Lydia Howe's Blog
November 14, 2016
One of the Few By Jason B. Ladd - Book Review
One of the FewBy Jason B. Ladd
Find it on: Amazon Goodreads
First Person NarrativeNon-Fiction318 Pages
About the Book (Backcover Blurb):
(2016 Next Generation Indie Book Award Finalist) A US Marine fighter pilot explores life's important questions as he prepares for combat, searches for truth, and wages spiritual warfare during his mission to become a better husband and father. Jason B. Ladd grows up in a military family with loving parents but spends his young life filled with spiritual apathy.
Ladd enters the US Marine Corps, becomes a fighter pilot, and sees combat in Iraq before life events align to nudge him into profound spiritual inquiry. Digging deep into his quest for truth, he realizes the art and science of fighter pilot fundamentals can help him on his journey.
Filled with stories that contrast his spiritual apathy with his post-Christian worldview passion, One of the Few is the compelling life story of a spiritual seeker engaged in a thrilling profession combined with a strong, reasonable defense of Christianity.
For fans of Ravi Zacharias, Lee Strobel, and Frank Turek, Ladd’s remarkable journey shares the transformative power of faith during a time when belief in God is dismissed and religious liberty in the military is attacked.
Why I Choose this Book:
The author contacted me via email several months ago saying he seen on my blog that I "enjoyed Christian Living titles" and wondered if I would be willing to review his book. My curiosity was peaked, because hey, helping out fellow authors is cool, but what really got me interested was his P.S. to the email where he said I could find out more about his homeschooling family of nine who lives in Alaska.
People. They live in Alaska. (For all you who don't know, I'm pretty sure Alaska and I would be best friends if we ever got to know each other.) Mr. Ladd and I emailed back and forth a few times because I had various questions about the book, and needless to say, I agreed to review it. (Although, to be clear, the book itself has nothing to do with Alaska.)
What I Thought About this Book:
The book is divided into three parts, and the first part was most assuredly my favorite. It received a very solid four stars. Parts two and three were a bit disjoined and made it somewhat hard to follow, but in the end I also appreciated the information that was presented.
Part One has more of the story of Mr. Ladd's life than the other two parts, and I really liked how he tied different lessons he'd learned into how they would later make sense to him spiritually. Mr. Ladd also described the world in a way that I greatly enjoyed. His word pictures and descriptions made me smile more than once.
Part Two explores a lot of various issues and sins in the world, and how they affect people, and how Christians should view those issues. Although Mr. Ladd explains in the introduction what Part Two is going to be, I was still really surprised by the sudden switch, not only in content, but also in style. Part Two took me a while to get through because I normally read in the evening, and I found it hard to focus when I was tired. I also skim-read a chapter or two because although I think the subjects presented in the chapters are very important to talk about, I don't feel the need to personally read about them at this time.
Part Three talks about other religions and how they are different from Christianity, and also why it's important to study things for ourselves and not just mindlessly accept what other people tell us.
Conclusion:
The book wasn't what I was expecting, and I wish it had all been more like Part One, but all in all I'm glad I read it. Mr. Ladd didn't grow up in a Christian environment, so it was especially neat to get to "watch" his journey toward believing the Bible and God. He obviously spent a lot of time exploring the topic before he believed, so that was really cool to see.
Although handled well, the book does talk about some subjects that aren't suitable for kids (plus, I don't think they'd grasp a lot of the info anyway), so I'd recommend this book for ages 17 and up.
Rating:
I'm giving One of the Few 4 out of 5 stars and 7 out of 10.
*I received this book free from the author. Find out more about Jason B. Ladd at his website.
Find it on: Amazon Goodreads
First Person NarrativeNon-Fiction318 Pages
About the Book (Backcover Blurb):
(2016 Next Generation Indie Book Award Finalist) A US Marine fighter pilot explores life's important questions as he prepares for combat, searches for truth, and wages spiritual warfare during his mission to become a better husband and father. Jason B. Ladd grows up in a military family with loving parents but spends his young life filled with spiritual apathy.
Ladd enters the US Marine Corps, becomes a fighter pilot, and sees combat in Iraq before life events align to nudge him into profound spiritual inquiry. Digging deep into his quest for truth, he realizes the art and science of fighter pilot fundamentals can help him on his journey.
Filled with stories that contrast his spiritual apathy with his post-Christian worldview passion, One of the Few is the compelling life story of a spiritual seeker engaged in a thrilling profession combined with a strong, reasonable defense of Christianity.
For fans of Ravi Zacharias, Lee Strobel, and Frank Turek, Ladd’s remarkable journey shares the transformative power of faith during a time when belief in God is dismissed and religious liberty in the military is attacked.
Why I Choose this Book:
The author contacted me via email several months ago saying he seen on my blog that I "enjoyed Christian Living titles" and wondered if I would be willing to review his book. My curiosity was peaked, because hey, helping out fellow authors is cool, but what really got me interested was his P.S. to the email where he said I could find out more about his homeschooling family of nine who lives in Alaska.
People. They live in Alaska. (For all you who don't know, I'm pretty sure Alaska and I would be best friends if we ever got to know each other.) Mr. Ladd and I emailed back and forth a few times because I had various questions about the book, and needless to say, I agreed to review it. (Although, to be clear, the book itself has nothing to do with Alaska.)
What I Thought About this Book:
The book is divided into three parts, and the first part was most assuredly my favorite. It received a very solid four stars. Parts two and three were a bit disjoined and made it somewhat hard to follow, but in the end I also appreciated the information that was presented.
Part One has more of the story of Mr. Ladd's life than the other two parts, and I really liked how he tied different lessons he'd learned into how they would later make sense to him spiritually. Mr. Ladd also described the world in a way that I greatly enjoyed. His word pictures and descriptions made me smile more than once.
Part Two explores a lot of various issues and sins in the world, and how they affect people, and how Christians should view those issues. Although Mr. Ladd explains in the introduction what Part Two is going to be, I was still really surprised by the sudden switch, not only in content, but also in style. Part Two took me a while to get through because I normally read in the evening, and I found it hard to focus when I was tired. I also skim-read a chapter or two because although I think the subjects presented in the chapters are very important to talk about, I don't feel the need to personally read about them at this time.
Part Three talks about other religions and how they are different from Christianity, and also why it's important to study things for ourselves and not just mindlessly accept what other people tell us.
Conclusion:
The book wasn't what I was expecting, and I wish it had all been more like Part One, but all in all I'm glad I read it. Mr. Ladd didn't grow up in a Christian environment, so it was especially neat to get to "watch" his journey toward believing the Bible and God. He obviously spent a lot of time exploring the topic before he believed, so that was really cool to see.
Although handled well, the book does talk about some subjects that aren't suitable for kids (plus, I don't think they'd grasp a lot of the info anyway), so I'd recommend this book for ages 17 and up.
Rating:
I'm giving One of the Few 4 out of 5 stars and 7 out of 10.
*I received this book free from the author. Find out more about Jason B. Ladd at his website.
November 11, 2016
A Post Full of Whimsy
It's that time of year again. November has arrived and with it heavy frosts, leafless trees, brisk winds, and the end of barefoot season. Yes. You heard that correctly. I've had to stop going barefoot outside (at least most of the time), which is most likely my least favorite thing about the winterish months. Well, that and the lack of grass to cut.
But, as long as there's no snow on the ground, I can still get away with going shoeless at least part of the time. I simply wear socks to help keep the chill away. It feels extremely whimsical and I often laugh at myself as I do things like walk down our country road or race out to the swing set with mis-matched socks skimming the earth. (Mis-matched socks work best because walking on gravel roads has a way of wearing holes in the socks, and that way I don't ruin a matching pair.)
The other night, I was amused when I looked down at Johanna's feet and realized that my mis-matched sock actually did have a matching sock.
The other day we were making chocolate-covered pretzels (which happen to be one of the most yummy things ever). One of my more artistic friends offered to do the chocolate drizzling after I dipped them - you'd be surprised how easy it is to make drizzled chocolate look bad if you're a rushing-around-non-detail-oriented-girl like me. I looked down a few minutes later to see a smiley face staring back at me. His name is Henry. (Although, in all likelihood he's probably been eaten by now.)
Yesterday in the midst of scurrying around my non-writing job, stove full of pots, oven full of pans, and counters full of prep work, I dashed out of the kitchen and was greeted by this beautifulness. Sarah and Clara were looking through one of my books, a sight that would make any author's heart sigh in delight.
This week has been packed full of scurrying and hurrying and craziness, yet finding moments to be thankful and smile and laugh helps take stressful situations and turn them into memories. Sometimes I find that I need to stop and breath deeply and embrace life as it's tossing ten things at me all at once. I want to find beauty in the little things, joy in the every-day moments, and delight in the unexpected. This morning I'm thanking God for the wonderful people I have to work with, the lessons I'm learning, and the whimsy that's surrounding me.
Thank you for taking part in my random, adventurous life. I hope y'all's weekend is fantastic!
But, as long as there's no snow on the ground, I can still get away with going shoeless at least part of the time. I simply wear socks to help keep the chill away. It feels extremely whimsical and I often laugh at myself as I do things like walk down our country road or race out to the swing set with mis-matched socks skimming the earth. (Mis-matched socks work best because walking on gravel roads has a way of wearing holes in the socks, and that way I don't ruin a matching pair.)
The other night, I was amused when I looked down at Johanna's feet and realized that my mis-matched sock actually did have a matching sock. The other day we were making chocolate-covered pretzels (which happen to be one of the most yummy things ever). One of my more artistic friends offered to do the chocolate drizzling after I dipped them - you'd be surprised how easy it is to make drizzled chocolate look bad if you're a rushing-around-non-detail-oriented-girl like me. I looked down a few minutes later to see a smiley face staring back at me. His name is Henry. (Although, in all likelihood he's probably been eaten by now.)
Yesterday in the midst of scurrying around my non-writing job, stove full of pots, oven full of pans, and counters full of prep work, I dashed out of the kitchen and was greeted by this beautifulness. Sarah and Clara were looking through one of my books, a sight that would make any author's heart sigh in delight.
This week has been packed full of scurrying and hurrying and craziness, yet finding moments to be thankful and smile and laugh helps take stressful situations and turn them into memories. Sometimes I find that I need to stop and breath deeply and embrace life as it's tossing ten things at me all at once. I want to find beauty in the little things, joy in the every-day moments, and delight in the unexpected. This morning I'm thanking God for the wonderful people I have to work with, the lessons I'm learning, and the whimsy that's surrounding me.
Thank you for taking part in my random, adventurous life. I hope y'all's weekend is fantastic!
November 10, 2016
Yay for NaNoWriMo-ers!
Although I suppose it should be abundantly clear by now, I thought I'd go ahead and officially announce that I'm not taking part in National Novel Writing Month this year. Sadly. There's too much other stuff happening in my life right now. Plus, I just finished writing a book in September and I'm trying to focus on getting everything ready for querying for WLHYL right now.
BUT! To all of you who are having fun scrambling madly through this month trying to achieve that happy status of 50,000 words in 30 days, yay! Way to go! I hope y'all are doing well and that your brain is working kindly along with your fingers and your story is blossoming under your dedicated care.
It's so much fun to see a story come together, and although I'm content with my decision to stay out of the mad rush this year, I am missing it. Seeing y'all's updates on Facebook and blogs and Twitter has made me smile many times already. (Especially the friend who got started late and her NaNo dashboard told her that if she continued at that pace she'd finish in April... Of 2085.)
So! Question of the day: Are you doing NaNo this year? If so, how's it coming along? And, if you're not doing NaNo, are you missing it, too?
BUT! To all of you who are having fun scrambling madly through this month trying to achieve that happy status of 50,000 words in 30 days, yay! Way to go! I hope y'all are doing well and that your brain is working kindly along with your fingers and your story is blossoming under your dedicated care.
It's so much fun to see a story come together, and although I'm content with my decision to stay out of the mad rush this year, I am missing it. Seeing y'all's updates on Facebook and blogs and Twitter has made me smile many times already. (Especially the friend who got started late and her NaNo dashboard told her that if she continued at that pace she'd finish in April... Of 2085.)
So! Question of the day: Are you doing NaNo this year? If so, how's it coming along? And, if you're not doing NaNo, are you missing it, too?
November 9, 2016
Employees Only
This morning I walked on soggy roads, watched bronze leaves linger on winter-readied trees, gazed at the gray layered clouds filling the sky, and drank in the stillness of a new day.
When I arrived at my non-writing job I breezed through the Employees Only door to an dark and empty kitchen. One flick of a switch and the room was illuminated. This little corner of the world isn't seen by many people, admission isn't granted to the general population, yet to me it feels like home. I've spent uncounted hours rushing about the kitchen, cooking, directing, organizing, planning, and living.
If you haven't noticed by now, I'm a bit of quirky individual who enjoys basking in the knowledge of what other people probably consider quite normal. For instance, one of my favorite things is having access to Employees Only areas. It makes me feel special and set apart. (And in reality I am.... Set apart to do extra work.) It sometimes makes me nearly giddy with joy and I literally twirl around in happiness because being allowed to simply walk through Employees Only doors without asking permission first signifies that I'm part of a team. That I belong.
This morning I wrote in my prayer journal, my thoughts, requests, worries, and thankfulness filling the pages. Prayer is a privilege, a blessing, an incomparable joy and relief, and also a command. In some ways prayer is also like going through an Employees Only door. Yet, the sign would read more like Sons and Daughters Only.
When we become children of God, we're given the gift of being able to communicate with Him on a deeper level than most of those who haven't been cleansed by Him can even dream of. We are part of His team, part of His family. We belong. And that is mind boggling.
The God who literally created the universe out of nothing. The God who designed the world to spin and leaves to fall and human brains to function. The God who created billions of stars and called them each by name. The God who knows how many hairs each and every person in all of forever has ever had on their head. That same powerful, incredible, indescribable God, He loves me. And accepts me as His child. And takes time to listen to me. And that is a gift far above what I'm able to comprehend. A gift that demands action on my part, the action of communicating with Him.
When I arrived at my non-writing job I breezed through the Employees Only door to an dark and empty kitchen. One flick of a switch and the room was illuminated. This little corner of the world isn't seen by many people, admission isn't granted to the general population, yet to me it feels like home. I've spent uncounted hours rushing about the kitchen, cooking, directing, organizing, planning, and living.
If you haven't noticed by now, I'm a bit of quirky individual who enjoys basking in the knowledge of what other people probably consider quite normal. For instance, one of my favorite things is having access to Employees Only areas. It makes me feel special and set apart. (And in reality I am.... Set apart to do extra work.) It sometimes makes me nearly giddy with joy and I literally twirl around in happiness because being allowed to simply walk through Employees Only doors without asking permission first signifies that I'm part of a team. That I belong.
This morning I wrote in my prayer journal, my thoughts, requests, worries, and thankfulness filling the pages. Prayer is a privilege, a blessing, an incomparable joy and relief, and also a command. In some ways prayer is also like going through an Employees Only door. Yet, the sign would read more like Sons and Daughters Only.
When we become children of God, we're given the gift of being able to communicate with Him on a deeper level than most of those who haven't been cleansed by Him can even dream of. We are part of His team, part of His family. We belong. And that is mind boggling.
The God who literally created the universe out of nothing. The God who designed the world to spin and leaves to fall and human brains to function. The God who created billions of stars and called them each by name. The God who knows how many hairs each and every person in all of forever has ever had on their head. That same powerful, incredible, indescribable God, He loves me. And accepts me as His child. And takes time to listen to me. And that is a gift far above what I'm able to comprehend. A gift that demands action on my part, the action of communicating with Him.
From everyone who has been given much, much will be required, and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be asked. -Luke 12:48b
November 7, 2016
Encouragement - A Guest Post by Kaitlyn
Hey y'all! Today I'm excited to share a guest post with you, written by my delightful friend, Kaitlyn. I met Kaitlyn via another blogging friend, and we've had a fantastic time getting to know each other during the last six months. We have had so many great conversations that have left me feeling encouraged, enlightened, and inspired, and now I get to share some of her insight with y'all. So, without further ado, I'll turn the floor over to her.
Greetings from Missouri! My name is Kaitlyn Ford and I am very blessed with this opportunity to share with you all what the Lord has been teaching me recently. I’m also very blessed to have Aidyl as a friend! She has been such an encouragement and inspiration to me, and I want to thank her for allowing me to write a guest post here! Something I have a passion for is encouraging others in their walk with the Lord, especially young women, and I love hosting “encouragement parties” to spread that. Last encouragement party, I shared some thoughts on God’s love to us and our response, and since I need to be reminded of this stuff a lot too, I wanted to share it with you!
I love how Psalm 113:5-8 says, “Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high, who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth! He raiseth the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill; That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people.”
This passage of Scripture leaves me in such awe, and really exemplifies how much God truly loves and cares for us. Just think about that for a minute: God, the great “I AM”, Who dwells on high, peers down on tiny little earth, focuses on even tinier us, sees our problems, loves and cares about every single tiny detail in our lives, reaches out to us, and lifts us out of our troubles. God! Our God wants to know us personally, and wants us to walk along with Him, and be with Him where He is working! (John 17:24, “Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given me, be with me where I am…”) And not only that, but Jesus, the Son of God, died for YOU because He loves YOU! Wow! How can we respond that that?! Well, what does God desire from us? Worship!
Well, what exactly IS worship? Webster’s 1828 dictionary says this, “Worship is to honor with extravagant love and extreme submission.” So what does that mean? It means that ANYTHING we do can be worship if we do it with extravagant love and extreme submission for God! Whether that means serving your family at home, others at work, reaching out to a hurting or needy soul, or being active as an overseas missionary, you are on a mission field right now! If you are doing something that God wants you to do right now, then you are serving and working for the Creator of the Universe, the King of kings….the One who stoops down and humbles Himself to have a personal relationship with us!
The greatest commandment is to love the Lord with all your heart, your soul, and your mind. (Matthew 22:36-38) I have to ask myself, “What things in my life are pulling me away from that?” (Ouch!) But you know what? Since we have GIVEN our lives to the Lord, we should exist to glorify the God of this universe with everything we are and all we have, right!? How is that played out?
This all goes back to focusing on our response to God’s love toward us: Worship. Honoring God in extravagant love and extreme submission. Adoring Him. Knowing Him and making Him known. We are SO BLESSED. And God wants us. He loves us. And He cares. Even when we can’t understand, He does, and He is working. All we are to do is trust and obey. And when we realize that He is working all things for our good according to His will (Romans 8:28) because He loves us, we can joyfully rest in Him, and worship Him. So as we go through this life, and seek to serve our Creator with everything, let us keep our focus on Him. When our focus gets off of Him, that is when the problems arise and we are prone to discouragement.
Lastly I want to share with you all a quote from Mark Cahill, relating to us serving Him: “You don’t have to cross the sea – You just have to see the cross!” What if we worked to see the cross in everything? What if we worked to see the God above the heavens, that still reaches down to help us, in everything?
Wouldn’t that change our lives?
Greetings from Missouri! My name is Kaitlyn Ford and I am very blessed with this opportunity to share with you all what the Lord has been teaching me recently. I’m also very blessed to have Aidyl as a friend! She has been such an encouragement and inspiration to me, and I want to thank her for allowing me to write a guest post here! Something I have a passion for is encouraging others in their walk with the Lord, especially young women, and I love hosting “encouragement parties” to spread that. Last encouragement party, I shared some thoughts on God’s love to us and our response, and since I need to be reminded of this stuff a lot too, I wanted to share it with you!
I love how Psalm 113:5-8 says, “Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high, who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth! He raiseth the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill; That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people.”
This passage of Scripture leaves me in such awe, and really exemplifies how much God truly loves and cares for us. Just think about that for a minute: God, the great “I AM”, Who dwells on high, peers down on tiny little earth, focuses on even tinier us, sees our problems, loves and cares about every single tiny detail in our lives, reaches out to us, and lifts us out of our troubles. God! Our God wants to know us personally, and wants us to walk along with Him, and be with Him where He is working! (John 17:24, “Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given me, be with me where I am…”) And not only that, but Jesus, the Son of God, died for YOU because He loves YOU! Wow! How can we respond that that?! Well, what does God desire from us? Worship!
Well, what exactly IS worship? Webster’s 1828 dictionary says this, “Worship is to honor with extravagant love and extreme submission.” So what does that mean? It means that ANYTHING we do can be worship if we do it with extravagant love and extreme submission for God! Whether that means serving your family at home, others at work, reaching out to a hurting or needy soul, or being active as an overseas missionary, you are on a mission field right now! If you are doing something that God wants you to do right now, then you are serving and working for the Creator of the Universe, the King of kings….the One who stoops down and humbles Himself to have a personal relationship with us!
The greatest commandment is to love the Lord with all your heart, your soul, and your mind. (Matthew 22:36-38) I have to ask myself, “What things in my life are pulling me away from that?” (Ouch!) But you know what? Since we have GIVEN our lives to the Lord, we should exist to glorify the God of this universe with everything we are and all we have, right!? How is that played out?
This all goes back to focusing on our response to God’s love toward us: Worship. Honoring God in extravagant love and extreme submission. Adoring Him. Knowing Him and making Him known. We are SO BLESSED. And God wants us. He loves us. And He cares. Even when we can’t understand, He does, and He is working. All we are to do is trust and obey. And when we realize that He is working all things for our good according to His will (Romans 8:28) because He loves us, we can joyfully rest in Him, and worship Him. So as we go through this life, and seek to serve our Creator with everything, let us keep our focus on Him. When our focus gets off of Him, that is when the problems arise and we are prone to discouragement.
Lastly I want to share with you all a quote from Mark Cahill, relating to us serving Him: “You don’t have to cross the sea – You just have to see the cross!” What if we worked to see the cross in everything? What if we worked to see the God above the heavens, that still reaches down to help us, in everything?
Wouldn’t that change our lives?
November 4, 2016
Christian's Hope By Ervin R. Stutzman - Book Review
Christian's HopeBy Ervin R. Stutzman
Find it on: Amazon Goodreads
First Person NarrativeFiction302 Pages
About the Book (Backcover Blurb):
When Christian Hochstetler returns to the Amish after seven years in captivity, he finds that many things have shifted. Captured as a child during the French and Indian War, Christian has spent much of his life among Native Americans, who cared for him and taught him their ways. Now that Christian is home, his father wants him to settle back into their predictable Amish life of farming, and Christian's budding friendship with Orpha Rupp beckons him to stay as well.Yet Christian feels restless, and he misses his adoptive Native American family--who raised him as their own son. When faced with a life-altering decision, will Christian choose the Amish identity that his father desires for him? Or will he depart from his family and faith community yet again?Christian's Hope tells the story of the younger brother of Joseph and son of Jacob, whom readers have come to love in the first two books in the Return to Northkill series. Based on actual events and written by a descendant of the Hochstetler family, Christian's Hope brings the sweeping epic of the Return to Northkill series to a soul-stirring end.
Why I Choose this Book:
I generally shy away from books that have this type of cover because a lot of time that means they're too romantic for my tastes. Then I saw that it was written by a Mennonite guy, and that totally intrigued me, so I requested it for review.
What I Thought About this Book:
It took me a long time to get into this book. I found the style difficult and the characters somewhat annoying. THEN a friend mentioned that she liked it because she had grown up hearing the story. I asked her what she meant and was shocked to discover that the book was based on true facts, and the author was a descendants of the main characters. (Which it actually says on the back cover, but I went into the book blind cause I can't stand spoilers.) After that the book was a lot more enjoyable.
Overall I *get* the point of the story. I can imagine that it would be really extremely difficult to deal with everything that was going on. I just wished though that the family had been more understanding of Christian. I can't stand miscommunications and misunderstandings, and in this book several of the characters basically refused to communicate with each other, even though they were family. I wanted to see love triumphing preferences, pride, and the past, but instead most of them were so stubborn. (I do realize this is realistic and probably very close to what happened, it just bothered me a lot.)
Anna was a dear and I was so happy she was part of the story. The other characters really should have learned from her. :) I also liked Christian as time went on, and he was realistic. I did have a lot of issues though with the focus. Like, Anna kept thinking, "Oh, if only Christian would like an Amish girl, then he would settle down and join the church." And yes, I know that's how people think, but it's really not the correct point of view. Also, when someone was interested in being born again, basically the first questions discussed were about outward appearances and what kind of baptism they would have. That's really not what the focus should have been on at the moment.
Conclusion:
Although the story didn't keep me on the edge of my seat and it was fairly easy to put down, I did get into it. I wanted to find out what happened, and grew to like more of the characters as time went on. The premiss was pretty intriguing and I kinda want to read the first two books in the series now.
Rating:
I'm giving Christian's Hope 3 out of 5 stars and 5 out of 10.
*I received this book free from Litfuse*
Find it on: Amazon Goodreads
First Person NarrativeFiction302 Pages
About the Book (Backcover Blurb):
When Christian Hochstetler returns to the Amish after seven years in captivity, he finds that many things have shifted. Captured as a child during the French and Indian War, Christian has spent much of his life among Native Americans, who cared for him and taught him their ways. Now that Christian is home, his father wants him to settle back into their predictable Amish life of farming, and Christian's budding friendship with Orpha Rupp beckons him to stay as well.Yet Christian feels restless, and he misses his adoptive Native American family--who raised him as their own son. When faced with a life-altering decision, will Christian choose the Amish identity that his father desires for him? Or will he depart from his family and faith community yet again?Christian's Hope tells the story of the younger brother of Joseph and son of Jacob, whom readers have come to love in the first two books in the Return to Northkill series. Based on actual events and written by a descendant of the Hochstetler family, Christian's Hope brings the sweeping epic of the Return to Northkill series to a soul-stirring end.
Why I Choose this Book:
I generally shy away from books that have this type of cover because a lot of time that means they're too romantic for my tastes. Then I saw that it was written by a Mennonite guy, and that totally intrigued me, so I requested it for review.
What I Thought About this Book:
It took me a long time to get into this book. I found the style difficult and the characters somewhat annoying. THEN a friend mentioned that she liked it because she had grown up hearing the story. I asked her what she meant and was shocked to discover that the book was based on true facts, and the author was a descendants of the main characters. (Which it actually says on the back cover, but I went into the book blind cause I can't stand spoilers.) After that the book was a lot more enjoyable.
Overall I *get* the point of the story. I can imagine that it would be really extremely difficult to deal with everything that was going on. I just wished though that the family had been more understanding of Christian. I can't stand miscommunications and misunderstandings, and in this book several of the characters basically refused to communicate with each other, even though they were family. I wanted to see love triumphing preferences, pride, and the past, but instead most of them were so stubborn. (I do realize this is realistic and probably very close to what happened, it just bothered me a lot.)
Anna was a dear and I was so happy she was part of the story. The other characters really should have learned from her. :) I also liked Christian as time went on, and he was realistic. I did have a lot of issues though with the focus. Like, Anna kept thinking, "Oh, if only Christian would like an Amish girl, then he would settle down and join the church." And yes, I know that's how people think, but it's really not the correct point of view. Also, when someone was interested in being born again, basically the first questions discussed were about outward appearances and what kind of baptism they would have. That's really not what the focus should have been on at the moment.
Conclusion:
Although the story didn't keep me on the edge of my seat and it was fairly easy to put down, I did get into it. I wanted to find out what happened, and grew to like more of the characters as time went on. The premiss was pretty intriguing and I kinda want to read the first two books in the series now.
Rating:
I'm giving Christian's Hope 3 out of 5 stars and 5 out of 10.
*I received this book free from Litfuse*
November 3, 2016
October 2016 in Review
What I Focused on in October:
1. The half marathon & Celebrating Life 2. A busy week with my non-writing job 3. Catching up on my books-to-review stack
Birthday Challenge and Dream List Update
Birthday Challenge:
1. Buy 25 Books - 34. Request 25 Books for Review - 35. Vlog 25 Times - 26. Dance, Skip, or swing in the rain 25 times - 27. Watch the sunrise or sunset 25 times - 210. Eat paleo 25 weeks (not in a row) - 313. Read to, or cook with, children 25 times - 115. Have less than 5 emails in my inbox Saturday night 25 weeks (not in a row) - 2 20. Go to bed by 10:30 sixty times (not in a row) - 1122. Blog by 9:30 a hundred times - 5
23. Go to Wednesday night church 20 times - 3
Dream List:
Run (or walk) a half marathon
Reading Update
Non-Fiction: 8Fiction: 4Reviews: 12Audio Books: 0
Traveling
Nights gone: 1New States or Countries: None
September Goals
1. Read and Review 4 Non-fiction books - YES2. Run at least the half marathon on the 16th - YES3. Decide if I want to do the 25 Before 25 Challenge, and if so, choose them - YES4. Do great with the MWR (week-long non-writing job event) - YES5. Work on getting everything in place to query for an agent for WLHYL - YES (just worked on it, didn't complete it)6. Write weekly goals each week and track them - YES7. Get to bed by 10:30 10 times & Eat paleo at least 25 days - YES and YES8. Get caught up with tracking and figuring out my budget - YES
What I've Been Learning
October was a great month for learning. I read eight nonfiction books that ranged from how teenage brains work, to how to market yourself as a writer, to how PTSD effects people, to how to balance creativity with the rest of life, and the list goes on. Three of the books were 5-star reads, which makes this little reader happy.
Running the half marathon was also quite the learning experience. I had no clue what it was like to take part in such a huge athletic event, and I was pretty much hooked by the end of the first mile. There were over 100,000 people involved in the day overall, and I learned that I 100% thrive on all the excitement.
One thing I've been learning with life in general is to try not to freak out or stress out over "little" things. This is something I've been working hard to apply in my non-writing job. It doesn't always work (haha, not by a long shot), but I did have several people on my team comment on how nice it was that I was more relaxed, so yay.
During my devotions I've spent a lot of time really pondering Proverbs, and I've gotten some cool thoughts from them. I've also learned how good it is to be back in the habit of journaling my thoughts. (Especially when I use different color pen/markers and everything is all nice and pretty.)
OtherOh me oh my. Where do I even start? This month had some fantastic elements. One of the best was getting to go camping with some of my friends. My best friend Sarah was extremely sweet and planned out everything for us to go camping along with some other friends for a late birthday present. Camping is one of my most favorite things to do ever, so obviously that was a huge treat. I also went off paleo for most of the camp-out, so that meant I have delicious memories of white chocolate s'mores, grilled cheese sandwiches, pot-pies, and pretzels, cheese, and dill pickles. It was a mouth-watering few days. Plus, camping in October? What could be more beautiful? There were lovely sunrises and falling leaves and gorgeous weather all around.
To keep things balanced and real, I will mention that I had some health issues that I dealt with in October that left me spending multiple days in bed (hence the 12 books I read). I'm continuing to learn a lot through everything, and even though it's hard at times, I'm very thankful for recourses and God's grace.
October was also a bustling-full month with lots of friends and family and rushing around the kitchen trying to get everything done in time. I got behind in some things, made memories, laughed a lot, thought about becoming a recluse, drank in the beauty surrounding me, drank apple cider, and cuddled up in warm, fuzzy blankets.
How did y'alls October go?
1. The half marathon & Celebrating Life 2. A busy week with my non-writing job 3. Catching up on my books-to-review stack
Birthday Challenge and Dream List Update
Birthday Challenge:
1. Buy 25 Books - 34. Request 25 Books for Review - 35. Vlog 25 Times - 26. Dance, Skip, or swing in the rain 25 times - 27. Watch the sunrise or sunset 25 times - 210. Eat paleo 25 weeks (not in a row) - 313. Read to, or cook with, children 25 times - 115. Have less than 5 emails in my inbox Saturday night 25 weeks (not in a row) - 2 20. Go to bed by 10:30 sixty times (not in a row) - 1122. Blog by 9:30 a hundred times - 5
23. Go to Wednesday night church 20 times - 3
Dream List:
Run (or walk) a half marathon
Reading Update
Non-Fiction: 8Fiction: 4Reviews: 12Audio Books: 0
Traveling
Nights gone: 1New States or Countries: None
September Goals
1. Read and Review 4 Non-fiction books - YES2. Run at least the half marathon on the 16th - YES3. Decide if I want to do the 25 Before 25 Challenge, and if so, choose them - YES4. Do great with the MWR (week-long non-writing job event) - YES5. Work on getting everything in place to query for an agent for WLHYL - YES (just worked on it, didn't complete it)6. Write weekly goals each week and track them - YES7. Get to bed by 10:30 10 times & Eat paleo at least 25 days - YES and YES8. Get caught up with tracking and figuring out my budget - YES
What I've Been Learning
October was a great month for learning. I read eight nonfiction books that ranged from how teenage brains work, to how to market yourself as a writer, to how PTSD effects people, to how to balance creativity with the rest of life, and the list goes on. Three of the books were 5-star reads, which makes this little reader happy.
Running the half marathon was also quite the learning experience. I had no clue what it was like to take part in such a huge athletic event, and I was pretty much hooked by the end of the first mile. There were over 100,000 people involved in the day overall, and I learned that I 100% thrive on all the excitement.
One thing I've been learning with life in general is to try not to freak out or stress out over "little" things. This is something I've been working hard to apply in my non-writing job. It doesn't always work (haha, not by a long shot), but I did have several people on my team comment on how nice it was that I was more relaxed, so yay.
During my devotions I've spent a lot of time really pondering Proverbs, and I've gotten some cool thoughts from them. I've also learned how good it is to be back in the habit of journaling my thoughts. (Especially when I use different color pen/markers and everything is all nice and pretty.)
OtherOh me oh my. Where do I even start? This month had some fantastic elements. One of the best was getting to go camping with some of my friends. My best friend Sarah was extremely sweet and planned out everything for us to go camping along with some other friends for a late birthday present. Camping is one of my most favorite things to do ever, so obviously that was a huge treat. I also went off paleo for most of the camp-out, so that meant I have delicious memories of white chocolate s'mores, grilled cheese sandwiches, pot-pies, and pretzels, cheese, and dill pickles. It was a mouth-watering few days. Plus, camping in October? What could be more beautiful? There were lovely sunrises and falling leaves and gorgeous weather all around.
To keep things balanced and real, I will mention that I had some health issues that I dealt with in October that left me spending multiple days in bed (hence the 12 books I read). I'm continuing to learn a lot through everything, and even though it's hard at times, I'm very thankful for recourses and God's grace.
October was also a bustling-full month with lots of friends and family and rushing around the kitchen trying to get everything done in time. I got behind in some things, made memories, laughed a lot, thought about becoming a recluse, drank in the beauty surrounding me, drank apple cider, and cuddled up in warm, fuzzy blankets.
How did y'alls October go?
November 2, 2016
25 Before 25 Challenge
A delightful happy second day of November to y'all! So, today I get to share with you the things I chose for my 25 Before 25 Challenge. I wanted to do some more whimsical ones this round, so yay! Looking forward to getting to work on these during the next eleven months.
Buy 25 Books Do 25 new things and write them down Take pictures of Sequoia (teddy bear) in 25 different placesRequest 25 Books for ReviewVlog 25 TimesDance, Skip, or swing in the rain 25 times Watch the sunrise or sunset 25 timesMemorize 5 chapters from the Bible Run 25 ten minute miles (not at once)Eat paleo 25 weeks (not in a row)Send something to missionaries 25 timesTry 25 new recipes Read to, or cook with, children 25 timesColor 25 pictures Have less than 5 emails in my inbox Saturday night 25 weeks (not in a row)Write “thank you” letters to 25 people who have influenced or helped meHave a picnic in each season Move over to WordpressHost a contest or giveaway on NovelteaGo to bed by 10:30 sixty times (not in a row)Finger paint Blog by 9:30 a hundred timesGo to Wednesday night church 20 timesJump ropeDrink coffee or tea while reading or journaling 25 times
Buy 25 Books Do 25 new things and write them down Take pictures of Sequoia (teddy bear) in 25 different placesRequest 25 Books for ReviewVlog 25 TimesDance, Skip, or swing in the rain 25 times Watch the sunrise or sunset 25 timesMemorize 5 chapters from the Bible Run 25 ten minute miles (not at once)Eat paleo 25 weeks (not in a row)Send something to missionaries 25 timesTry 25 new recipes Read to, or cook with, children 25 timesColor 25 pictures Have less than 5 emails in my inbox Saturday night 25 weeks (not in a row)Write “thank you” letters to 25 people who have influenced or helped meHave a picnic in each season Move over to WordpressHost a contest or giveaway on NovelteaGo to bed by 10:30 sixty times (not in a row)Finger paint Blog by 9:30 a hundred timesGo to Wednesday night church 20 timesJump ropeDrink coffee or tea while reading or journaling 25 times
November 1, 2016
November Goals: Vlog - Plus an Exciting Announcement
Happy November, y'all!
Today I have some exciting news to share with you that I've been working on for the last couple of months. It has to do with one of my goals for November, so instead of just typing it out, I wanted to share it with you via a vlog.
I'm looking forward to tackling my November goals, especially the last one. It's going to be so much fun and it's something that y'all will get to be a part of. Yay for surprises!
What are some of y'alls goals for November? How did you do on your October goals?
Today I have some exciting news to share with you that I've been working on for the last couple of months. It has to do with one of my goals for November, so instead of just typing it out, I wanted to share it with you via a vlog.
I'm looking forward to tackling my November goals, especially the last one. It's going to be so much fun and it's something that y'all will get to be a part of. Yay for surprises!
What are some of y'alls goals for November? How did you do on your October goals?
October 31, 2016
Paleo Chicken & Cauliflower Soup
A happy Monday Morning, to y'all!
Today I'm doing something a little different on Noveltea. It's such a lovely autumn day and November is just around the corner (or, depending on where you live, it's here), and November is the month of soups. Or, at least it should be. Because soups and cold weather go together like a hand and mitten. Or a neck and scarf. Or a torso and fuzzy sweater. Or feet and sparkly socks. It's warm and comforting and creates a lot of happiness.
Therefore! Today I'm sharing with y'all a recipe for some of my favorite soup. I found the basic recipe in a cookbook, tweaked it around a bit, and came up with what you see below. (The food. Not the picture. In reality the sunset and soup have very little in common, but they're both autumnish, so...)
If y'all try the soup, I'd be delighted to hear how you liked it. And, if you have any questions, I'd be happy to try and answer them. (Unless it's how much of each seasoning to put in, because I have no clue how to answer that.)
Paleo Chicken & Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients:
1 Pound Boneless Chicken Thighs 1 Medium Yellow Onion, peeled and diced2 Garlic Cloves, peeled and minced 5 cups Cauliflower Florets - Half of them in small pieces, half of the minced3 cups Water 1 cup Unsweetened Coconut Milk3 Bacon strips 1 Large Carrot
Coconut oilPepperSageSeasoning Salt Garlic powder Tuscan Garlic seasoning blend Chicken Flavored soup base, Gluten and MSG free
Directions:
1. Cut the chicken into bite size pieces, cook in coconut oil and season with seasoning salt, garlic powder, and Tuscan Garlic blend. After the chicken is cooked, set aside. Fry bacon, remove bacon from fat and crumble. (Optional: Save bacon fat and add to soup as it’s cooking for added flavor)
2. Sauté onions and garlic (freshly minced tastes the best) in coconut oil
3. Add cut up cauliflower florets, water, unsweetened coconut milk, add seasonings to taste, simmer until tender.
4. Add chopped carrot and chicken, cook until carrots are tender.
Today I'm doing something a little different on Noveltea. It's such a lovely autumn day and November is just around the corner (or, depending on where you live, it's here), and November is the month of soups. Or, at least it should be. Because soups and cold weather go together like a hand and mitten. Or a neck and scarf. Or a torso and fuzzy sweater. Or feet and sparkly socks. It's warm and comforting and creates a lot of happiness.
Therefore! Today I'm sharing with y'all a recipe for some of my favorite soup. I found the basic recipe in a cookbook, tweaked it around a bit, and came up with what you see below. (The food. Not the picture. In reality the sunset and soup have very little in common, but they're both autumnish, so...)
If y'all try the soup, I'd be delighted to hear how you liked it. And, if you have any questions, I'd be happy to try and answer them. (Unless it's how much of each seasoning to put in, because I have no clue how to answer that.)
Paleo Chicken & Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients:
1 Pound Boneless Chicken Thighs 1 Medium Yellow Onion, peeled and diced2 Garlic Cloves, peeled and minced 5 cups Cauliflower Florets - Half of them in small pieces, half of the minced3 cups Water 1 cup Unsweetened Coconut Milk3 Bacon strips 1 Large Carrot
Coconut oilPepperSageSeasoning Salt Garlic powder Tuscan Garlic seasoning blend Chicken Flavored soup base, Gluten and MSG free
Directions:
1. Cut the chicken into bite size pieces, cook in coconut oil and season with seasoning salt, garlic powder, and Tuscan Garlic blend. After the chicken is cooked, set aside. Fry bacon, remove bacon from fat and crumble. (Optional: Save bacon fat and add to soup as it’s cooking for added flavor)
2. Sauté onions and garlic (freshly minced tastes the best) in coconut oil
3. Add cut up cauliflower florets, water, unsweetened coconut milk, add seasonings to taste, simmer until tender.
4. Add chopped carrot and chicken, cook until carrots are tender.
