Share Four Somethings - May 2019

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Taking a little break during a very busy day and week to share Something Loved, Something Said, Something Learned, and Something Read from my very busy month of May!

Something Loved

Of all the many things I loved in May, the highlight was my daughter's graduation, especially since the whole family was here to celebrate, and my parents were here as well.

Photo by Creative Pair, used with permission

Photo by Creative Pair, used with permission

Photo by Creative Pair, used with permission

Photo by Creative Pair, used with permission

Photo by Creative Pair, used with permission

Something Said

Ralph Waldo Emerson once asked what we would do if the stars only came out once every thousand years. No one would sleep that night, of course . . . We would be ecstatic, delirious, made rapturous by the glory of God. Instead the stars come out every night, and we watch television. ~Paul Hawken

Came across that while looking for quotes for graduation, actually. And it made me stop and think. And then start to rethink. Very often when I come home on clear nights, I stand in my driveway and stare in awe and silence up at the stars. And when there's a meteor shower or some interesting conjunction of planets or something like that, I do try to go out and look. But I think I, and all of us, would do well to stop and marvel at these amazing things of everyday beauty on an everyday basis.

Something Learned

We've lived in this little corner of a rural county in Maryland for almost fifteen years now, but it was only this week that I actually looked up some information about the building that stands next to the railroad tracks in the village. It looks like a warehouse or other industrial building, but is now a private residence. My husband knew that it had once been a creamery, so I googled and found out that it had been a milk plant called Fairfield Farms Dairy during the 1920s and 1930s. It had employed about fifty local people and contributed to the growth of the little town. The community, originally named Double Pipe Creek, had grown up around the three large mills built along the confluence of two creeks on land purchased by Joshua Delaplane in 1794. The town survived several major floods during the 1800s, including one caused by the same storm which caused the infamous Johnstown Flood in 1889. The Western Maryland Railroad arrived in the 1860s and brought new prosperity to the area, but also required the town to change its name, since Double Pipe Creek was too long to print on the schedules! The name changed to Detour in 1905, and it's generally assumed that the railroad's meandering and indirect route through the area is the source of that name.

Something Read

I completed just two books in May, and I'm currently working on two others. You can see more about my reading in my Monthly Bookshelf Review for May 2019.

The Governess of Penwythe Hall (The Cornwall Novels) by Sarah E. Ladd
The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi: My Journey into the Heart of Scriptural Faith and the Land Where It All Began by Kathie Lee Gifford

  

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Monthly Bookshelf Review - May 2019

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May 2019 has been a good month, but not for my reading! It's usually a very busy month, and was even more so this year, as my activities included planning and hosting a homeschool fair, planning and celebrating my daughter's graduation from our homeschool, and having my parents here visiting for almost three weeks. 

May's Books Completed and Reviewed


The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi: My Journey into the Heart of Scriptural Faith and the Land Where It All Began by Kathie Lee Gifford - Gifford describes her personal experience and lessons learned on a trip to the Holy Land with Bible teacher Ray Vander Laan, with additional insights from Rabbi Jason Sobel.  (Read my full review HERE)

Shadow among Sheaves by Naomi Stephens - This story is set in England and based on the Biblical story of Ruth. A British widow returns to England with her widowed Indian daughter-in-law.  Recent clashes between British imperial forces and their Indian subjects have caused most of their English neighbors to be suspicious and prejudiced, and the two women face destitution.  (Read my full review HERE)




The Governess of Penwythe Hall (The Cornwall Novels) by Sarah E. Ladd - Cordelia Greythorne vowed she would never return to Cornwall, but that's exactly where her position as governess to five orphaned children takes her.  (Read my full review HERE)

During May I continued reading:

A Dangerous Collaboration (A Veronica Speedwell Mystery) by Deanna Raybourn - Veronica and Stoker travel to an island estate and are asked to help discover what happened to their host's bride, who disappeared mysteriously on her wedding day three years earlier.




During May I started reading:

The Noble Guardian (The Bow Street Runners Trilogy) by Michelle Griep - Patrol captain Samuel Thatcher is looking forward to finishing his contract as a lawman and living a quieter life, but then he rescues Abigail Gilbert from highwaymen and winds up acting as her protector and delivering her to her betrothed. I'm just a couple of chapters in, but I'm betting she doesn't marry the man she was betrothed to. Just a wild guess!

Coming Up in June!

 An Artless Demise (A Lady Darby Mystery) by Anna Lee Huber
Fervent: A Woman's Battle Plan to Serious, Specific and Strategic Prayer by Priscilla Shirer
Secrets in the Mist (A Gothic Myths Novel) by Anna Lee Huber
The Year of Living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World's Happiest Country by Helen Russell


   



   

This post will be linked at:

Feed Your Fiction Addiction - May 2019 Wrap-Up Round-Up & Giveaway

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Scripture and a Snapshot - Go the Distance

I have chosen the way of faithfulness;

I have set my heart on your laws.

I hold fast to your statutes, LORD;

do not let me be put to shame.

I run in the path of your commands,

for you have broadened my understanding.

Teach me, LORD, the way of your decrees,

that I may follow it to the end.

Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law

and obey it with all my heart.

Direct me in the path of your commands,

for there I find delight.

~Psalm 119:30-35~

This is my daughter's cap, decorated for her graduation this past week. And although the quote is from a Disney song (Hercules, in case you didn't recognize it), I'm confident that her trust is in the Lord, and as long as she follows him she will indeed be able to go the distance, wherever he leads her. 

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The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi (A BookLook Review)

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The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi: My Journey into the Heart of Scriptural Faith and the Land Where It All Began by Kathie Lee Gifford - This book is part devotional and part travelogue as TV personality Kathie Lee Gifford shares about her experience traveling through the Holy Land with Bible teacher and tour guide Ray Vander Laan. Gifford describes the sites they visited in Israel and her impressions as well as the summary of the lessons and insights shared by Vander Laan on those visits. In most chapters, there is also a lesson by Rabbi Jason Sobel that explains deeper meaning behind the Hebrew words and thoughts used in the Scripture. There are twenty-nine chapters detailing the sites visited, including Mount Carmel, Bethlehem, Nazareth, Galilee, the Mount of Olives, the Garden of Gethsemane, and several sites in the city of Jerusalem.

Having watched the entire DVD series of Ray Vander Laan's Bible tours in the Holy Land, I could easily picture the settings and was familiar with many of the insights shared from his teachings. I enjoyed reading Gifford's first-hand experience of being on the tour and her own thoughts at being on location during one of these tours. My favorite part of this book has been the writings of Rabbi Sobel. As a Jewish believer in Jesus, he gives valuable historical and rabbinical background and insight into the meaning of specific passages of Scripture and prophecy. He points out that Scripture uses certain words and phrases repeatedly and shares knowledge about how the Jewish people in Jesus' day would have understood the words and actions of the Messiah. The meaning of numbers is also significant and he uncovers some of those layers of meaning for readers as well. I found "aha" moments in each of his devotionals added to the book.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has watched and enjoyed the Vander Laan series and wants more insight; and to anyone interested in gaining a better understanding of the Bible in its original context.

From the publisher:

As a lifelong student of Scripture, Kathie Lee Gifford has always desired a deeper understanding of God's Word and a deeper knowledge of God Himself. But it wasn't until she began studying the biblical texts in their original Hebrew and Greek - along with actually hiking the ancient paths of Israel - that she found the fulfillment of those desires.

Now you can walk with Kathie on a journey through the spiritual foundations of her faith:

The Rock (Jesus Christ): Hear directly from Kathie about her life-changing and ever-deepening connection with Jesus, the Lover of her soul

The Road (Israel): Explore dozens of ancient landmarks and historical sites from Israel, the promised land of God's covenant.

The Rabbi (God's Word): Go beyond a Sunday school approach to the Bible by digging into the original languages and deeper meanings of the Holy Scriptures

As you journey through The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi, you'll also find additional content from Messianic Rabbi Jason Sobel throughout the book. Jason's insight into the Hebrew language, culture, and heritage will open your eyes to the Bible like never before.

Come! Begin your journey toward a deeper faith through The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. 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: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

©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 - Homeschool Fair

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On the Saturday before Mother's Day, three friends and I did something a little crazy - - - we hosted our own homeschool fair! Our state curriculum fair had been cancelled so we got together and planned our own that would serve our county and surrounding areas. We really had no idea how big it could be and what kind of response we'd get.

We wound up with about thirty vendors and exhibitors and maybe a dozen homeschoolers selling their used curriculum yard sale style. And were so pleased with the positive response and enthusiasm from almost everyone we contacted and all those that came.

Yes, we are making plans to do it all again next year!

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.