Sojourner's Journey

Ten Thousand Reasons for My Heart to Find

Administrator — Mon, 14 May 2012 11:12:49 +0000

I found myself feeling overwhelmed by feelings this morning. My life is overrun with a million small details and important decisions. I was gone 12 days, back 13 and I’m leaving tomorrow for another 12. There is so much to be done and the pressure of it has been weighing heavy.

And I knew I needed to:

Stop – For this hurried spirit accomplishes nothing

Reflect – For God’s presence is with me

Pray – For He longs for me to abide in Him in the middle of the pressures of the day

Give Thanks – For He has provided for all that I need and so much more

And I find that just minutes focusing on His presence and resting in His love is like a bottomless well of purest water to my thirsty soul.

And somehow it all looks different now…for there truly are blessings for my soul, even today, ten thousand reasons for my heart to find

CD Review: A Place to Belong by Lisa Troyer

Administrator — Mon, 14 May 2012 08:44:02 +0000

CD Description:

Every woman needs acceptance, love and a place to belong. That’s the underlying theme of the new music CD, A Place to Belong (Lifeway Worship), from singer/songwriter Lisa Troyer, president of Circle of Friends Ministries. Refreshingly authentic and dynamic, the companion worship CD to Troyer’s recently released book, A Place to Belong: Out of Our Comfort Zone and into God’s Adventure (Barbour Publishing), tenderly draws women into a place of true freedom and belonging in the very heart of God.

In her book,Troyer shares her own journey to acceptance as well as the story of a group of dynamic “women helping women” who call themselves the Circle of Friends. Troyer encourages readers to form their own circle of friends, a safe place of truth and love where women can develop lasting relationships and discover together the purposes of God for their lives.

Obviously noticeable in both the book and CD is Troyer’s passion to lead others into the bottomless love of God. This fierce desire compelled her to plunge deeply into the heart of the issues all women face, but most keep to themselves. With tendencies toward depression, anxiety attacks and an eating disorder, Troyer knows firsthand the bondage of secrecy and shame. “Living with a secret,” Troyer admits, “doesn’t make it go away. It doesn’t change your heart. As well hidden as your secret is, that is how deeply lonely you will be. I’ve been there. I know it’s true.”

The newly released companion CD reinforces her book’s admonition that there is complete freedom and acceptance to be found in the Father. “This CD was birthed out of the knowledge that music is so often used by God to solidify a written and/or spoken message,” says Troyer. “Dawn Yoder and I have been blessed by the friendship and songwriting partnership God’s given us, and songs like ‘Let Us Bow Down,’ ‘Lifting My Praise Up’ and ‘I Found Grace’ (Circle of Friends theme song) are reflective of how, by finding a place to belong, we are inspired to share encouragement, while keeping our focusing on worshipping in ‘Spirit and in truth.’”

The new Circle of Friends CD is available online at http://lifewayworship.com and iTunes. It can also be purchased through your local Christian retailer.

Bio & Author Website:

Radio personality, recording artist, speaker and author Lisa Troyer finds herself heart-deep in ministries that are changing lives forever. Her incredibly successful Circle of Friends women’s ministry, formed over a decade ago, is growing in all directions. With ministry and songwriting partner Dawn Yoder, Lisa and her Circle of Friends offer women’s conferences, leadership training, counseling services, worship music, life skills classes and marriage/family resources. No matter the outlet or the venue, Lisa uses her gift of encouragement, her influence and her resources to open doors for women everywhere to discover their significance and belonging through Christ.

My Thoughts: (I received a free download of this CD in exchange for my honest opinion)

I love the idea behind this CD – finding a place to belong in community in the body of Christ, relating with each other in the model of Trinitarian love, this is a message worth singing about. The music itself is mellow and quiet. Some might find it soothing. There is nothing particularly standout or artistic about the music itself – it is standard, mainstream, christian praise music, yet, the words are worshipful. I was particularly drawn to the lyrics of the song I Found Grace with it’s focus on journeying in community. It’s honestly not my style of music, but I can think of a number of people who would love it. (Music is harder to review than books as it is much more subjective to personal style). You can check out more about the CD (and the book) and see for yourself if it’s your style of music on these websites:

~ www.findaplacetobelong.com<http://www.findaplacetobelong.com> ~

~ (Follow page links to download songs for free) ~

~ www.lisatroyer.com<http://www.lisatroyer.com> ~

~ www.ourcircleoffriends.org<http://www.ourcircleoffriends.org> ~

Book Review: The Realms Thereunder

Administrator — Sat, 12 May 2012 15:38:22 +0000

About the Book:

Uncover a land that has been hidden for over a thousand years.

Beneath the land of Britain, a great army is sleeping. On a visit to an old church, Daniel Tully and Freya Reynolds awaken two ancient knights from a centuries-old slumber. They are kidnapped and taken to an underground city that stands in peril, besieged in all directions by a vicious warhost. Nidergeard is the only thing protecting the upper world’s blissful ignorance of mythical forces that have been held at bay since the creation of the world. In order to return home, Daniel and Freya must strike at the heart of the opposer’s power.

Fast forward eight years. Daniel, now homeless, still wages what he believes to be a righteous war against those he judges to be evil. Freya has tried to put the past behind her and concentrate on getting an education, a job, and a life. When they reconnect in Oxford, unseen forces begin to ally against them. Daniel is pulled through a portal and into another world. Freya is abducted by someone—some thing. After they finally break free, neither can deny the truth . . . the battle is not over.

With a thrilling narrative that draws heavily upon British mythology, The Realms Thereunder will quickly establish Ross Lawhead as a major new voice in fantasy.

My Thoughts:

In The Realms Thereunder Ross Lawhead weaves a fascinating tale of knights and valor, myth and mythology, black and white and shades of gray.

Follow main characters, Daniel and Freya, as they live an adventure and recount their tale of a journey begun, but not yet ended. Eight years ago Daniel and Freya stepped into the impossible world of the realms thereunder. In this realm of sleeping knights, enchantments, heroes and villains they journey to find out who they are, where they belong and whether they will stand for a greater cause. Now the adventure is circling back upon them. Dark forces conspire. Confusion and traps lie around every bend. Where will this journey take them and do they have the courage to embrace what awaits?

I enjoyed this story. The twists and turns of the plot kept my interest and the author’s use of legend, myth and history added fascinating dimension to the tale. While I occasionally wished that the timelines were less intertwined, I never lost interest in where the story was heading. The characters were humanly flawed enough to be real and the tensions between characters moved the story forward with both depth and believability (despite the fantastical elements of the tale).

The pace of the book was slow and thoughtful, even while being full of action. This style of writing appeals to me personally, but if you are looking for a constant cliff-hanging thriller that you will stay up all night reading, then the pace of this novel may not be to your liking. Also, you should be aware that there is not a small amount of battle violence in this tale.

I enjoyed accompanying Daniel and Freya on this adventure and will be keeping an eye out for book two: The Fearful Gates.

*** I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion *** Click on the cover image to see this book at Amazon.

Book Review: The Forgiven Duke

Administrator — Tue, 08 May 2012 07:46:50 +0000

Tethered by her impulsive promise to marry Lord John Lemon – the path of least resistance – Alexandria Featherstone sets off toward Iceland in search of her parents with a leaden heart. A glimpse of her guardian, the Duke of St. Easton – the path less traveled by – on Dublin’s shore still haunts her.

Will he come after her? Will he drag her back to London, quelling her mission to rescue her treasure-seeking parents, or might he decide to throw caution to the wind and choose Foy Pour Devoir: “Faith for Duty,” the St. Easton motto. The Featherstone motto Valens et Volens: “Willing and Able,” beats in her heart and thrums through her veins. She will find her parents and find their love, no matter the cost.

The powerful yet wing-clipped Duke of St. Easton has never known the challenge that has become his life since hearing his ward’s name. Alexandria Featherstone will be the life or the death of him. Only time and God’s plan will reveal just how much this man can endure for the prize of love.

My Thoughts:

I started this book, but quickly realized that I was not going to grasp the depth of the story without reading book one in the series, The Guardian Duke. So my first recommendation is don’t try to read this as a stand alone novel – you need to know all that has come before.

After reading the first book in the Forgotten Castles series (which has a cliff hanger ending) I was all to ready to pick up The Forgiven Duke and continue the story. I enjoyed the characters in spite of their many flaws and weaknesses. While I kept cheering them on (and simultaneously groaning) hoping that they would make better choices, I couldn’t help but be drawn into the story.

The colorful description, the varied places they traveled and the reoccurring theme (of the varied characters almost grasping what they sought but then just missing out), kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what was coming next. This novel doesn’t release until July first and already I’m anxiously awaiting the next installment in the series.

***I received a free pre-release digital galley of this book for review in exchange for my honest opinion.*** (Click on the book cover for purchasing information at Amazon)

Journey 4-19-12

Administrator — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:19:26 +0000

“So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.’ But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?’ He said, ‘I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.’ “ Exodus 3:10-12 NRSV

In this text God comes to Moses with a task that is in keeping with a desire that God had already created in Moses’ heart. Years had passed since Moses had first been deeply moved by the Egyptian injustice against the Israelites. Moses had handled that passion incorrectly. Instead of submitting that passion to God he acted in anger and murdered a man, which led to exile in the desert.

I wonder what became of that desire over the desert years? Did Moses suppress it? Try to kill it? Become bitter over it? Was it still present and laced with regret? Did he ever wake up at night wondering about his people? Did he come to fear his desire and his inadequacy in the light of his failure? I wonder what was going on inside of Moses’ heart when he heard God say that He would bring about deliverance for his people and that He was sending Moses for this task? When God spoke about what had once moved him so passionately into unholy action, what was on Moses’ mind? How did it feel to have God say that He would use Moses in this very area of his failure by making his desire into a holy thing, used of God for holy purposes?

I wonder what made Moses shrink back from this invitation. It seems like there is a deep fear of inadequacy in Moses’ response. Why would God choose to work in his weakness? How could God redeem and actually use the very desire that led to sin and banishment? Was God really going to create beauty from the ashes of his failure? Moses asks, “Who am I?” It reminds me of another Biblical author who asked God in Psalm 8:4 “What is man that you are mindful of him? Or from The Message, “Why do you bother with us? Why take a second look our way?” Isn’t this a question common to man? Will God really make something beautiful out of a sinner such as I? What kind of love is this that He should take a second look our way?

In the NIV, Exodus 3:10 reads, “So, now go.” It’s a command. But I was struck by the NRSV rendering of the text as “So, now come.” It changes the tone and brings the fullness of God, who is both invitational and incarnational, to the text. It makes me wonder what Moses heard. Did Moses hear the invitational call of God? “So, now come” echoes with the promise of verse twelve, “I will be with you.” It literally rings with hope. Did Moses hear it? Or did the sound of his own fear drown out the voice of promise?

I hear God saying to Moses:

Come with me.

Join me in what I’m doing. I am the one who is going to accomplish this and I, Myself, will conquer your inadequacy with my power. You failed, but I never do. I will be with you.

Come.

Let me redeem the passion that I birthed in you. Your desire for justice comes from me, for I love justice. But I am Holy and I am merciful.

Your desire is distorted by sin, while my desire is pure.

Come.

Let me show you how I will bring justice while offering mercy through the Passover.

I will be with you.

I’m inviting you to know me. I’m inviting you to walk with me.

I’m inviting you to watch me as I work redemption in your life and I’m sending you to be a part of my redemptive work.

So Come, heed my invitation.

And Go, fulfill my command according to my power and presence with you.

And I hear God as He continues to speak these words to us today:

Come with me.

Join me in what I’m doing. I am the one who is going to accomplish this and I, Myself, will conquer your inadequacy with my power. You fail, but I never do. I will be with you.

Come.

Let me redeem and release the unique person that I have created you to be.

I will be with you.

I’m inviting you to know me. I’m inviting you to walk with me.

I’m inviting you to watch me as I work redemption in your life and I’m sending you to be a part of my redemptive work.

So Come, heed my invitation.

And Go, fulfill my commands according to my power and presence with you.

Book Review: The Dublin Destiny

Administrator — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 21:37:08 +0000

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today’s Wild Card author is:

Jill Twigg

and the book:

The Dublin Destiny

Tate Publishing (January 10, 2012)

***Special thanks to Jill Twigg for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

With the encouragement of family and friends, Jill Twigg pursued her lifelong dream of becoming a Christian author into reality. She is the mother of four daughters and nina to five grandchildren. She resides in Houma, Louisiana with her husband.

Visit the author’s website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

This ugly duckling story begins with Rylee running for her life from Ireland to America. She marries a family friend Patrick, to stay hidden, and while she is waiting for a chance to return to her homeland she becomes a beautiful swan. The Dublin Destiny is a charming romance filled with intrigue, humor and fun weaved with a message of faith, trust and divine love that is sure to leave you yearning for more.

Product Details:

List Price: $17.99 – Perfect Paperback: 232 pages – Publisher: Tate Publishing (January 10, 2012) – Language: English – ISBN-10: 1613465610 – ISBN-13: 978-1613465615

My Thoughts

The Dublin Destiny kept my attention and had both interesting and unexpected elements. Overall, I’d give it a solid three stars. It lacked some of the polish and descriptive elements that I prefer, ofttimes feeling more like a narration that I was listening to than a story I was living. But the plot was intriguing and the characters were engaging and (for the most part) believable. Further, I deeply appreciated the redemptive element to the story. As the first published work of a new author I think it was a solid release. I look forward to seeing more from Jill Twigg as she develops her talents and continues to share he love of story with the world.

AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Prologue

The panting sounds she heard were getting stronger. Rylee looked behind her to see who was coming. There was no one. She quickly continued her quest to get home. Only a hundred more yards, she could make it. Still hearing panting sounds, she stopped and leaned against the building to confirm no one was coming. She didn’t understand. The sounds were so loud and persistent. She held her breath a second longer to take notice then sighed, realizing the sounds were coming from her own mouth. Rylee breathed a little easier knowing that possibly she wasn’t being followed just yet. In hurrying to get home to see her mother, Rylee knew one thing for sure: the need for calling bluffs had to stop. One day it wasn’t going to work. And she was thinking that it was the day. She was utterly unsure of her future now.

The flight plans were set, and she was to leave to catch the bus in a little less than an hour. That bus would take her to the airport in Dublin, which was at least an hour from her house. Rylee would then catch a plane and a connecting flight to her destination in America—Georgia, to be exact. Where that was? Rylee had no clue. She wasn’t sure of anything anymore. How can someone threaten the life of someone else and get away with it? Never mind that, how can one take the life of another and get away with it? Why was this happening to her? She hadn’t hurt anyone to deserve this warning.

Rylee certainly had her reasons for threatening to cause problems. So now she had to leave her home and her country. Where was the justice in that? With the deadline for her departure almost expired, she wasn’t wasting any time. Prolonging the inevitable only made the impending

matter worse. She knew she had to go. There was more at stake than just her life, and she wasn’t going to put her mother at risk because of her momentary inclination to stir up trouble.

Her mother was waiting with the luggage just inside the front door. A large tote bag consisting of a few changes of clothes, a toothbrush, and a license were all Rylee had to take on her journey. She was not sure why she bothered. That wasn’t much to start a new life, but she knew she’d get by with what she had. She received from her mother a quick kiss and one hundred dollars. They tried to stay strong, neither one wanting to show too much emotion, for fear they would not follow through with their plan. However, when the time drew near, their watering eyes displayed the melancholy they were both trying to avoid. They each had no indication as to when they would see each other again. Sometimes life was just so unfair. Hurrying back out the door, Rylee headed around the building to the bus stop and her uncertain

future. There was no bluffing her way out of this one.

Chapter One

Rylee Shannon was embarking on a new and scary adventure. A journey, if you wanted to call it that. Or vice versa. And as far as she knew, it could have been a journey right to hell. But anywhere was better than where she’d been. Scary or not, she had to trust that her mother was doing the right thing. Those demons would eventually need conquering, even if it took her last dying breath to do so. But for now, she would suffer in silence until she figured how the next part of her life was going to play out in the scheme of things. The midnight flight from Dublin, Ireland, was scary enough considering the fact she had never been on a plane. Except for her therapy training and the occasional visits to the Wicklow Mountains, Rylee didn’t venture too far from her town of Glendalough.

The flight attendant was not looking very cordial this evening as she monitored the seatbelts down the aisles. Her making sure everyone buckled his or her seatbelts before takeoff brought no comfort to Rylee at this point. She assumed the flight attendant had picked the short end of the stick and received the late night flight as punishment. Rylee also noticed the deep set of dark circles under the attendant’s eyes. She had probably had a long and hard day. Haven’t we all? Rylee added to her thought process.

With eyes wandering about, Rylee noticed there were thirty-five rows of two seats on each side of a middle aisle, A and C on one side and D and F on the other.

What happened to B and E? she wondered. She needed to stop thinking so much. She was getting very anxious for the flight to be over, and the plane hadn’t even gotten into the air yet. The Fasten Your Seatbelt sign came on, and the flight attendant made her announcements. She proceeded to show the routine demonstrations of putting on the seatbelt as the airplane taxied to the runway.

The safety demonstration is a joke, Rylee thought.

Flotation device—were they serious? Did they really expect her to believe that if this big bus in the sky was to have a water landing, she would actually be able to utilize the flotation device? Would she even be able to get over the panic to grab her seat cushion? Nonetheless, when she stood, she would almost certainly knock herself out because the ceiling was so low. And flipping the seat over to attach the straps around her shoulders? Just give me a gun! She laughed at herself.

The realization that a tranquilizer would have been appropriate for this trip approached her thought process as well. All that thinking was going to make her insane. She just needed to relax. Right!

Rylee could hear her mother beyond her doom-and-gloom thoughts.

Always the pessimist, Rylee girl. Someday, you are going to have to learn to trust the Lord. Negative thoughts will bring you negative actions! You mind my words. Nothing good will come of it, ever.

Rylee’s mother, Bonnie, was always the optimist. Rylee couldn’t fathom anything positive coming from this journey to the unknown. Her life at home was bleak at best, according to her, but at least she knew it. How was it to become any better, running for her life, basically to an unknown country?

The plan was for her to stay with a childhood pen pal of her mother’s. A pen pal, for Pete’s sake! Not even a friend her mother had actually met.

How could her mother do this to her? She could be sending her to a place worse than which she came from. How could Bonnie be that trusting? However, Rylee had no place else to go. She was as desperate as desperate could get. Again, always the pessimist, she thought.

She needed sleep. If the ride was as traumatic as the takeoff, she didn’t know how she was going to get through it. Not only that, but she was scheduled to change planes in New York, so she would get to do it all over again. It was a good thing she brought her inhaler, because even though the passenger in the next seat explained the bumps from the plane were just “air pockets in the clouds,” she wanted off, and she wanted off now. The stress that manifested her wheezing finally subsided after several minutes, and she was able to breathe normally. However, it wasn’t long until the next bout of bumpy clouds came again. It was amazing to her how a bunch of fluff could make an enormous airplane dip like a roller coaster. The feeling of her heart leaving her chest and moving into her throat was not making a good first impression for this airline. She was quite sure she never wanted to go through the experience of an airplane ride ever again. Next time she would think about traveling by boat. But, then again, she couldn’t swim. She was in a pickle. Either way, she was in a predicament in which she needed to trust, and that was difficult for her.

The last couple of days had been hectic, to say the least—scrambling for a plan of escape, then putting it into action. She was literally running a race of her life. Her mother, bless her heart, had really stepped up to the plate for her. Rylee always told her mother that God had a special place waiting for her, and that was never truer than now. Bonnie managed to pawn some family relics to add to her measly savings to purchase Rylee a bus ticket. It also funded part of the plane ticket from Dublin to Georgia. Her mother’s pen pal fronted the rest with no questions asked, knowing she would not be able to pay it back anytime in the near future. She had to give the McLellans credit for coming to the aid, an expensive aid at that, especially for someone whom they had never met.

She wondered what she would have to do to compensate.

The roller coaster ride through the clouds was not helping Rylee’s nerves or the queasiness of her stomach. It was either due to the stress of the trip or the constant altitude changes; she didn’t know which. Probably both. At this point, she really needed the plane to stop. Rylee figured the pilot drew the short end of the stick as well. Between him and the stewardess, or the flight attendant or whatever they are calling them these days, Rylee didn’t have a chance on this flight.

“Oh my!” She exclaimed aloud, her thought process interrupted by another cloud dip. Luckily, she hadn’t eaten anything in a while, because that last dip would have caused her to lose it all. And it would not have been pretty. If Rylee wasn’t so shy, she’d go ask the pilot if he needed help driving the plane. She assumed he was a novice. She could at least alert him when the clouds were coming.

The woman seated next to her could see her distress and patted her clenched hand on the armrest.

“It’s okay. The plane is built to manage these clouds.”

“I’m not handling this very well, am I?” Rylee stated back to her.

“Don’t you know about the reconnaissance planes that fly into hurricanes to see how strong they are?” she asked. “This is nothing.”

She couldn’t fathom why anyone would want that job. She nodded, appreciating the woman’s attempt to comfort.

The pilot came on the loudspeaker to announce that the turbulence should be over and the rest of the flight would be smooth sailing. He even tried to downplay it and make light of the situation by asking the children to refrain from bouncing in their seats, while the passengers laughed. However, Rylee’s nerves did not dissipate. The woman patted Rylee’s hand again. Rylee smiled at her and then closed her eyes, silently praying that the pilot was true to his word. Her thoughts meandered to a picture of Rylee kissing the ground if she ever got to it.

The Hartfield-Jackson International airport in Atlanta was starting to come alive with the hustle and bustle of family, friends, and patrons waiting to board their flight. The vendors were opening up their gates for business as the early scheduled flights brought patrons yearning for nourishment or reading material before they headed to their destinations.

One of these patrons, Lucy McLellan, was there on a mission. In all her fifty-three years, she had never turned down someone needing help, and she wasn’t going to start now. About a week ago, she had received a disturbing phone call from her childhood pen pal in Ireland asking—more like begging—for her to accept her daughter for a visit. She added that Rylee was in need of protection. Lucy, never one to leave someone in a bind, agreed, knowing that her trusted friend would not have come to her in desperation without probable cause.

“Okay, here’s gate C33,” Lucy said, as she looked back and waved for her son to come over to where she was. Her pen pal’s daughter, Rylee, had gotten herself into some trouble. She was able to get a temporary visa to visit. How she got it in a week’s time was only by the grace of God, for she needed to be out of Ireland—and fast. Bonnie assured her there were no drugs involved; for that reason, she did not have to worry about the headache of not being able to trust someone in her own home. She didn’t want to go through the trouble of having to hide anything that could be pawned for drugs or what not.

Patrick, Lucy’s only child and driver to the airport for this meeting, lagged behind with much trepidation, verifying the gate from the monitor. After much pleading, Patrick agreed to the offering of himself in marriage for Rylee’s protection, at least until he got back from a mission abroad. The offer was made sight unseen and without revealing the motive for the visit. Then when he returned, he could annul the marriage. By that time, things would have settled down at the home front, and Rylee could return to her mother in Ireland.

Patrick agreed with much protest but knew his mother would not have asked without a great deal of praying. She had enough faith for the both of them; however, neither was lacking in that area.

“An arranged marriage? Mom, this is the twenty-first century,” he argued. With her arguing back that the Bible did not stop teaching and providing nourishment just because it was past the death of Christ, he smiled at her, knowing that any argument with his mom was never a winning situation on his part, and she knew he was teasing. And knowing Lucy, there would be more to it than a simple marriage of convenience.

However, Patrick had other concerns. He had to get ready for his trip abroad, which was in ten days. Patrick was a physician working at the county hospital’s emergency room clinic when he was home. On this assignment, he was heading to Guatemala for his church mission field project. He made the trip every two years to help with whatever medical issues were going on at the time. There was usually quite a load. He enjoyed his job immensely, believing the Lord gave him this job for a good reason. He didn’t believe it was for the money, nor the prestige, but for the gratification he got when he could truly help those that couldn’t help themselves—more specifically, the little children who needed medical attention and vaccinations. That brought him more joy than his paycheck from the hospital.

The loudspeaker announced the arrival of Rylee’s flight. Although there were many years of correspondence, Lucy had not received a recent enough photo of Rylee. So consequently, she did not know exactly what she looked like. In that case, they would just have to wait for someone to look lost. Lucy didn’t think to bring a sign to hold up; however, she didn’t want to cause any unwanted attention to her either. Lucy wasn’t quite aware of all the actual circumstances Rylee was really in but enough to elude unnecessary interest.

After witnessing the hugs, screams, and kisses of the patrons coming in contact with their loved ones, out moseyed a pitiful-looking thing with a mess of curly hair, big-rimmed glasses and a “boy, was-she- lost” look. This girl’s weight was by far over the insurance limit for her

height. Patrick watched as she bumped against a chair, thinking she would miss it.

“Ouch.” He winced. “That’s gonna leave a nice bruise,” he said, commenting under his breath.

He continued to watch the opening where the passengers were coming through the Jetway. However, his eyes kept taking him back to the tousled-haired girl.

He wondered who was meeting her. Patrick watched her as she looked through the crowd as if trying to spot someone in particular and caught Patrick’s eye. He smiled a hello, which caused the girl’s eyes immediately to avert to the ground. The compassion he was feeling for this stranger was overwhelming. He continued to watch her as she tugged at the bottom of her too-short top, then crossed her arms in front of her exposed skin. His thoughts took him to a paper Patrick had written for college on the benefits of smiling. He remembered the studies of smiling being contagious and making one feel better even when it seemed impossible, but this girl wasn’t having it. She didn’t look as if she had smiled in a while. Patrick wondered what made her so downtrodden and what her story might be. She might just be feeling alone and didn’t need some stranger smiling at her. He chuckled to himself. The scruffiness of her attire foretold her class, unless it was a disguise, which he sincerely doubted, for that would have only brought more attention to her situation. In addition, Patrick could not figure out if she looked that bad on purpose to make a statement or if she truly did not know how to present herself in public. Either way, he would pray for her. They needed to get on with the task at hand, which was to find Rylee and get going. He and Lucy continued to watch people exiting the plane until there was no one left but the crew coming from the Jetway. The only patron left in the wait area was the lost looking girl who had decided to sit and wait for her party.

“Mom, are you sure she was even on this flight?” Patrick asked, feeling apprehensive, since Lucy was not very forthcoming in giving him information about the situation. Not that he minded being out of the loop, but he was cautious for his mother’s sake. His mother looked at him smiling and then headed toward the seated girl. Patrick stared after her in disbelief, thinking he may be able to help that girl after all. Lord, I don’t suppose Rylee missed her plane, and this girl was sent to us for help instead?

Patrick was wishing he had done a little investigational work himself before Lucy took on this charitable feat. He was beginning to feel a little leery of leaving his mother alone while on his mission, not knowing what the circumstances might promote. The information given about Rylee was not sufficient enough to satisfy his curiosity. Patrick wasn’t sure if it was for his own sake or for Lucy’s. Either way, he wasn’t going to leave his mother in a situation she may not be able to get out of until he saw Rylee and felt it was safe enough to leave. That would be seven months of alone time with each other. A lot could happen in seven months, and sometimes his mother’s charitableness scared him. However, Lucy always prayed before jumping into things; therefore, she would have said no if she thought it wasn’t in the Lord’s plan. He would just have to trust that fact.

“Rylee?” Lucy asked.

The young girl looked up from the floor into Lucy’s eyes. Nodding her head, she stood.

Lucy grabbed Rylee’s arms and then threw her own around her.

“God love ya, girl! Welcome to America!” Lucy exclaimed.

Rylee was startled at the sight of the woman coming at her. Lucy could come on a bit strong at first, and Patrick wanted to warn her, but he was too late.

“How was the flight?” Patrick asked.

Rylee just nodded. He held out his hand for her to shake.

“Hi, I’m Patrick.”

Nodding again, she took his hand without making eye contact. With her free hand, Rylee pushed her glasses toward the bridge of her nose, for fear they would fall. Her glasses had seen better days, but they were her only pair. And until she had other resources, they would make do. Rylee felt that as long as she was able to see the two people before her, she did not need to worry about a new pair just yet.

“We’ve kind of followed you throughout the years but never actually met. It’s nice to finally meet you,” he continued. Patrick, getting a little lost himself, not really knowing how to handle the shyness, just shrugged. He wasn’t used to that. He didn’t feel it was snobbery by her actions, but time would tell, and then they would deal with it.

Oh, Lord, what did we get ourselves into?

Patrick shrugged his shoulders at his mother.

Lucy rubbed Rylee’s arms.

“That’s okay, baby. You’re gonna feel right at home in no time. Let’s get your bags and we’ll scoot on,” Lucy said sweetly.

Rylee shook her head, and then stated, “No bags.”

Patrick pointed to her tote bag hanging off her shoulder.

“Is this it?” he asked, reaching to take it from her so that he could carry it for her. Rylee looked up at him, but she held tight to the bag so that he was unable to take it. He shrugged.

“Okay, let’s go.”

This is going to be a challenge, he thought. Either there’s something in the bag she doesn’t want anyone to see, or maybe she just needs something to hold on to for comfort. For all he knew, her whole life could be in that bag. Patrick started toward the exit with Lucy trying to keep up and Rylee treading several yards.

“Patrick!” Lucy shouted, before he reached the escalator that led to the parking garage. She was a little out of breath. “I know you’re in a hurry, baby. But I’m getting an aerobic workout here trying to keep up with you, and we’re going to lose Rylee in the crowd.”

He looked back to see Rylee lollygagging along without a care in the world. She had her hands in her hoodie pocket and her head down, as if she were counting the cracks in the floor.

Her tennis shoes, which he suspected were once white, bled gray and nearly tripped Rylee as she sauntered toward him without picking up her feet. Her appearance belied her age, given that he knew she had graduated from college but appeared to be only about seventeen, maybe. I can’t believe I let my mother talk me into this debacle, he thought, as he watched Rylee before taking action.

“I’m sorry,” Patrick said. He walked back several yards and waited for Rylee to catch up to them. When she finally looked his way, he pointed to the escalator and then gestured for her to lead. She quickly left her daydream state, pushed her glasses back toward her nose again, and picked up speed to accommodate Patrick’s direction to her. The hour-long ride home was going to be interesting.

Today’s Meditation

Administrator — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 16:56:39 +0000

“The only fruit that glorifies God stems from abiding in Christ and he in us. It’s a life of faith and faithfulness. It’s a life of utter dependency and yet, strangely, daring initiative. Put another way, much and yet nothing depends on me. What depends on me is my tenacious dependence on Christ. I must do that thing which exposes the utmost bankruptcy of all my doings.”

Mark Buchanan – Spiritual Rhythm

Book Review: Downtown Green

Administrator — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 19:34:26 +0000

Thank you to Abingdon Press for sending me a free digital copy of this book to review. (Click on the book cover for purchasing information at Amazon)

About the Book:

When the short bypass around Green opens with much fanfare, downtown dries up faster than cement on the roadway. Businesses close and the hospital becomes a clinic. Mayor Eva must decide whether to sell her historic store or close it. The Holey Moley Antique Mall seems less like a dream and more like a nightmare. While the road is progress to some, it seems to be leading Green toward a national trend–a town that is merely a shadow of itself.

With the town going backwards, Lois leans on her faith, but her life as a new mom and newspaper owner leaves her with little time and when an old co-worker shows up on the scene with plans for the town she finds herself both suspicious and jealous. But can she come up with a plan to rescue the town from the path it’s on?

My Thoughts:

You could probably read this book as a stand alone, but I believe that you will enjoy it more if you read it after enjoying the other books in the “Green” series (Gone to Green, Goodness Gracious Green, The Glory of Green and Rally Round Green). If you have already gotten a taste of Green and her unique cast of characters then prepare to come back to your favorite small town full of all the antics and turmoil that captured your heart in the previous novels.

Join Lois and Chris, Katy and Molly, Eva and Dub, Tammy and Walt, Kevin and Terrance and the whole gang for a new set of challenges and joys.

In this fifth installment in the Green saga: Welcome back to community. Community that rally’s around each other and hopes for the future. Community that is more about roots and relationships than it is about ease and convenience. Community that knows that God is at work even when life appears to be pure chaos. Community that knows loss and change and isn’t destroyed by it. Community – it’s what keeps drawing me back to Green.

Pick up a copy of Downtown Green and see if it doesn’t draw you as well.

Home for our Hearts

Administrator — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 20:31:16 +0000

I was praying with someone this evening and these words from their prayer are still echoing in my soul. “You are our home…a home for our hearts.”

Home

That word evokes so many thoughts, so many emotions.

Home

Where is that elusive place?

I’ve always loved the way the Hungarian language refers to home. Itthon – the word that I use when I am currently, geographically at home. Otthon – the word that I use when I refer to home, but I am not currently, geographically there. These phrases have meant a lot to me as a missionary for when I’m in the States I’m “home – Itthon” with my family but Hungary is the “Otthon – home” that I am away from. And when I am in my apartment in Hungary it is reversed.

But what do I do when all my geographical definitions of home fall short? How do I think of home when no place on earth can hang on to that title?

I’m still looking for the city. I’m still on a journey toward the Promised Land and I’m not home yet, not by a long shot.

But my soul has already taken this journey. My soul has found its home.

How glorious is your dwelling place
O Loving Creator of the Universe!
My soul longs, yes, aches for the abode of the Beloved;
All that is within me sings for joy
to the living Heart of Love!
Even as the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nesting place,
where its young are raised within Your majestic creation,
You invite us to dwell within Your heart.

(Psalms from Praying, Nan C. Merrill)

A home for my heart is a home found in the circle of the Trinity.
Home…that resting place for my soul is found in the very heart of God.
Home is found in the midst of the Triune embrace.
And that is a truer home than any geographical location can ever be.

So I ponder home and recall this line of a favorite song…

”I’m home anywhere if you are where I am.”

Book Review: Garden of Madness

Administrator — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 18:48:14 +0000

The Untold Story of King Nebuchadnezzar’s Daughter:

For seven years the Babylonian princess Tiamat has waited for the mad king Nebuchadnezzar to return to his family and to his kingdom. Driven from his throne to live as a beast, he prowls his luxurious Hanging Gardens, secreted away from the world.

Since her treaty marriage at a young age, Tia has lived an indulgent palace life. But when her husband dies and a nobleman is found murdered in the palace, Tia must discover who is responsible for the macabre death, even if her own new-found freedom is threatened.

As the queen plans to wed Tia to yet another prince, the powerful mage Shadir plots to expose the family’s secret and set his own man on the throne. Tia enlists the help of a reluctant Jewish captive, her late husband’s brother Pedaiah, who challenges her notions of the gods even as he opens her heart to both truth and love.

In a time when few gave their hearts to Yahweh, one woman must decide if she is willing to risk everything—her possessions, her gods, and her very life—for the Israelite’s one God. Madness, sorcery and sinister plots mingle like an alchemist’s deadly potion, and Tia must dare to risk all – to save the kingdom, and to save herself.

My Thoughts:

Higley is a master at creating interesting and believable characters, setting them in historical scenes and surrounding them with mystery, intrigue and spiritual conflict. Garden of Madness is a fascinating story and I highly recommend it.

Click on the book cover image to read more on Amazon.