Share Four Somethings - September 2018

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I am late to this party, but I'm going to try joining a monthly link-up called Share Four Somethings. I say "try" because I'll need to remind myself! Anyway, the point is to share Something Loved, Something Said, Something Learned, and Something Read each month.

Something Loved

There were a lot of things to love in September, but the most significant for me was our time together on a family vacation the last week of the month. The only drawback was that this vacation didn't include the entire family - our two adult sons stayed home and worked. But on the other hand, it was so sweet to have that time with just our daughter and to enjoy fun experiences with her. We went to Florida, mostly for a Disney vacation, but included a couple of other attractions as well - a brief visit to St. Augustine, a trip to Tampa for a pre-season hockey game, and lunch with my friends in Jacksonville.

Magic Kingdom

Animal Kingdom

Rockin Roller Coaster at Hollywood Studios

Hollywood Studios

Castillo de San Marcos at St Augustine

at Amelie Arena in Tampa

Something Said

I saw this a couple of days ago, and thought it a humorous reminder to keep my perspective and my temper when facing the challenges of the day!

Something Learned

I started attending a new midweek Bible study group at church, and we're looking at the wisdom books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job. We're listening to the related podcasts from The Bible Project and starting our discussion from what they have to say. One description they used to compare the books is that Proverbs is like a young, enthusiastic, and very smart teacher, who has a lot of advice about all kinds of topics. Ecclesiastes is more like a middle-aged cynic who has seen that things don't always work out as neatly and as fairly as that idealistic teacher seems to claim. And Job is an older teacher - someone who has lived a long time and has learned that good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people. Yet all three maintain that no matter what, God is good, and that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. I'm looking forward to a lot more interesting discussion as we dig into each of these books in the weeks and months ahead!

Something Read

I completed two books in September. You can see more about my reading in my Monthly Bookshelf Review for September 2018.

Fawkes: A Novel by Nadine Brandes - Read my full review HERE.

Treacherous Is the Night (A Verity Kent Mystery) by Anna Lee Huber - Read my full review HERE.

  

This post is linked at Share Four Somethings hosted at HeatherGerwing.com

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Wordless Wednesday - St. Augustine, Florida

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On our recent Florida vacation, we spent a bit of time walking around the historic city of St. Augustine. It's the oldest city in the United States, and its Spanish heritage is celebrated in this historic shopping district.

We found the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine and were able to take a look inside this beautiful historic building.

A short walk along the water took us to the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument.

We've visited this 17th century fort in the past, and with limited time, we decided this time we wouldn't pay the admission to go inside, and just walked around the outside of the wall instead.

The walls of the fort are constructed of a type of limestone called coquina. Only one other fortification in the world is made of coquina - Fort Matanzas, which is just 14 miles away.

coquina - This picture was taken on our previous visit, in 2008.

These last two pictures were from our previous visit, in 2008, and were taken inside the Castillo.

This post is linked at Wordless Wednesday, hosted by Life at Rossmont; and at Pictorial Tuesday, hosted by Peabea's Scribble Pad.

©2008-2018 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 Review - September 2018

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September was a very busy month, with the school year starting and so much going on! In addition we were on vacation last week, so once again I didn't get a whole lot of reading done. I finished a couple of really good books, started one that is quite thought-provoking, and have a couple ready to go for October!

September's Books Completed and Reviewed

Fawkes: A Novel by Nadine Brandes - An imaginative blending of fantasy and history in which the Gunpowder Plot is part of the conflict between Igniters and Keepers and their views on the use of color powers. (Read my full review HERE.)

I was part of a plot that rebelled against the Igniter movement. We were opposites, in more ways than just our stances on White Light.

Treacherous Is the Night (A Verity Kent Mystery) by Anna Lee Huber - Verity searches for one of her former Secret Service colleagues after receiving a very suspicious 'message' from her at a seance. (Read my full review HERE.)

It seemed impossible that the woman should be killed just as I was coming to question her. Killed in a manner in which one couldn't immediately verify the truthfulness of the assistant's assertions. Oh, the fire was definitely real. But as to her employer's death, that was highly suspicious.

During September I continued reading:

Condemn Me Not: Accused of Witchcraft by Heather B. Moore - a novel of the life of one of the women accused in the infamous Salem Witch Trials.

What trials are we meant to endure in this life? And how did the trials of regular life escalate to this horror? I wonder if there is so much a soul can endure before death seems the better option. For I look upon an innocent babe now, and she has escaped an earthly hell.

During September I started reading:


Disruptive Witness: Speaking Truth in a Distracted Age by Alan Noble - picked this one up because my son recommended it. When my kids recommend books, I check them out!

Living a distracted lifestyle does more than waste our time, it forms our minds, often in ways that are harmful for deep, sustained thought--the kind of thought so important to religious discourse.

Coming Up in October!

Praise Habit: Finding God in Sunsets and Sushi (Experiencing God) by David Crowder - This one has been sitting on my to-read pile for a couple months, but somehow I always seem to start something else before opening it. Will try to prioritize this in October!

 


The Last Book in the Universe by Rodman Philbrick - This is kind of cheating, because I started and finished this book yesterday, October 1st, and the review is coming in the next couple of days!

Shelter of the Most High (Cities of Refuge) by Connilynn Cossette - Came home from vacation to find this advance copy waiting for me, so it's a priority as well!

This post will be linked at:

5 Minutes For Books - What's On Your Nightstand? September 25
The Book Date - Month In Reading Review - September 2018

©2008-2018 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.