Just A Second

Saturday, January 11

Scripture and a Snapshot - Be Strong in the Lord

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take a stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the power of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all of the Lord's people.

~Ephesians 6:10-18~

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.

I also link up at Sunday Scripture Blessings, hosted by Peabea Scribble Pad; and at Seeking Sabbath, hosted by A Spirit of Simplicity.

©2008-2020 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.

Wednesday, January 8

Wordless Wednesday - First Snowfall 2020

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

I'm no longer surprised when the first snow of the season means school closings and all of that, even if it's just a small amount. True to form, schools closed early and a lot of things were cancelled in the evening. I drove one of my girls into town to work in the late afternoon, and to be fair, there were a few slick spots and by the time I was almost home I thought the visibility was slightly reduced. I also thought the coating of big fluffy snowflakes was very pretty!

We had to have a little fun and measure the snowfall. I was surprised it was this much!

This morning we were greeted with a gorgeous pastel sunrise, a brief period of snow squalls, and right now, a bright blue sky and pristine white snow.

This post is linked at Wordless Wednesday, hosted by Life on Chickadee Lane, and at Pictoral Tuesday, hosted by Peabea Scribbles.

Pictorial Tuesday

Monday, January 6

Recent Reads - Penny For Your Secrets

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

Penny For Your Secrets by Anna Lee Huber - Verity Kent and her husband Sidney attend a dinner party that turns decidedly awkward when the hostess, Ada, has had too much to drink and makes a tasteless joke about shooting her husband when she finds a pistol has been left at the table. As Ada's friend, Verity does her best to help the party go smoothly and get past the shock. But not long after Verity and Sidney arrive home, they receive the news that Ada's husband, Lord Rockham, has indeed been shot and killed, and that Ada is obviously under suspicion.

Ada entreats Verity and Sidney to help find the real killer, and they find themselves back in the thick of things, investigating not just the murder, but following the tangled trails to uncover the conspiracies, fraud, smuggling, and previous murders that might be related. Verity is also asked to investigate the murder of a former Secret Service colleague's sister. It seems fantastic that the two cases could be related, but there are too many connections for Verity and Sidney to ignore.

Their commitment to discovering the truth takes them to France and to the Isle of Wight, and uncovers dangers and intrigues more complicated and sinister than she would have imagined. And during all of it, Verity continues to work on understanding Sidney's moods and struggles after the war.

I loved this installment in the Verity Kent series every bit as much as the previous two. The relationship between Verity and Sidney is becoming more settled as time marches on, but they face complicated challenges as Sidney recovers from the trauma and guilt over his role in the war. The delicate balance between them is often in jeopardy as their murder investigations and memories keep interrupting their lives. The mysteries they solve are complex and nuanced, and can't always be tied up neatly. The ending to this one doesn't obviously point to a fourth adventure, but I am trusting that Verity will be back soon!

By the same author: The Anatomist's Wife, Mortal Arts; 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

Saturday, January 4

Scripture and a Snapshot - The Most Important Commandment

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"

"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

"Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."

~Mark 12:28-32~

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.

I also link up at Sunday Scripture Blessings, hosted by Peabea Scribble Pad; and at Seeking Sabbath, hosted by A Spirit of Simplicity.

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.

Friday, January 3

Share Four Somethings - December 2019

This post contains affiliate links.

Oh dear, it's January and I have yet to share Something Loved, Something Said, Something Learned, and Something Read for the month of December! I think it's fair to say that the last week of December is an extremely busy one for almost everyone, so perhaps I'm not alone in playing a catch-up game these first few days of the new year.

Something Loved

So much to love during the holidays! Family and music sums up my favorite moments during the month. We started the month with my husband's birthday dinner with the family, and ended with my birthday dinner. Lots of family dinners and a few family breakfasts and lunches too. Precious time with the whole family on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. As for music, that involved family too! Kennady and I are both in the same choir now, and we had our Christmas concerts at the beginning of the month. My husband and I went to see Kennady play in her first Rock Ensemble concert at the college. I went with Kennady to a Pentatonix concert and to the annual Big Band Merry Christmas concert. The whole family went to a fantastic Trans Siberian Orchestra concert.

Something Said

Something Learned

This is going to sound strange, but the first thing I thought of as something I learned was a 'lightbulb' moment I had at work on Saturday. I had a classical music radio station playing, and was vaguely paying attention every now and again during the afternoon when they played the Mozart opera The Magic Flute. And when I heard the aria sung by the Queen of the Night character, I suddenly realized that it was also the theme of the Trans Siberian Orchestra piece "Queen of the Winter Night". I can't believe I never made the connection before, because it was so obvious.

Something Read

I completed four books in December, but still need to write a couple of the reviews. I'm not good about writing a review post for the books we study in my Literature class. You can see more about my reading in my Monthly Bookshelf Review for December 2019.

The Rebel Bride by Shannon McNear
Tiny Tim and the Ghost of Ebenezer Scrooge by Norman Whaler
Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
The Friendly Persuasion by Jessamyn West

This post will be linked at Share Four Somethings hosted by HeatherGerwing.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.

Thursday, January 2

Monthly Bookshelf Review - December 2019

This post contains affiliate links.

In general, I've had less reading time over the past year for some reason, but in December it seemed I had almost no time! And even though I finished a couple of books for the Literature class I teach, I forgot all about writing reviews for them, so I will need to catch up with that at some point in January. I suppose I will need to consider whether to participate in any specific reading challenges in 2020, as I had limited success in my 2019 challenges. In any case, I'm looking forward to reading some great books in the year ahead!

December's Books Completed and Reviewed

The Rebel Bride by Shannon McNear - During the War Between the States, a wounded Union soldier is quartered at the home of Rebels in Tennessee. As Pearl is pressed into duty nursing Joshua and others, she learns compassion and understanding. Can friendship and love grow despite differing loyalties? (Read my full review HERE)

Tiny Tim and the Ghost of Ebenezer Scrooge by Norman Whaler - A short novel styled as a sequel to Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Years after the events of the original, Ebenezer Scrooge passes away just days before Christmas and Tiny Tim, now a young man, grieves the loss of his dear old friend. (Read my full review HERE)

The Friendly Persuasion by Jessamyn West - This collection of short stories about a Quaker family was a featured read for my Literature class. I really enjoyed the simple, homey charm and humor. (Full review still to come!)

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie - The children's classic is the most recent book we covered in Lit class. It's been many, many years since I last read it, and I'd forgotten how differently Peter Pan is portrayed in the book as compared to the animated Disney movie! (Full review still to come!)

During December I continued reading:

Penny For Your Secrets by Anna Lee Huber - It's surprising that I didn't finish the latest in this favorite series a lot earlier! I wanted to, but had to prioritize reading for Lit class and was so busy with holiday stuff that I didn't quite make it. Just a few pages left, which I will finish tonight!

During December I shelved:

Church With No Walls by Noah Cleveland - With so much going on during December, I thought it best to set this aside and start over sometime in January when I could commit to getting through it in the suggested 21 days!

Coming Up in January!

She Laughs by Carolanne Miljavac
Warriors Don't Cry by Melba Pattillo Beals
Until the Mountains Fall by Connilyn Cossette

This post will be linked at:

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