A2Z - D - Done

It's Done

After nearly six weeks of repairs, and waiting, I now have a new gas cook-top. This isn't it. It's the old one, but they look very close to the same, so I just used this picture.

I've been using a propane camp stove. Inside. Can we say dangerous? But we survived.

The long process started when we had a lightning bolt strike our house. Repairman (yes it was a man) came out. "The gas is not getting to the stove." Uh- duh! (And I'm not the type to say that often.) "Check your gas-line," says he.
"It's fine," says I, "the gas is getting to the stove. Figure out why it won't light."

He didn't believe me, but changed out the regulator. Didn't work. By this time, he believed me when I said the gas was getting to the appliance. Changed out another part on the inside. Didn't work. I already knew he didn't have a clue. Mind you, it takes each part a week or more to be ordered and received.

Let's cut to the chase. The company...to remain nameless, but if you've been following my stove-top saga on FB then you know...sent another repairman. Their best. He ordered another part and still couldn't fix it. By this time, I'm beyond frustrated, as you can imagine.

So we asked 'the company' to replace the stove-top. Sounds reasonable. They didn't think so. At this point, we appealed to our insurance company (who, by the way, would have probably made us go through a similar process). We ordered our new stove last week. It arrived yesterday morning. My husband installed it after lunch. I cooked on it last night.

I'm so happy. It's DONE.

Blessings,
Ginger

Trust

Quote for the day:

You need to trust even when you don’t understand.

Pastor Mark Benson

It doesn't seem overly profound, but it struck me last night as I sat in our Wednesday night service. To be sure, my pastor was talking about God, but I think it can also be applied to certain people (not everyone, for sure).

It's hard to trust, even God, when I don't understand what's going on around me. My childhood was turbulent and sometimes those doubts and fears will rise up when I least expect them and I struggle to put the past in its place--behind me.

In what ways have you had to trust, God or someone else, when you didn't understand? I'm not asking you to share here, but I do want you to think about it. Think about how much God deserves our trust, and how often we don't trust Him.

Blessings,
Ginger

A2Z - C - Cooling off

Cooling off...

Hi, Mom. 

After the above picture, my son moved to the other side of the pool, so I wouldn't take any more pictures of him.

Really?

She was brave and stayed on my side. I got tons of pictures of her.

Bombs away!

Head first?

Nah...he finished the flip. He's pretty good at it too.

Chicken anyone?

Two of my son's sitting on a friend's shoulders.

fall forward

 They were actually having tons of fun. Maybe not so much for Trevor, though. (He's the bottom of the pile.)

fall backward

The too cool lifeguard (my son). He didn't feel good that day. :(

Now, go enjoy whatever cool you can find...iced tea, AC, or the pool, maybe even a cold shower. But I pray you have a blessed day.

Ginger

Review: "The Widow of Saunders Creek" by Tracey Bateman

Grief can make you do crazy, unexplainable things. This story tells us about Corrie Saunders after the death of her husband. We see her journey to acceptance of Jarrod's forever absence, and back to the One who loves her no matter what.

I found the "ghosts" to be a little creepy, but completely realistic. Tracey Bateman handled a touchy subject with a lot of grace and well-written words.

I highly recommend The Widow of Saunders Creek if you like suspense with a touch of romance.

Back cover:

Corrie Saunders grew up in a life of privilege. But she gave it all up for Jarrod, her Army husband, a man she knew was a hero when she vowed to spend her life with him. She just didn’t expect her hero to sacrifice his life taking on an Iraqi suicide bomber.

Six months after Jarrod’s death, Corrie retreats to the family home her husband inherited deep in the Missouri Ozarks. She doesn’t know how to live without Jarrod—she doesn’t want to. By moving to Saunders Creek and living in a house beloved by him, she hopes that somehow her Jarrod will come back to her.

Something about the house suggests maybe he has. Corrie begins to wonder if she can feel Jarrod’s presence.

Jarrod’s cousin Eli is helping Corrie with the house’s restoration and he knows that his dead cousin is not what Corrie senses. Eli, as a believing man and at odds with his mystically-oriented family members, thinks friendly visits from beyond are hogwash.  But he takes spirits with dark intentions seriously. Can he convince Corrie that letting go of Jarrod will lead to finding her footing again— and to the One she can truly put her faith into? 

 Visit Amazon to purchase this book and help support this blog.

Blessings,
Ginger

Review: "Living in Harmony" by Mary Ellis

As I read this story I kept thinking...they should leave, go back home. But author Mary Ellis made John, Amy and Nora stick it out and in the end everything comes together. The story was well written and I enjoyed it a great deal. If you are a fan of Amish romance, I suggest reading Living in Harmony.

Back cover:

Amy King—young, engaged, and Amish—faces difficult challenges in her life when she suddenly loses both of her parents in a house fire. Her fiancé, John Detweiler, persuades her and her sister Nora to leave Lancaster County and make a new beginning with him in Harmony, Maine, where he has relatives who can help the women in their time of need.

John’s brother Thomas and sister-in-law Sally readily open their home to the three newcomers. Wise beyond his years, Thomas, a minister in the district, refuses to marry Amy and John upon their arrival, suggesting instead a period of adjustment and counseling. During this time Amy discovers an aunt who was shunned. She wishes to reconnect with her, but this puts a strain on her relationship with John.

Can John and Amy find a way to live in happily in Harmony before making a lifetime commitment to one another?

To purchase this book, visit Amazon and help support this blog at the same time.

Blessings,
Ginger

A2Z, B - blogging

Blogging I like blogging. It's an outlet to write my thoughts and sometimes just to write, to imagine, to express creativity.
Consistency has been an issue for me this summer. It seems LIFE has gotten in the way of a lot of things "I" wanted to get done. My schedule was whacked all summer, which causes me to get flustered, and then very little gets done because I can't concentrate on just one thing.
But school is Back in session, as of yesterday, and that forces me into a routine. I thrive on routine. It helps me know what to expect. I should know that by now and taken care of scheduling myself earlier this summer.
So... you can expect me to be Blogging, at the very least on Tuesdays. I have a few more books that need reviewing, so I hope to get them posted soon.
Maybe by then, my life will have settled down some and I can get some other thoughts and stories posted.
Thanks for Bearing with me through my hectic summer.
Blessings, Ginger

Review: Inescapable by Nancy Mehl

Romantic Suspense, Road to Kingdom-Book 1

Nancy Mehl has a way with words, as do most writers, I suppose. The first page of Inescapable made me care for the main character, Lizzie and the subsequent pages just drew me in until I was hooked. While definitely inspirational, Mehl does not bang her readers on the head with God. It's a soft touch, here and there, to remind us that we must run to the Father whose love follows us wherever we go--the highest mountains, the lowest valleys, and everywhere in between. He always has a plan and his love is unconditional and Inescapable. :)

I look forward to Book 2, can't see what happens next.


About the book:

Lizzie Engel is used to running away. At eighteen, she left her Mennonite hometown, her family, and her faith with plans never to return. Five years later, Lizzie finds she'll have to run again.False accusations at her job, a stalker, and a string of anonymous threatening letters have left her with no other options. This time, however, her escape is back to Kingdom, her hometown.

As Lizzie becomes reacquainted with Kingdom, she realizes she may not have left her Mennonite roots and her faith as firmly in the past as she thought. She draws on the support of Noah Housler, an old friend, as she hides out and attempts to plan her next steps.

When it becomes painfully clear that the danger has followed Lizzie to Kingdom, suspicions and tensions run high, and she no longer knows who to trust. With her life and the lives of those she loves at risk, Lizzie will have to run one last time--to a Father whose love is inescapable.

You can find out more about Nancy Mehl here. To purchase Inescapable and support this blog, please click here.

Blessings,
Ginger

Taking off the pressure

I put pressure on myself to be the perfect mom/wife/teacher, write the perfect book, compose a perfect blog.

Today at least one of those pressures has been eliminated. This blog is not going to be perfect, not that it ever was. But I have decided to take the pressure off. I wouldn't write unless I had something profound to say. I have five books to review. They've been read, but sitting down to write a perfect review has vexed me. No more. I'm going to tell you like it is from now on and maybe in doing that, I can keep a more consistent schedule with this blog, homeschooling, and writing.

Today... a quote or two:

“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” 
― Winston Churchill

“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” 
― André Gide

May you have the courage to stand up and speak when the time presents itself, or sit down and listen when it's someone else's time. May your eyes ever be on the distant shore, even if it's not yet visible.

Blessings,
Ginger