Brush of Angels Wings~ Amish Book

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As you know by now~ I love Amish Books. This one had a great story and I really enjoyed it. Only I really had a hard time with the guardian angel conversations between the story lines. The angels have a role to play behind the scenes. I kind-of skipped over them. It was still a great book. Rachel and her story were fun to follow because she is one that colors outside the lines that everyone has drawn for her.

When Jordan comes storming into her world she was all but excited. She after all~ could care less about boys and especially an Englisher ~even if he had Amish roots.  His mother's dying wish is that Jordan would return back to her Amish people and give them and her God a chance before he headed into the world. It does not take long for Jordan to realize the strict rules of the church and all that goes with being Amish was not for him. He would have to guard his heart at all cost.

I give this book 4 stars.



Book Description

Rachel and Jordan's feelings for each other are hostile at first, but angelic intervention helps the two discover peace . . . and perhaps love.
The youngest and last unmarried of four sisters, Rachel Hartlzer spends most of her time helping with barn chores. Her role abruptly changes when her father hires Jordan Engles, the son he always wanted.
As Jordan takes on brotherly roles around the house, like escorting Rachel to the youth singing, the enmity between the two grows. Besides, Jordan has one foot in the Englisch world and is determined not to get involved with an Amish girl.
Neither realizes that God has sent an angel, Nathaniel, to help mend their hearts. The angel’s intervention helps them find peace and healing in accepting God's will for their lives.

This book was provided to me by Thomas Nelson in exchange for my honest review.

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She Came Back~

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You know that scene from "The Father of the Bride" where he misses seeing his daughter off~that is so sad! I had this fear that our girl would get caught up in the whirlwind and we would not get to kiss her goodbye. 

As Hannah tossed her bouquet and she sailed into the sunset with Jacob my heart was already missing my girl~ my heart was breaking at the thought of her going so far from home. 
As her Daddy and I were watching her leave~ we see her turn back and search the crowd until her eyes made contact with ours ~then  she came back. She will never know the joy that filled our hearts at that very moment. 


Psalm 113:9


He maketh the barren woman to keep house,
 and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD.





I remember the days when my children were underfoot~ needed my attention~ demanded my time. I remember thinking at times.  
" I need to capture this in my memory because one day they will be gone from our home."

True joy is accepting God's best for us. Even when it is time to give our babies away. I am a blessed wife and a joyful mother. I wouldn't have missed this for the world.








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Sometimes It Is Best To Agree To Disagree~

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Oh what a beautiful day it has been at Farming On Faith. The birds are singing, the frogs are croaking, the fish are jumping and I enjoyed a day at home. I started my day by treating myself to biscuits and gravy and devotions on my porch~ no way that could not lead to a great day.





Philippians 1:6

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:




When I was a new bride to my Brian~ we got along well but there were some areas we soon learned that we did not agree on. It was a huge lesson to me that no matter how much I tried to get him to see it my way~ I could not. It was the beginning of my journey of understanding to agree to disagree.


As my children have reached adulthood I soon realized that they begin to see things a bit different than I do. Ouch~ I don't like that even more than my Brian not getting my way of thinking. I mean after all don't they know that I carried them and came close to death's door to get them into this world so that they could have opinions at all. I "get it" that they have grown up  and deserve their own way of thinking but in my core being I want them to think more like I think.


Why? Because when my children have different views it makes me feel disconnected from all that we used to be. Is it not safer to agree? Doesn't agreement mean harmony and confidence that the mental leash between mother and child has not been yanked from my hands.


Oh if only life could be so simple. Yet~ I have learned that my father and I did not agree on many things. My mother and I don't always see eye to eye.(I have to say my Brian and I seem to have grown into one in agreement on most all things. Thank the Lord for not so small favors.) Now I am seeing that I need to give my children the same licence.


I love all these people in my life. I have come to realize that the greatest respect I can give to those I love  ~ not just my parents, my husband, my children but with anyone that I disagree with is to choose to agree to disagree. In doing so ~ I preserve the dignity and right of all persons to be who they are and how they have come to believe.


Scripture tells me that God has began a good work in my husband~my children and me and that He will continue to finish that work. That will happen when Jesus returns~ or we beat Him to it by entering eternity.


That means we can release the mental leash on all those we love ~ and let people be themselves. Someone much wiser than I holds my children in the palm of His hands ~ and that means we will never lose connection.




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What Kind Of Friend Are You?

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Me and my Aunt  Kim sitting by the pool~ she  is four years older and has been one of my best friends.

Proverbs 27:17

King James Version (KJV)
 17Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

Have you ever watched someone sharpen a knife? When all that grinding starts ~sparks fly out.  I always think of this verse as people grinding on one another's nerves.

I have done that~ how about you? It does not help one bit~ I promise.

 The verse is saying to be keener in our perceptions, sharper in our wit and more directed in our energies. Spouting off mean and hateful words is not going to build our friends~ or our family for that matter.

If we talk big but live small~ others will not be drawn to us. We will be like a tinkling brass to their ears.

I have many friends but a few very close and intimate friends that have become close as a brother. Why? Because they encourage me and build me up.
My beautiful girls~

I am learning a new role in life.  I am the mother of grown adult women. I have decided to be someone they want to spend time with. Recently a Christian friend and Pastor told me. "If you admire more than advice~ those girls of yours will want to spend time with their Momma."

I have made a vow because I want them to want to spend time with me without manipulating or guilting them to do so. This is a hard transition when you have spent a lifetime being their Momma~ but it is now time to be their cheerleader, their friend, their encourager.

As hard as it is to make this transition it has become one of my goals in life. Life will be cutting enough~ they will have lessons to learn and crosses to bear just as I had to do and each generation before me. They have a different journey than mine and praise God ~ He will give them what they need for their journey much better than I can.

If you can tell my heart is still tender but the tears are starting to dry. I have released each of my girls to their Father's care and I know without a doubt that He will get them to the other side.

My two Washington girls facetimed me last night as they were making supper and it just did my heart good because they wanted me to be a part of that moment. What a blessing.


Proverbs 14:1

Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.


The sharpest knives have sheaths on them to protect us from being cut. Likewise~ the people who have been through the steely grinding of hardship need to be sheathed in empathy.

Our intentions and words should never meant to be cutting~ or to put someone in their place. We need to realize that truth's edge will be severe enough and we need not bear down ~ cutting or wounding people.

Lets not get confused but rather realize that it is not our job to be the Holy Spirit in the lives of our family or friends. We can offer keen truths we have learned but the Holy Spirit alone forges character. 


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Keep It Simple Today~ Won't You?

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Good Morning Blog Friends~

We tend to get so overwhelmed by the pressures and responsibilities we face. The world flashes commercials at us convincing us we need more~ newer and better. We still have not learned to say ~"No." So we try to keep up with the latest trends~ take on more than we can possibly do and find ourselves worn out and tired. Let's get off the treadmill and make life simpler!

I think I am at a new place in life. My children have all left home now but the baby.( I am trying to capture the moments Caleb and I have left at home.)  I am looking back and wishing I would have enjoyed the journey more and slowed it down a bit.

 I homeschooled for the past 21 years so I was with my children as much as any mother could have been but I wish I would have simplified my life more. Worked less and played more!

The cleaning will always be there~ the laundry never done~ the garden will continue to need to be weeded but life passes us by too quickly. 

I have made a vow~ today I am living one day at a time. I see why God tells us wisdom comes with age.~ It is wise to seek God's guidance and wisdom just for today.

          The Simple Things

I would not be too wise--so very wise
That I must sneer at simple songs and creeds,
And let the glare of wisdom blind my eyes
To humble people and their humble needs.
I would not care to climb so high that I
Could never hear the children at their play,
Could only see the people passing by,
And never hear the cheering words they say.
I would not know too much--too much to smile
At trivial errors of the heart and hand,
Nor be too proud to play the friend the while,
Nor cease to help and know and understand.
I would not care to sit upon a throne,
Or build my house upon a mountain-top,
Where I must dwell in glory all alone
And never friend come in or poor man stop.
God grant that I may live upon this earth
And face the tasks which every morning brings
And never lose the glory and the worth
Of humble service and the simple things.
                                                     Sweet Memories ~ 2001

                                           Our Family~ 2012


                             And he said unto them, Take heed,
 and beware of covetousness:
 for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance
 of the things which he possesseth.

Luke 12:15


Let's keep it simple today~ so that we have more time for the things that really matter.


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Picnik Is Closing And I Don't Care~

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Oh I am so excited! I have been fretting over Picnik closing on April 19th.  I have been using Picnik the entire time I have blogged to make my headers and buttons for my blog. Let me share with you what I have found. It is a free photo editing site that is so easy to use. I am in love with it. You just have to give it a try. It is called PicMonkey. Click here to give it a try.

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Old Fashioned Simplicity~

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 I am that bread of life.
John 6:48

I love to visit the Amish and observe their simple life. It truly is my favorite thing to do~ "Amish Therapy" just does me good. It reminds me to stop and let the world go by.

 Their kitchens are so simply decorated. Yet they just ooze with a welcome to all. They don't have the latest fashion trends, fancy fabrics or elaborate kitchen appliances~ they are simple in an old fashioned way.  

I have a trip planned with my friend for May 7th~ kind of a birthday celebration gift. I am so excited and looking forward to our day.

Visiting the Amish reminds me to take time and smell the roses~ the soup and the homemade bread. 

This morning as I walked down to the end of our driveway~ this was my view. I watched the birds sing~ the frogs jumping into the pond and the turtles sunbathing on the limbs. It started to rain just for a few minutes but the sky opened and the sun came out to be a beautiful morning. I decided to stop and let the world go by for a few minutes.

 I sipped coffee and admired my little lavender pansies as I had my quiet time with my Lord on my porch. The greatest things in life are the simple things. Our Creator has blessed us with such beauty. 




Today is the day to to take a break. Make life a bit more simple~spend some quiet time refreshing your body, soul and spirit.


I am off to make a pot of soup and a homemade loaf of bread~ Have a wonderful day.




To be happy at home is the ultimate result of all ambition,
the end to which every enterprise and labor tends.......... -Samuel Johnson

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The Captive Heart~

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Captive Heart, The, Dale Cramer, 978-0-7642-0839-3



In the 1920's the Amish in Ohio were facing religious persecution. So Caleb Bender felt he had no choice but to move his family to Mexico. This is the second book in the series of Caleb Bender's daughters. It is inspired by actual events. I like to read books like this~ not only Amish but Historical too. I read the first book~ Paradise Vally and could not wait to get my hands on this book. I was not disappointed. I loved this book.

The Bender family faced many horrific episodes when they tried to set up an Amish settlement in the middle of the turmoil of the Mexican Revolution~ bandits, violence and the fact that Amish are pacifist in the middle of violence at every corner.

This story is about Miriam. She has a hard decision to make~ as a baptized member of the Amish church~ when she finds herself in love with Domingo~ a gentle Mexican who becomes the protector and hero of the Amish settlement. The love story between Miriam and Domingo is amazing all the while you learn the harshness that the Amish face in a very unfamiliar land.

Building an Amish settlement in Mexico was not easy for Caleb Bender and his family. The ending of this book has left me anxiously awaiting the third novel.


This book was provided to me by Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.


About the Author~

Photo courtesy of Larry McDonald

Dale Cramer is the author of the bestselling and critically acclaimed novel Levi's Will, based on the story of Dale's father, a runaway Amishman. Dale's latest series, THE DAUGHTERS OF CALEB BENDER, is based on an Amish colony in the mountains of Mexico where three generations of his family lived in the 1920s. He currently lives in Georgia with his wife of 36 years, two sons and a Bernese Mountain Dog named Rupert. Visit him on his Web site atwww.dalecramer.com


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My Sister's Favorite Saying~

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"You just need to give grace."



For by grace are ye saved through faith; 
and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Ephesians 2:8


But I am here to tell you that there is more! My sister is the queen of giving grace~it truly makes her beautiful. It is just her nature. 


I have a love relationship with the sun. I love to lay in the sun and I love to swim. I remember when I was a kid I would spend all day in the sun but when I got hot enough I would run to the water spigot. My Grandma had an old fashioned water spigot in the middle of her yard and I would get down on my knees and let the water splash all over me and I would drink the ice cold water that came from the ground. Even the mailman stopped in daily for a fresh drink of water. Wish I had a picture to share~ it was painted red. Sweet memories!


It has been a rough school year for us here at my home. I am so thankful for my husband who has held me, cried with me and babied me. You have been my rock ~ Brian. It started with the loss of my father and seemed to be one test or trial after another.


 Like me you probably hoped for a life of white picket fences and white lace and promises. I have had a wonderful life full of sweet memories and blessings but when those dreams at times collapse we seem to settle into a season of un-grace. I don't think that is a word but for today I just made it one. At some point life blindsides us with something~ betrayal, death, abandonment, divorce, job loss, financial collapse an empty nest ~a life shattering event takes our breathe away.


 I remember hearing the news last September in the early hours of the morning that my father had been found in his front yard. I told My Brian. "I can't breathe." You know what I mean? That moment in time when you really wonder if you are going be able to exhale and take another breath. When the pain is so unbearable that it buckles our knees and we find ourselves flat on the ground. BUT Grace!



The beauty of grace says there is more.  There is still love after an affair, still joy after a diagnosis, still hope after bankruptcy, still life after the birds have all flown from the nest, still joy after the pain and still laughter after sorrow. Grace says there is still hope.


The world tells us we have to look better~ perform better~ do more~BE MORE. But how refreshing it is to love someone regardless of their quirks and mistakes For after all we all have them! Grace says there is still hope~ life~ happiness in a world that turns upside down more than right side up. That is the gift of grace.


God is the Father of grace. Grace is always with us~ it is real and it is indescribable ~ it has the power to change your life. It does come with one condition though~ like any gift you must hold your hand out and take it.


With all the strength I have left~ I am turning my face up toward that spigot of grace and letting it splash all over me. Yep ~today on this beautiful Monday morning I am going to live in grace. I am praying that you will do the same.



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A Sweet Gift From Down Under~

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Today I received this sweet gift for Hannah's kitchen from Ann@Eight Acres of Eden.  It is so exciting to get a package in the mail but even more so when it comes from Australia. It is the cutest tea towel made by the momma of a man who owns a gift shop in Bellingen, NSW, Australia. The wooden spatula ~spoon is made from Australian timber. What a sweet and thoughtful gift ~ Ann. 

The little tea plate is for me when I have a cup of tea~so cute. It has the floral symbol of NSW. I will cherish it for sure. I am so very thankful for our friendship across the miles. What a blessing~ thank you my sweet friend.



The guest have all gone~ the cake platter went back to the baker~ the wedding dress has gone for preservation and all the little odds and ends have been completed. The house has been put to order once again.

 It is so amazing that you spend months preparing for a wedding looking for just the right things to make the moment as special as it can be~ and when it is over you find yourself wishing you could do it all over again.

 Hannah and Jacob have landed in Washington and have already added to their family.
This is Millie and Ava ~ I explained that mice do not count as grandchildren.

 As the mother of Dr. Doolittle herself ~I have to admit they are kind-of cute!




We are watching with watchful eyes as the stormy weather makes its way toward us. Praying that all will be safe and sound with much warning and preparation. 

I am working on Gypsy Girl's wedding post~ coming soon.


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It's Not All About Me~

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Relationships are everything~but they are so much work! If you have good relations with others, you can weather any trial that comes. If  relationships are strained, even the slightest problem can seem overwhelming. We truly identify ourselves by our relationships. We must never forget the most important relationship we have is with God. As a Christian~having a good relationship with Him is what makes this life worth living!

No one knows that to be true more than Satan. He will do whatever he can to destroy relationships. One of his tricks is to talk us into having the wrong attitudes about people. To believe things that are not true. "What we believe determines our outcome."- Pastor Bill Marshall

Sometimes God has to remind me~"Carrie~You don't get everything that you want."  Ok~I am humbled! It's not all about me or what I want.

God created us to be with Him and love Him. Instead, from the very beginning, mankind has chosen wickedness over godliness. Again and again His creation shows the Lord that we do not want to do things His way, but want our own way.


 God doesn't get what He wants most often. The majority of humans either know nothing of God, or they hate Him telling them what to do or how to live their lives.


 Most of the time~ He is misquoted, misunderstood, and misrepresented. He has more enemies than I will ever have, yet, though He could change everything in a moment to get His way~ He does not.


 God orders the sun to rise each morning. He keeps giving us air to breathe and food to eat. He showers us with undeserved blessings, even when those of us who claim Him as a Father hardly give Him the attention and love He deserves.
This realization put my trial in a new light. Should I complain that one area in my life is not right, when God is so gracious, though many things are not right in His world? The same idea is so relevant in our relationships.
You see, the lie that the Devil has us believing is that we deserve better.  When someone mistreats you and that thought comes to your mind, it is not from the Lord! Satan is whispering in your ear. Jesus never told us to stand up and make others respect us. He told us to take evil and to turn the other cheek .

Matthew 5:39 

 39But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.


We are very concerned about being treated properly by our husbands, our children, our church family, and strangers on the road and at the store.
  
Ladies, we need to lower the bar of expectation when it comes to how we expect the world to treat us. I see no where in the Gospels that Jesus demanded respect. In fact, He told people on several occasions not to mention Who He was. He did not want to raise Himself up but to be a servant. Always He went about doing good .

 Acts 10:38 

 38How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.



When we feel like our feelings have been trampled on and we feel taken for granted it is time to quote this verse.


1 Corinthians 6:7 

 7 Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?


It will serve us best to think about what Christ took for us on the cross and how He takes unjust treatment from the hands of sinful men! He will not have to tolerate unfair treatment forever. Someday and forever He will rule and reign in a sinless world. The same is true for us. If we humble ourselves, God will exalt us.

1 Peter 5:6 

 6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:


It will behoove us to get a new perspective~never demanding, always serving, and always loving!
Until Next Time~


 






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Turning Sorrow Into Joy~

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James 1:2-3 (KJV)

 2My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

This morning in my devotion I read that the manufactures of golf balls first made the golf ball with a smooth cover. Golfers soon discovered that after the balls had been roughed up a bit they would go farther. So the manufacturers started producing the golf balls with dimples. 

Life is the same way~ It takes some rough spots to make us go our farthest. The storms in life teach us that God is faithful and will give us strength to stand firm. 

2 Corinthians 6:8-10

King James Version (KJV)
 8By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true;
 9As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;
 10As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.




The apostle Paul knew all about storms. In the darkest days we sit at Jesus feet paralyzed and helpless~ stripped of our human efforts and plans. During the past school year I have come to understand  that God does not eliminate the storms in life but He does deliver us in the midst of the storm. He comes to fill the storms with His presence. I am so thankful for the sweet peace He brings as He calms our hearts while the storms continue to rage.


God wants to turn our sorrow into joy. True joy comes from a deep rooted confidence that God is in control. It only stands to reason that our highest joy comes through our greatest pain. The greater the pain ~ the more we search for and cling to the hand of God.


Yet ~ I  know that at the heart of every storm joy is waiting to be claimed.


What storm is raging in your life today? Your Father stands ready to meet you in your darkest hour. He longs to wrap you in His arms and calm your soul. Now that is reason to celebrate today.


  **************************************************************************


I am still catching up ~ almost there. I have been asked to post a wedding post for Hannah as I did for Ashley (click here to read Ashley's wedding post) and I will soon. To be honest I am still weepy but I promise to post one very soon.



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Wordless Wednesday

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Bittersweet~

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Good Morning Blog Friends~

Just kissed my daughter, son-in-love and Boston goodbye. I am so bad at this Military life. Others do it so well but I just miss my kids something terrible. The wedding was just perfect. My in-laws have returned home. The bride and groom have left and this morning my other Washington kids have gone on their way. This momma has a tender heart~ but I am so thankful for my blessings  I am thankful  for all my children and the people they have grown to be. I am blessed.  



My little Boston was so excited about matching Uncle Jacob and Aunt Hannah. 

Matthew 10:27

King James Version (KJV)
 27What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.


I would be flat out lying if I told you my heart was not breaking. My Brian and I miss our gypsy girl and we may just cry all summer. She has home schooled all her life and has not been away from home for more than a couple of weeks. As her Daddy put it~ "it bites."  I know others have been here and I know it is God's plan but this is just plan hard. 

Poet Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote, "Never morning wore to evening, but some heart did break."

It truly is what God tells us in the darkness that we grow from and gain victory ~ then we are able to share with others how our best friend Jesus carries us  through our hardest days. 

I am so very thankful for the new addition to our family and they are so very happy. I am thankful that Jacob and Hannah love God. I am a blessed Momma. But I sure am going to miss my girl. 

It is through our thoughtful prayer, Bible study and quiet meditation that God speaks to our heart all the time but more so when our tears are falling and our hearts are breaking.

I am still catching my breath and I have tons of pictures to share soon. I am truly thanking God for all my blessings this morning with a tender heart.




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