U for unbelievable

I pray blessings on your families this Christmas. May God's favor be on you and may you be ever mindful of his presence.

Now to the A2Z meme post, which I've titled Unbelievable.

Why?

Because if you don't have a relationship with God, the Father through Jesus, His Son you probably find the whole idea of a baby being born to a virgin unbelievable. You may also find the rest of His story a tad unbelievable.

It's okay to question these things. Without questions, there are no answers. God is not offended with our questions.

I found a video on Youtube recently of a song called "I Believe" by Natalie Grant. It's several years old, but it expresses my beliefs and is very touching. Worship the Son with me and Natalie. :)

Blessings, Ginger

Review: "Doctor to the Rescue" by Cheryl Wyatt

Doctor to the Rescue by Cheryl Wyatt is a wonderfully sweet romance. Two struggling people get together for their mutual benefit, only to fall in love. Simple formula for a romance and an exquisitely written story by Cheryl. We all know the guy and the girl fall in love; it's a given. The joy in reading the story comes from the struggles they overcome to get there both external and internal.

Cheryl provides an engaging story that's easy to read and thoroughly enjoyable. I laughed and cried, and didn't want to put the book down.

Back cover:

Combat doctor Ian Shupe returns home from overseas with his most important mission: to raise his little girl. But Ian's a single dad, and working at Eagle Point's trauma center means having to find child care. When bighearted, struggling lodge owner Bri Landis offers babysitting in exchange for construction work, Ian accepts. He vows to keep his emotional distance from Bri, yet can't deny that his daughter is blossoming under her tender care. But is he ready to believe that his heart's deepest prayer may finally be answered?

Rating: 4.5 stars

Blessings,
Ginger

Trips

Many things are pulling on my time this season, so I am taking the easy way out and posting some pictures of  some of the trips my family have taken over the years. I hope you enjoy.

2000 - Gatlinburg trip

2001 - My husband and I went to Paris, France

2002 Poconos

2004 Seaworld (and Disney)

2006 - Ohio (Cedar Point is on the other shore)

2008 - Wyoming (husband and I on a cattle ranch)

2010 - A visit to Grandma and Grandpa's

2011 - Gatlinburg (this is Cades Cove)

I hope you've enjoyed my walk down memory lane.

Blessings,

Ginger

Review: Wish You Were Here by Beth K. Vogt

I enjoyed Allison's journey as told by Beth K. Vogt in Wish You Were Here. Allison's need for control and yet her desire to escape the box she's managed to get herself stuck in struck a chord with me. I think we all find ourselves in situations we wish we could avoid, or hadn't agreed to.

Wish You Were Here is a challenging read...not because it was hard to read, but because it challenged me to think about why I do things, rather than just do them because it's "expected".

This book is a light-hearted look into the life of Allison Denman as she struggles with conflicting emotions about two very different brothers. We see her grow from an unsure young lady to a young woman who realizes she doesn't have all the answers, but must take a step of faith to find the happiness God has for her.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.  :)

Back cover:

Kissing the wrong guy days before her wedding leads Allison to become a runaway bride. But can it also lead to happily ever after?Allison Denman is supposed to get married in five days, but everything is all wrong: the huge wedding, the frothy dress, and the groom.

Still, kissing the groom’s brother in an unguarded moment is decidedly not the right thing to do. How could she have made such a mistake? It seems Allison’s life is nothing but mistakes at this point. And pulling a “Runaway Bride,” complete with "borrowing" her best friend’s car, doesn’t seem to solve her problems.

Can Allison find her way out of this mess? She prefers to be the one in control, and giving it up is not going to be easy. But to find her way again, she will have to believe that God has a plan for her and find the strength to let Him lead.

Wish You Were Here is fun and full of humor—sure to be a pleasure to inspirational romance readers.

Rating: 5 stars, for challenging me while making me laugh

Available here.

Blessings,
Ginger

Snow

Two pictures of the same road. Two different scenes.

What caused the change?

SNOW.



We don't get much of the white stuff here in North Alabama, but Christmas of 2010, it came down. My first ever white Christmas. My kids loved it. I loved it because I didn't have any place to go.


Does the snowy picture seem cleaner to you (minus the tire tracks). How about the next two?

There's just something about snow. I can bet we all like to watch it fall. We love it's beauty, how fresh it makes everything look, how clean. It changes how we see things around us.



It reminds me of the verse in Isaiah.

“Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the Lord,
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool. [Emphasis added}

Makes you think, doesn't it?

"Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow."

As you contemplate that verse today, take time to express your gratitude to God for his Son, the one who came to shed his blood so you might be clean.

What are your favorite Snow memories?  

Blessings,

Ginger

What do I do when...?

A friend at church asked if I answered parenting questions on my blog. I thought about it and decided to  answer a her question today. 

Now, before I do this, I want you to know I am NOT an expert by any means. I will only be giving answers based on MY experience raising my seven children. I may be slightly biased, but I can assure you my children are well-behaved, though not perfect. :)

My friend asked me how to handle her daughter, who is 18 months old. When they go shopping, the little one screams and cries to get out of the cart. Mom complies, and the little one proceeds to run around the store. My friend wanted to know how I would handle the situation.

There are probably many ways to manage this, but here was my suggestion. Simply put, I told my friend to spank her daughter when she starts acting out.  I also warned her to be consistent. Every time her daughter threw a fit, she needed to tell her no and, even if she chose not to spank, not to let her out of the cart. 

This is for the safety of the child. A child of 18 months, or even older, has no sense of danger and there are so many perverted and selfish people out there waiting for an opportunity to do evil. I shudder to think of it.

(Note: I do not condone BEATING, but a single swat to the backside for an 18 month old gets the job done.)

So now I throw the question to you, my readers. How would you advise this mom to handle her daughter's temper-tantrums?

And if you have a question you would like answered, I have set up an e-mail BedofRosesThornsIncluded[at]gmail.com. Please replace the [at] with the appropriate symbol.

Blessings,

Ginger

An Addendum...to Rush, Rush, Rush

I AM

On Tuesday, I posted a blog about some names of God/Jesus. Last night, our worship leader sang a song that reverberated through my weary spirit.

Today, I am sharing it with you. I must admit I prefer my worship leader's version than that of Eddie James--no offense to Mr. James.

Blessings,
Ginger

Rush, Rush, Rush

Rush, Rush, Rush

You've done it. So have I. We've rushed through a day just trying to get to the next thing on our to do list.

It happens a lot this time of year. Go to work, pick up the kids, find a sitter, get to the Christmas party of the evening, come home and crash. Only to start over the next day with a few variations. Maybe instead of a Christmas party, it's a Christmas performance, or a shopping excursion (when they're rushed it yanks all the fun out of shopping).

But what if this was your last Christmas? Would you do the same things? Buy the same presents? Go to the same parties?

As the world moves away from the REAL Reason for the season (yes, it's now a cliche, but it works), I challenge you to move toward Him. Cast aside all the trappings, even if for only a moment, and focus on giving Him thanks.

Put the to do lists away. Stop rushing about. Focus on the creator of Christmas.

C-Comforter (John 14:16)
H-Healer (Psalm 103:2-4)
R-Righteous one (Psalm 116:5)
I-I am (Exodus 3:14; John 8:58)
S-Son of God (Luke 22:69-70)
T-Truth (John 14:6)
M-Maker of all (John 1:3)
A-Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:13)
S-Savior (Luke 2:11)
 

What can you do without this season?

Blessings,
Ginger




 

Review: Avra's God by Ann Lee Miller

I've reviewed all of Ann's books and each one amazes me. She isn't afraid to tackle tough subjects, and she does it with such grace.

Avra's God is about one college girl living her life for Jesus with an unashamed devotion to His will for her life. It is about the change ONE person can make in those around them if they live a life choosing to please the ONE who gave life. Her friends make some unfortunate choices, but she remains steadfast despite her own self-doubt.

I highly recommend you read Avra's God. It would be a wonderful gift for a college student near you who is struggling with peer pressure or making their way in the world.

Warning: There are a few curse words (less than five) in this book. While I don't care for their use in Christian fiction, it was easy enough to skip over them and continue with the story.

Back cover:

In the tradition of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, four friends navigate college and the drama churned up by their Florida beach band to cement friendship and more.

Avra wants love, but drummer Cisco—self-medicating from his parents’ divorce with sex and intoxicants—is a poor choice. Cisco hungers for fresh-baked cookies and the scent of family he finds at Avra’s.

Kallie shares her classically trained singing voice only with lead vocalist Jesse and fights to keep her heart safe. Jesse feeds on fame and hides more than insecurity beneath his guitar.

The friends surf ego, betrayal, and ambition and head for wipe-out. But somehow, when they’re not looking, Avra’s God changes them all.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Available here and at other online retailers.

Blessings,
Ginger