Scripture and a Snapshot - Fortress

Truly my soul finds rest in God;

my salvation comes from him.

Truly he is my Rock and Salvation;

he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

Yes, my soul, find rest in God;

my hope comes from him.

Truly he is my rock and my salvation;

he is my fortress; I will not be shaken.

My salvation and my honor depend on God;

he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

Trust in him at all times, you people;

pour out your hearts to him,

for God is our refuge.

~Psalm 62:1-2, 5-8~

Scripture & a Snapshot is hosted by A Glimpse of Our Life.

Glimpses is hosted by Embracing Every Day, a lifestyle blog by Barbie Swihart.

Sunday Scripture Blessings is hosted by Peabea Scribble Pad.

©2008-2017 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/

Recent Reads - Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims

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I received the full set of these novels for review through the Homeschool Review Crew. The following is adapted from my review of the series, which appeared on my Homeschool Coffee Break blog. Read it here: Rushing Into History (A Homeschool Coffee Break Review).

Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims by Rush Limbaugh - I've been listening to radio host Rush Limbaugh for many years and find his political commentary both educational and entertaining. When I first heard about his Adventures of Rush Revere Book Series, I was intrigued even though my kids and I were all outside of the targeted age group! When the opportunity came to review the series, I jumped on it. 

Along with his wife Kathryn Adams Limbaugh, Rush has written a five book series bringing his passion for American history to young readers. In the Adventures of Rush Revere Book Series, Rush Revere starts out as a substitute history teacher, but quickly wins over his young students with his unique approach to teaching American history.  Together with his talking, time-traveling horse named Liberty, he brings American history to life for their students as he takes them back in time to meet the pilgrims, the brave American patriots of the Revolution, the early American presidents, Francis Scott Key, and many more extraordinary Americans. When Liberty says the magic words "Rush, rush, rushing to history!" and Rush Revere declares the date and place, the adventures in history begin!

In this first novel of the series, Rush Revere comes to teach history as a substitute teacher at Manchester Middle School and raises some eyebrows when he brings his horse Liberty to the classroom. Liberty is special though - he is able to travel back in time!  Two of the students, Tommy and Freedom, get to come along on this time-travel adventure and spend some time on the Mayflower. They meet some of the pilgrims, including William Bradford, Myles Standish, and Squanto; and learn first-hand about the hardships faced during the first winter spent in the New World. They learn why these brave folks were willing to risk so much to settle in a new place, all for the sake of faith and freedom, and how their sacrifice and courage laid a foundation for the future United States of America.

This novel is primarily geared to children and younger teens, but it's an entertaining way for readers of all ages to learn American history, or get a refresher in it. The historical characters and events are presented accurately, even though the fictional characters are interacting with them. The photos and illustrations include photos of the historical sites mentioned, reproductions of paintings of the historical figures and events, reproductions of historical documents, and some whimsical drawings of the fictional characters in the books on their time travel adventures. 

Adapted from Rushing Into History (A Homeschool Coffee Break Review) on Homeschool Coffee Break.

©2008-2017 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/

Recent Reads - The Black Moth

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The Black Moth by Georgette Heyer - Seven years ago, in an anxious moment, Richard Carstares cheated at cards and was caught. But his older brother Jack knew that the disgrace would ruin Richard's hopes of marrying Lady Lavinia so he took the blame for himself and then went to France and lived under an assumed name, effectively giving up his rightful title of Earl of Wyncham. Upon Jack's return to England, he uses a different name, and he also indulges in a little robbery disguised as a highwayman.

Even as a highwayman, Jack's honorable instincts come through when he comes across an attempted kidnapping and rescues the young lady, Diana. Jack recognizes the villain too, and it's none other than the Duke of Andover, Lavinia's brother. Jack is badly injured during the rescue, and Diana and her aunt take him back to their home to nurse him. Of course Jack and Diana fall in love, but Jack cannot tell her his true identity because he doesn't wish the disgrace attached to him to touch Diana.

The story also follows younger brother Richard and his often troubled relationship with his wife Lavinia. Richard is haunted by guilt that he allowed Jack to take the blame for the cheating and that he hadn't the courage to own his own mistake. But Lavinia wants a lavish lifestyle and busy social life, and she refuses to allow Richard to admit that he was the cheater.

Eventually Richard finds out that his brother is back in England, and decides that he must admit his own guilt and clear Jack's name, especially when he hears that Jack will not marry Diana as long as he bears the black mark. But will it cost Richard his own marriage? Lavinia declares that she will not stay with Richard is he is to be shut out of society, and an old flame of hers is eagerly anticipating that she will elope with him in order to escape the disgrace.

I felt that this was rather a slow start, and it took me some time to get the characters straight and figure out which ones were the leads and the sympathetic characters, and which were the villains. However, several chapters in, by the time Jack had stepped in to save Diana from being kidnapped, I was drawn in and rooting for Richard to do the right thing and for Jack to find his true love. So it turned out to be another delightful historical from an author who has never disappointed.

By the same author: These Old Shades, Regency Buck, The Unknown Ajax, Powder and Patch, Beauvallet, Lady of Quality, The Toll-Gate

©2008-2017 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/

Wordless Wednesday - Gettysburg

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Eternal Light Peace Memorial

On Saturday we spent some time exploring at Gettysburg. My husband's sister and her husband are visiting and wanted to take a bit more time seeing the battlefield, and we took my daughter and her boyfriend along on the adventure as well. It was a hot and rather humid day, so none of us were too eager to spend a lot of it outdoors. We drove through the battlefield and stopped at a couple of the highlight spots after having checked out the visitor center. None of us took a lot of pictures either, so these few photos are about all we had!

photo taken from Devil's Den

Monument to the 91st Pennsylvania Volunteers

91st Pennsylvania Volunteers

Devil's Den, as seen from the 44th NY

Monument to the 12th and 44th NY Volunteers

12th and 44th NY Volunteers

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

©2008-2017 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/

Teaser Tuesday - My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island: Maude's Mooring

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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Ambrosia at The Purple Booker. To play along, just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• Be careful not to include spoilers!
• Share the title and author, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers! 

As he biked towards Maude's home Saturday morning, Ben couldn't stop wondering what on earth Maude Welling was doing working at the Grand Hotel. Was she scoping out a wealthy husband? Or had her family fallen on such hard times that she had to work? Or did they send her there to spy on their competition?

~My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island: Maude’s Mooring by Carrie Fancett Pagels, page 96

©2008-2017 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/

What I'm Reading - July 17, 2017

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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!

I finished reading . . . nothing this week!

I'm currently reading . . .

The Black Moth by Georgette Heyer - however, I am almost finished this one I've been reading on my Kindle.




My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island: Maude’s Mooring by Carrie Fancett Pagels - have been enjoying this historical set in Michigan in 1895.




Barbara and Susan's Guide to the Empty Nest by Barbara Rainey and Susan Yates - This has been a rather emotional read for me so far, but a good one.





The Red Siren (Charles Towne Belles) by MaryLu Tyndall - light historical that I've read a couple of times before, so it's kind of on the backburner while I work on review books.

  

Next on the stack... 

Egypt's Sister: A Novel of Cleopatraby Angela Hunt
Fairy Tale Romance Collection: The Healer's Apprentice, The Merchant's Daughter, The Fairest Beauty, The Captive Maiden, The Princess Spy (Fairy Tale Romance Series) by Melanie Dickerson

  

On my blogs recently . . .

Here on Just A Second:

Scripture and a Snapshot - Like-Minded
Book Blogger Hop - July 14, 2017
Wordless Wednesday - Day Lilies
Teaser Tuesday - Barbara and Susan's Guide to the Empty Nest

And on my homeschool blog, Homeschool Coffee Break:

Homeschool Highlights - Summer School Days
Six Ideas for Your Next Field Trip
Virtual Refrigerator - The Jeep (Again)
From the High School Lesson Book - A Year End Summary

What are you reading?

©2008-2017 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/

Scripture and a Snapshot - Like-Minded

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.

~Philippians 2:1-2~

Scripture & a Snapshot is hosted by A Glimpse of Our Life.

Glimpses is hosted by Embracing Every Day, a lifestyle blog by Barbie Swihart.

©2008-2017 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/