Sarah Holman's Blog, page 57

And then she got engaged

OH MY GOODNESS! Has it seriously been almost a month since I posted here? Yeah, my internet has been giving me fits and then...

See those happy faces? That is them right after my sister said yes! 
Yes, that is the ring. Isn't it pretty? Tim did such a great job at picking it out. It has both their names on it.
On the Monday after Easter, Tim took Rose to a park. They went to her favorite spot, a rock outcropping over the water. When it was time to leave he asked her:"Do you trust me?""Yes," Rose said.Tim led her to the very edge of the rock and had her face the water with her eyes closed. Rose heard a soft noise behind her."You can open your eyes now."She turned around and he was down on one knee, a ring in hand."Will you marry me?"
We heard the excited scream at our house... Okay, not really. She was an hour away. My sister, who had the courage to stand up for her convictions, struggled with singleness, finally has found the man of her dreams.
Keep reading here for updates on the wedding planning, and all that fun stuff.

Adveture Between the Pages: With Every Letter

Read my review on Amazon
Buy it Here
Age Appropriate For: 15 and up for romance
Best for Ages: 15 and up
Description: Lt. Mellie Blake is looking forward to beginning her training as a flight nurse. She is not looking forward to writing a letter to a man she's never met--even if it is anonymous and part of a morale-building program. Lt. Tom MacGilliver, an officer stationed in North Africa, welcomes the idea of an anonymous correspondence--he's been trying to escape his infamous name for years.
As their letters crisscross the Atlantic, Tom and Mellie develop a unique friendship despite not knowing the other's true identity. When both are transferred to Algeria, the two are poised to meet face-to-face for the first time. Will they overcome their fears and reveal who they are, or will their future be held hostage by their pasts?

This year has not been a good one for me in my fiction selections. I have found some gems, but mostly I keep hitting mediocre or downright bad books. It has been almost enough to drive me to break my vow of not buying books this year. I decided to go back to some of the authors that I have loved. Sundin was one of them.

Wow! I cannot tell you quite how much I loved this book. I stayed up until midnight to finish it and sat awake for about a half an hour smiling and reliving parts of it before falling asleep. I actually cried while reading this book at one point, it was just that powerful.

One of the things I love about Sundin is her willingness to tackle hard issues. Not the things that the world calls ‘tough issues’ but the truly neglected issues of the heart that Christians like to ignore. Topics of friendship, redemptions, forgiveness, gossip and leadership were all covered. The overarching message, though, was one of living without a mask and taking a risk for friendship.

Mellie was such a wonderful character. I loved her to pieces and wanted to shake her at times. Yet she was so believable. Her flaws and her strengths made such a complete person that felt so real. Tom also felt very real. His struggle with leadership and doing what was right despite his past were so beautiful.

As always, Sundin did an awesome job with her settings. I always feel more educated after reading her books, for the historical things I learn are always in perfect harmony with the story. I look forward to learning more about the flight nurses while reading this series.

The romance was based on admiration of character, not physical attraction. It was such a wonderful break from the norm. The romance was very sweet and through letters for the most part, so based on character. Tom’s commitment to a girl he only knows on paper made me want to stand up and cheer. The kisses at the end were sweet, especially for how long the author made us wait for them.

I highly recommend this book for those who like romance, historical fiction, and faith-building stories.

Happy Days for my Sister

Rose has been the subject of several posts. I talked about her courage in 2015 and about how hard it was to watch her hurt in 2016 because she was still single. However, I have prayed for a while that God would bring a godly man into her life. The last three months, I have been blessed to watch her grow in a relationship with Tim.

I am so blessed to have a front row seat to watch my sister’s dream coming true. It hasn’t been easy for her to wait, there have been some really hard times, yet now it all seems worth it. Oh, our family also had an awesome time hiking on Sunday.

Where I am in the Holman Writing Adventure

I thought I would give you an update as to where I am with some various projects. I am really hoping that I can make a lot of progress this week.

Books I am preparing for paperback:Kate’s CapitolCourage and CorruptionEmmeline
Projects I am editing:Dreams and DevotionFather, Forgive them (an Easter short StoryCeaseless (A Tales of Taelis short story)
WritingA Tales of Taelis short storyKate’s Case Files #3
I am looking forward to sharing more about all of these projects with you. I wish I could work faster or at least not need as much sleep. However, everything will get done that God wants to get done.

Adventure Between the Pages: Finding Becky

Buy it Here
See my review on Amazon

Description: Finding Becky is the third novel in the Winds Across the Prairie series.  Becky Haynes returns to Barton Creek after college with a new independent spirit that baffles her longtime friend Rob Frankston. Her new attitude toward her faith, family, and friends confuses her family. When a stranger moves into Barton Creek, Becky is flattered and taken in by the attentions of Geoff Kensington. As Oklahoma approaches statehood, strange accidents befall the citizens of Barton Creek. Rob has his suspicions concerning Geoff, but will he be able to find proof and convince Becky to return to the faith of her childhood before the town of Barton Creek is destroyed?

I have loved the first two books in this series. I had the privilege of meeting Martha Rogers a few years ago and her faith shines not only in her books but in her life. I was excited when I found a discounted copy of this book to read.

I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed in this story. I liked Becky but between books she became an annoying know-it-all. However, Becky got a lot of silly ideas stuck in her head. That would have been okay, but the change in her fell a little flat. As the other two books in this series were very powerful that was disappointing.

Geoff was a confusing character and he made me dizzy. Even at the end of the book I had no idea what kind of guy he was. As he is a big part of the story, this also made for a disappointing aspect of the story.

Rob was the best character. He loves Becky and doesn’t give up on her. With that says, he also doesn’t stand on his principles. Not giving up on someone should never means ignoring your values.
The setting was great. Being back in Barton Springs and seeing Lucy, Dove, and the rest was great. I felt so at home and cozy. While most of the book was disappointing, just being back in the setting I love was worth it.

While not my favorite, if you love the first two books in the series, you ought to read this one.

The Holman Writing Adventure continues… without a schedule.

The Holman Writing adventure continues… without a schedule. Most of you probably read my post about tearing up my schedule (add link). It has been a challenge as well as a blessing for me. While I feel like I am making time for the important things, progress on some of my stories is going much slower. Dreams and Devotion has taken very little of my time the last two weeks. People and events seem to be conspiring against this story… which is oddly appropriate for the story.

I thrive on my schedules, so to be without one feels odd. Yet, I am not roaming around the house without purpose. I still spend most of the day behind my laptop, working away, but sometimes, things more important than my work go on. Such as:

I spent some time getting Homeschooled Authors in order.
I chatted online with some friends going through a rough time.
I finally dusted my shelves.
I have worked in the garden some.
I have been able to be more available to my family.
I have been less stressed.

I admit, it is a little hard sometimes because I know that things are not going according to my hoped for timetable. I also want to be spending more time on my writing. Yet, I know that I am exactly were God wants me to be. There is nowhere I would rather be.

Welcome to my Room

Today I wanted to do something a little different. I want to invite you into my room. I cleaned it up recently so it is actually fit to be seen. I share this room with my sister Rose. As she works in town and I spend most of the day behind my computer it can get pretty messy.



This is my writing corner which you may have seen pictures of before.



This is where a lot of our stuff is stored.



And where our collection of miniature tea sets, my awesome books, and Rose’s crafting supplies are kept.



In case you thought I had taken over the room entirely with my books, this corner is all Roses.




This is the latest addition to our room, it is a nice place for us to do our hair and keep the bathroom open.


Thank you for visiting. Can you stay for tea?

What Should we Watch?

There has been a great debate going around my circle of friends: Should they or shouldn’t they watch the new Beauty and the Beast? It has been thoughtful, insightful, and, yes, ugly at times. Some of my friends are signing onto a Disney boycott while others are rolling their eyes and saying that some Christians are making a big deal out of something small. This begs a question from all of us:

Why is what someone else chooses to watch, or not watch, so important to us?

I’m going to admit something here: I’ve watched some things that I regret. I went through a time where I was struggling from depression and watched some things that were not healthy or God honoring. Many, if not most, of my friends and blog readers probably still consider what I watched not that bad. While some of the content wasn’t great, it’s pretty clean by today’s standards. It was relatively fine.

One day, I was with a group of girls and they were talking about shows they had seen. These all were very sweet godly girls, but one of them said something to me that bugged me. She made a comment that, of course I hadn’t seen them because I would never think of watching that kind of thing.
I became defensive.

I flaunted a series I had watched with some content in it that wasn’t that great. The girls smiled and I felt I had gained some respect. For a few moments, I delighted in that respect. I was watching relatively cleaner things they were watching, but I had showed them that I wasn’t the legalistic person they had thought I was. It didn’t take long for my delight to turn into pensiveness, and that pensiveness drove me to some unsettling conclusions.

#1 The only person I should worry about how they think about my choices is God.
#2 I was disturbed that I had been proud of the dirt in those shows.
#3 It was clear I had allowed some things into my life I shouldn’t have.

I liked the shows I had been watching. They were engaging and I found a lot of good in them. Yet, did they honor God? Since I felt that was a little too tough of a question (rolling eyes at self) I even gave myself an easier question: What did they make me think about? Did I come away thinking about themes of what was true, noble, right, and pure? I had to admit, I wasn’t coming away thinking about those things. I was upset with myself for allowing them in in the first place and upset at the conviction that I had to get rid of them.

Which brings me to the reasons I’ve chosen not to see the new Beauty and the Beast.
#1 By spending my money on something, I am giving my support. Just as I won’t buy or watch something that winks at intimacy outside of marriage, I won’t spend money on something that winks at the gay lifestyle. It doesn’t matter if it is a moment or a long scene.
#2 I was recently convicted (once again) that magic is never okay to God. Any time as it is treated as benign or good, it violates how God views it. This is hard for me as I have enjoyed Cinderella, Tangled, and myriads of other films that have “cute” magic.
#3 I want my entertainment to align with what I believe. My time is valuable and when I take the time off to watch or read something, I want to come away with profitable thoughts, not curse words, sensual ideas, or smiling at things God hates.

Now, if you are going to see Beauty and the Beast, can we still be friends? Of course! However, if you know someone who feels they shouldn’t go, honor their conviction.

Adventure Between the Pages: House of Mercy

Buy the book Here
See Review on Amazon

This book was emotion, heartbreaking, breathtaking, and encouraging. It reminded me of Christy or one of Tracy Higly’s books in that it dealt with very tough issues in such a way that didn’t glorify them, sugar-coat them, or feel crass. I was blessed by the powerful faith messages that were woven through the story by a master writer.

Bethan was my favorite character in the story. Her faith is strong yet she has some very real struggles when she is taken from her home. One of the things I loved…I had no idea who she was going to get with. She took interest in one guy, but then found out he already loved and girl and so on. It was so true to life that I loved it.

Deoradhan was a complex character and was well written. I was pulled along by his story and struggle. My heart pounded at times, I wanted to cry out in rage, or sob with sorry. He had so much emotion behind his character it truly pulled me in.

The setting was so amazing. Set in Arthur’s England, I was pulled into the place and didn’t want to leave. It felt so real. Ruggieri did an amazing job for capturing the land, structures, people, and atmosphere of the time.

This book deals with some very hard topics. Several side characters are very immoral people. One scene takes place at a druid festival and the tone is very dark. However, sin is show for what it is; sin. While a couple characters enjoy the momentary pleasures, the consequences for such actions are clearly shown.

I highly recommend this if you like grittier fiction, historical fiction, and vivid characters.

The Still Small Voice

I like schedules. There are few things that make me as happy as setting goals for a day, setting times for each thing, and coming to the end of a day and things having gone according to my plan. As I have talked about recently, that is not always God’s way of working. At the beginning of the year, this verse really struck me.

In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps. Proverbs 16:9

Since January, my writing plans have not worked. I mean, I planned for 2017 so carefully. I have been so excited about my projects. However, the flu, a cold, construction, and a myriad of other interruptions discouraged me. I looked at my checklist and started to think of ways to get back on track.

Have you ever had a moment when you are desperately trying to figure out something, you pause, and the answer becomes clear? That is what happened to me on Friday. I was walking around our land, irritated that a horrible headache had kept me from my work for the day. I formulated plans to help be catch up on my goals.

Then I stopped.

I smiled at all the tiny new oak trees poking up through the ground. I took a deep breath of the cool evening air, relishing the freshness in it. I looked up at the large oak trees, their branches swelling with new leafs. And the still small voice within finally had a change to be heard. I didn’t like what I heard, but I couldn’t get away from it. I knew what I needed to do. I needed to chunk the schedule.

That is right, the picture you saw above is of my plans ripped up because God is directing my paths in a new direction this year. I still plan to spend most of each day writing, but I am letting go of my plans. I am going to write in whatever project God leads me to write in, edit my books on His timetable, and stop forcing my own way into things.

This is not easy for me. I am so tempted to set goals down in my own mind even if they aren’t on paper. Yet, I am determined to head what I have been led to do.
Tell me about a time you heard that still, small voice.