A Look Back

Well, it's that time again when we all decide to wake up tomorrow morning and be totally different people than we were today.  Many people already have their resolutions in mind.  I haven't actually made mine yet, but I've been giving them a lot of thought.  I thought that before I made any new ones, I'd take a quick look back at some that I made last year, and see how well I kept them!

As a lover of lists and planning, as well as cute paper and pens, I decided to keep a running list of my plans and goals all year long.  I bought a super cute little notebook that I used as a little journal, place to jot ideas, keep track of weight loss, books I'd read, things I needed to organize and so forth.  I made a master list at the beginning of the year, and a smaller one each month.  This method really seemed to work for me.  Some of my goals are really broad, but I did that on purpose so that I could break them down monthly.  Here's a list of some of my 2014 Resolutions and how I did.

1. Read through the Bible.

This is probably the goal I'm the most proud of reaching.  My husband and I did it together, which has been a goal of ours for several years.  It's not always easy to find the time, but I'm so glad we did!  It had definitely been a blessing to us.  We plan to start again tomorrow and do it next year, too!

2. Lose 50 pounds. 

Sigh.  It pains me to admit that I did not lose all of the weight that I wanted to this year.  But, I am proud of the fact that I lost all of my pregnancy weight!  I gained about 60 pounds while pregnant with Jaxon, and even after the water weight was gone, I still needed to lose about 35 pounds.  Through Weight Watchers and exercise I did manage to lose that weight, but my goal was to weigh less than I did pre-pregnancy.  Even though I didn't reach this goal, I'm very proud of myself for losing 35 pounds this year! 

3. Sew more.

I definitely reached this goal this year!  I have found a true love for sewing and creating, and I have big plans to turn this hobby into something more in 2015!

4. Read 100 books.

I've always known that I read a lot, but I didn't really know how much I read.  So I set a goal this year on Goodreads to read 100 books this year.  I actually accomplished that goal in October!  I've continued to read since then, of course, and my final total for the year is 110 books read!

5. Learn to make a budget and keep it.

I always decide to make a budget, but it rarely seems to work out for me.  My lofty budget goals last year were thwarted when Billy's hours got cut at work, and he was threatened with a layoff.  We spent most of the year putting every spare dime into our savings account to cover us just in case.  Thank the Lord for stepping in at the last minute and saving not only Billy's job, but the jobs of at least 300 other men a the mines!  I'll have to try this one again next year!

6. Eat healthier and exercise.

These were two separate goals of mine last year, but I never really accomplished either one.  I did start out the year exercising 4-5 times a week, and I felt really great, but I ended up giving it up.  Even though I lost weight this year, I didn't really learn much about eating healthy--but that's going to change this year, too!

These are just a few of my 2014 Resolutions.  Looking back I can see that I did accomplish some of the things I wanted, and others I need to work on again this year.  But that's the excitement of a new year.  It's a new beginning and a time to make big changes.  I'm excited to write down my goal for 2015 and then do everything I can to accomplish them!  Over the next week or so I'll make my list, and I'll share it here, along with some ideas for making your own master list, as well as monthly ones.  I also have some exciting news to share about some new adventures I'm setting out on.  I can't wait to start!!

Do you make New Years' Resolutions?  I'd love to hear what they are, and if you have any tips for keeping them!

Looking forward to a great 2015,

Lyndsie

Winds of Change

I have to admit my life has been really comfortable lately.  I have a wonderful husband and son that make me really happy.  We have a pretty great routine, that would seem crazy to others, but that really works for us.  But something inside me is ready for a change.  It's time to step out of just the comfortable and take some risks.  Now, let me tell you that I am not a risk taker.  I'd rather sit safely on the side of the pool than risk diving off the board.  I can't even tell you the number of times I've missed out on something I really wanted to do because I was afraid to fail, or not do well.  For instance, you may think from this blog that my only hobby is reading--a lot.  But the truth is I spend most of my spare time these days sitting at my sewing machine and creating beautiful quilts.  I never write about it here because I'm afraid that no one will like what I've made, or that they won't be as good as someone else's.  I also love to bake.  Cookies are my specialty, but I can whip up a mean pie and sometimes cakes, too.  But they aren't always pretty or perfect, so I usually keep them to myself.  Isn't that silly? 

One of my favorite Bible verses says, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear: but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." (II Timothy 1:7)  I think I'll be quoting that one a lot in the next few weeks and months.  I'm planning to make some big changes in my life, and I'm really scared about it!  What if I fail?  What if it doesn't go as well as I hope?  What if people don't get it and laugh at me?  The truth is, though, I'll never know unless I try. 

I'm still working out some of the details, but I'll give you a little sneak peak.  So far this blog has been mostly about the books I read, but I really want to expand that.  I want to show you my projects and recipes and life--even the stuff that doesn't work out like I plan.  I want to expand my reader base, and encourage everyone to join my quest to try things that scare them, and not be afraid of the results.  After all, can we learn if we never fail?  Since I always have, and always will love to read, I'll still post plenty of book reviews, just a few things in between.  You may notice a few changes to the blog format already.  I'm testing out some new ideas to get ready for the big changes that are coming mid-January, including a new name and URL.  I'd love your feedback about what you think.

Thanks to all of you who read the little things that I write here.  I really hope you like my new stuff, too.  I'm very excited to step out of my comfort zone and try something new.  I'll keep you updated on my plans as I work them out.

Happy Day!

Lyndsie 

 

Exchanging Bitterness for Strength

I have a confession to make.  I recently found myself greatly disliking someone. They didn't measure up to what I thought they should be.  They did things that I didn't like.  They said things I didn't think needed to be said.  So, in all my Christian fervor, I decided I didn't like that person.  Did I mention that I go to church with them?  Isn't that great?  To dislike someone that you go to church with?  I think it makes God really sad when His children don't like one another, but for some reason I felt like I had the right not to like this person.  After all, the things they were doing and saying were wrong.  I spoke to this person as little as possible.  I avoided them whenever I could.  Whenever their name was mentioned in a conversation, I rolled my eyes to myself.  Even when they did things right, I found fault in them.   

Of course, all of my actions really hurt that person, right?  Nope.  My dislike and (dare I say) jealousy only affected me.  Rarely a church service went by that I didn't think about what that person was doing.  As I sat in my pew and thought what a hypocrite they were, I received pretty much no help from the messages at all, even when Preacher was preaching about exactly what I was doing!  What they were doing wasn't right, but now I was losing my joy, because I only allowed myself to dwell on their actions. 

So one day, after much struggling and, yes, arguing with God about my feelings, I decided I wasn't going to feel this way any more.  Many times before I had said, "I'm just not going to let it bother me any more."  But this time I went a step further.  I prayed for that person every day.  I tried to find things they did that were good, and remind myself of those things, instead of the things I saw that were bad.  It didn't take long before things changed.  Did that person change?  I don't think so.  But I had changed the way I thought about them, and that made the difference.  I could sit through a service, and have no bitter thoughts towards them at all.  I think I knew all along that would be the outcome of giving this issue to God, but in my stubbornness, I chose to hold on to my wrong feelings.  There is so much liberty and joy that comes from letting go of jealous, bitter feelings!

I wish I could say that I learned my lesson for good, but I'm ashamed to say that it's something I still struggle with.  Sometimes those feelings of anger and bitterness come back with a vengeance, and it's not always towards that one person.  It's so easy to let the wrongs of others, whether real or imagined, get under my skin and steal my joy.  It's a battle that I have to fight constantly. It's not enough to give it God one time.  I have to give it to Him over and over again.  You see, once Satan knows that he can use something to hurt us, he won't give up.  He'll use the same tactics repeatedly.  Since he can't have our souls, he'll settle for seeing that we have no joy while serving the Lord.  I'm so happy that He that is in me, is greater than he which is in the world!  I am learning (slowly, due to my stubbornness) that as soon as I recognize those feelings of bitterness and jealousy creeping in, it's time to give them to God. 

I say along with David, "Create in me a clean heart, O God: and renew a right spirit within me.  Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit."  (Psalm 51:10, 12)  When I allow Him to create a clean heart and renew a right spirit in me, I will find joy in my salvation.  The Bible says, "the joy of the Lord is your strength." (Nehemiah 8:10)  What better way to have weak, powerless Christians than for Satan to make them sad and joyless?  How hard is it to have the joy of the Lord?  Pretty simple.  "...ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full."  (John 16:24b)  I don't know about you, but I'd rather give up selfish, bitter feelings in exchange for joy and strength any day.  And every day.           

Sleeping Through the Hurricane

Did you hear about Hurricane Arthur?  If you live in the United States, chances are that you did.  He swept up from the south last week, and wreaked havoc on Independence Day celebrations all up the east coast.  Well, I experienced Arthur first-hand.  Billy, Jaxon and I were on vacation in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina when Arthur came through.  The storm started in our area a little after midnight.  We could hear the rain and gusts of wind through the night, but we fell into a fitful sleep.  Around 5:00 am we really woke up and a quick look at the radar on Billy's phone showed that we were very close to the eye of the storm.  Our house shook and the rain beat against the outside.  So, what did we do?  We laid back down and went to sleep.  At that point there was really nothing else we could do.  The storm raged until after 8:00 am, and, even though we slept through most of it, we were awakened several times by the shaking of the house. 

On our trip home we talked about the Sunday School lesson that Billy was planning to teach on Sunday.  He decided to talk about storms in our lives and how God uses them to lead us.  One of the things we discussed was the waves on the beach.  Now, you should know that when it comes to the ocean, I'm like a big kid.  I love to get out and play in the waves.   But I noticed while swimming early in the week that if I wasn't paying attention to what was going on, the waves would carry me further and further up the beach.  On Friday, after the storm, I noticed that the surfers were walking up the beach to catch the waves, which then carried them down the beach in the opposite direction from the days before.  Billy pointed out to me that as the storm was moving in it pushed the waves in front of it, but after it passed, it pushed the waves back behind it.  It essentially changed the direction of the water.  

In his lesson on Sunday morning Billy illustrated how Jesus has the ability to calm every storm in our lives, but sometimes He chooses not to.  Why?  One of the reasons may be that He is using the storm in our life to change our direction.  We may be riding high across the tide, and thinking everything is going great, but He has a bigger and better plan.  "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9)  When times get hard we have to trust that this is true.  When life is at it's darkest, and times are almost harder than we can bear, we have to trust that His plan is better than our plan.

I can honestly say that Billy and I are in the middle of a storm.  So many things seem to be falling apart at one time.  It feels like our own personal hurricane.  We would love to be able to wake Jesus up in the back of the boat and have Him say, "Peace, be still," but that may not be His plan.  A storm like this happened to us once when we'd only been married a few weeks.  The first months of our marriage were very hard as we struggled to make ends meet.  Ultimately, God was leading us to move back to my hometown where Billy was able to get a better job.  We bought our dream house here, and started our family.  Looking back now, we can see how that storm changed our direction in life, and brought us much better things than we dreamed.  So now, we can only ask, "Lord, are you changing our direction again?  Is there a different plan that you have for us?"  We aren't sleeping through this hurricane.  The wind is blowing, the rain is beating and our house is shaking.  And we are awake.  We are watching.  We are praying.     

An Open Letter to my Dad

Dear Dad,

We had pancakes for lunch today.  You know the kind.  They come in a plastic bottle.  You add the water into the mix and shake until it's mixed up.  So of course my mind went back to those days when we were all home and we danced around the kitchen taking turns shaking the bottle and singing, "Shake, shake, shake.  Shake'a them pancakes!"  It reminded me of the simple joys of my childhood.  I'm not sure how you managed to raise all three of us kids by yourself, but somehow you did.  I now know some (I'll never know all) of the things you sacrificed for us.  You could have given up fighting for us, and your life might have been better for it.  But I'm so thankful you didn't give up.  We never had a lot of fancy things, but I never felt like I missed out on anything.  You made everything fun.  I remember the days when we'd go to the grocery store, and you'd set a budget, usually $100.  We shopped carefully and stood with bated breath as the cashier totaled it all up.  We didn't know that we couldn't afford much more than that for groceries.  To us it was just a game.  I'm sure there were times when you worried about money, but we never knew it.  You never took time for yourself.  Anything you did was with us.  We went fishing and played board games inside, and ball games outside and cleaned the house, and listened to the radio, and went for walk-- and we did it all together.  Any reference to dynamite in the water pipes, an Amish train that was "just for looks" or paper mache, can make our whole family laugh until we cry.  Those are the memories that can't be replaced.  I hope you never look back on those days with regret, because I don't.  You are the best dad ever.  If I knew then what I know now, I would have been much more grateful at the time.  I hope that I can be half the parent to Jaxon that you were to me.  I know that one day he'll probably ask to do something, and I'll look at him and say, "No, no, no!" in the tune of Beethoven's Fifth.  He'll probably roll his eyes and ask, "Whyyyyyy?" in that whiny voice that kids have.  But I hope that inside he smiles and is happy that I'm his mom, the same way that I did when you sang it to me.  Because I'm so happy that you're my dad.

Love always,

Pook  

The Walk of Shame

On Sunday mornings I stumble out of bed and across the hall to the bathroom.  The scale looms in the corner and calls me to step on.  Sometimes I jump on with excitement, and sometimes I step on with a little self-doubt.  The number I see there has the power to make or break my whole week.  I'm already dreading the walk tomorrow. 

This has not been a good week for me.  Valentine's Day on Friday included a breakfast homemade by wonderful husband, lunch at a Mexican restaurant, and a rushed dinner at Qdoba.  I also went to see Disney on Ice, where I almost single-handedly consumed a bag of cotton candy.  Today Billy and I decided to buy ourselves a box of half-price Valentine's candy, "just because."  I had jury duty on Monday, Billy had a stomach bug on Tuesday, we had a foot of snow on Thursday, and of course Friday was Valentine's.  Because of all this, I had one trip to the gym.  I'm pretty sure that  30 minutes on a stationary bike isn't going to be enough to counteract a whole week of bad choices. 

I know that the number on the scale tomorrow will be disappointing, so I'm trying to prepare for it.  The way I see it, I have two choices.  I can let it get me down and go through this week feeling depressed about it.  I can decide that it's just not worth the trouble and the work.  I can decide that I've lost enough weight and just give up.  I have, after all, lost the fifty pounds that I gained while pregnant.  The other choice that is before me is to look at my food journal for this week, see where I messed up, and make the appropriate changes.  I can eat more veggies and less sweets and I can go to the gym more.  I can exercise at home on days when I can't go to the gym.  I can persevere and go on trying to achieve my goal of being skinny and healthy. 

I choose the second option.  I'm deciding right now, before I ever step on the scale, before I ever see the number, that I'm not going to let it get me down.  I will make the changes necessary to get where I want to be.  I refuse to give up. 

Four years ago today I woke up early to find it had snowed eight inches during the night.  My dad drove me through the snow to the beauty shop where I got my hair done up all pretty.  I went to the church and put on my pretty white dress and high heels.  A little after one o'clock in the afternoon I walked down the aisle and married the man of my dreams.

One year ago today I woke up even earlier to about six inches of snow on the ground.  Billy and I drove for two hours over treacherous roads to our first appointment with the doctor who would deliver our baby.  We looked at an ultrasound that day and saw our little boy for the first time.

Needless to say, this date is a pretty memorable one for me.  Life hasn't always been easy these past four years, but Billy and I have made it through together.  I can honestly say I love him even more now than I did on that first, snowy, January afternoon.  The last year hasn't always been pleasant, but I can now look at my beautiful baby boy asleep in my arms and know that all the pain and frustration was worth it. 

In the scope of a whole life, four years isn't long.  But when you spend four years with the person you love, your best friend, it's worth a whole lifetime.

Lyndsie

I'm Thankful For...

I like to think that I'm thankful every day, but in reality, how long do I pause to thank God for things?  I'm glad we have this one special day set aside to say, "Thank you, Lord," for all that He's done for us.  The past couple years I've tried to make myself take a little time to list just a few of the things that I'm thankful for.  I want to go beyond the everyday things like food and clothes (although I am thankful for these things, too) and go a little deeper.  I want to share these things here as a public acknowledgement of how good God has been to me.  Yes, I thank GOD.  I truly feel sorry for people who celebrate Thanksgiving without giving thanks to the One who gives us all things.

 "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights..." James 1:17

Some things that I have seen and experienced in the last few months have made me realize that I am extremely grateful for the way I was raised.  My family's situation wasn't ideal, but, looking back, I can see how things could have been so much different.  I'm thankful I was raised in a home with a father who said, "No," but only because he wanted what was best for me.  I'm glad he fought to keep me in a Christian school.  I'm thankful for that school and all the people who helped me to become the person I am today.  I'm thankful that we didn't have a television, and that I wasn't exposed to many things until I was an adult.  Some may see this as a hindrance in life and even resent their parents for it, but I am thankful for it. 
I'm thankful that I was raised to believe the Bible, to read it and memorize it.  I'm thankful I learned at a young age to believe that prayer works, and God can do anything.  I'm also glad I learned that just because God can, doesn't mean He always will, but we have to trust Him anyways.
I'm thankful for my brother and sister, and all the time we spent together.  Now that we're all grown and married, we don't get to be together very often. I remember the nights we would all gather on my bed in our pajamas before going to sleep, just to talk.  I remember the games we made up and played for hours.  We were truly each others' best friends.  I miss those days, and sometimes I wish I could go back to them again, so that I would realize how precious those times were.
I'm thankful for my husband who works hard for his little family.  I have loved him nearly from the moment I laid eyes on him, but I didn't realize how much until our son was born.  He loves our little boy so much.  It makes me so happy to see them together.  I'm thankful that he puts up with me and is always usually willing to take on the projects that I come up with for him.
I am so thankful for my son.  He is the joy of my life.  Nothing makes me happier than to see his little eyes light up when he sees me come into his room.  When he gurgles, when he coos and even when he poops, he is the cutest, best, most wonderful baby in the world, and I'm so thankful to be his mama.
I'm thankful for the life that I have now.  God has given me more than I could have ever hoped for.  Sometimes I'm tempted to complain about something I don't have, or feel that someone else has it better than me.  I find that I'm much happier when I stop looking at other people, and just see how far I've come.  I hope that I take time every day to be thankful for at least one thing, but for those days that I forget, I have this day.  I have this one day to think about it all, and say, "Thank you, God. For everything."

Happy Thanksgiving!
Lyndsie

It's a Jane Austen World

I've recently been obsessed with all things Jane Austen,  There is no denying that she is one of the greatest authors who ever lived.  Her books are relevant, even though they were written two hundred years ago.  So I've set out to read every one of them.  This is where my subscription to Audible comes in handy.  I've purchased all of her books in audio book form (except Emma, which I bought, but had to return because the narrator was horrible) and am now working my way through them.  So far I've finished Persuasion and Northanger Abbey in audio, and I've read Pride and Prejudice and Lady Susan in book form.  I'm currently listening to Mansfield Park, and plan to read Sense and Sensibility next, and then to try Emma again.

She intrigues me with her wit, her insights and her characters.  Not many books capture my attention so fully.  She gives modern readers a view of what life was like, especially for women, in the 1800s.  Even though every book has a totally unique plot, each one presents us with a hero to adore, a heroine to root for and secondary characters to either hate or love.   

My Austen obsession doesn't end with just reading her books, though.  My reading list and Kindle library are full of fictional books about her, modern retellings of her stories and "continuations" of the lives of her most popular characters-generally Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett.  None of these can hold a candle to the original writings of Austen herself.  Most of them are not even very well-written with crazy, impossible plots.  One particular author nearly kills Darcy off in every book.  By the time the last one ends, he must be nearly bedridden from all the injuries he has suffered beneath her pen! There is one exception to poor post-Austen works.  This is Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James.  It is totally out of the vein of anything Austen would have written, but somehow it works.  It is a must-read for all Austen fans.

Here's a few of the Austen sequels and retellings that  you might enjoy:
1. Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James
2. The Darcy's and the Bingley's by Marsha Altman
3. Expectations of Happiness by Rebecca Ann Collins
4. Experience by Meg Kerr
5. And This Our Life by C. Allyn Pierson
6. Pride, Prejudice and Cheese Grits by Mary Jane Hathaway
Most of these books have received widely varied reviews on Amazon, so if you get a chance to read any of them, let me know what you think!
Have you read any good Austen-esque books that you recommend?

Happy Reading!
Lyndsie
 

 

Christmas Time IS Coming!!

Okay, so I know it's not Thanksgiving yet, but I'm so excited about Christmas!  I feel like it's so close that I'm almost out of time already!  When I was growing up, my dad refused to have any type of Christmas celebration until Thanksgiving was over.  Now, he's no Scrooge, but we didn't put up the tree or listen to Christmas music until November was almost over.  I've tried to continue this tradition since getting my own home, but I just can't help myself.  It's such a happy time of the year.  It's so short that I want to start celebrating as early as possible.  I'm not one of those people who can leave their tree up until after New Year's.  On December 26 (or very soon thereafter) I'm ready to take it down.  It has lost all of  its magic for me.  The lights don't shine as bright, and it just looks forlorn with no presents underneath.  Yes, for me Christmas is absolutely over at midnight on Christmas Day, so in order to celebrate the season of "peace on earth, good will to men" I need to start as early as possible.  I actually found myself listening to a Christmas CD in my car today, and checking to see if Sirius/XM Radio had put any of their Christmas channels on yet.  Sadly, they have not.
Don't get me wrong.  I love Thanksgiving.  I love the time spent with my family.  I LOVE to eat, so it's the perfect holiday for me.  Sometimes, though, Thanksgiving is just like a prelude to Christmas.  It's like the party that heralds the season.  When Thanksgiving ends life becomes a blur of parties, cookies, gifts, carols and lights. 
I'm already making lists--and checking them twice, of course--to plan what to buy for who, what kind of cookies to bake for my annual cookie party and what to put on the party menu for Billy's Sunday School class party.  I'm ready to put up the tree, set up the nativity and replace my everyday decorations with snowmen, angels and candles.  I feel like I'm already getting caught up in the whirlwind that is the Christmas season, but I love every minute of it.
This year has a new excitement as we pick out gifts to buy for Jaxon for his first Christmas.  I know that he won't remember it, or even understand what's happening, but I will, and I can't wait to share the whole experience with him.
Right now the leaves on the trees are bright orange, yellow and red, and they are beautiful.  Fall is my favorite season, so I can't wish it away.  I think my Christmas decorations would look a little out of place with all the pumpkins and mums still floating around the neighborhood.  As soon as those trees outside are bare, though,  I'm pulling out the evergreen, people!  Let's get this season rolling!

It's a Beautiful Life

Everyone always says that when you hold your child for the first time, an incredible love sweeps over you.  It seems so cliché to say it, but I've found that it's so true!  My life changed forever at 5:53 am on August 23, 2013.  I was worried through my whole pregnancy about being a mom.  I didn't know if I could handle having this little person be dependent on me for their entire existence.  I was afraid of having to plan my life around him, and stop doing the things I like to do.  I was concerned about the poop and the spit-up and the long nights without sleep.  That may sound selfish, but I LOVE to sleep!  But from the moment Jaxon was placed on my chest for the first time, I would have done anything to make that baby happy.  This love is the craziest emotion I've ever felt.  Sometimes I just stare at him and think how beautiful he is and how I can't believe he's mine!  I love to stand over his crib while he's sleeping and see his little face as he stares at his Glow Worm, his eyes getting heavier and heavier until he drops off to sleep. 
Being a parent is hard.  It does mean that I don't get to do some things that I love.  Even a simple trip to the grocery store is harder, takes longer and requires planning.  I can no longer wake up in the morning and be ready to go somewhere in 30 minutes.  Inevitably, Jaxon will want to nurse, or he'll need his diaper changed...again.  It seems that I can no longer eat lunch without him crying his little head off because he is hungry at the same time as I am.  Every parent makes these kinds of sacrifices, and some many more, but I've found that I don't mind them at all.  As a matter of fact, whatever I can do to make his life better is worth all the trouble
All the worries about being a mother are gone.  (Replaced by new worries of course, but that's a whole different post.)  The poop doesn't bother me much, and there may be some spit up on my shirt or skirt or bed linens at any given time.  Jaxon usually sleeps all night, but he's awake bright and early and cooing in his crib.  Even though I am not a morning person at all, it makes my heart so happy to go into his room and see his happy, morning smile.  Don't even get me started on the joy I feel when I see him with his daddy.  Jaxon absolutely adores his daddy!
My world is no longer the perfectly planned, neat, orderly world it was before.  I live every day in a new reality.  I love my little family, and I love doing things to make both of them smile.  My life is no longer about me, but I don't feel slighted.  It's a beautiful, happy life that I wouldn't trade for anything in the world.  My life revolves around my two favorite guys-and I like it that way!

News, apologies and yes, a review!

I know I promised last time that I was going to get back on the ball and get some reviews done, but I didn't.  I apologize from the bottom of my heart, but I do have a reason that I hope you'll understand.  After about five days of a horrible "stomach virus" I went to  the doc and found out that I'm gonna have a baby!  So the last couple weeks have been really up and down for me.  Thankfully the sickness isn't as bad, but most of the time I feel like my energy is just zapped.  Hopefully, though, I'm on my way to feeling better again. 
I've had this review planned for a while.  I read this book right after Christmas, but haven't gotten around to the review yet.  I received an Amazon gift card for Christmas, and while trying to stretch it as far as possible, I found a book by Colleen Coble.  It was really just a novella, but I totally loved it.  I immediately checked to see if any of her books were available for review.  That's how I found Safe in His Arms.  It's the second book in the Under Texas Stars series.  I haven't read the first book, but I plan to soon. 



 This book is about Margaret O'Brien and Daniel Cutler and is set in Texas, sometime in the 1800s.  Maggie considers herself an outcast, because she is tall, and thinks she is plain.  She is a hard worker on her father's ranch, and hopes that one day it will be hers.  She has no suitors, and believes she will never be married.  She is crushed when her father brings Daniel Cutler to the ranch to be the new foreman so that she will have more time to be a lady and find a husband.  Mr. O'Brien hurts her further when he informs her that he has re-written his will and is leaving the ranch to his closest male relative, Maggie's cousin, Lewis.  Sparks fly between Maggie and Daniel from the beginning.  He is attracted to her, but she has convinced herself that she is too plain for anyone to love.  She thinks Daniel is only trying to take her ranch away from her.  Throw in murder, betrayal, bank robbers, stampedes and a tornado and this book can really be considered "action-packed."  I didn't feel like the ending was a total surprise, but it was such a fun journey to get there, that I didn't mind that at all. 
I feel like sometimes when you read western stories, they fall so much into the cliche.  How many ways can you write about bank robbers and Texas rangers?   But this book didn't feel that way at all.  I loved the setting and the characters.  I'm looking forward to reading more of Ms. Cobles' books in the future.  She is a great writer and I LOVED this book!  You gotta read it!

Happy Reading!
Lyndsie

I'm thankful for...

So often around this time of year, we get in the "Christmas Spirit" and it seems that Thanksgiving comes and goes almost without notice.  Of course we visit our family and friends and eat a big dinner.  And, yes, we are thankful for things in our life.  But I feel like I don't take time to really think about all the things I'm truly thankful for.  So I've decided today to make a list of things that I thank God for.  He has made it possible for me to have this life that I love, and I want to let others know how thankful I am for what He's done for me.

1.  God gave me a wonderful family that loves me.  I've always known that my dad would do anything for me.  He raised me and made me the person I am today, and I'm so grateful for that.  God gave me an incredible brother and sister.  I only wish I had realized earlier in life that they were my best friends.  When I look back on my life I'm so thankful for the many happy times we spent together.  Now I have a wonderful sister-in-law who I love, and who (somehow) loves my brother.  God blessed my sister with a husband who loves her and takes care of her, and that makes me so happy to see.  This year He also gave me a niece, who I love to pieces.  I have wonderful grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, and I fell so blessed to have them in my life.

2.  God gave me the perfect husband.  When I say the perfect husband, I don't mean that he is the perfect man, but he is the perfect husband for me.  If you had asked me four years ago to describe my "dream guy" I wouldn't have described Billy Suttle to you, but since I found him (he found me?) I can't imagine life without him.  He makes me smile when I'm sad.  He encourages me when I'm discouraged.  He does everything he can to make my every dream come true.  He makes my life better in every way.  Our marriage was worth the wait.

3.  God gave us a beautiful house.  When we got married, we struggled for the first seven months just to make ends meet.  We hoped that we might be able to afford to buy a house in five years.  We'd only been married two years when we found this house.  I'd driven past it for years and loved it.  I'd pictured myself living here.  It was truly a miracle that we were able to get it and I'm so thankful for every minute I get to spend here.

4.  God gave me the greatest gift of all-salvation.  This is the thing I am most thankful for.  I don't deserve His love, and I don't deserve to get to go to Heaven someday.  I am so thankful that He loved me so much that He sent His Son to die for me.  If I never had any of these other things I would still feel so blessed just to have this one thing. 

I feel like the most blessed girl in the world.  When I feel discouraged over things that I don't have, He quickly reminds me of all that He's given me, and I know I have no reason to ever grumble or complain.  I encourage you today, if you haven't already, to think of some things that you are thankful for, and take just a few minutes to say thank you to God.  I think you'll find it will make your day a lot better.  I know it has mine.


Happy Thanksgiving!
Lyndsie