Wordless Wednesday - Bridges

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This post is linked at Wordless Wednesday, hosted by Life on Chickadee Lane.

©2008-2019 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/ 

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What I'm Reading - July 15, 2019

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This weekly reading list meme is hosted at Book Date. Join in to see what others are reading and maybe get some ideas of what to read next! Although the Book Date link-up happens weekly, I haven't been keeping up with a weekly schedule, so I kind of post these whenever! It's been almost a month since my last one. Here's the latest from my reading list.

I finished reading . . . 

The Express Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse - Jackie Rivers is running her late father's Pony Express station when Elijah Johnson shows up looking for his boss's missing heir. (Read my full review HERE.)

The Red Door Inn (Prince Edward Island Dreams Book 1): A Novel by Liz Johnson - Marie and Seth are both trying to run from mistakes in their past when they meet in Prince Edward Island and work together to prepare a bed and breakfast for its grand opening. (Read my full review HERE)



A Caribbean Mystery: A Miss Marple Mystery by Agatha Christie - Miss Marple's vacation in the Caribbean is interrupted by a clever murder. (Read my full review HERE)

The Heart Changer by Jarm Del Boccio  - a historical fiction for young middle grades based on the story of the servant girl of Naaman, which is found in II Kings in the Bible. (Read my full review HERE)

I'm currently reading . . .

 An Artless Demise (A Lady Darby Mystery) by Anna Lee Huber - Sebastian and Kiera are joyfully expecting their first child when a new case arises for them to investigate, and at a time when a new crop of resurrectionists has arisen in London and suspicions about Kiera are renewed.




The Year of Living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World's Happiest Country by Helen Russell - finally got started on this one that's been on my TBR for so long!




Next on the stack... 

Unshakeable: A Story of Unwavering Faith and Conviction by Elizabeth Wiens
A Study In Scarlet Women (The Lady Sherlock Series) by Sherry Thomas
Secrets in the Mist (A Gothic Myths Novel) by Anna Lee Huber

  

  

On my blogs recently . . . 

Here on Just A Second:

Scripture and a Snapshot - Foundation
The Guy's Guide to Four Battles (From Barbour Publishing)
Recent Reads - The Heart Changer
Wordless Wednesday - Rainbow
Recent Reads - A Caribbean Mystery
Scripture and a Snapshot - Do Not Worry
Connect Five Books - A Colorful Title
Recent Reads - The Red Door Inn
Scripture and a Snapshot - Lead Me To the Rock
Monthly Bookshelf Review - June 2019
Share Four Somethings - June 2019
Recent Reads - The Express Bride
Wordless Wednesday - Port Dover
Scripture and a Snapshot - Dwelling Place
Wordless Wednesday - Old Glory


And on my homeschool blog, Homeschool Coffee Break:

Homeschool Highlights - The Week We Powered Through
Virtual Refrigerator - Pineapples (From the Art Archives)
The Heart Changer (A Homeschool Coffee Break Book Review)
What Assignments Do You Give For Literature?
Homeschool Highlights - The Week With Birthdays
Virtual Refrigerator - Independence Day
A School Year PhotoJournal 2018-2019
Canada Day 2019
Homeschool Highlights - The Week We Spent Apart
Virtual Refrigerator - Gifts and Geography
From the High School Lesson Book - A Year End Summary for 2018-2019
A Short Vacation PhotoJournal
Homeschool Highlights - The Week With More College Stuff, Again
Virtual Refrigerator - Together Forever
Successful Summer Job Hunting for Homeschool Teens (at Heart and Soul)

What are you reading?

©2008-2019 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 - Foundation

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against  that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock."

~Matthew 7:24-25~

Unless you live in my local area, you're not likely to recognize the building in the picture. It is the Carillon Tower in Baker Park, Frederick, Maryland. My family goes to the Independence Day fireworks at Baker Park almost every year, and we were there again this year. Less than a week after that, about six inches of rain fell in the area during a very short period of time, and there was a lot of flooding in the Frederick and Washington, D.C. areas. As I saw some of the photos and news coverage of the flooding, including aerial shots of Baker Park showing the tower standing amid floodwaters (for example, this photo from the Frederick News-Post), I was reminded of Jesus's lesson about building on a solid foundation. We don't always know how heavy the rainfall will be, how hard the winds will blow, or exactly when those storms will come; but we can be sure that they WILL come. We had better be prepared at all times by paying close attention to the Word of the Lord and by trusting and obeying God.

My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness.

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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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Click here to enter

I also link up at Sunday Scripture Blessings, hosted by Peabea Scribble Pad.

©2008-2019 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.

The Guy's Guide to Four Battles (from Barbour Publishing)

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The Guy's Guide to Four Battles Every Young Man Must Face by Jonathan McKee - In today's world, young men face continual lies, distractions, and temptations in ways that are so different from just a few decades ago. The world is a confusing place for all of us, and author Jonathan McKee breaks it all down in bite-size chapters for guys that deal with relevant topics like:

• staying motivated and self-disciplined
• developing a positive self-image
• healthy use of media
• recognizing and avoiding device addiction
• choosing friends wisely
• relationships and intimacy
• substance abuse

Each chapter uses the author's personal experiences, real life stories, Scripture, and some discussion questions to present the potential problems and wise solutions and advice for handling those problems. It's not preachy - it's really very down-to-earth and practical. And even though McKee is tackling some very tough and serious issues, he keeps a friendly conversational tone and inserts humor to keep it from getting too heavy.

From the publisher:

Honestly? . . .
"Why wait for something when I can enjoy it now?"
"These images don't really affect me . . . do they?"
"How could smoking a little weed really be that bad when it's becoming legalized everywhere?"
"I'd like to tell you I don't care what others think, but honestly, I want to be liked."

Maybe you're thinking, "I've had one . . . maybe even a few of these thoughts, and I don't know how to even begin to deal with them."
The good news? You're not alone. And there is a way to fight these battles head-on, overcoming the past, pressing forward, and becoming the person God designed you to be.
So what's a guy to do? . . .

Join youth culture expert and author of the popular Guy's Guide to God, Girls, and the Phone in Your Pocket, Jonathan McKee, as he gets real about the four common battles every young man will encounter in his life:
1. Sexual Temptation
2. Screens
3. Controlled Substances
4. Self-Esteem

With humor and honesty, McKee offers up practical, spiritual advice filled with real-world application helping you face today's distractions.

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.

©2008-2019 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 - The Heart Changer

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The Heart Changer by Jarm Del Boccio - This is a debut novel, a book geared for middle grade kids. The setting is the Old Testament time period, during the time of the prophet Elisha. The main character is Miriam, a twelve-year-old girl from the village of Shunem in Israel. Miriam is captured by the invading army and is given as a slave to the wife of a Syrian commander named Naaman. Miriam experiences fear, grief, and despair, but also finds unexpected kindness and grace as she learns what it means to trust in her God and to obey.

The story is based on the Biblical account in II Kings, which tells about Naaman having leprosy, and coming to the Jewish prophet Elisha asking for a cure. It says that a young Israeli girl who was servant to Naaman's wife suggested that he go to Samaria to see the prophet. All we know about this girl was that she had been captured by raiders from Aram. Jarm Del Boccio took these few details, did some research, added some imagination, and crafted a fine story for tweens and young teens that focuses on this servant girl.

I found that the details are quite faithful to the original story, with a little liberty taken in how Elisha's instructions are delivered to Naaman, and Del Boccio has his wife persuade him to follow those instructions, while my Bible translation says it was his servants that convinced him. In any case - spoiler alert! - Naaman is cured when he obeys the prophet of the Lord, and so we see that a young servant girl had a great influence. And perhaps that little girl did indeed find peace and purpose in her situation as a captive far from home, just as this fictionalized account indicates.

The story is simple and short, and although it opens with a raid on Miriam's village and deals with her captivity as a slave, there is nothing graphic, and nothing that would be particularly disturbing to most young readers. I liked the encouraging theme - a young slave girl made a positive impact because she tried to do what was right and kind, and was obedient to her God. If you're looking for a good story for your middle grader, particularly for a girl, this little chapter book delivers a heart-warming story about having a heart willing to trust, obey, and forgive. 

You'll find more details about this book and its author in my original review post at Homeschool Coffee Break. You may also visit the publisher's website: Ambassador-International.com (this link is where you'll find the free Teacher's Guide as well); and the author's website: JarmDelBoccio.com

©2008-2019 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.

Wordless Wednesday - Rainbow

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Saw this rainbow low on the horizon as we were mini-golfing on Sunday. Simple beauty.

This post is linked at Wordless Wednesday, hosted by Life on Chickadee Lane.

©2008-2019 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 - A Caribbean Mystery

This post contains affiliate links. 

A Caribbean Mystery: A Miss Marple Mystery by Agatha Christie - Miss Marple is vacationing in the Caribbean and although she is only half paying attention, she can't help but be intrigued by an old soldier's story of someone that got away with murder when he reacts as if he had recognized the murderer! And when the old man is found dead in his sleep, she wonders if perhaps there was something to his story. In true Miss Marple style, she observes people and listens to their gossip and does her best to piece together what may have happened.

Next one of the resorts maids is found murdered, and more questions arise. Who did the Major see when he was telling Miss Marple his story? Who had opportunity to murder the maid? Miss Marple goes to work listening and encouraging confidences, and even enlists some aid from an unlikely ally among the guests. And soon she is certain the murderer will strike again, but can she discern who the victim will be in time to intervene?

A cozy mystery in a tropical setting, this one had quite a long list of possible suspects and although I made my guess about the murderer's identity, I really wasn't certain until late in the book. An entertaining whodunit read with interesting characters, and of course I had to admire the enterprising elderly lady detective who unravels the case before the professionals do!

©2008-2019 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.