Janet Sketchley's Blog: Tenacity, page 93
August 15, 2014
Robin Williams and Suicide: 3 links and a song
On Saturday I finished reading Jan Wong‘s bestselling memoir, Out of the Blue, subtitled “A memoir of workplace depression, recover, redemption, and, yes, happiness.”The author didn’t attempt to take her own life, but in exploring depression and its effects the book does talk about suicide.
Monday evening we heard the news of Robin Williams’ death. I’m sad. Not from a sense of personal loss, but sad for a life tragically cut short. That’s a cliche, but you know what? A cliche is something that...
August 13, 2014
The One Opinion of You that Matters
The fear of human opinion disables;
trusting in God protects you from that.
Proverbs 29:25, MSG*
“Disable” is a strong word. Even though many levels of disability don’t incapacitate a person, they do affect and interfere in some way with that person’s ability to function. And some disabilities increase over time.
We all know how fear of others’ opinions can cause us to self-censor, to put up walls or wear masks, to hide our true thoughts and feelings. In contrast, certain people make us feel safe...
August 11, 2014
Review: Secrets of Sloane House, by Shelley Gray
Secrets of Sloane House, by Shelley Gray (Zondervan, 2014)
The year 1893 finds Rosalind Perry in the bustling city of Chicago, far from her rural home, working as a maid. Yes, her family needs the money, but Rosalind is there to discover what happened to her sister, Miranda, who disappeared without a trace from the family’s employ. In a time when young women might willingly disappear, many more are going missing.
Rosalind has stepped far outside her comfort zone, and she develops a confidence a...
August 8, 2014
Praying Scripture
Do you pray Scripture over your family and loved ones? Passages that speak a blessing of some kind?
Do you turn other Bible verses into personal prayer over situations and circumstances that weigh heavily on your spirit?
Me, too. Another way I like to pray God’s Word back to Himis with one- and two-line verses—the kind that sink into our hearts once we’ve read them a few times.
They’re the ones that rise to my lips when the need is great. Here are some I’d like to share:
“Lord, I believe. Help my...
August 6, 2014
Lord, I Want to See
If people can’t see what God is doing,
they stumble all over themselves;
But when they attend to what he reveals,
they are most blessed.
Proverbs 29:18, MSG*
One thing I brought home from Write Canada this year was the challenge to see. As I shared recently (Bubbles in Bratislava), that message needed reinforcing within a few short weeks.
We see so much with our natural eyes, and we “see” our perspectives and interpretations, and all of this gets in the way of our discerning what God is doing—and w...
August 4, 2014
Review: The Butterfly and the Violin, by Kristy Cambron
The Butterfly and the Violin, by Kristy Cambron (Thomas Nelson, 2014)
A New York art gallery owner and a California businessman team up to locate an obscure painting—for wildly different reasons. For Sera James, it’s a connection to happier times from her past. For William Hanover, it’s the key to his family’s future.
Sera and William each carry wounds, and it’s easier to focus on the hunt than to risk trusting—and healing. Still, each recognizes something special in the other.
The novel also te...
August 1, 2014
Interview: Author Lillian Duncan
Lillian Duncan is a multi-published author who lives in the middle of Ohio Amish country with her husband, two parrots, one Jack Russell, and a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel she’s thinking of renaming Clifford since he keeps growing and growing and….
As a speech pathologist in the public schools for over thirty years, she worked with students of all ages with a wide variety of conditions, but especially with deaf and hard-of-hearing children. Whether as an educator, a writer, or a speech patho...
July 30, 2014
Do You Fear Bad News?
They do not fear bad news;
they confidently trust theLordto care for them.
Psalm 112:7, NLT*
There’s an article in the current issue of Reader’s Digest that suggests the fear of future scarcity can affect our daily wellbeing. (“Can’t Get No Satisfaction,” by Rosie Ifould, August 2014)
We can end up living in tension, on alert, ready for something bad to happen, whether it’s financial, physical or relational. I’ve seen it in my own life; you likely have as well.
Fear of lack. Fear of loss. It creat...
July 28, 2014
Review: Seagrass Pier, by Colleen Coble
Seagrass Pier, by Colleen Coble (Thomas Nelson, 2014)
Elin Summerall is a young widow caring for her preschool-aged daughter and for her mother, who’s slipping into dementia. Elin is also the recent recipient of a heart transplant—and now she’s remembering details of her donor’s murder.
The police don’t believe her, but it seems that the murderer does.
FBI agent Marc Everton’s investigation of the murder leads him to Elin. They’ve met before, but Marc didn’t know their one night of passion produ...
July 25, 2014
Bubbles in Bratislava
Europe on a river cruise. Hands up, everyone who’s dreamed of a getaway like this. My husband and I decided to splurge for our 30th anniversary, and the Grand European Tour from Viking River Cruises exceeded all expectations.
Fifteen days on the ship from Amsterdam to Budapest, with daily excursions, plus a three-day extension in Prague at the end. I loved being on the deck watching the scenery slide by. My favourite stop was the charming town of Miltenberg in Germany, and Budapest at night is...
