Scripture and a Snapshot - Unity

How good and pleasant it is

when God's people live together in unity!

~Psalm 133:1~

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could experience unity and harmony instead of division and discord? Most of us want unity, even most who do not follow the Lord would prefer peace and unity, but we tend to disagree on how to reach it. Even within the church we have trouble finding unity, or the common ground we can unify around. How can we work towards unity in our country when we have trouble having unity within the body of Christ, sometimes in local congregations, and sadly, even in our own families? 

The Psalmist sings of how pleasant unity is, but it's not just a wistful sigh and wishful thinking. God's Word tells us a lot about how to live in unity, and it starts with being one with God. It sounds simple but there's no other way to begin. When we come to the Lord, we find that we are in harmony with others that are coming to him, and as he makes us more like him, our hearts begin to beat in time with his and with his people.

 

Happy Canada Day! Happy Independence Day! 

May we all pray and work for unity among God's people, and peace in our nations.

In the last days

the mountain of the LORD's temple will be established

as the highest of the mountains;

it will be exalted above the hills,

and peoples will stream to it.

Many nations will come and say

"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,

to the temple of the God of Jacob.

He will teach us his ways,

so that we may walk in his paths."

The law will go out from Zion,

the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

He will judge between many peoples

and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.

They will beat their swords into plowshares

and their spears into pruning hooks.

Nation will not take up sword against nation,

nor will they train for war anymore.

Everyone will sit under their own vine

and under their own fig tree,

and no one will make them afraid,

for the LORD Almighty has spoken.

All the nations may walk

in the name of their gods;

but we will walk in the name of the LORD

our God for ever and ever.

~Micah 4:1-5~

 

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Recent Reads - The Scarlet Pen

This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee.

The Scarlet Pen by Jennifer Uhlarik - Emma Draycott is excited to accept the surprise proposal of her childhood friend Stephen Dee Richards, but her family is less than thrilled. Her parents don't like that they got engaged before Stephen asked their permission, and there is something about him that doesn't sit right with them. Something more than the fact that he has no means to support their daughter. Stephen claims to have business prospects that he's pursuing and leaves town to earn his fortune . . . after some extravagant spending with money he received as an inheritance. Emma is distraught when he leaves so quickly after their engagement, and with so little information about where he's going and who his business partners might be, but she remains loyal and continues to write to him. To add to her distress, a cowboy that is new in town turns out to be a Secret Service agent investigating counterfeit money, and he is asking a lot of questions about Stephen.

Clay Timmons is a Secret Service agent tracking down the source of counterfeit bills that have been passed in the area. He quickly develops a good working relationship with the banker, Emmitt Draycott and his family, staying in their guesthouse as he follows the trail. He is attracted to Emma and his feelings are torn when he realizes that the fake money keeps leading to her betrothed. It puts his friendship with her on rocky ground, to say the least. As he continues following Stephen's trail, he realizes that the string of violent murders is connected to Stephen as well. It soon becomes very clear that Stephen is extremely dangerous, and it will be up to Clay to inform Emma and protect her as well as bring Stephen to justice. But will she believe him, and how will she react?

This story is based on the true history of serial killer Stephen Dee Richards, and despite the horror of his crimes, there is justice and even a message of hope in his true story and in the fictional framework the author uses to tell the story. It definitely kept me turning pages and hoping the law would catch up to Stephen before he did more harm.

From the publisher:

Step into True Colors -- a series of Historical Stories of Romance and True American Crime

Enjoy a tale of true but forgotten history of a 19th century serial killer whose silver-tongued ways almost trap a young woman into a nightmarish marriage.

In 1876, Emma Draycott is charmed into a quick engagement with childhood friend Stephen Dee Richards after reconnecting with him at a church event in Mount Pleasant, Ohio. But within the week, Stephen leaves to "make his fame and fortune." The heartbroken Emma gives him a special pen to write to her, and he does with tales of grand adventures. Secret Service agent Clay Timmons arrives in Mount Pleasant to track purchases made with fake currency. Every trail leads back to Stephen -- and therefore, Emma. Can he convince the naive woman she is engaged to a charlatan who is being linked to a string of deaths in Nebraska?

Visit Barbour Publishing for more info on where to buy.

I received a digital ARC of this book from Barbour Publishing through NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a review.

#TheScarletPen #NetGalley

©2008-2021 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Monthly Bookshelf Summary - June 2021

This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee.

June flew by much more quickly than I'd expected! I did get a decent amount of reading done, although I never feel like it's enough. 

June's Books Completed and Reviewed

Mortal Arts by Anna Lee Huber - Loved reading the second Lady Darby mystery along with the author and many other fans in the Lady Darby Read-Along group on Facebook, even though I was a little behind the pace of the group! (Read my full review HERE)

  

Heart of a Runaway Girl by Trevor Wiltzen - Mabel owns the motel and diner in a forgotten little mining town, but she does a little detective work of her own when she's convinced that a young man charged with murder isn't the real killer. (Read my full review HERE)

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien - I read this with my co-op Lit class and had finished it quite some time ago, but was slow to get a review posted here on the blog. Loved reading this beloved classic again! (Read my full review HERE)

The Scarlet Pen by Jennifer Uhlarik - Just finished last night so watch for the review in a day or two! Emma Draycott remains loyal to her fiance Stephen even when he raises the suspicions of her parents and a Secret Service man. Is he trustworthy, or is she just refusing to see what they do? 

During June I started reading:

The Inviting Life by Laura Calder - a practical and amusing little guidebook that is also somewhat of a memoir.

A Grave Matter - Anna Lee Huber - Just got started on the third Lady Darby novel, and hopefully will be able to finish on time!

Between the Wild Branches by Connilyn Cossette - The newest novel from Cossette follows a young Philistine man after he leaves the Hebrew clan that had adopted him and his sister.

The Beachcomber's Companion by Anna Marlis Burgard - a pretty and compact guidebook to help you identify the shells you collect at the beach.

Coming Up in July!

The Only Woman in the Room - Marie Benedict

The Shell Collector: A Novel by Nancy Naigle

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

        

 

On my blogs recently . . . 

Besides the reviews, here on Just A Second you'll find:

Scripture and a Snapshot posts

A Bible Study Journal for Women

Wordless Wednesday - Pink and White

What I'm Reading - June 14, 2021

Wordless Wednesday - Next Up Forever

And on HS Coffee Break:

Five Minute Friday posts

Share Four Somethings - June 2021

An Air Force Museum PhotoJournal

Online Book Club - June Theme: Beach

Currently - Early Summer Edition

This post will be linked at the June 2021 Monthly Wrap-Up Round-up Link-up and Giveaway hosted by Feed Your Fiction Addiction; and at the weekly reading list meme hosted at Book Date.

 

©2008-2021 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. 

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

 

A Bible Study Journal for Women

This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee. 

A Bible Study Journal for Women - This is a beautiful journal for writing down your own insights, thoughts, and prayers as you study God's Word for yourself. In the introductory pages of the book, you'll find five brief chapters outlining methods of Bible study and practical helps for understanding and applying what you discover in the Bible. This mini-guide is adapted from How to Study the Bible by Robert M. West, and is enough to get you started if you're new to Bible study, and is a great reminder and refresher course even if you've been studying for years. The guidelines include thoughts about how essential God's Word is to believers, and overviews of different approaches to studying and understanding God's Word.

The vast majority of the pages are for you to fill in. Each page is lined and has a small border of flowers printed at the bottom, but the only prompts are a line for the date and a line for the Study Topic. A perfect setup for recording your own notes during personal study or notes from a sermon or group study for further study later. Note historical background, character studies, cross-references to other passages of Scripture, or personal application of the passage. 

From the publisher:

You want more from your time alone with scripture . . .

A Bible Study Journal for Women provides helpful instructions and ample space for you to jot down your reflections.

Based on the million-copy bestseller How to Study the Bible, this journal describes the types, tools, and techniques of exploring God's Word. And it allows you to share your thoughts and feelings along the way, creating a treasured record of your own walk with God.

A Bible Study Journal for Women is presented in a beautiful package featuring

- a flexible textured binding

- two-color interior printing

- stained page edges

-a ribbon marker

Here are everyday Bible helps for everyday spiritual growth.

Visit Barbour Publishing for more info on where to buy.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

©2008-2021 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Scripture and a Snapshot - He Delivers

I will extol the LORD at all times;

his praise will always be on my lips.

I will glory in the LORD;

let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

Glorify the LORD with me;

let us exalt his name together.

I sought the LORD, and he answered me;

he delivered me from all my fears.

those who look to him are radiant;

their faces are never covered with shame.

Taste and see that the LORD is good;

blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

Fear the LORD, you his holy people,

for those who fear him lack nothing.

The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them;

he delivers them from all their troubles.

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted

and saves those who are crushed in the spirit.

~Psalm 34:1-5, 8-9, 17-18~

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©2008-2021 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Recent Reads - Mortal Arts

This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee. 

Mortal Arts by Anna Lee Huber - In this second book in the Lady Darby series, Kiera is traveling to Edinburgh with her sister's family. On the way, her brother-in-law Philip receives a message requesting them to stop for a night or two with Michael Dalmay, an old family friend to Kiera's family. A problem has arisen regarding Michael's upcoming marriage to Philip's cousin. Michael refuses to take the title of Lord Dalmay, which belongs to his older brother William. Kiera believes that William, who had once been her drawing master, has been missing and presumed dead for almost ten years. 

The evening's dinner party turns awkward when it is revealed that William is not dead but has been in an insane asylum. Even worse is the fact that his own father consigned him there, and all indications are that he was terribly mistreated. Several months previous, Michael had finally located William and brought him home, but has kept this quiet because of his unpredictable moods and despair.

Sebastian Gage is in attendance at Dalmay House as well, which initially puzzles Kiera. But she is grateful for his help when William Dalmay is suspected of the murder of a missing girl from the village. Gage and Kiera join forces to find the girl and what happened to her. Intertwined with that mystery are the questions about what happened to William and others at the insane asylum, and whether William is involved with the girl's disappearance. Kiera desperately wants to believe her beloved art tutor and friend is not capable of violence, but she is also plagued by doubts, and things continue to be complicated by her relationship with Gage.

Kiera wants the truth about William but a part of her fears it as well. She is also torn about what she wants from Gage, and how much she can trust him. 

This was heart wrenching in places because of the mental and emotional suffering of William Dalmay. Seen through Kiera's eyes, he is a tragic hero, because she idealized him when she was a young girl, and trusted him. He was a beloved mentor and friend, and she is touched deeply by his brokenness, and she understands some of his pain because of her own experiences. Her sympathy and loyalty to Will causes Gage to wonder whether there was a romantic attachment between them, and the reader is left to wonder if Kiera truly understands how deeply Gage cares for her.

(Check out the Lady Darby Read-Along group on Facebook if you're interested.)

By the same author: The Anatomist's Wife, Mortal Arts (my first reading in 2014); A Grave Matter, A Study in Death, A Pressing Engagement, This Side of Murder, As Death Draws Near, A Brush With Shadows. Treacherous Is The Night, An Artless Demise, Secrets in the Mist, Penny for Your Secrets, A Stroke of Malice, A Pretty Deceit

©2008-2021 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

  

Scripture and a Snapshot - A Prayer for Father's Day

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

~Colossians 1:9-14~

Happy Father's Day!

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Thank you for joining Scripture & A Snapshot. Leave a link to your own post sharing a Scripture and a Snapshot. Take time to visit some of the other links and bless each other with comments.

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I also link up at Sunday Scripture Blessings, hosted by Peabea's Photos 'n Scribbles; and at Selah, hosted by A Spirit of Simplicity.

©2008-2021 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.