Sunday, November 29, 2020

Giving Thanks for God

   Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, New King James Version)

   On Sundays for the month of November, I’ve been sharing the things which I am thankful for – the people and places which I am so blessed to have been given.

   Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done. (1 Chronicles 16:8, New Living Translation)

I wouldn’t have any of these without God, the Father Almighty. He is the Giver of all things good and right in our world.   

   That my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent. Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever. (Psalm 30:12, New American Standard Bible)

The greatest gift, however, which God has given us is His Son Jesus Christ, who died on the cross to save us from our sins. No matter what we have been given in this life, that one gift is all we really need.

   But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57, New Living Translation)

We cannot thank God enough for the gift of eternal life.

And so I say again, thank You, Lord God, Heavenly Father. Amen

Friday, November 27, 2020

2020 - the year everything looked different

Since I started keeping track of our yearly Thanksgiving dinners, ten years ago, we have been averaging 12 to 14 people around our dinner table. The highest count was 20 in 2016. 

This year? Well, try to guess how many of us were around our table. It looked a lot different from other years. 

2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016 (the year we served 20, sorry that I didn't get everyone in one picture)

2019 (Somehow, I didn't get any decent pictures from 2018 and in 2017,
Hubby had to work and I was sick anyway)
Yup, 2020 looked a little different 

 



Hope you had a safe and healthy Thanksgiving. No matter how it looked. 



Wednesday, November 25, 2020

Bonding at Bond Falls – blog post #7 from the family vacation

Pretty much anyone who has gone waterfalling in Michigan’s UP, or just plain gone out to do anything in the great outdoors of the UP, or even you couch potatoes who have been dragged out of the house by your spouses so you could see a waterfalls up close – each of you has probably been to Bond Falls, near Paulding Michigan. Maybe you’ve been to the Paulding Light even, but that is a whole different story.

So there we were, my kids, my grandpuppies and me, visiting our second waterfalls area of the day on that rainy Monday of our family vacation the end of September.

I don’t like Bond Falls. There, I’ve said it. For reasons such as this. 

 
And that there are always too many people there and I want to explore unhindered.




So we went off the beaten path, following the sketchy path up to the dam and back down the other side.


It is a beautiful area and I should be thankful that it was as wet out as it was as that probably kept some of the people away. People who always stay on the safe side of the fence with their umbrellas and expensive cameras and designer dogs.
And I really shouldn’t complain about any day which I spend with my kids. 



And the grandkids. 


 

Sunday, November 22, 2020

Giving Thanks for Health

 Lord, you are my strength and fortress, my refuge in the day of trouble! (Jeremiah 16:19, New Living Translation) 

When you look at the above verse, and the one below, you may remember that my word for the year is “Strength”. Who knew, back on January 1, how much we would all need strength this year? 

 He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. (Isaiah 40:29, New Living Translation)

Well, of course, God knew. Why He didn’t stop this pandemic before it even got going would be something else that only He knows.  

 And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God. (Ecclesiastes 5:19, New Living Translation)

So, this month, in honor of Thanksgiving, I’ve been sharing with you what I am thankful for. This week, I am thankful for the strength of spirit and body which God has given me. I’m thankful that, overall, I am in good health. Yes, I have my share of aches and pains, and they seem to be multiplying with each passing day, but I can still keep up with pretty much anybody else my age (and sometimes even younger one). 

Thank You, God, for my health and for a strong body and sharp mind (we’ll talk, God, another time about how that body and mind do slip sometimes, but I’m still thankful for where I am at my age). Thank You. Amen.  

I’m also thankful that my immune system has held the coronavirus at bay. 


Friday, November 20, 2020

Nearly Black Friday

     Next Friday is “Black Friday” and Christmas is in five weeks. It’s certainly been a different sort of year. I’m sure Christmas shopping will be different as well. Over the last few years, you have maybe joined the ranks of consumers doing much of their shopping via Amazon or other websites. This year? I’m sure it will be even more.

Or are you planning to support the local economy by attending the craft shows which are still going on this year? That’s certainly okay, just don’t forget your masks and hand sanitizer.

As for me, I won’t be selling any of my books out in public this year. Instead, I’ll make you a deal.

From now until the end of the year, I’m offering each of my books at a discounted price, with free shipping anywhere in the continental US. Feel free to buy them on Amazon as well, except that I only have control over the price of the ones I self-published there (“The Truth Beyond the River” and the ebook “To Find Justice”).

I may be naiive, or I just plain love books that much, but I think books still make wonderful gifts. And if nothing else, they can be a gift to yourself.

Email me your shopping list and I’ll get your books mailed out to where ever you want them to go.

Price List:

The Truth Beyond the River - $12.99 now $10

Where the Sky Meets the Sand - $15.99 now $10

A Time for Every Purpose Under Heaven - $14.95 now $10

The Christmas Story in 40 Days - $11.99 now $8

The Early Life of Jesus in 40 Days - $11.99 now $8

Free Shipping through the end of the year.

My latest novel, “The Truth Beyond the River” – A young reporter looking for her big break. A Vietnam vet fighting a new war. Two aging monks trying to keep the peace. Will they find the truth beyond the river?

Lieutenant Tommy Lightfoot has returned home from the Vietnam War a changed man. He and his fellow Native American warriors begin a new war – claiming a piece of property which they feel was wrongfully taken from their ancestors.

On that land along a river sits an abandoned monastery, watched over by Cecil, an elderly monk.

When the editor of a big city newspaper hears of the takeover, he sends his newest reporter to cover it. Teresa has only been chosen because of her looks – a black braid and a Spanish-American heritage. Before she even arrives at the monastery, she fears she is in over her head.

When she meets Tommy and Cecil, she wonders if she will ever be able to uncover the truth or if it will float down the river, beyond the grasp of them all.

 My first novel, “Where the Sky Meets the Sand” – An American businesswoman with a secret past. An African boy without a home. Two missionaries with more than one mission to accomplish. Will all their wishes come true where the sky meets the sand on the African plain?

“Where the Sky Meets the Sand” tells the story of Jenny Neumeyer and Ole, the homeless boy she befriends while she and her husband are on vacation in Kenya. This encounter leads her to confront a secret she has kept buried for 14 years. As she comes to terms with her past, two missionaries to Africa discover Ole and are determined to lead him home. Along the way, they realize that the boy is not the only one who is lost. 

My other books –

A Time for Every PurposeUnder Heaven – One Woman’s Trip to Africa” – the memoir of my first trip to Kenya with a missionary group from Appleton, Wisconsin, in 2006. I spent much of those two weeks wondering why God had sent me there. This is the story of that trip and how it changed my life forever.

The Christmas Story in40 Days” – a short book with 40 days of devotions describing the events leading up to the birth of Christ.

The Early Life of Jesusin 40 Days” – a devotional which describes the life of Jesus from the time he is born until just before He begins His ministry.  

(And even if you don't buy them through Amazon.com, reviews on Amazon are always appreciated.)

Wednesday, November 18, 2020

Kakabika Falls – blog post #6 from the family vacation

     Yes, I am still working my way through our short family vacation to northern Wisconsin this past fall. This is the second part of our third full day there. Good thing I don’t take full week-long vacations with my kids; I’d never get around to sharing all the pictures. 

Monday morning, wet and dreary, after our first few stops around Montreal and Hurley, we crossed the border into Michigan and headed 39 miles east on US Hwy 2 to Cty Rd 527, which turns into 2 Mile Road and then Sleepy Hollow Road before hitting Hwy 45 at Paulding. But, only about half a mile in on Rd 527, we stopped at the Kakabika Falls parking lot on the left.



We started hiking the somewhat random trail along the Cisco Branch of the Ontonagon River, passed several smaller falls and rapids and just plain prettiness. The main falls is only somewhat over 500 feet downstream from the parking lot. But, as my total 132 pictures attest, every step was worth it. 



When I post pictures like this on my blog, I try to keep them under twelve per post. Sometimes, though, it is impossible to stop. Such an awesome place to explore. 



Someone had said at the start of our vacation, that there hadn’t been much rain up north over the last two months. Well, I guess we hadn't had much down home either, after the wettest July on record. We were worried that the rivers and streams would be low, but I guess all the rain we had the first night we were there got the water levels up.






I still can’t believe that I’ve never been to this area before. 

Buddy can't believe it either.