Scripture and a Snapshot - Dwelling Place

But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! Yet give attention to your servant's prayer and his plea for mercy, Lord my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day. May your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, this place of which you said, "My Name shall be there," so that you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place. Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.

~I Kings 8:27-30~

Isn't it amazing that God dwells with us? That he is present in our worship services and prayer meetings, and in our hearts? The grandest and most beautiful churches and cathedrals we can construct are not adequate for his glory, but his Holy Spirit meets there with us anyway. In our beautiful buildings and in our humblest chapels, when we worship in huge crowds and when we meet with just two or three. Not only is the Holy Spirit present with us, but he hears our prayers and is faithful.

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Wordless Wednesday - Old Glory

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This is the flag currently flying outside Furnace Hills Coffee. Last year Furnace Hills sent coffee to the Air Force Panther group in Kandahar, Afghanistan, and as a tribute they flew this flag over the Crew Chief Shack on the flight line in January 2019. They signed and sent the flag to us, and we are proud to fly it, especially on Memorial Day and Flag Day.

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.

What I'm Reading - June 18, 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 about a month since my last one. Here's the latest from my reading list.

I finished reading . . . 

The Noble Guardian (The Bow Street Runners Trilogy) by Michelle Griep -  Abigail Gilbert hires horse patrol captain Samuel Thatcher to guard her as she journeys across the moors to meet her fiancee. The dangers they face and the surprises along the way challenge them both. (Read my full review HERE.)

A Dangerous Collaboration (A Veronica Speedwell Mystery) by Deanna Raybourn - one of my favorite series and authors! Veronica and Stoker journey to an island estate where they investigate the mysterious disappearance of their host's bride several years earlier. As they unravel the truth, they face a ruthless killer who could strike again. (Read my full review HERE)




The Pink Bonnet: True Colors: Historical Stories of American Crime by Liz Tolsma - The three-year-old daughter of widow Cecile is abducted by the notorious Georgia Tann and her corrupt Tennessee Children's Home Society. Cecile desperately searches for her daughter with the help of a sympathetic lawyer. (Read my full review HERE)

I'm currently reading . . .

The Express Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse - Jackie is continuing to run the Pony Express station herself after her father's passing, but questions about her past are raised when Elijah comes to town searching for the daughter of his employer, who has been missing since she was an infant, and who would answer Jackie's age and description.




 An Artless Demise (A Lady Darby Mystery) by Anna Lee Huber - just got started in this one, which is another of my favorite series, featuring a lady artist and her private enquiry agent husband.




The Red Door Inn (Prince Edward Island Dreams Book 1): A Novel by Liz Johnson - For something a bit different from all the historical fiction I usually choose, I started on this contemporary novel set in Prince Edward Island.




Next on the stack... 

The Heart Changer by Jarm Del Boccio

 The Year of Living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World's Happiest Country by Helen Russell
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 - Blessed Are Those (Father's Day)
Recent Reads - A Dangerous Collaboration
Wordless Wednesday - The View From My Front Porch
Recent Reads - The Noble Guardian
Scripture and a Snapshot - The Day of Pentecost
Wordless Wednesday - Graduation
God Is In the Small Stuff 20th Anniversary Edition
Scripture and a Snapshot - Clouds and Rain
Share Four Somethings - May 2019
Monthly Bookshelf Review - May 2019
Scripture and a Snapshot - Go The Distance
The Rock, The Road, and The Rabbi (A BookLook Review)
Wordless Wednesday - Homeschool Fair
Scripture and a Snapshot - To The Mountains

And on my homeschool blog, Homeschool Coffee Break:

Do You Homeschool Through The Summer?
Homeschool Highlights - Flag Day Edition
Virtual Refrigerator - Grad, Gold, and Firebird
Memoria Press History Study - The Wars of the Jews by Josephus
Homeschool Highlights - Summer Begins
Virtual Refrigerator - Grad Quilt
A Graduation PhotoJournal
Homeschool Highlights - The Week After Graduation
Virtual Refrigerator - Graduate's Cap
A Memorial Day 2019 PhotoJournal
Homeschool Highlights - The Week of Graduation
Virtual Refrigerator - Grad Photo Display
Homeschool Highlights - The Week With Family Time
Virtual Refrigerator - American History Timeline
A Homeschool Fair PhotoJournal

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.

Recent Reads - The Pink Bonnet

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The Pink Bonnet: True Colors: Historical Stories of American Crime by Liz Tolsma - Cecile Dowd is a young widow doing her best to raise her three-year-old daughter by herself, but times are hard in Memphis during the depression. One day Cecile leaves Millie Mae with a neighbor so she can go job hunting, and when she returns she finds that the neighbor has turned Millie over to Georgia Tann, director of the Tennessee Children's Home Society. So begins Cecile's desperate search to find her daughter, and to her horror she realizes that not only is Miss Tann's adoption agency corrupt, but Miss Tann has powerful connections.

Percy Vance is a lawyer that does work for Georgia Tann and believes that she is doing what is best for children - or at least he hasn't paid attention to any little signs that contradict that, until he is confronted by a distraught Cecile. Reluctantly, he recognizes that Cecile IS a good mother and that there are a lot of suspicious things about Georgia Tann's operation. Percy decides to help Cecile, despite the risk of crossing his ruthless employer and her cronies. The level of corruption Percy and Cecile start to uncover is breathtaking, but against the odds they continue the search for Millie Mae.

We are also introduced to two contrasting adoptive family situations, and either one could be Millie. Tolsma keeps us guessing which of the two it is until quite late in the story, adding to the tension and complexity of the moral dilemmas in the plot.

In many ways this was a dark and disturbing story, because it is based on historical events. Georgia Tann really did operate the Tennessee Children's Home Society in Memphis, and had powerful and corrupt connections that allowed her to continue. It's estimated that she kidnapped and sold over five thousand children between 1924 and 1950. Even celebrities like Joan Crawford, Dick Powell, and June Allyson adopted through Miss Tann. An investigation was finally opened in 1950, but Georgia Tann died of cancer before being held to account for her crimes. And very few, if any, of the children were ever found or reunited with their birth parents.

Knowing that Cecile's anguished search and the plight of Millie and other children likely reflected the experiences of real people added to the suspense and tension of this story. The plot drives the story far more than character arcs, but Cecile is a believable and sympathetic character right from the start. Percy is also appealing and mostly realistic. I stayed up quite late into the night to finish the story because I needed to know whether Cecile and Percy found Millie before it was too late, and whether there was any satisfactory justice. A compelling true crime story that handles situations of domestic abuse, abuse of children, and the heartless cruelty of Miss Tann and her associates without being graphic or using coarse language.

From the publisher:

A Desperate Mother Searches for Her Child
Step into True Colors -- a new series of Historical Stories of Romance and American Crime

Widowed in Memphis during 1932, Cecile Dowd is struggling to provide for her three-year-old daughter. Unwittingly trusting a neighbor puts little Millie Mae into the clutches of Georgia Tann, corrupt Memphis Tennessee Children's Home Society director suspected of the disappearance of hundreds of children. With the help of a sympathetic lawyer, the search for Millie uncovers a deep level of corruption that threatens their very lives.

How far will a mother go to find out what happened to her child?

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.

Scripture and a Snapshot - Blessed Are Those (Father's Day)

Praise the LORD.

Blessed are those who fear the LORD,

who find great delight in his commands.

Their children will be mighty in the land;

the generation of the upright will be blessed.

Wealth and riches are in their houses,

and their righteousness endures forever. 

Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,

for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.

Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely,

who conduct their affairs with justice.

Surely the righteous will never be shaken;

they will be remembered forever.

They will have no fear of bad news;

their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the LORD.

~Psalm 112:1-7~

Happy Father's Day!

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Recent Reads - A Dangerous Collaboration

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A Dangerous Collaboration (A Veronica Speedwell Mystery) by Deanna Raybourn - As the fourth in the series opens, Veronica and Stoker are both out of sorts and not getting along well. Things don't improve when Veronica accepts the invitation of Stoker's brother, Lord Tiberius Templeton-Vane, to accompany him to an island estate where she can acquire rare glasswing butterflies. Veronica even agrees to pose as his fiancee. Neither of them are truly surprised though, when Stoker shows up at the same house party, but sparks between the brothers continue to fly, even as Veronica and Stoker seem to settle their misunderstanding.

Soon the guests find out that the odd house party has been assembled by Malcolm Romilly because he hopes to solve a mystery. His bride, Rosamund, disappeared without a trace on their wedding day some three years earlier, and he has reason to believe that she met with foul play. There are interesting theories, and several possible suspects, including Malcolm's sister who keeps a poison garden, a sister-in-law who claims to be a clairvoyant, a nephew who stands to inherit the estate, and even Tiberius himself! Veronica and Stoker must work together to find out what happened to Rosamund, and when new dangers arise, they know they are dealing with a killer who will not hesitate to strike again!

Along with the mystery to solve, Veronica and Stoker have some personal and relationship issues to deal with, so there is romantic tension simmering throughout the story. Tiberius has his own secrets and the rocky relationship between him and Stoker creates additional drama and complications.

This is another delightful, almost Gothic mystery with a bold and different leading lady, an unusual setting, an interesting cast of characters, and the ongoing relationship between the two leading characters that has been building from their introduction. While each book in the series, including this one, can be read alone, they are so much better when read in order.

By the same author: A Treacherous Curse, A Perilous Undertaking, A Curious Beginning, Night of a Thousand Stars, Bonfire Night, Twelfth Night, City of Jasmine, Whisper of Jasmine, Midsummer Night; A Spear of Summer Grass, Silent in the Grave, Silent in the Sanctuary, Silent on the Moor, Dark Road to Darjeeling, The Dark Enquiry, Silent Night, The Dead Travel Fast

This is one of three books by the same author, for the 2019 Modern Mrs Darcy Reading Challenge.

©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 - The View From my Front Porch

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Cheers!

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.