Posts
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Giveaway Results!
Congratulations to Tammie for winning the book giveaway of Rare Earth! I really enjoyed reading everyone's entries and wish I had enough copies for each person who took the time to reply... But since there is only one copy, I do hope Tammie enjoys it!
Monday, July 30, 2012
Book Review: Rare Earth
As my flight took off heading to Oklahoma, I picked up the book I had been excitedly saving back to savor on the two flights I would be taking. I had enjoyed his first book, Lion of Babylon, and wanted to find out what was the next adventure that Marc Royce would be going on. This book is technically the sequal to Lion of Babylon; however, it is also a stand-alone novel as nearly all the other characters except the main character are new to this book.
By the time that I had reached page 50, my heart was pumping from the adrenaline. I felt like I was in Africa which was the setting for this book. I could just about smell the dirt, sense the fear among the people, and yet feel the hope that was being sought after.
As I was introduced to the various characters in the book - Charles, Philip and the elders, Kitra, Serge, and Crowder, I was not sure whom to trust and who not to. As the plot deepened, you began to see that something was brewing under the surface...something so sinister that it did not care who or what it took to reach it's desired goals.
Again, Bunn did a fabulous job in his accurate portrayal of each person and the cultures portrayed. I personally come from a Hebraic Roots Christian background, so I'm particularly familiar with Israel and many of the customs there. He was very accurate in his portrayal of the Israeli desire for excellence, respect for life and people, and desire to protect it's own and others in need.
At first I was not sure of Kitra. She came across as a hard and stubborn person, but I soon came to realize that was just a wall she had built to protect herself. As you came to know her throughout the book, you could not help coming to love her and want to protect her and her brother Serge who had gone missing! As you came to understand the complexity of their lives, it made her become a person of much depth.
The many twists and turns throughout the book left you on the edge of your seat with no desire to put it down! As the book came to a close, you were able to see how all the pieces finally came together to form a complete picture, but in the process, you had learned faith, asking questions, trust, and love. By the time, I closed the book, I was a very happy reader and could not recommend it enough.
My only question is when is the next book coming out? I cannot wait to see what happens as you are left with a question as you turn the last page...
Intrigued? Get your own copy of Rare Earth! Only one rule - you must have a U.S. mailing address.
To enter, answer the question of "If you were a secret agent, what three items would you keep on your person at all times?" by commenting on the blog. If you sign up for Davis’s e-newsletter at http://www.davisbunn.com/news.htm you'll get a second entry. And if you like his Facebook page at facebook.com/davisbunnauthor, you'll get a third entry. Tell me in your comment if you sign up for his newsletter and liked his Facebook page, so I can give you the accurate number of entries. Deadline to enter is August 14, 2012.
In the meantime, enjoy this video preview:
Davis' Website and Blog:www.davisbunn.com
Please note: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.
By the time that I had reached page 50, my heart was pumping from the adrenaline. I felt like I was in Africa which was the setting for this book. I could just about smell the dirt, sense the fear among the people, and yet feel the hope that was being sought after.
As I was introduced to the various characters in the book - Charles, Philip and the elders, Kitra, Serge, and Crowder, I was not sure whom to trust and who not to. As the plot deepened, you began to see that something was brewing under the surface...something so sinister that it did not care who or what it took to reach it's desired goals.
Again, Bunn did a fabulous job in his accurate portrayal of each person and the cultures portrayed. I personally come from a Hebraic Roots Christian background, so I'm particularly familiar with Israel and many of the customs there. He was very accurate in his portrayal of the Israeli desire for excellence, respect for life and people, and desire to protect it's own and others in need.
At first I was not sure of Kitra. She came across as a hard and stubborn person, but I soon came to realize that was just a wall she had built to protect herself. As you came to know her throughout the book, you could not help coming to love her and want to protect her and her brother Serge who had gone missing! As you came to understand the complexity of their lives, it made her become a person of much depth.
The many twists and turns throughout the book left you on the edge of your seat with no desire to put it down! As the book came to a close, you were able to see how all the pieces finally came together to form a complete picture, but in the process, you had learned faith, asking questions, trust, and love. By the time, I closed the book, I was a very happy reader and could not recommend it enough.
My only question is when is the next book coming out? I cannot wait to see what happens as you are left with a question as you turn the last page...
Intrigued? Get your own copy of Rare Earth! Only one rule - you must have a U.S. mailing address.
To enter, answer the question of "If you were a secret agent, what three items would you keep on your person at all times?" by commenting on the blog. If you sign up for Davis’s e-newsletter at http://www.davisbunn.com/news.htm you'll get a second entry. And if you like his Facebook page at facebook.com/davisbunnauthor, you'll get a third entry. Tell me in your comment if you sign up for his newsletter and liked his Facebook page, so I can give you the accurate number of entries. Deadline to enter is August 14, 2012.
In the meantime, enjoy this video preview:
Davis' Website and Blog:www.davisbunn.com
Please note: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.
Monday, July 23, 2012
Camp Yeshua, Part 2
Well, I will pick up where I left off on my Camp Yeshua trip. We had just finished our adult staff meeting, and I headed to our dorm to settle in with Nicole. We were in the Upper Girl's Lodge which was newly remodeled and so very nice!!!!!!!!! Nicole and I were sharing a room with two good friends of ours - Elisha and Joanna. Joanna is from Ohio, and we see her family for some of the congregational gatherings/events. Elisha is from TN, but she is like a sister to me...so we were glad for the excuse to be together!!! Interestingly enough, Elisha and Joanna ended up on the same tribe, and Nicole and I were of course leading a tribe together. Nicole and I got settled in our room and headed back out to enjoy greeting everyone that we had not seen in a year.
We had a couple of hours to enjoy fellowshipping before it was time to gather in the Tabernacle to begin Camp Yeshua 2012! We gathered by tribe and began meeting our tribe members. After playing an ice breaker game, we headed to the dining hall for supper. Ephraim had taken Nicole's and my experiment from last year of having our tribe eat as a tribe and made it camp wide this year. We were very happy to hear that it worked really well and people felt that their tribes gelled quicker this year than before. We began to settle into our daily routine. Get up and get ready, assemble in the tabernacle, head for breakfast. After breakfast was our morning worship and prayers then encounter time which is an alone time with God for each camper. Our tribal conference which was about an hour long and our small group Bible study/midrash followed and was one of my favorite times of the day. Our tribe had great junior staff who really helped a lot in contributing and leading. Then we had our organized activities such as Brentball, human foosball, water balloon volleyball, and the ropes course. By then, we were very glad lunch was next! The afternoon meant workshops and flex time which is where you are free to choose your activity but you must be doing something with someone. :) then dinner, our evening service which was always an awesome worship and teaching time, followed by starlit dancing, our closing tribal conference of sharing what Yahweh had been doing in your life and praying together, then off to bed only to do again the next day. As you can see, Camp is amazing! I'll stop here and share some more highlights again soon.
We had a couple of hours to enjoy fellowshipping before it was time to gather in the Tabernacle to begin Camp Yeshua 2012! We gathered by tribe and began meeting our tribe members. After playing an ice breaker game, we headed to the dining hall for supper. Ephraim had taken Nicole's and my experiment from last year of having our tribe eat as a tribe and made it camp wide this year. We were very happy to hear that it worked really well and people felt that their tribes gelled quicker this year than before. We began to settle into our daily routine. Get up and get ready, assemble in the tabernacle, head for breakfast. After breakfast was our morning worship and prayers then encounter time which is an alone time with God for each camper. Our tribal conference which was about an hour long and our small group Bible study/midrash followed and was one of my favorite times of the day. Our tribe had great junior staff who really helped a lot in contributing and leading. Then we had our organized activities such as Brentball, human foosball, water balloon volleyball, and the ropes course. By then, we were very glad lunch was next! The afternoon meant workshops and flex time which is where you are free to choose your activity but you must be doing something with someone. :) then dinner, our evening service which was always an awesome worship and teaching time, followed by starlit dancing, our closing tribal conference of sharing what Yahweh had been doing in your life and praying together, then off to bed only to do again the next day. As you can see, Camp is amazing! I'll stop here and share some more highlights again soon.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Camp Yeshua, Part 1
Camp Yeshua 2012 - Exodus Imminent was once again a great experience and a highlight of the year for me in so many ways. I'll begin telling about it today; however, I know that it is going to take more than one entry! :)
I traveled out to Oklahoma with my dear friend, Nicole, who was also going as a counselor. This was her second year and my third year. We flew out on Friday, July 6 on a morning flight to Oklahoma City. We made it into OKC 10 minutes which was a first! Ann (Judah) Stropes picked us up from the airport. We enjoyed going out for a girl's lunch and some relaxing fellowship before running a couple of errands. Then we headed to the Lion and Lamb Office to get to work. Ann and I were leading the girl's purity session at camp together, so we spent the afternoon combining our notes to make one smooth presentation. Nicole helped package up the water bottle, t-shirt, and wrist band packages for all the campers.
That evening, we went out to dinner with Monte, Lin, Ann, and Isaac. Then we stayed with Lin for a bit before heading to the B'nai Shalom services which we greatly enjoyed. After watching it on the internet each week, it is nice to be there in person. And of course, we just had to see Dr. Scotty! He has such an amazing love for Yahweh and for each person who is brought into his life. A dear true saint! We also enjoyed dancing there at B'nai as well as the teaching.
After services, Kathy Clayton (Mike Clayton's wife) picked us up to host us for the weekend. She was the most gracious loving host we could have asked for. She did everything she could to make us very comfortable. It was like visiting family! We got to see their farm, meet all the animals including this "so ugly he's cute" turkin!, help feed them, and enjoy a very relaxing Shabbat. Nicole and I both commented on how comfortable and welcomed we felt. We also enjoyed getting to know a new friend, Marsha, who was with us part of the time.
Then Sunday morning, Kathy and Marsha drove us out to Oakridge Christian Camp where Camp Yeshua is held. We had to be there at 10am for the adult staff meeting in order to be prepared for the campers. We got there right on time, stashed our luggage in our dorm's sitting area, and headed for the meeting. When we broke up for lunch, Nicole and I rode along with Chuck and his daughter Laura. Laura and I are good friends, so we were glad for the excuse to hang out! Then back for the second half of the staff meeting only to be done right in time for the camper's registration to begin!
I will stop here for now...and continue in the next couple of days. In the meantime, you can check out my camp pictures by clicking here.
I traveled out to Oklahoma with my dear friend, Nicole, who was also going as a counselor. This was her second year and my third year. We flew out on Friday, July 6 on a morning flight to Oklahoma City. We made it into OKC 10 minutes which was a first! Ann (Judah) Stropes picked us up from the airport. We enjoyed going out for a girl's lunch and some relaxing fellowship before running a couple of errands. Then we headed to the Lion and Lamb Office to get to work. Ann and I were leading the girl's purity session at camp together, so we spent the afternoon combining our notes to make one smooth presentation. Nicole helped package up the water bottle, t-shirt, and wrist band packages for all the campers.
That evening, we went out to dinner with Monte, Lin, Ann, and Isaac. Then we stayed with Lin for a bit before heading to the B'nai Shalom services which we greatly enjoyed. After watching it on the internet each week, it is nice to be there in person. And of course, we just had to see Dr. Scotty! He has such an amazing love for Yahweh and for each person who is brought into his life. A dear true saint! We also enjoyed dancing there at B'nai as well as the teaching.
After services, Kathy Clayton (Mike Clayton's wife) picked us up to host us for the weekend. She was the most gracious loving host we could have asked for. She did everything she could to make us very comfortable. It was like visiting family! We got to see their farm, meet all the animals including this "so ugly he's cute" turkin!, help feed them, and enjoy a very relaxing Shabbat. Nicole and I both commented on how comfortable and welcomed we felt. We also enjoyed getting to know a new friend, Marsha, who was with us part of the time.
Then Sunday morning, Kathy and Marsha drove us out to Oakridge Christian Camp where Camp Yeshua is held. We had to be there at 10am for the adult staff meeting in order to be prepared for the campers. We got there right on time, stashed our luggage in our dorm's sitting area, and headed for the meeting. When we broke up for lunch, Nicole and I rode along with Chuck and his daughter Laura. Laura and I are good friends, so we were glad for the excuse to hang out! Then back for the second half of the staff meeting only to be done right in time for the camper's registration to begin!
I will stop here for now...and continue in the next couple of days. In the meantime, you can check out my camp pictures by clicking here.
Friday, June 15, 2012
Good Week...and now Enjoying Shabbat!
Well, I've had a good week, and now my family is enjoying a nice Shabbat evening.
Monday, I had my monthly cleaning job for a homeschooling family which I enjoyed. I came home and helped with the family bakery which kept us busy into the evening.
Tuesday, I had to get up early in order to drop off two of our kitties at the vets to be fixed. Well, it turned into "Take Your Cat to Work Day"! Speckles has a couple of scratches from a cat fight on her ear, so they wanted them to heal before they fixed her. Bug was approved to be fixed, so I left her and took Speckles with me. I was 45 minutes from home and 15 minutes from my cleaning job, so I had no choice but to take Speckles with me. Thankfully, the family did not mind me leaving her in her carrier on the back porch while I cleaned. It was a nice shaded spot for her. I also had a small container in my lunch that I was able to use to give her water. So Yahweh worked out all the details for me and her! I did my cleaning job and went straight home. Then I helped Mommy and Daddy get the van loaded for the Farmer's Market in Hilliard that afternoon. I jumped in for a quick shower before Momma and I headed out to run some errands and pick Speckles back up. By the time we got home, I was exhausted and head a headache. I don't like taking medication, but I did finally take an Excetrin. Between that and a back massage from Momma, along with some rest time, I soon felt better. Getting up early and staying up late for three days in a row finally did me in. :)
Wednesday was a busy baking day and getting Daddy ready for the Delaware Farmer's Market. Then on Thursday, we had our bi-monthly meeting with Dr Henzel, my grandfather's doctor. My Gaga (what I call my grandfather) is doing about the same. His memory is holding steady and so is his health...just a slight decline over time.
Today was a busy yet fun day. Mommy and I made a batch of French bread for the bakery this morning. Then we started on cleaning house. We had the house all cleaned by soon after lunch. Then by mid afternoon, we were able to run some errand and go shoe shopping as a family! We had a lot of fun. Momma finally found some nice tennis shoes that were comfy and fit. Daddy found a pair of Crocs as house/yard shoes. And I found a pair of Crocs which can be house shoes yet who knows they are dressy enough I might keep them back as dress shoes. They are like fancy black Mary Jane type shoes. I really like them! But then again, I do have a pair of true dress shoes on order...so I guess I can go ahead and wear these! :).
Well, it is late...and we have our Shabbat Gathering tomorrow...so I will bid you a good night and Shabbat Shalom now!
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Catching Up
Wow! It has been way too long since I have posted on here. I am planning to do my best to get back to blogging twice a week from here on out...but sometimes life just happens!
First of all, thank you to those who took the time to read my article that I wrote for Money Help for Christians last month. It was part of the Money Help for Christians Writers Challenge. Depending on how many Facebook shares, Tweets, and Google+ shares my article received determined my placement in the final standings. And I'm very excited to say that with your help, I won the contest! Thank you all so much. If you did not get a chance to read the article, please click here to read it.
Our family hosted our congregation's Shavuot Weekend Gathering with Brad Scott as our guest speaker. We had about 50 people in attendance for the weekend, and everyone had a fabulous time. The food was delicious, the teaching was loaded with truth, and the fellowship was sweet. I just posted a memory video to YouTube. You can watch it by clicking here. I've also posted pictures which you can see by clicking here.
My family is staying busy with our home based bakery as well as the family farm. My mom has been struggling with high eye pressure which when it is high is causing quite a bit of discomfort. Please keep her in your prayers. We appreciate it! Also, we had a calf (Midrash) born on the farm about a month ago to Maggie, our cow. You can see a picture of him by clicking here. And we even slipped in time to take in a Paul Wilbur concert. You can see picture by clicking here.
I was recently interviewed for Walkabout - Interviews with Members of the Messianic Family, an internet radio show. I was able to talk about quite a variety of topics including Biblical Finances, my ministry, our family farm, my trip to Israel, and the Messianic Youth Camp that I serve at every summer. You can hear the interview by clicking here. Due to a technical error, the first few minutes of the hour long interview were lost. That was the part where I talked about the importance of finances from a Biblical perspective, being debt free, and having a spending plan. The live audience did here this portion; it's just not on the recording. The host, Susan invited me back (probably late Fall time frame) to talk more about finances.
Next month, I will be going out to Oklahoma and again serving at Camp Yeshua, the largest Messianic Youth Camp in the US. This is always a treat and blessing to me personally as well as encouraging to see the impact made in the next generation's life.
I had the privilege of recently interviewing Brad Scott of Wildbranch Ministries at my congregations recent Shavuot (Pentecost) gathering. His words of insight into the Hebrew Language, walking the Torah walk, and training up the next generation makes this a definite do not miss! Plus he coins a new term just for my interview. Please check it out by clicking here.
Well, I will close now and blog again soon! It's good to be back!
First of all, thank you to those who took the time to read my article that I wrote for Money Help for Christians last month. It was part of the Money Help for Christians Writers Challenge. Depending on how many Facebook shares, Tweets, and Google+ shares my article received determined my placement in the final standings. And I'm very excited to say that with your help, I won the contest! Thank you all so much. If you did not get a chance to read the article, please click here to read it.
Our family hosted our congregation's Shavuot Weekend Gathering with Brad Scott as our guest speaker. We had about 50 people in attendance for the weekend, and everyone had a fabulous time. The food was delicious, the teaching was loaded with truth, and the fellowship was sweet. I just posted a memory video to YouTube. You can watch it by clicking here. I've also posted pictures which you can see by clicking here.
My family is staying busy with our home based bakery as well as the family farm. My mom has been struggling with high eye pressure which when it is high is causing quite a bit of discomfort. Please keep her in your prayers. We appreciate it! Also, we had a calf (Midrash) born on the farm about a month ago to Maggie, our cow. You can see a picture of him by clicking here. And we even slipped in time to take in a Paul Wilbur concert. You can see picture by clicking here.
I was recently interviewed for Walkabout - Interviews with Members of the Messianic Family, an internet radio show. I was able to talk about quite a variety of topics including Biblical Finances, my ministry, our family farm, my trip to Israel, and the Messianic Youth Camp that I serve at every summer. You can hear the interview by clicking here. Due to a technical error, the first few minutes of the hour long interview were lost. That was the part where I talked about the importance of finances from a Biblical perspective, being debt free, and having a spending plan. The live audience did here this portion; it's just not on the recording. The host, Susan invited me back (probably late Fall time frame) to talk more about finances.
Next month, I will be going out to Oklahoma and again serving at Camp Yeshua, the largest Messianic Youth Camp in the US. This is always a treat and blessing to me personally as well as encouraging to see the impact made in the next generation's life.
I had the privilege of recently interviewing Brad Scott of Wildbranch Ministries at my congregations recent Shavuot (Pentecost) gathering. His words of insight into the Hebrew Language, walking the Torah walk, and training up the next generation makes this a definite do not miss! Plus he coins a new term just for my interview. Please check it out by clicking here.
Well, I will close now and blog again soon! It's good to be back!
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Fun and More Fun...
Well, these past few days have been busy yet fun. We enjoyed baking as a family on Wednesday. I especially enjoyed making the Challah bread which is my specialty. :) Then on Thursday, I went with my Dad to help him with his bread class at the LEI Institute on the OSU Marion Campus. He did a fabulous job teaching and got rave reviews on his class. We also sold really well on our baked goods including selling out of my Challah!
Then that night and Friday, we got the house cleaned, errands run, etc in preparation for Shabbat. Shabbat was very relaxing. We enjoyed listening to Bill Cloud speak at Monte's Erve Shabbat Service on Friday night. Then on Shabbat, we listened to a couple of messages by Brad Scott who will be speaking at our congregation for Shavuot. We also got a family walk in too! It was a good and refreshing day.
On Sunday, the young people of our congregation went bowling! Nicole, Joseph, and I had a lot of fun. Joseph royally beat us girls even though we did our best to give him a run for his money. I figured out that I had not been bowling in about 10 years, and it was so good to be back in the "game." :) We ate supper at the cafe there. Their taco salad was as amazing as a remembered which was the best taco salad I have ever eaten! Then we bowled one more game (our third game) and headed to the ice cream parlor for desert! :) Nicole was able to come home with me and spend the night. We enjoyed the girl time. We are very close...like sisters...and had not been able to spend quality time together with our schedules in the last few weeks...so we were more than ready for it!
Sunday and Monday, I caught up on things around the house which made me feel good. Then on Tuesday, I had my house cleaning job which went well. I ran by the library on my way home, got a shower, and then went grocery shopping with Momma! We went up to see Gaga after supper. He had pneumonia right now; however, since he has been back on his antibiotic, he has been doing so much better. With him being 87, we are always very concerned when he gets sick and have to be very proactive in making sure he is taken care of.
Today, I met one of my board members for lunch, and we brainstormed for the ministry as well as worked on where do I want to focus on. That was very helpful. I came home for some other pending work items...then I've been working on my book. Now, I'm heading off to go gather the kitties and go for a walk with my mom!
Then that night and Friday, we got the house cleaned, errands run, etc in preparation for Shabbat. Shabbat was very relaxing. We enjoyed listening to Bill Cloud speak at Monte's Erve Shabbat Service on Friday night. Then on Shabbat, we listened to a couple of messages by Brad Scott who will be speaking at our congregation for Shavuot. We also got a family walk in too! It was a good and refreshing day.
On Sunday, the young people of our congregation went bowling! Nicole, Joseph, and I had a lot of fun. Joseph royally beat us girls even though we did our best to give him a run for his money. I figured out that I had not been bowling in about 10 years, and it was so good to be back in the "game." :) We ate supper at the cafe there. Their taco salad was as amazing as a remembered which was the best taco salad I have ever eaten! Then we bowled one more game (our third game) and headed to the ice cream parlor for desert! :) Nicole was able to come home with me and spend the night. We enjoyed the girl time. We are very close...like sisters...and had not been able to spend quality time together with our schedules in the last few weeks...so we were more than ready for it!
Sunday and Monday, I caught up on things around the house which made me feel good. Then on Tuesday, I had my house cleaning job which went well. I ran by the library on my way home, got a shower, and then went grocery shopping with Momma! We went up to see Gaga after supper. He had pneumonia right now; however, since he has been back on his antibiotic, he has been doing so much better. With him being 87, we are always very concerned when he gets sick and have to be very proactive in making sure he is taken care of.
Today, I met one of my board members for lunch, and we brainstormed for the ministry as well as worked on where do I want to focus on. That was very helpful. I came home for some other pending work items...then I've been working on my book. Now, I'm heading off to go gather the kitties and go for a walk with my mom!
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