Red Hill by Jamie McGuire - A Review

Red Hill by Jamie McGuire
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was debating between a 4 and a 5 on this one. So, really it's a 4.5 :)

The characters are very real and easy to connect to. The story is engaging, it pulls you in from the beginning. I love page turners and this definitely was one for me. I just wanted to keep reading to find out what happens next!

The beginning was a tad confusing to me, I would have liked to have seen a little more explanation of how this disease came to be. That part was very vague which maybe was the intention since it's just the background story to these people's lives, but I still would liked to have seen just a little bit more.

There were also a couple parts in the book that just didn't make a lot of sense, but I won't go into which parts, there are some serious spoilers if I do.

The "zombie" part was very well written. It was scary and gross, but not overly so. Bad idea to read this when it's time to get flu shots for my boys ;)

I was emotionally attached to the main characters, all the characters introduced along the way too, right away and cried at least 4 times reading this book.

The "love story" aspect of this book is muti-faceted. We get to see so many different levels and types of love. There's the strong love of a parent, soul-mate love, new found love, I-can't-have-you-but-I-want-you love, and the strong binding love of people going through something horrific together.

I like it when stories are told from more than one point of view, but if you don't then this book is not for you, but try it anyway!

It's definitely worth a read!!

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Undertow by K.R. Conway: A Review

Undertow by K.R. Conway
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

LOVED this book! The only thing I am disappointed in, is I have no idea when the next story is coming out??

I love YA books, but tend to lean towards dystopian/post-apocalyptic ones (don't ask me why, I don't know), so I wasn't sure how much I would like this one.

I was pleasantly surprised! I ADORE the main character. I was getting bored of the main characters who think they are unattractive and are super shy, but are actually drop dead gorgeous (just annoying). I like how she keeps to herself but only because she has no interest in the high school dramatics, not because she isn't sure of herself, because she is.

Let me give a huge THANK YOU to K.R. Conway for the lack of a love triangle! Super sick of those and also THANK YOU for not making every single boy in town fall madly in love with her!

The way she adjusts to this new found knowledge of a world outside the normal one she is used to is fantastic, she doesn't just shrug her shoulders and say "I knew it!" and jump in with no doubts. Love that.

The way the love story builds is also a breath of fresh air. They kind of fall in love at first sight, but the friendship builds first, Love that!

Sorry, I feel like I am rambling and jumping all over the place and this is probably getting annoying at this point, but I just can't really go into details without spoiling parts of the book!

I very rarely want to read books more than once, but this one I do!
As soon as it comes out, GET IT! You won't be disappointed.

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First comes fall then comes @$$@#@#$

I have very bitter sweet feelings about Fall

It's my favorite season, hands down

 I love the colors on the trees, watching the kids jump in leaf piles,apple picking, baking apple pies that are apparently to die for, living in hoodies...I love it all

Plus,I am a fall baby, and birthdays are awesome

So, what's not to like, you ask? Winter, that's what..fall is a precursor to winter!

I try my best to be content in winter, there's nothing I can do about it, I can't change the weather, I can't make the snow melt, but just because it's there doesn't mean I have to like it, right?

Yes, snowball fights are all kinds of awesome and snowmen are cool for the whole 2 seconds before miniG attacks them and sledding is super fun, and everybody needs a white Christmas, but after the first week or two, I'm done, that's good, we can move on...

 Tell me I'm not alone in this!!

Coexist - A Review

Coexist by Julia Crane
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Warning: Spoilers
Ugh, I tried...I really, really tried.
I just couldn't do it, I couldn't even finish it, which is so very rare with me, I ALWAYS have to finish a book, no matter how awful. But a good friend helped me out and said "Life is too short to waste it on bad books" So, I quickly deleted it so I couldn't torture myself anymore.

The premise is great and the story had SO MUCH POTENTIAL! And there were some good parts that made me want to keep going, but what should have been the most heart stopping moments in the book, fell completely and utterly flat.

For example, when Keegan gets killed...I wasn't even sure what was happening. All I could think was "Huh?" The most anti-climatic killing off of a main character EVER.

And Thaddeous...If you are going to make a young character with an old soul...try not so young...I just can't buy into a 12 year old thinking and speaking and FIGHTING IN A DEADLY WAR like a 30 year old.

The initial interactions between Keegan and Rourke were boring. There should have been way more tension/passion/something there. But again, something that should have made my pulse spike, made me want to go to sleep instead.

The friends turning out to be shape shifters. There should have been way more build up there and clues. And why does Keegan not even know what a shape shifter is? She keeps asking them what they are. DUH!...stupid.

The war itself was very confusing. There was no interaction between the dark and the light before the war. It just happened. And if the kid had never had the vision, and if they had never gone there, it wouldn't have even happened. It made no sense. They had no plans to go to Ireland until he said "Hey, this is where it's going to happen"..Just stupid.

And this is where I finally decided to check out. The end of the war. Bright idea for the kid to invent a vision. Ok, I can roll with that. But, the Dark guy just saying "Good idea kid. Let's call a truce." Stupid. But what really threw me over the edge was "Hey, we called a truce, so now let's work together and hold hands and help out humans! Yay!" What?!?!? Beyond stupid!!!

Ugh, I'm done talking about this...to sum up...don't bother, seriously...

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Praise Him in the Storm

Praise Him in the storm...what does that even mean? I used to think I understood. And it's really easy when times are good to say that even if rough times come, you will still praise Him...

Well, I'm here to tell you, it's really not that easy. When you are on the mountain top and life is good and you are flying high, you have to be very careful to keep your eyes up. If you don't, entitlement slowly creeps in, and when those tough times come, and things are taken away and the waters get really choppy, you will utter those words you swore you never would "Why me, Lord? Why me?"

Confusion will quickly turn to discontent which will ultimately turn to bitterness. "What did I do to deserve this? Why am I going through such a hard time? This isn't fair. God is supposed to be there and provide for me, where is He now?" Sound familiar?

I am ashamed to admit, those were my feelings a very short time ago.

I had sunk very deeply into a pit of self-pity and whining and very discontent in where my life is and our circumstances. Has our life changed so drastically to bring about this change in me from discontent to content, from disappointment to joy?

Nope, only my heart has changed.

God never promised an easy life. He has been very upfront about that too.

"Take up your cross and follow me", that doesn't shout "Follow me and your life will be so easy and you will want for nothing and everyone you meet will be your best friend and you will float though life on sunshine and butterflies!"

No, it whispers "Follow me. You will have burdens to bear, but I promise they will be light, not more that you can handle. And I will hold your hand, carry you when you need me to and catch you when you stumble. Follow me."

As Christians, I don't think we can help but ask, "Why? Why should we go through hardship and struggle? Shouldn't God love us enough to provide our every want and desire and be happy?"

I think the answer lies in our purpose in this life.

To be a light.

How else can we shine? If we can go through the struggles that every one else does, and yet still be content and have joy rather than bitterness and despair, then we are shining!

I want to shine!

Yes, we are struggling right now. Finances are beyond tight, but guess what? We still own a house. Hanging on by a thread, but we are hanging on. We put food on the table 3 times a day plus a thousand snacks. Our children are happy and HEALTHY. We have so very much to be thankful for.

Our cross could be heavier.

This is hard, but not impossible.

Job had EVERYTHING! But in an instant it was taken away. And yet, he had the spiritual fortitude to never blame God. God did NOT take everything away. Satan did.

We have to remember that we can be used as tools against God. To mock him. Just by sinking into that pit of despair when life get rough.

But guess what? Yes, Job went through an impossible horrible time in his life, and I'm sure he did not see the light at the end of the tunnel. He couldn't see the way out. He just had faith that God was still in control. And eventually, his life became golden again.

Well, I refuse to be used as a weapon against my God anymore!

We are in the middle of a storm right now, but I'm praising Him for everything we still have and I'm praising Him for providing for us, what we need exactly when we need it.

I am standing up, brushing myself off, and pressing on.
Who's with me?

Source

Dear 20-Something Girls, Scratch that, Dear Girls of All Ages

1. You will never, ever, ever be 100% satisfied with your body, so stop trying. No amount of "Likes" and "Wow, you are so hot" comments on bikini clad pictures of yourself on Facebook will give you the satisfaction with yourself that you are looking for, so stop posting them for your 1,000 "friends" to see, and lust over, it's not worth it. To be completely honest with you, all it says is "For a good time, call"

2. It's time to decide the type of woman you want to be. The days of split personalities {sweet good girl to your family and party girl to your friends}, are over. You're an official adult now. Act like it.
You still want to be a party girl? Fine, but own it. Stop pretending to be someone else to your family. Or are you just pretending to your friends? Confusing, isn't it?

3. Contrary to overwhelmingly popular belief, you do not need to have sex with a man in order to keep his interest. And, Hey Guys, this goes for you too. You do not need to have sex with a woman in order to show her how much you love and want her. There are other ways.
Sex is a very, very intimate thing. Duh, I know, but that's not what I'm talking about. It goes beyond the physical. There's a reason why God commands, not suggests, that we save this until AFTER marriage. As soon as we say those vows, our very souls are knit together. It's not just some words to say and a paper to sign. It's spiritual as well. Anyone who ever came before this person who is now literally half of you, means nothing. And when you have sex with someone who you are not not married to, you leave a piece of yourself with them. Not very fair to that person you just pledged your life and soul to is it? You're telling them that they just weren't worth waiting for. Think about it, really, really think about it. You know I'm right.

4. You want to be a better person? Then do it. You know how. You know what you need to do. You know what friends you need to say goodbye to and all that goes along with that. So, be brave, suck it up and do it. The high road is not an easy one. It's an uphill battle with twists and turns and some days you feel like you are climbing a rock wall, but all that hard work pays off. It's a lot easier and more fun to slide down or even jump off the cliff, it's exhilarating at the time, but all that's waiting for you at the bottom is shattered pieces of yourself.

5. Don't put up walls around yourself with the people who love you most. The thing about love is, it's honest. If someone loves you enough, they will tell you the truth. Not platitudes to make you feel better about yourself. If you are lucky enough to have people in your life who tell you when you are making a big mistake, don't shut them out. They may be all you have left one day.

Random Thoughts on Faith

Spring has FINALLY sprung, so that means life is getting busy

Working 4 nights a week, T-Ball is starting next week, so that means practice one night a week and games every Saturday, combine that with all the minutiae of being a sahm (moms, you know what I'm talking about, never-ending laundry, dishes, cooking, organizing clutter, refereeing fights, etc, etc) and it can get overwhelming.  I know I am not half as busy as some people I know (my sister comes to mind), but I feel like I have been hibernating all winter and just now waking up, trying to get everything done and organized and scheduled...and it makes me just want to curl up and ignore it all, my brain is full...

And then, I log on to FB (my connection to the outside world) and I am hit with all this MSNBC nonsense and I add "worrying about the spiritual state of my kids" to the long list in my head.

 I don't know about you, but when I feel overwhelmed or worried or whatever, all I see in my head is a picture of my Bible, knowing that's where I need to run to. And I will always be the first to admit that I let it slip to the bottom of my priority list. Sure, I log on to my little Bible study group and post the verses of the day, but do I read them? Not always.

Until today, the pressure in my head saying "Bible, Bible, Bible" was just so loud, I had to put down everything I was doing and go pick it up.

Then, J walks in the room and asks me to do something for him. I said, "Sure, just let me finish reading my Bible first"

And what does he do?

He runs in his room, grabs  his children's Bibles, curls up in my bed and "reads" it.

I usually tend to do my devotions when the kids are in bed or busy doing something. I have read articles and whatnot that say how important it is that your kids see you reading your Bible and all that, but I never gave much thought to it, until now.

No, MSNBC, my children do NOT belong to the community, they belong to me and my husband. If kids belonged to the collective, they would just pop up out of the ground like on "Mars Needs Moms". We are the only ones responsible for them. I can not get lazy and rely on Sunday School alone to teach my children about faith and Jesus and Love. I even went so far as to look into a local Christian school (something that will never be feasible for us unless we pull a second mortgage on the house).

But, J seeing me reading my Bible today and running to get his, reminds me that my husband and I are the biggest influence in their lives. They watch and see everything we do (especially J, NOTHING gets by that kid).

I HAVE to make my spiritual walk with Christ my very first priority every single day so I can show my children that there is a better way. Not only does it show my kids that it's important, but it gives me the patience to get through the day. The constant "poopyhead!" talk coming out of the playroom would drive even the most calm person a little mad.

I am completely rambling now, and my thoughts are getting jumbled, but I just wanted to write it all down, to remind myself that when life gets busy, and your head gets foggy, the only way to clear the fog is with the burning Light of the Word, and it will light you up and I can only pray that my children will see that light and follow it.