Lydia Howe's Blog, page 5

The Intercessors Handbook By Jennifer Eivaz: Book Review

The Intercessors Handbook By Jennifer Eivaz 
Find it on:  Amazon Goodreads  
First Person  Non-Fiction184 Pages

About the Book (Back cover Blurb):
How to Pray with Boldness, Authority, and Supernatural Power
In a world full of desperate need, we turn expectantly to prayer, hoping to witness the realities promised in Scripture. Most of us, however, seldom see the results we hope for. Why don't our prayers make more of a difference?
Beginning with her own experiences of breakthrough, Jennifer Eivaz offers much-needed direction and the biblical context for prayer that does make a difference--explaining the intervention of angels and demons, prophetic manifestations, and much more. She helps believers take hold of their authority and spiritual giftings and use them in the battle for victory. The Kingdom principles and study questions will help every believer navigate the spiritual realm of prayer by using the tools that make it truly effective.Why I Choose this Book: 
Prayer is a subject I've been working on studying, so this seemed like a good book to read through. 
What I Thought About this Book:
Hummm...This is one of those books that is really hard for me to review. There were parts of the book that I really liked and agreed with. There were elements to spiritual warfare that were discussed that I think far too many Christians are ignorant about. There were inspiring stories and exciting answers to prayer. 
The reading style was also easy to follow, and although I had to read the book in lots of short sittings (compared to all at once), it wasn't difficult to understand what was being said. The author also used a lot of Scripture to back up what she was saying. 
My problem comes in with the fact that I didn't always agree with how she interpreted the verses she was quoting. Some parts left me shaking my head, or else wrinkling my nose, because I didn't see eye-to-eye with her. There were enough instances like that, that I wouldn't recommend the book, although I did learn a lot from it. Conclusion:
It was interesting to read this book right after reading Dutch Sheets' book, and this book actually quoted Dutch Sheets several time. The Intercessors Handbook was helpful, and eye-opening, but I don't see it being a re-read.Rating:
I'm giving The Intercessors Handbook 3 stars out of 5, and 6 stars out of 10. 
*I received this book free from Chosen Books in exchange for an honest review*

Clean Water: Interview with Marissa

When I was in Africa a year and a half ago, one of the great needs that was very evident was the lack of safe drinking water the people had - or even the total lack of easily accessible water in some cases. One of the villages we visited didn't have any water nearby, so the people had to literally walk eight hours a day, just to get enough water to live on. With our excessive running water, we can barely even begin to comprehend what that looks like. 
Today I'm very happy to be interviewing a girl who grew up in a culture like that. Although I don't know Marissa very well, I've known her family for over ten years now, so I was quite excited when she agreed to join me on Noveltea today. Marissa has done some fantastic stuff to help other people have fresh water, and I hope she inspires you to do the same. 

1. Can you please start out by telling us a little bit about yourself, including why you're interested in helping wells be drilled in Africa? 
My name is Marissa Cherry, and I'm almost 17. I grew up in West Africa. My family and I were missionaries there for 11 years. We lived in a very remote village next to the Sahara Desert and did not have any running water. So we had to go to the well all the time and haul water to our house to wash the dishes, and drink, and take showers and such. Most of my African friends had to spend a large part of their day at the well. 
I saw a lot of them get sick all the time, from drinking unhealthy water. I myself got quite sick at times, from bad water and food. So when we came back to America, I was looking for a project to work on, and found the Water Project. And so I did a fundraiser for them, because I know how hard it is to get water in Africa and I know the struggle. So I was really happy to help in some small way. 
When I was 4 in Ghana. 2. About how many people are there in the world who don't have clean water to drink? How does this effect their lives?  
Today, there are nearly 1 billion people in the developing world do not have access to clean water. Many of them have to walk several miles, a couple times a day, just to get water. Mostly, it's the young girls who have to do that, and it takes up a big part of their day and robs them the opportunity to go to school and get an education.
Some of us going on a African safari in the back of a pickup. :) 3. How will the people's lives improve if they do have clean water? 
Their lives will be improved drastically, partly because they will not have to spend so much time going to the river to get water, and therefore will be able to get an education. And also hugely because they will be much healthier if they can have access to drinking clean water. It will majorly cut back on the water-borne diseases that they so easily get when they drink the filthy water they drink every day. 
This is the main road the goes to our village. People drank from that water by the side of the road. :( 4. What have you been able to do to help people get clean water? 
Well, the last year and a half, I did a fundraiser with The Water Project. They are a nonprofit organization that digs wells in Africa in villages that don't have clean water. So I had fun working on it, though it seemed like an endless task, at times. I sold lots and lots of candy bars at the place I work, and did a t-shirt fund, and such. And then there were also SO many donations from friends, so the fund slowly climbed. And just a couple weeks ago, I was finally able to reach my goal of earning $12,000. Which was very exciting. 
Some of us missionary kids in the Niger River (that people drank from and also used it to wash their clothing and everything) next to our house.5. What is something practical that we could all do to help? 
Well, most importantly, pray. But if you want to do something else, feel free to donate to The Water Project's website. They are a really awesome group of people to work with, and are amazing at helping people across Africa have access to clean water. And if you really want, you could even start your own fundraiser with them, on their website. I promise you, you won't regret it! 
Our house/property in Benin.6. Do you have anything else you'd like to say? 
Not really. :) Except that you all should pray. There is plenty of work to be done. Don't ever think you're too young or can't accomplish much. God honors our efforts to help and be a blessing. Keep pressing on in Jesus!
Thank you so much, Marissa, for joining us today! I appreciate you taking the time to help us learn about this huge need, and I hope Noveltea's readers will go work at making a difference for the one billion people who don't have clean water. 

Priorities and Marathons

People! Yesterday and today have felt so utterly autumnish that it's been wonderfully lovely. I'm currently sitting in front of an open window, all bundled up in a sweatshirt, with a crisp apple strudel candle burning next to me. Ah, the delights of September. 
This week is already shaping up to be pretty full, and I've made the conscious decision to set some goals higher than other goals and then stick to my plan. That means that I'm actually going to axe some of the goals I had previously made, because in the grand scheme of things, they're less important for me to be working on right now compared to other goals. 
Since I might be what is considered an overachiever, I'm having to learn to set my sights lower in some areas. Yeah, that's not what you generally hear me talking about, it but it can actually be pretty important...there's a limited amount of time, energy, and recourses I have to use, and I want to invest them to the best of my capabilities.  

One of the things that is really important to me at this time is the marathon I will, Lord willing, be running on October 16th. Which, by the way, is only 34 days away. There are numerous reasons why this is important to me, but I'm not going to go into it today.

This summer didn't quite go according to my plans, and because of that, I got behind in training. Last week I was talking with some people and pondering it, and I realized quite clearly that unless something changed, I wouldn't be able to run the marathon in a healthy manner. And, because the marathon is so important to me, I've decided to change up some of my plans for the next several weeks.

Who knows, maybe one day I'll have a character who runs a marathon, and I can use this training time as research so I can write the character more authentically? Or, perhaps I'll have a character who is training for the Olympics, because, well, that sounds more exciting, right? Maybe I'll just pretend I'm training for the Olympics...

* * *

What are some things you're focusing on during the next five weeks? 

A Post to Make You Laugh (Part 4)

Hey y'all, I still have screenshots from back when I was in North Dakota with my adopted parents in the hospital and had a lot of time to look through funny pictures on the internet. I thought today would be a great day to share another post to make y'all laugh. You can find the first three posts here , here , and here . 














Which one is y'alls favorite? I really like the 4th and 6th ones. :) 

Writerly Musings

Over the last few days I've spent a lot of time editing. Well, in reality I've spent a lot of time accepting or rejecting the edits that a beta reader made for When Life Hands You Lymes. 
As I work, I've discovered something funny: When the beta reader suggests a change for a scene that has been written during one of the last five drafts, I'm very likely to be like "Oh wow, that makes sense" and push accept. On the other hand, when he suggests a change for a scene that was written during the first ten drafts, then it's much harder. It's literally more difficult at times for me to be okay with changing one word of an older draft scene, than to delete an entire paragraph in one of the newer scenes. 
I think it's safe to say that I get pretty attached to my characters, settings, and even word choices after I've worked with them for a while. I get to the point where I begin talking and thinking about the characters as if they're real people. For instance, I'll be shopping and will think, "Oh, Maddie would like to have that in her room" or "This is just the way Katie likes her coffee." In reality, it shouldn't be surprising, because I've literally spent thousands of hours with the characters during the last 33 months. (Which is more time than I've spent with any other people, except for my family, during the same time period.) Besides, I know that in order to make my characters come alive to the reader, they have to come alive to me. 

One thing that always makes me happy is when other people discuss my characters with me, as if they're real. I have a handful of beta readers and friends who make little comments about what Maddie would like, or how Darrick totally did the right thing, and that makes my little writer's heart extremely content.

There are some people out there who declare that their characters have a mind of their own, and the writer isn't in control of anything that happens, and while I don't agree with that, they do have a point.  After an author has worked for a long time to develop a character, then it is almost as if the character starts taking over. To explain the concept better, imagine your best friend. In all likelihood, you can predict how she would react to certain situations, and it wouldn't work out too well if you'd try and make her react in a different way, just because you thought your way was better.

My characters react certain ways in certain situations, because that's who they are. And, since I didn't know the characters as well back when I was writing the plot, then sometimes the plot is totally outdated and needs help, because hey, the character isn't going to step out of character just to make the plot work better. So when that happens, it sorta does feel like the characters have minds of their own.

And now I'm off to edit again. I hope y'all have a fantastic and victorious day!

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What about you? Have you ever caught yourself thinking about a character (in a book you've written or read), as if they're real? 

The {Beautiful} Rising Sun

One of the things I look forward to at the beginning of each month is getting to read the fourth Proverbs. See, I read the "proverb of the day" each morning, and have for nearly two years now. And, although I can obviously read any of the Proverbs any time I want, when the corresponding day arrives for a Proverb I really like, it makes the day feel extra special. 
Sunday was the 4th, and I was excited about reading that Proverb for several days leading up to Sunday. Proverbs 4:18 my favorite verse in the entire book of Proverbs, and probably one of my favorite verses in the whole Bible.

I'm a very visual person. I like seeing things. When I read a book, I see nearly everything in my head - like a movie. When people are talking to me, their words are constantly creating pictures in my brain. Sometimes when I'm writing and I'm trying to think of a specific word, written words flip through my mind almost like flashcards, until I choose the right one. 

Talking on the phone has never been something I enjoy (except to a few specific people), because it's so hard for me to carry on a conversation when I can't see the person I'm talking to. Same thing with talking through doors. When someone tries to tell me something, I am nearly always thinking Can't you just show me? 
As a writer, there are words that I enjoy simply because of how they look when they're written down. So many of my memories play in my mind, as if I had watched a movie of my growing up years and had memorized it. When someone tells a story, my brain jumps at the chance to draw out the scene for me. So yes, I'm a very visual person. 

Proverbs 4:18 is one of those verses that creates a perfect picture in my mind. It's an illustration that I can watch unfold in nature every single day. It can literally be an hourly reminder from the time I wake up, until I go to bed. (Although I rarely think of it that often.) 

The verse says, 

But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, That shines brighter and brighter until the full day.

Isn't that simply beautiful? 

I didn't watch the sun rise today, but I have gotten to see the world grow lighter around me as I go about my daily tasks. I am so thankful to have today to spend living, and breathing, and working. To watch the cycle of the sun and know that God loves me.

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. (Lam. 3:22-23)

To-Do Lists, Monday Mornings, and Happiness.

A delightful "Happy Monday!" to y'all. This busy week dawned for me after a restless night where I kept waking up, checking the clock, and willing the morning to arrive so I could start on my mile-long list of things to do. 

I'm not even quite sure how I'll be able to organize my time to fit everything in this week that I need to accomplish...but it should be a fun challenge. I have work to do for my non-writing job, a non-fiction book to read for review, City of Outcasts to finish (or nearly finish, anyway). I have a book I'm beta reading for a friend, short stories to write, my office to straighten (again), grass to cut, buuutttt...What I'm most excited about this week is that on Saturday I got the 15th draft of When Life Hands You Lymes back from a beta reader. So yay!
This is the most thorough going-over I've ever had from a beta reader. And that's a good thing. There is only so much one person (aka me) can do to polish up a story. And, after 15 drafts and multiple rounds of beta reading, the book still had a far piece to travel.

Saturday afternoon, as soon as I got back from my non-writing job, I dove into reading through the comments the beta reader had made. I responded to quite a few of them, and gauged my reaction on the rest. That process alone took several hours. (Happy hours, I might add, because I was getting to work on WLHYL again!)

I had to take breaks to finish reading and reviewing a book, write 1,000 words on City of Outcasts, and send a few emails, but other then that I worked on the edits until midnight arrived, signaling the end of my work week.

Yesterday was brimming full with going to church, helping out with Sunday School, and then working in the nursery during the second service. I attended a baby shower after that, and the rest of the afternoon was bursting with a conglomeration of events (blessedly it also hosted a nap). It was a few minutes before 10:30 when I happily fell into bed, ready to peacefully sleep the night away. Only, by then my brain was like "Ah-ha! A new week is just around the corner, so let's start thinking full-speed, cause guess what? You've got the16th draft of WLHYL to work through!" Needless to say, I'm happy that Monday has now arrived.

I hope y'all are as excited about this week as I am, and if you have any tips on how I can manage my time better, I'd be delighted to hear them. And now I'm off to beta read, so I can then dive back into editing. 

Answers to the Most Important Questions about the End Times By Dr. John Hart: Book Review

Answers to the Most Important Questions about the End TimesBy Dr. John Hart 
Find it on:  Amazon Goodreads  
Narrative Non-Fiction189 Pages

About the Book (Back cover Blurb):
For everyone who is curious, confused, or even fearful about Jesus' second coming, the Antichrist, the end of the world, the book of Revelation, and biblical prophecy, Dr. John Hart clearly and respectfully offers real, biblical answers. He reveals exactly what God's Word says as well as what it doesn't say, explaining how it impacts your family and friends. This slender volume answers everyone's most-asked questions, and even includes a list of Bible references for further study.
Why I Choose this Book: 
I haven't read very much about the end times, so I was pretty curious to learn more about it from people who have studied the matter extensively. 
What I Thought About this Book:
Unfortunately it wasn't really my style. Now this is going to sound quite lame, but the fact is, I like stories. I like being able to relate to people. Don't get wrong, nonfiction books are great - but I don't feel a draw toward a book when it's just fact after fact. I literally don't know a single thing about the author from reading the book (except that he's obviously studied the end times). I am able to engage in a book much better when they illustrate points by telling short stories that are true. Since we're studying the end times though, I can see how that didn't exactly fit into the picture. (All that to say, you'll probably like the book, so you should check it out.) 
 I did learn stuff from reading the book though, and although I didn't agree on 100% of his interpretations, it was encouraging to see how often he quoted or referenced the Bible. There were hundreds, if not thousands, of references, so yay for authors who really take the Bible as the authority. 
The book discusses questions like "Who is the 'False Prophet'?" "What is the Role of Israel in the End Times?" "What Nations Will be in Power in the End Times?" and many other similar ones. There were some explanations that didn't make a ton of sense to me, but I have a feeling that if I would study the matter more throughly, then they would. 
Conclusion:
Overall it's a pretty good overview of what the end times look like. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it, but that's only because it wasn't my style. Rating:
I'm giving Answers to the Most Important Questions about the End Times 3 stars out of 5, and 4 stars out of 10. 

*I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review*

September Goals - My First Vlog

Hey folks! Welcome to the second gloriously beautiful day of September! In case any of y'all don't know, September is the beginning of my absolutely favorite part of the year. Whenever this fantastic month rolls, I feel like hugging the world and celebrating and dancing around while adding even more memories to the folder marked Septembering. 
So, since my celebrations are generally uniqueish little creatures, I decided that the way I would celebrate this time would be by posting my very first vlog on Noveltea. (Vlog = video blog.) I have seriously wanted to vlog for years now, and I'm so crazy-excited to finally have the chance to! 

In my vlog today, I'll be discussing my goals for September, so yay! This month is pretty full, and I'm ready to dive in. You can either watch the movie above, or click on the link here . I'd be quite delighted to hear feedback. ;) 
A big thank you to my little bro, Moses, for being a total sweetheart and stopping what he was doing so he could film for me. You rock, buddy!

August 2016 in Review

What I Focused on in August: 
1. Finishing the 15th draft of WLHYL, and beginning to work on my Echoes series again
2. Marathon training (eating healthily, lots of running, and trying to go to sleep at a reasonable hour)3. Family Time 4. Getting back into the swing of things at home 

Birthday Challenge and Dream List Update 
Birthday Challenge:  
4. Go to Wednesday night church 24 times {2}
8. Writer 24 A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words short stories {1}
13. Write a monthly review on my blog within 5 days of the end of the month whenever internet is available {COMPLETED!}
14. Blog my 3 (or more) top goals for each month within 5 days of the beginning of each month whenever internet is available {September still to go}
24. Read out loud for 24 hours {4}
Dream List:  None


Reading Update Non-Fiction: 4Fiction: 3Reviews: 7Audio Books: 1 

Traveling
Nights gone: 12New States or Countries: None 

August Goals 
If God wills and I live, in August...1. I will be able to do a half marathon (13.1 miles) in 3 hours {YES!} 2. I will send the completed 15th draft of WLHYL out for another round of beta reading {YES!}3. I will read three non-fiction books {YES!}4. I will begin writing 1,000 words each day for my 24 before 24 challenge {YES!}5. I will finish memorizing the first 3 chapters of Philippians {Haha...Nope. I did work on it, though.}
,What I've Been Learning
Ah, this month was fantastic, as was August in 2015, which I find mildly amusing. See, for years August has been my least favorite month of the year, it's hot and stuffy and just plain in the way of glorious September. But then last year and this year, I went into the month determined to fully appreciate it and not dwell on upcoming September too much, and guess what? It works. Mindset really does make a big difference, even with "little" things like embracing whatever month is currently taking center stage. 
I didn't do a ton of reading this month because I was really focused on editing and then writing, but I still managed to glean a lot from the books I did take in. I learned more about piano and being a musician, read about service dogs (amazing creatures), and about how different people react to motherhood differently. 
Through Intercessory Prayer, a book by Dutch Sheets, I also learned a great deal about what the Bible really has to say about prayer, and how to pray more effectively. Since beginning the book, I have indeed begun changing the way I pray, so that's a plus. I've also been trying to learn about how to study the Bible in a more productive way. 
This month I've also enjoyed delving some into American History. I've always enjoyed history, but it's been a while since I've sat down and just studied it. Looking at how our nation was founded is always a good reminder of where we came from and put life back into perspective. 
I was reminded over and over again of how I'm surrounded by amazing people. Sometimes I forget about how blessed I am, but then people waltz in and do something that makes me shake my head in wonder. Like my brother calmly saying "It's totally fine, I'll fix it" when I make a mistake at work that costs him time and energy. Or my sister making siblings breakfast in bed. Or a friend pulling an all-nighter to finish beta reading WLHYL. Or several people band together so some of my most wonderful friends can come and stay for a week. Or when I talk to another brother on the phone and he prays for God to bless me. Or when my best friend shares her special food with me. Or when other beta readers give me updates and spend so much of their time on the book. Through all this I'm learning to set aside my plans and be willing to help, too, because being like those^ people is a high ideal to reach for. (Being the hands and feet of Christ, y'all!) 

Other
This month started out with editing, and then morphed into writing. I had a lot of fun spending time working on my new series, Echoes, and getting updates on When Life Hands You Lymes. Yesterday was day 19 of writing at least 1,000 words each day, and I've been thoroughly enjoying the challenge. Writing 1,000 words doesn't take much time, but it really helps the story progress at steady pace. 
I spent nearly the first two weeks of the month in Florida visiting family. When I wasn't working on writing or running, I had lots of fun conversations and played a multitude of games. *cue happy sigh* When I got home life was crazy and busy, and amazing. And I mean like, very crazy, and very busy, and very amazing. One of the wonderfully happy parts was being thrilled and excited to have some of my amazing friends who live across the world come and visit me for a week. So yay! (Like, lots of Yay! and lots of late nights, and lots of laughter, and...you get the picture.) (Can you feel the enthusiasm?)             
THE OLYMPICS! Can we just take a moment to breath in deeply and happily and sigh in delight and maybe dance around the room and do a couple of backflips? I'm incredibly thankful and blessed that God worked it out so that we were around TVs during the Olympics. We don't have TV at home and I literally never wish that we did, but the Olympics? Goodness, do yo have any clue how incredibly inspiring they are? Since we were in Florida during the first half of them, I had such an incredible time watching them. Someday I'm gonna have to write a whole post about them, because wow... (Aka, the USA ladies gymnastics team is just utterly amazing.) *cue happiness and excitement and inspiration*
Eating healthily was a big part of this month, and it turned out really well. Like, why do I ever stop? Who knows. (Actually, I do. It's because it's generally more work to find food that's paleo, and sometimes I crave other stuff, so...) But yeah, being healthy this month was good for me. 
OH! Folks, I have a darling new nephew. I hardly ever talk about my family on this blog, but I wanted to gush about being an aunt for a moment. BEING AN AUNT IS WONDERFUL! Okay. We're good now. You can go back to your normal lives. 
Woah. I'm not sure when I've ever had such a gushy month review. Just to make sure we have a little bit of perspective (cause, I go back through and read these posts at the end of the year), there were some hard moments this month. My health wasn't as stellar as I was hoping for (which was pretty hard), and there were some misunderstands, and deadlines and goals weren't always met, but overall? Overall it was really amazing! I'm incredibly thankful for this month and quite excited for next month! (SEPTEMBER, oh glory be!)

* * * So, I'd be delighted to hear about y'alls August. How did it go?