading kept it from happening.
  • vs 8: 23,000 fell by plague (Numbers 25)
  • vs 9: destroyed by serpents (Number 21)
  • vs 10: destroyed by the destroyer; a plague that killed 14,700 people (Numbers 16)
"But God..." Those two lovely words make my heart swell. In His infinite mercy, God provides an escape.

Let's read verses 12 and 13, " Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." (bold added for emphasis) Hallelujah!

Then later in this chapter there are two other admonitions.

Verse 24, "Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being." 

Ohh, that's sometimes a hard thing. Let's be honest, we all want to be selfish more often than we should. Want something harder? Read it in the Amplified Version, "Let no one then seek his own good and advantage and profit, but [rather] each one of the other [let him seek the welfare of his neighbor]." Reminds me of the New Testament church in Acts. They sold all of their belongings and gave to those who had need, taking no thought of their own WANTS.

I'm going to stop there and let you think about that for a moment....(Take this time to meditate and let the Holy Spirit teach you something new.)

Moving on.

Verse 31, "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

This one seems easier, but is it truly? When I'm writing this blog or a novel or doing something as simple as making dinner, am I doing it for praise for my accomplishments or for the glory and honor of God? OUCH!

God help us all to do for others first and do it for Your glory and not for our own. Amen.

What has God been teaching you lately?

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

"Thyme for Love" review




What an awesome book. I read the first page and was hooked. Ms. Meyers did an awesome job of incorporating Marc and April's previous relationship issues into the present. Their struggle to reconnect is apparent, as is their love for one another, but the obstacles in their way are immense. April finds it hard to trust Marc after he left her. Marc struggles to understand why April brushed him off. Misunderstandings abound. Trust, truth, time, and God help them overcome.


The "who-done-it" feel of the book kept me guessing throughout. First I thought it was this person, then that one. I'm not a very good mystery guesser, but even if you are, I think you'll like Thyme for Love. Up until the end I didn't know __________ did it. (haha, you have to read it to find out.)


Here's the blurb:


April Love has always dreamed of being a chef. But she didn’t expect a former fiancé or murder to be part of the recipe for her new job.

When April Love signs on to be an in-house chef at an old lakeshore mansion in Canoga Lake, Wisconsin, she comes face to face with her long-lost love, the drop-dead gorgeous Marc Thorne. It doesn’t take long for their old magnetism to recharge, but how can she trust the guy who left her nearly at the altar eight years earlier? Her gut tells her something happened to Marc in between—something he’s reluctant to reveal.

When April’s boss is murdered, Marc is accused of the crime. Unless April can find out who really killed Ramón Galvez, her chances for love will end up at the county jail. But someone else is just as determined she not solve the mystery…and will go to any length to stop her.
Come back on Friday, November 18th to learn more about Pamela S. Meyers when I interview her here. You will be blessed.

If you'd like to purchase this book, please use the link below to support this blog.  Thanks.

As always - under HIS wings,
Ginger



PS. I received Thyme for Love for free to preview. I was not compensated in any other way. The above opinion is mine and mine alone. I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did.


Tuesday, November 15, 2011

"Z" is for...

Ordinary Lives. From a 2 z 4 u & me


Zzzzzzzzzz

 
I'm at a loss as to what to write today so I'm going to post the cutest pictures in the world. They are of my Zoo inhabitants - sleeping.  Enjoy. ~~Ginger

Kyle



Daniel

Caleb


Elizabeth

Deborah


Stephen


Adam

Thursday, November 10, 2011

My Healer


Today I am going to focus on God, my healer. It's going to be a little language lesson for you.  :)

In Exodus 15, at the end of verse 26, it says, "For I am the Lord who heals you." The words referring to the Lord are Jehovah Rapha (how we would see them, not the true Hebrew).

The word rapha or raphah means to mend (by stitching) or to cure, cause to heal, physician, repair, make whole.

In my searching this morning I have found that this word is not only used for physical healing, but David in Psalm 41 asks God to heal his soul because he had sinned. A few Psalms later, in chapter 60, David again asks God to heal something, but this time it's about the earth being broken.

Moving on to Psalm 103:1-5(NKJV).
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. (emphasis added)
 Look at that verse. I suggest reading the whole chapter; it's awesome. But for this blog, I really want to focus on verse 3.

"Who forgives all your iniquities." Let's stop there for a moment. The Hebrew word for iniquities is avon (with accents that I can't type here). It means perversity, moral evil, fault, iniquity, mischief, sin. How many? ALL. That is so important to understand.

"Who heals all your diseases." Diseases, tachalu (please don't ask me to pronounce that one), means malady, disease, sickness. How many? ALL.

Both the forgiveness and the healing were complete when Jesus was beaten, crucified and then rose from the dead. Keep reading and I'll show you.

Isaiah 53:5

But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed. 

Hallelujah! Praise God!

But this is all Old Testament. Don't we live in the New Covenant? Ah, but we do and now let's go to 1 Peter 2:24, "who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed."

This word, healed, is the Greek word iaomai, which means to cure, heal, make whole. There is another Greek word that also means to heal or make whole, but it encompasses another meaning as well. The word is sozo. It means to save (deliver or protect), heal, preserve, save, do well, be whole. This word is used throughout the New Testament. Most times it is translated "save," but a number of times it is translated "be made whole" or "heal."

It's an exciting word. I encourage you to check it out. I also encourage you to embrace Jesus as your healer, as well as your Savior.

Do you have a time when He was your healer? I would love to hear about it.

Please leave a comment. I read every one. Sometimes blogger won't let me respond, however. It's finicky that way.  :)

As always - under HIS wings,

Ginger

Thank you to www.biblegateway.com and e-sword for the ability to do this blog.






 

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

"Y" is for...

Ordinary Lives. From a 2 z 4 u & me


YARN


"What? Yarn?" you say. Yep, yarn.

I've made a few things in my time. This is probably the one I'm most proud of - up to this point.

My husband is a long-standing Pittsburgh Steelers fan and I made this scarf for him several years ago.

Right now I am making a scarf for my nine year old. He wanted an University of Alabama (Roll Tide) scarf for Christmas. (That sounds like a seriously wrong sentence, but it is grammatically correct. I think. Ugghhh!!!)

I asked him exactly what he wanted and then I went online and looked at scarves, which are few and far between, that had the Alabama name and colors. White was not an option - he is nine afterall. So we chose gray and Alabama Red. He wanted a red background with gray words - Roll Tide. 

But I couldn't settle for that. NO WAY! So I did a little more research and consulted another Alabama fan. Did you know that you can knit two sides at the same time? It's called double knitting. You can view a video on youtube if your interested in finding out more.

My colors are red on one side and gray on the other. But that wasn't enough either. I KNEW I could do the writing (see above Steelers scarf), so I have worked it out on graph paper. And reworked it out on graph paper. And worked it a third and fourth time. I had to do the same for the above scarf too. Trial and error are the best teachers.  :)

So here's how it's going to look:  Gray side says ROLL TIME (in red); Red side says ALABAMA (in gray). I'm only partially done so no pictures yet. I did have to undo twice. The first time I realized my "R" was backwards and possibly upside down.  LOL Thus the need to go back and rework my design. The second time I purled when I was supposed to knit and knitted when I should have purled. Sigh, it does happen.

I am on a roll now, and I have another (quieter) request for one just like it from my fourteen year old. I told him I didn't know if I'd have time - but I will make time. SHHHHH!!! Don't tell him. I want it to be a surprise.

Have you ever made anything with yarn? Maybe just have a favorite something made with yarn (and with love)? Tell me about it.

As always - under HIS wings,
Ginger

Thursday, November 3, 2011

The Word



The Word

John 1:1-5, 14

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.    (emphasis added)


These verses say so much that I feel at a loss as to how to add any thoughts to them.

Thank you Jesus for being the Word, for becoming flesh to save me from my sins.

As always - under HIS wings,

Ginger










Tuesday, November 1, 2011

"X" is for...

Ordinary Lives. From a 2 z 4 u & me


EXactly...

and

EXciting

Are you eXcited to find out the answers from last week's Meme? I'm eXcited to tell you.

No one got all five eXactly right, but Niki Turner was the closest with three out of five.  :)  You guys did great. Here are the answers.



Number one: Indeed it was chicks, as some of you guessed. This is our batch from last spring. They are so cute. While these chicks are yellow in the picture, they grew up to be Rhode Island Whites. Yes, they turned white.  :)

Number two: the bottom of my son's shoe. Yeah, Niki. She is the only one who guessed this one correctly.

Why do I have a picture of the bottom of his shoes? He wanted to see the two sides together and didn't want to take them off. Look at those big feet. He's fourteen and in a size 12/13. *sigh*














Number three: No one guessed this one correctly. It is a close-up of Midnight's tongue (turned sideways). Go back now, look closely at the picture and you can see her taste buds and the center crease of her tongue.  :)









Number four: I got the biggest kick out of your guesses for this one. Some of you guessed fur of some kind. And you would be sort of right. It's a close-up of my husbands chin when he had a beard, which he no longer has. This was actually taken the day he shaved it off.  LOL













Number five: Lastly, the rose. How could I do a close-up of something without one of them being my favorite flower? Almost all of you got this one right. This rose is actually from my garden. Isn't it beautiful?  :)







Object lesson: It is hard to see the whole picture, when you can only see a small piece. As we walk through life, we see snapshots - a moment in time - and we think we have the whole picture, that we know the whole story. In reality, we only have a single puzzle piece or maybe a few that have been put together, depending on our age. Only God can see the whole picture; therefore, we have to trust Him with the future.

Thanks for playing the game with me.

As always,
under HIS wings,
Ginger