Okay for Now

Sisters Book Challenge

Book 4

Okay for Now

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This book is about Doug, a teenager who is abused by his father. When Doug's family moves to a different town, he has trouble getting used to his new surroundings. With the help of friends Lil Spicer and Mr. Powell from the library, Doug starts getting used to the new town. But obstacles like his older brothers, suspicions about a theft, and some tough teachers make it hard for Marysville, New York to feel like home. 

I had a hard time getting into this book but after a few chapters I started really enjoying it. Each chapter started with a different John James Audubon print and Audubon birds were talked about and described all through the book. The author also included several references to well-known authors and poets in the story.

Did I like this story? Yes. But would I read any other books by this author? Probably not. 

Things We Leave Behind

For the past several weeks we've been listening to the Michael Card album Scribbling in the Sand while riding in the car. He has such great music! One song that has been going through my mind a lot on that album is Things We Leave Behind. Such rich words! A line jumped out at me the other day when I was listening to it.

'Cause when we say no to the things of the world
We open our hearts to the love of the Lord

Things We Leave Behind
Michael Card

There sits Simon, so foolishly wise
Proudly he's tending his nets
Then Jesus calls and the boats drift away
And all that he owns he forgets

But more than the nets, he abandoned that day
He found that his pride was soon drifting away
And it's hard to imagine the freedom we find
From the things we leave behind

Matthew was mindful of taking the tax
And pressing the people to pay
Hearing the call, he responded in faith
And followed the light and the way

And leaving the people so puzzled he found
The greed in his heart was no longer around and
And it's hard to imagine the freedom we find
From the things we leave behind

Every heart needs to be set free
From possessions that hold it so tight
'Cause freedom's not found in the things that we own
It's the power to do what is right

With Jesus, our only possession
And giving becomes our delight
And we can't imagine the freedom we find
From the things we leave behind

We show a love for the world in our lives
By worshiping goods we possess
Jesus has laid all our treasures aside
And love God above all the rest

'Cause when we say no to the things of the world
We open our hearts to the love of the Lord and
It's hard to imagine the freedom we find
From the things we leave behind

And when we say no to the things of the world
We open our hearts to the love of the Lord and
It's hard to imagine the freedom we find
From the things we leave behind
Oh, and it's hard to imagine the freedom we find
From the things we leave behind

All the Way My Savior Leads Me

All the Way My Savior Leads Me

by Fanny Crosby

All the way my Savior leads me;

What have I to ask beside?

Can I doubt His tender mercy,

Who through life has been my Guide?

Heav’nly peace, divinest comfort,

Here by faith in Him to dwell!

For I know, whate’er befall me,

Jesus doeth all things well;

For I know, whate’er befall me,

Jesus doeth all things well.

All the way my Savior leads me,

Cheers each winding path I tread;

Gives me grace for every trial,

Feeds me with the living Bread.

Though my weary steps may falter,

And my soul athirst may be,

Gushing from the Rock before me,

Lo! A spring of joy I see;

Gushing from the Rock before me,

Lo! A spring of joy I see.

All the way my Savior leads me

O the fullness of His love!

Perfect rest to me is promised

In my Father’s house above.

When my spirit, clothed immortal,

Wings its flight to realms of day

This my song through endless ages—

Jesus led me all the way;

This my song through endless ages—

Jesus led me all the way.

***

The Lamb…will lead them to springs of living water.

Revelation 7:17

Felt Tic-Tac-Toe

I made this felt tic-tac-toe back in the winter. I had seen this idea on pinterest but I wanted to make mine a bit more deluxe. For the lines and words I back stitched. So that the ugly wrong side wouldn't show, I cut out a second piece of felt the same size as the first one and blanket stitched them together.

For the game pieces I cut out little circles of white felt (instead of buttons since that would be a choking hazard to young children) and tied white and pink embroidery threads onto each piece. I made six of each color.

This project took me just an afternoon.

I put it in my gift bag and I'm just waiting for the right person to give it to.

Face to Face

Face to Face

by Carrie Breck

Face to face with Christ, my Savior,

Face to face—what will it be,

When with rapture I behold Him,

Jesus Christ Who died for me?

Only faintly now I see Him,

With the darkened veil between,

But a blessèd day is coming,

When His glory shall be seen.

What rejoicing in His presence,

When are banished grief and pain;

When the crooked ways are straightened,

And the dark things shall be plain.

Face to face—oh, blissful moment!

Face to face—to see and know;

Face to face with my Redeemer,

Jesus Christ Who loves me so.

Refrain:

Face to face I shall behold Him,

Far beyond the starry sky;

Face to face in all His glory,

I shall see Him by and by!

~~~

Now we see but a poor reflection…then we shall see face to face.

1 Corinthians 13:12

Photo Friday: Apples to Apples

Owen loves to play Apples to Apples with us on Sunday afternoons. 

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Pretzel Rolls

We discovered this recipe for pretzel rolls in the winter. They were great with a bowl of soup on a cold winter day.

For Father's Day, we had hamburgers and I was asked to make pretzel rolls for buns.

:::

I added water, yeast, and sugar to a mixing bowl and let it sit to proof for a few minutes.

Then flour and salt was added to the bowl.

I let the Kitchen Aid do all the mixing and kneading.

Into a bowl the dough went and outside into the heat with a damp cloth over it to rise.

The dough then got divided into even round balls...

...to rise again.

While the dough was rising, I heated up a pot with water and baking soda. Once the dough rose enough, each roll sat in the boiling water for a minute or so.

Out of the bath, each roll got an egg wash...

...and a coating of salt.

I took a knife and sliced each roll with an "X".

And in to the oven they went.

::: 

The pretzel rolls were a big hit and the size was perfect for a hamburger. 

To find the recipe I used go ~here~.

Be Thou My Vision

Be Thou My Vision

old Irish hymn

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;

Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.

Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,

Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;

I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;

Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;

Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,

Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:

Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,

High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,

May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!

Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,

Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

~~~

“When a prophet of the Lord is among you, I reveal Myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams.”

Numbers 12:6

June Photo-a-day Challenge Wrap-up

The June Photo-a-day Challenge was a big success! I had 14 ladies participate and link up to my challenge. 

Bekah @ Note By Note

Jenna @ Delighting in Today

Kristin @ Bits and Pieces From My Life

Vee @ A Haven for Vee

Podso @ Podso

Veralynne @ Designed by Vera

Judith @ Lavender Cottage

Sylvia D @ SMD Paper Arts

Joanne @ My Not-So-Empty Nest

Cheryl @ Thinking About Home

Ellen B @ The Happy Wonderer

Kylie @ Mountain Laurel

Catrinel @ Soricel

Kimberly @ Camp and Cottage Living

I'm definitely planning on doing another photo-a-day challenge in the future.  

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Other scenes from June:

Since I had my camera out a lot in June, other subjects were photographed as well.

Maddie

Puss

making some bread in the Kitchen Aid

a bee sipping nectar from the lamb's ear

me and my friend Kate at her birthday party

nighttime coffee and a peanut butter cookie

an unusual insect on the car mirror

cherry tree

Pinky climbing a tree

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How was your June?

Child of Mine {Book Review}

*** I was given a copy of this book by Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest and unbiased review of the book. 

source

I enjoy reading anything Beverly Lewis writes and I also enjoyed the book she wrote with her husband David, called The Sanctuary. I was looking forward to reading their latest book Child of Mine and I was happy when Bethany House offered that book as one of the choices in the blogger review program.

Jack Livingston has taken on the responsibility of raising his adopted niece, Natty, after her parents were killed in an accident. When he has to travel for work, their Amish nanny, Laura, watches over eight-year-old Natty. Natty longs for a mother and she things Laura would be perfect for the roll. Kelly Maines lost her baby daughter eight years ago when she was taken from her crib in the middle of the night. After years of dead ends, her private investigator finally thinks he's found a clue to where Kelly's little girl is, less than an hour away. The end to the search could be in sight. 

Child of Mine is a wonderful story of love and forgiveness. Unlike most of Beverly Lewis's books, this joint-effort book doesn't come from the perspective of an Amish person, but from the perspectives of two Englishers. It is also different since it has a bit of mystery and suspense as the authors take you on the journey of finding Kelly's long-lost daughter and her methods of retrieving DNA samples from children. This is not an edge-of-your-seat kind of mystery but I did have a hard time putting it down because I wanted to see what would happen next. I would definitely recommend this book.