tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42988559871359386072024-03-05T10:46:47.824-06:00Grace In Our MomentsReal women finding God's grace in every momentAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130395080716366052noreply@blogger.comBlogger207125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298855987135938607.post-85923103336113177602019-04-04T18:05:00.003-05:002019-04-04T18:14:42.712-05:00My Top Books for 2019: The First Quarter, Plus an Update2019 has been a whirlwind for me! I was excited about the plans I had for my blog this year, but on the very first weekend of January, everything changed. My family and I travelled to eastern Oklahoma, where my husband was voted in as pastor of a wonderful church. We went back to southeast Texas, and the following weekend, my husband resigned from our church of twelve years. The transition process started, and at the end of February, we moved 450 miles away. After twelve hours on the road and a broken trailer axle that set us back a couple of hours, we arrived in Oklahoma and started our new lives here. It's been an exhausting adventure and an emotional roller coaster! While it was hard to say goodbye to Texas, we're excited about our future in Oklahoma. And since my husband and I were born and raised in Arkansas, being so close to the Arkansas/Oklahoma border makes us feel like we're back home. Isn't it gorgeous?<br />
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I haven't done nearly as much reading as I normally do during the beginning of the year. Last year I read seven books in January alone. This year, at the end of March, I'd only read six. Life looks a lot different this year than last year, though. We're getting settled into our new town and new church, house hunting, job hunting, getting our oldest ready to start full time college in the fall, and so much more. We're in a very different season of life, and my reading time is a lot more limited. It's worth the trade-off, though.<br />
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Now that life is settling down a little, I plan to be on the blog more. I've missed it, and I've been excited about my plans for this year, even if they were a little delayed.<br />
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While my reading list was short in the first quarter of 2019, I read some amazing books! The following all got five-star Goodreads reviews from me:<br />
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The Curse of Misty Wayfair--Jaime Jo Wright</h4>
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Sometimes an author comes along who always writes a great book that hooks you from the first chapter. Jaime Jo Wright is one of those. When I started <i>The Curse of Misty Wayfair</i>, I knew this book was different. As great as Jaime's first two books were, this takes her writing to a new level. Jaime tackles some very tough issues - anxiety, mental illness, the struggles of abandonment in childhood and adulthood, and more. This is definitely Jaime's best book yet! In fact, I loved this one so much that when the character-inspired cozies appeared in <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheCozyLifeShop">The Cozy Life Shop</a> on Etsy, I ordered my favorite. Isn't this the perfect cozy for a mystery lover?<br />
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The Wind Will Howl--Sibella Giorello</h4>
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I've been reading about Raleigh Harmon from the beginning of her story, and every book just keeps getting better. The ending of this book...oh my goodness! If you're already a Raleigh fan, you have to read this one! If you're not a fan yet, start at the beginning and catch up on this series.</div>
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The Wedding Dress, The Wedding Chapel--Rachel Hauck</h4>
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For years, I avidly avoided romance novels. I repeatedly said I didn't like them, with the exception of romantic suspense. But last year, I needed a book recommendation for a reading challenge, and someone recommended Rachel Hauck's <i>The Love Letter.</i> I was hooked. <i>The Wedding Dress</i> is the second book I've read by this author, and as soon as I finished it, I dove directly into <i>The Wedding Chapel</i>. I love the dual timelines of Rachel Hauck's books, and her writing is phenomenal. Every single story draws me in and wraps me up in the story.<br />
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What are you reading this year? What are your favorites of the year so far?<br />
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If you're not already following me on Instagram, I'd love for you to join me! It's my favorite online space. I share regularly about books, crafts, planning, and life. You can join me<a href="http://instagram.com/amanda_m_holland"> here.</a></div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130395080716366052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298855987135938607.post-54802621094070996892019-01-01T10:51:00.002-06:002019-01-01T10:52:15.389-06:00Top Books of 2018<br />
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My reading life surprised me last year. I read more books than in the past few years, and my focus shifted considerably. The ways I read also changed a lot. Before I get into my top books for 2018, let me give you a quick breakdown of my reading habits.<br />
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I read 50 books:<br />
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<li>44 fiction</li>
<li>6 nonfiction</li>
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Ten of these were audiobooks - a big change for me! I just got into audiobooks a few years ago, but this year they became a huge part of my reading life. I read longer books this year, and I read a lot of classics (ten total - these made up the bulk of my audiobooks). I also read a lot of YA, a genre I'm really coming to love.</div>
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Now for my top eleven books of 2018. I read so many great ones that it was hard to narrow down my list. It was supposed to be a top ten list but ended up being a top eleven list. In no particular order, here are the best books I ready last year:<br />
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1. <i>The House on Foster Hill</i> by Jaime Jo Wright<br />
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I started the year off with a bang! I kept hearing this book mentioned in online groups and talked about among friends with great reading taste. I picked up a Kindle copy when it was on sale and started 2018 with this book. I couldn't stop reading! This split-time mystery is so unique and so well written! I was such a fan I've joined Jaime's launch team to help launch her second book (#10 on this list) and will help her launch her third novel later this month. She's such a fantastic writer!<br />
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2. <i>Simply Tuesday</i> by Emily P. Freeman<br />
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Emily P. Freeman is one of my go-to authors when I'm stressed. Her words always seem to speak peace to my anxiety riddled mind. <i>Simply Tuesday</i> is about finding joy and contentment in the small, ordinary, not-so-glamourous things in our lives. It was just what I needed to read this year.<br />
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3. <i>The Masterpiece</i> by Francine Rivers<br />
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The title describes it well. Beautiful and full of hope. It's no wonder Francine Rivers is one of the top Christian fiction authors out there.<br />
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4. <i>The Solace of Water</i> by Elizabeth Byler Younts<br />
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The gorgeous cover for this book first drew me to it on NetGalley. Within the first two chapters, I knew it would become a favorite for the year. In fact, I loved it so much I joined Elizabeth's launch team. This heart wrenching, beautiful story is full of loss and hope. Not just a favorite for the year, this is one of the books I now recommend to everyone.<br />
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5. <i>Cold Tangerines</i> by Shauna Niequist<br />
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Shauna Niequist is another go-to author when I'm stressed. I first read <i>Cold Tangerines</i> a few years ago, and after struggling through the early part of this year, I decided it was time for a re-read.<br />
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6. <i>Lady Jayne Disappears</i> by Joanne Davidson Politano<br />
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Another book that came highly recommended, this debut novel did not disappoint. It was unique, with a story that I couldn't stop reading.<br />
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7. <i>Thirst of Steel</i> by Ronie Kendig<br />
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Ronie Kendig definitely tops my list of favorite authors. This conclusion to her Tox Files series left me an emotional wreck, but I really think it's her best yet.<br />
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8. <i>Book Girl</i> by Sarah Clarkson<br />
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What's better for a book lover than a book about books? This entire book was like a great conversation with a book-loving friend. My TBR list is much longer now, thanks to Sarah.<br />
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9. <i>A Place to Land</i> by Kate Motaung<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmG97qOkiX3X0x5YsIdyl_ep86Bhge4c4vzrPBlIhIJYGrj-bYMNpNW_zLnAhy20KY-5n05JbY3g6ZtNIxVGFlbXBJm7CukcPOTErw_s6KHdCA8eVgyVlMip6JVW-ZkKpRDgjkYoYmhqQ/s1600/F99EC530-6B73-49D4-992E-1D5AE74B06F6.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1123" data-original-width="750" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmG97qOkiX3X0x5YsIdyl_ep86Bhge4c4vzrPBlIhIJYGrj-bYMNpNW_zLnAhy20KY-5n05JbY3g6ZtNIxVGFlbXBJm7CukcPOTErw_s6KHdCA8eVgyVlMip6JVW-ZkKpRDgjkYoYmhqQ/s200/F99EC530-6B73-49D4-992E-1D5AE74B06F6.jpeg" width="133" /></a></div>
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Hope in the midst of tragedy seems to be a theme for 2018's books. Kate's story of finding home halfway across the world, love, family, and grief was so good I couldn't put it down.<br />
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10. <i>The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond</i> by Jaime Jo Wright<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheBKvWNxNGS129E6Syxj7fIqFJjvc4TYUk0ihzxQ89PkurWireH4Oy5jVi6mcFuW3ld_aCFjgJC7zr7B-6kAvbonmQxJkJKw7o90lOs320AUNWCTkPY4XACHJJ4C9erL9omkbyuxtPamU/s1600/3D0AA71D-60CF-46B3-8CC6-2CD331F69267.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1237" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheBKvWNxNGS129E6Syxj7fIqFJjvc4TYUk0ihzxQ89PkurWireH4Oy5jVi6mcFuW3ld_aCFjgJC7zr7B-6kAvbonmQxJkJKw7o90lOs320AUNWCTkPY4XACHJJ4C9erL9omkbyuxtPamU/s200/3D0AA71D-60CF-46B3-8CC6-2CD331F69267.jpeg" width="128" /></a></div>
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Every bit as good as <i>The House on Foster Hill!</i> Jaime's books are so unique and just the right amount of eerie suspense. I'm counting the days until I can get my hands on her latest novel, <i>The Curse of Misty Wayfair!</i></div>
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11. <i>The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck</i> by Bethany Turner</div>
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My ten ten list became a top eleven when I finished this book late in the year. It's laugh out loud funny but also tackled some heavy issued rarely touched in Christian fiction. I absolutely love this book!</div>
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What were your favorite books in 2018?</div>
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<br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130395080716366052noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298855987135938607.post-70727850905446953512018-11-04T19:43:00.000-06:002018-11-04T19:44:10.041-06:00Book Girl<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_MsCZUuyeMLss11kubdpjzMcUI-YJ77fMgk-luf5OXfdCsdXlOuTKpJJ1_ZLcQPedNbxe3g_cmYZyv_wLv4nIpKKfclzDr1rRDcG4wOXC5e20OvRFRo8SXHJqCEUv6mQi3hRJgLrPhbE/s1600/Book+Girl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_MsCZUuyeMLss11kubdpjzMcUI-YJ77fMgk-luf5OXfdCsdXlOuTKpJJ1_ZLcQPedNbxe3g_cmYZyv_wLv4nIpKKfclzDr1rRDcG4wOXC5e20OvRFRo8SXHJqCEUv6mQi3hRJgLrPhbE/s200/Book+Girl.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
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There are few things in life that make a book lover happier than talking about books with other book lovers. Sarah Clarkson's new book, <i>Book Girl</i>, feels like a great conversation about beloved books. <i>Book Girl</i> is divided into themed chapters full of lists of Sarah's favorite books and why she loves them. I loved reading about some of my own favorite books, and my TBR list is now much longer thanks to her recommendations. Whether you're already an avid reader, a former bookworm trying to find your reading groove again, or someone who wants to be a reader but doesn't know where to start, this is the perfect book for you.<br />
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When I first heard about <i>Book Girl,</i> I was excited. Over the past two years, my reading habits have gone through a lot of changes, and I've been looking for direction. I've been a mystery fan since elementary school, when I first discovered Nancy Drew, Trixie Beldon, and the Three Investigators. But recently, I've made an effort to branch out more. First it was women's fiction. Then I started reading (or rereading) more classics. I've added more historical and split-time authors to my reading list. I also find myself listening to more and more audiobooks. My taste in books has become very broad. This was exactly the resource I needed to help me.<br />
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<i>Book Girl </i>is a great guide for new readers or lifelong readers who want to branch out. This is a great book to read straight through. It's also a great book to pick and choose chapters from, depending on what you're looking for. My first reading definitely will not be my last. This is a resource I'll return to again and again for years to come.<br />
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I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.<br />
<br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130395080716366052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298855987135938607.post-53196623575485995412018-08-28T00:00:00.000-05:002018-08-28T00:00:13.282-05:00When Dreams Wait and God is Silent<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Mv-soXbMQSjXANMQQiig15hyphenhyphenZWvd7SfUfw3qT2DJaRC07L3AHiVgQE4k7YwDEal18v4APQmm8hrxkyPm69wMOutIu9OvURhYsRc2ljT6jpc7ea9TljEKZzJYSYl7aJ7CAoq1FxV4bfY/s1600/When+Dreams+Wait++God+is+Silent.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Mv-soXbMQSjXANMQQiig15hyphenhyphenZWvd7SfUfw3qT2DJaRC07L3AHiVgQE4k7YwDEal18v4APQmm8hrxkyPm69wMOutIu9OvURhYsRc2ljT6jpc7ea9TljEKZzJYSYl7aJ7CAoq1FxV4bfY/s200/When+Dreams+Wait++God+is+Silent.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Patience isn't my strong point.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">When there's a problem, I want it fixed yesterday. When I decide I need to get something, I want to drop everything and go get it right away. When I dream about something, I want to start taking concrete steps towards it immediately. I want a step-by-step plan and a bulleted checklist, and I'm ready to start on it right away, thank you very much.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Not all dreams come true right away, though. Dreams often make us wait, and sometimes dreams turn into hard seasons of waiting. Waiting for direction, for answers, for things out of our control to fall into place. Waiting, knowing that a hard road lies ahead. Waiting, knowing that your hopes and dreams may not be realized. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Waiting can mean days, weeks, months of praying feeling as if your prayers never reach past the ceiling. It means you sometimes wonder why God is silent, if He's still listening, if He still cares.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Life is full of hard seasons of waiting. </span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The great heroes of the Bible weren't immune to long seasons of waiting, either.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Abraham and Sarah waited years for their promised son. They aged well past their child-bearing years. Sarah's heart must have ached at the emptiness of her womb and her arms. She must have mourned as she watched women all around her become mothers, but her own dreams waited. At some point, she gave up, realizing her dream must have passed her by. But God wasn't done. Long after all hope seemed lost, Sarah gave birth to her miracle baby.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">David, the least of his brothers, was anointed king over Israel. But as soon as it happened, he was back to tending his father's sheep. Nothing changed. As the years crept by, David must have wondered if his time would ever come. Life got harder and harder. David lost friends. He ran for his life on multiple occasions. God seemed silent. Until finally, almost fifteen years after he was anointed as the next king of Israel, David took his throne. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">God's people waited a very long time for the promised Messiah. From Adam and Eve's first sin, God promised a coming Messiah, One who would defeat the enemy once and for all. Generation after generation passed as humanity cried out for their Deliverer. How many people must have wondered when He would come? How many must have wondered if the promises were still coming or of God had given up on His people? Until one night, in a stable in Bethlehem, the promised Messiah was born, and the world changed forever.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And even today, God's people wait for His promised return. We wait for Him to take us to our forever home with Him, for Him to make all things right and perfect once and for all. We watch, helpless, as sin abounds, growing deeper and darker with every passing day. We watch pain and headache multiply. We see innocent people suffering. Sometimes we wonder if God still sees, if His promise to return is still true. We wait. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">But we can wait with hope, because His promises are true. His time may not be our time, but He will never turn back on His Word. We can hold onto 2 Peter 3:9: "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance." When our dreams become seasons of waiting, we can wait with hope in Him.</span><br />
<br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130395080716366052noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298855987135938607.post-13607963534229736602018-08-21T00:00:00.000-05:002018-08-21T00:00:11.264-05:00Books to Pull You Out of a Reading Slump<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3HmQ334SS26xIfL584W8vL3V5T9STmgHhURXMOitXYgZDgsFZJHYfajdKs54PNYmQ6_SIg017v3diB5ykI1uTpsJAnVwBWnuLCfiXI-zEdsdnKG9vUVq5C25z_iLouaD6F0VQ2xaVQoo/s1600/What+Im+Reading+This+Year.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3HmQ334SS26xIfL584W8vL3V5T9STmgHhURXMOitXYgZDgsFZJHYfajdKs54PNYmQ6_SIg017v3diB5ykI1uTpsJAnVwBWnuLCfiXI-zEdsdnKG9vUVq5C25z_iLouaD6F0VQ2xaVQoo/s200/What+Im+Reading+This+Year.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Sometimes even an avid readers hits a reading slump.</span></div>
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What pulls me out of a reading slump? A book I can't put down. A trilogy that leaves me hanging on for more at the end of each book.</span></div>
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<b>1. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">K. E. Ganshert's The Gifting trilogy</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">I can't say enough about these books. This is the best dystopian trilogy I've read since The Hunger Games--and that's high praise coming from someone who loved The Hunger Games as much as I did. The story is non-stop. The events are eerily similar to things that are playing out in the real world today. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b></b><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b>2. Terri Blackstock's If I Run trilogy</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilbPTjxCFrT8QiJDeAKgR5ORprqa53qRT9VpQfl0-0n5es5CzoDlBZt4kv3LfzbG-ua76Cryo3ASMqjLT6FqUb4IvOx7chC8CXqaLB10DIU0RFYolXNY8x3yJgyJgwJ7CcJd5HPv6hAOw/s1600/Book-Run.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="775" data-original-width="1240" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilbPTjxCFrT8QiJDeAKgR5ORprqa53qRT9VpQfl0-0n5es5CzoDlBZt4kv3LfzbG-ua76Cryo3ASMqjLT6FqUb4IvOx7chC8CXqaLB10DIU0RFYolXNY8x3yJgyJgwJ7CcJd5HPv6hAOw/s320/Book-Run.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Everyone was talking about these books for months! Everywhere I went, I heard about them. It had been years since I read a Terri Blackstock book, but I finally checked out the first book from our local library. All I can say is, I'm glad I waited until the final book was out to start these, because once I started, I didn't want to stop.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b></b><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b>3. Ronie Kendig's Tox Files</b></span><br />
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<b></b><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #222222; direction: ltr; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; padding-bottom: 0px; position: static; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /></div>
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The final book of the series, <i>Thirst of Steel</i>, just released. I read it through tears. What an ending! This series is military fiction meets Indiana Jones, and I couldn't put it down!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black;"><b>4<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">. Ronie Kendig's Operation Zulu series</span></b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black;"><b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></b></span></span></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-cPIPeo4SYLsGs4a590q5aPSTQP8FVQ-RZuk-e81JNsIy9VLSrGZ_RFCHs29E5bNJ8NbyvO6q7ytSkKgxsCXRPoXCzYVas45tRE9xmRz66cJyYORJ4v0tMonxDVmEHS9RJYb4q0ZDqSk/s1600/Book-Zulu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="144" data-original-width="474" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-cPIPeo4SYLsGs4a590q5aPSTQP8FVQ-RZuk-e81JNsIy9VLSrGZ_RFCHs29E5bNJ8NbyvO6q7ytSkKgxsCXRPoXCzYVas45tRE9xmRz66cJyYORJ4v0tMonxDVmEHS9RJYb4q0ZDqSk/s320/Book-Zulu.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black;"><b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black;"></span><b></b><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">When this series first released, a new installment came out once a week, like a serial novel. The only problem: I was in the middle of a major project at church, and all I wanted to do was read! I was sneaking in reading time during every spare moment because I couldn't get enough. This series got me hooked on Ronie Kendig's books. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<b>5<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">. Susan Collins' The Hunger Games trilogy</span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
I usually post about - and usually read - Christian fiction, but I'm including this series for two reasons. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">First, it pulled me out of a major reading slump. When I returned to college in 2010, my reading time vanished. Balancing school with family, work, and life left no time for fun reading. When I graduated in 2013, I struggled to get back into reading. Nothing seemed to grab my interest anymore, until I read <i>The Hunger Games.</i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><i></i><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Second, this series is so clean. One of the reasons I made an exception and read a non-Christian series was because friends with similar reading taste told me it was super clean. It's violent, but I love mysteries, so that doesn't bother me. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b></b><i></i><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b><i>One last tip for a reader who finds yourself in a slump...read a different genre. </i></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">One reason The Hunger Games struck such a chord with me is that it was a totally new genre. I'd never heard of dystopian fiction until the series became popular. I'm a huge mystery/suspense fan, but I needed something different to break my slump. The action of a dystopian novel, combined with a very different storyline than I was used to, was exactly what I needed. Dystopian is now among my favorite genres. </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I'm excited about linking up this week for Top Ten Tuesday! This is my first time to join in, and I look forward to "meeting" other book bloggers. </span><br />
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</span>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130395080716366052noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298855987135938607.post-46724276791627856272018-08-01T00:00:00.000-05:002018-08-01T00:00:01.460-05:00What I'm Into: July 2018<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This summer has been full of changes for our family. A few weeks ago, my oldest turned sixteen, got his first job, and got his driver's license--all within ten days! Now he's working plus studying for his college entrance exams. He will start dual credit college classes this fall. My youngest went to camp in July and turned thirteen, so I'm now officially the mom of two teenagers. Add in lots of church activities and it's been a busy summer. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4b75wc3XCxpZYz7kuteMhvf-CsWMmr-azoTK_CWa1Jfk9KRVm-V3_rH2WJSdOqwrMjuN9Mx9YzdZ5FC-6d_1slQBAuDM1kCGkUOxHUiofebClFekpGnun6-sIa5UbN4hm7nNXDVecrFQ/s1600/Blog+What+.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4b75wc3XCxpZYz7kuteMhvf-CsWMmr-azoTK_CWa1Jfk9KRVm-V3_rH2WJSdOqwrMjuN9Mx9YzdZ5FC-6d_1slQBAuDM1kCGkUOxHUiofebClFekpGnun6-sIa5UbN4hm7nNXDVecrFQ/s200/Blog+What+.PNG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here's what I've been enjoying this month...</span></span><br />
<h3>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
READING </span></span></h3>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Our busy schedule has definitely slowed down my reading. In July, I read...</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs18O0zHbzrjMJS6N3IDtlj27FkbGdXRP0aIWU8Esz4FAi7c6LLMvfmQDkyahGvFJTGhyphenhyphen1pJPdPZEyEtqzXY1gG7zW_SfY1hde2tzFepAz4s0IN2vJzfsInyYv9VVJIKjKYptDZ7L43ww/s1600/Book+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="307" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs18O0zHbzrjMJS6N3IDtlj27FkbGdXRP0aIWU8Esz4FAi7c6LLMvfmQDkyahGvFJTGhyphenhyphen1pJPdPZEyEtqzXY1gG7zW_SfY1hde2tzFepAz4s0IN2vJzfsInyYv9VVJIKjKYptDZ7L43ww/s200/Book+1.jpg" width="128" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond</i> by Jaime Jo Wright - I started this year off by reading Jaime's first book, <i>The House on Foster Hill</i>. I loved it so much I joined her launch team for her second book. <i>The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond</i> is just as good as her previous book! I love these split-time suspense novels. </span></span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga3GgMXpkregWNkB_NAblppuZnEsrPshqCEmN5vsIp1D86cFO5U-q4jKyDAb4U_EyyWW_Y7U9tMFBmT_4ddaKRWcb5zHgNq-WD5IJDr9jnnSxgY4mkkHiOcqxBTfxgTlbEY8DSAnBRfpA/s1600/Book+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="738" data-original-width="482" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga3GgMXpkregWNkB_NAblppuZnEsrPshqCEmN5vsIp1D86cFO5U-q4jKyDAb4U_EyyWW_Y7U9tMFBmT_4ddaKRWcb5zHgNq-WD5IJDr9jnnSxgY4mkkHiOcqxBTfxgTlbEY8DSAnBRfpA/s200/Book+2.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Lady Jayne Disappears</i> by Joanna Davidson Politano - I needed a book nominated for an award in 2018 to fill a category in the Modern Mrs. Darcy reading challenge. <i>Lady Jayne Disappears</i> was nominated for, and won, several awards, so I picked it up on sale for Kindle a few weeks ago. I wasn't disappointed! As I write this, I'm over halfway through the book, and I'm on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happens next. It's hard to believe this is a debut novel. </span></span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaN49vUdX9rYjuIySHExs08o07QzoUy0WyRkQrWuptFE0XEV6o4iGUSxmyeLGChEfolipZCtAc42H5bgFIJlvcfvQwbz1az6XkRKJjH8aVSdY9TYhJaR6cDw7fBDdz5GfXWFdvO12hddI/s1600/Book+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="732" data-original-width="475" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaN49vUdX9rYjuIySHExs08o07QzoUy0WyRkQrWuptFE0XEV6o4iGUSxmyeLGChEfolipZCtAc42H5bgFIJlvcfvQwbz1az6XkRKJjH8aVSdY9TYhJaR6cDw7fBDdz5GfXWFdvO12hddI/s200/Book+3.jpg" width="129" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Thirst of Steel</i> by Ronie Kendig - I've been waiting months for the final book in The Tox Files series! I'm sad to see this series end, but I'm devouring this book. Think military thriller meets Indiana Jones, and you've got <i>Thirst of Steel</i>. </span></span></li>
</ul>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
WATCHING</span></span></h3>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
I'm not a big TV person, so it usually takes me forever to finish a
Netflix series. I just finished season one of <i>The Crown</i> this month.</span></span><br />
<h3>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
LISTENING</span></span></h3>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
Emily P. Freeman's podcast, <i>The Next Right Thing</i>, is keeping me sane right now.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
Needtobreathe has a new album! Everything they do is amazing. My favorite songs are Darling and Bridges Burn.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
Crowder - My youngest is a huge Crowder fan and he's got me hooked, especially his American Prodigal album.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
Ledger - Jen Ledger, Skillet's drummer, released her first solo album.
As much as I like Skillet...I think I like Ledger even more. Her album
is incredible! I love every song, but I have to say Foreigner is her
best.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
CREATING</span></span></h3>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
This blog--I'm redesigning logos, changing my Facebook page, and much more. I'm getting into a rhythm of regular posting.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
Our church Back to School Blowout </span></span></li>
</ul>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
LOVING</span></span></h3>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
My bullet journal. I've been using one for about three years now, but
this year I've really found my groove with it. I switched to a dot grid
notebook and went with a whole new layout. It's working great! My bullet
journal has become part planner, part memory keeper.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Carpe Diem mini planner stickers. These are perfect for my small bullet
journal, and they're so cute. I've found my planner people!</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Plan to Plan Sticker Co. Again, these are the perfect size, and they're super cute.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My new wardrobe. I've lost more than 30 pounds over the last year, and
nothing in my closet fit anymore. I've slowly added all new clothing,
and this month I finished it out new dress clothes from Maurice's and
Versona, two of my favorite stores. I really love what I'm wearing!</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ipsy. I got my first bag this month, and I really liked everything in
it. My runaway favorite, though, was Realher Moisturizing Lipstick in
Girl Power. I liked the sample so much I bought a full size lipstick. You can <a href="https://www.ipsy.com/new?cid=ppage_ref&sid=link&refer=15xcql">find out more here</a>.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Y<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">asso Greek Frozen Yogurt Bars in salted caramel. Really good and only 100 calories! I'm just five pounds away from my goal weight, so a sweet snack that's low calorie is exactly what I need.</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></ul>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
STUDYING</span></span></h3>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
I finished a She Reads Truth study on 1 and 2 Corinthians. It was really
good! The study on forgiveness from chapter --- was really powerful.
Now I'm starting a study of Judges.</span></span><br />
<h3>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
LEARNING</span></span></h3>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
How to use Canva. I love this app! It lets me design professional images
for my blog and social media and gives everything a cohesive look.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">How to wait. Patience is not my strong point, but God is teaching me to trust Him and His timing for my dreams.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">How to use the Xodo app for digital planning</span></span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6KYjCYuMLET3DkTTsnKEyXDALumOPUO-vccFdyuwxPI_PC_fynlDnGdND3dk5A1wJEJMirh9iEypHIep8L0ijSCEDlLmJVs5JKidy7aGycAbAcxCDkvAqW3EAQ_4iBTNzCZufXcayY6k/s1600/What+I%2527m+Into.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="188" data-original-width="250" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6KYjCYuMLET3DkTTsnKEyXDALumOPUO-vccFdyuwxPI_PC_fynlDnGdND3dk5A1wJEJMirh9iEypHIep8L0ijSCEDlLmJVs5JKidy7aGycAbAcxCDkvAqW3EAQ_4iBTNzCZufXcayY6k/s200/What+I%2527m+Into.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130395080716366052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298855987135938607.post-23787440125449144702018-07-24T05:00:00.000-05:002018-07-24T05:00:11.742-05:00What I'm Reading This Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #000120;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My Goodreads goal for this year scares me a little. I bumped it up to 50 books, almost a book a week. With church events, kids, work, family plans, and more, it's a tough goal. But I have a reading list that's 200+ books strong and growing, so I knew I needed to step up my goal this year. </span></span><br />
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My go-to genre is mystery/suspense. It's been my favorite since I was a kid reading every Trixie Beldon and Three Investigators book my hometown library had on the shelves. Lately, though, I've been making an effort to branch out a bit more, and I've found some really amazing authors. The Modern Mrs. Darcy reading challenge is also pushing me to go outside of my reading comfort zone, with categories like "a classic you've been meaning to read" and "a book in translation."<br />
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Just over halfway through the year, I'm on track with a total of 28 books read so far. I'm reading a combination of print books and ebooks, with some audiobooks thrown in for my commute. I've found some new genres I love and rediscovered a love for others. Here's what I'm reading a lot of this year:</span></span><br />
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1. Classics</h3>
I love the LibriVox and Audible apps, and for the past couple of years, I've used them to listen to a lot of classics. This year I listened to <i>Pride and Prejudice</i> on Audible (my "classic you've been meaning to read"), and <i>Emma</i> on LibriVox. I'm not sure how I lived almost forty years and never read Jane Austen until this year, but it happened. At least I'm fixing it.<br />
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I'm also hooked on classic mysteries. I've read two Agatha Christie novels so far this year and watched two movie adaptations as well. I'd forgotten how much I love classics.<br />
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Next on TBR list: undecided. Maybe another Jane Austen, or maybe Little Women, the book that made me want to be a writer--I have an Audible version that would be perfect for my drive to and from work.<br />
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2. Split-time stories </h3>
I started 2018 with a bang and read Jaime Jo Wright's <i>The House on Foster Hill</i>. Wow! It's a mystery, but with a unique twist: two mysteries in two time periods, woven together into one amazing story. I just finished her second novel, <i>The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond,</i> and it was just as good as the first book.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGZ8sO-Kqw4vkw6oewMiiDaUs3CoVmwGZt-og6vRPYWHn3J429TZiN3QRYJZ1y6-J8bFZylor6xjCA0rvAiFICmK8hAV9JS3HOPwpsHMoIQl5T4DlTfkzqt4VJdyvCBO_GIWBQrVQk2zQ/s1600/Reckoning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="307" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGZ8sO-Kqw4vkw6oewMiiDaUs3CoVmwGZt-og6vRPYWHn3J429TZiN3QRYJZ1y6-J8bFZylor6xjCA0rvAiFICmK8hAV9JS3HOPwpsHMoIQl5T4DlTfkzqt4VJdyvCBO_GIWBQrVQk2zQ/s200/Reckoning.jpg" width="128" /></a></div>
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Last year I was introduced to split-time stories with two Kristy Cambron books - <i>The Butterfly and the Violin</i>, and <i>The Ringmaster's Wife</i>. I really enjoyed both! I have all of Kristy's books on my Kindle app. I'm looking forward to reading more.<br />
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Next on my TBR list: <i>The Love Letter</i> by Rachel Hauck. This fills a category on the Modern Mrs. Darcy reading challenge - "a book recommended by a librarian or indie bookseller."<br />
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3. Deep women's fiction</h3>
The cover of Elizabeth Byler Younts' <i>The Solace of Water</i> grabbed my attention first, but when I read the description, I was already hooked. This historical/women's fiction set in the 1950's tackles deep issues like race, grief, and friendships that cross boundaries. The fact that one of the main characters is a pastor's wife was a plus, too. This is one of the best books I've read in a long time and may end up being my favorite of 2018.<br />
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Last year I read <i>The Feathered Bone</i> by Julie Cantrell, another book that fit this category. It's a deep, heartbreaking, hopeful story that stayed with for a long time after I finished. I love books that aren't afraid of hard topics and grim realities.<br />
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Next on my TBR list: <i>The Space Between Words</i> by Michelle Phoenix<br />
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4. YA fairy tale retellings</h3>
After a really deep, heavy book, I have to balance it out with something light and fun. I love YA fairy tale retellings! I've spent the past few months reading The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. Melanie Dickerson is another favorite. I'm in the middle of<i> The Princess Spy</i> right now.<br />
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Deep, realistic fiction is my favorite - heavy hitting books that tackle life's most difficult issues head on. But sometimes life itself is too heavy and difficult, and I want a fairy tale. I want to know that the good guys win, that the princess finds true love, that the good guy gets the girl he loves. I want a guaranteed happily ever after. Fairy tales are a natural fit! And for the record, Beauty and the Beast is still my favorite story ever.<br />
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Next on my TBR list: finishing Melanie Dickerson's series (I'm on book five)<br />
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What are you reading now? What books would you recommend for me in these categories? Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130395080716366052noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298855987135938607.post-8184004229263124562018-05-15T00:00:00.000-05:002018-05-15T00:00:05.984-05:00Grace in the Storm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ15A3g6-wll4iQoRdcZDHOn82Z7PI2cg0A_oLiDL_HbE7mwwSQ5hbt2sKptEiC_jpaAQFw1lp_6E2zKJClGlASVNjI8Jy9LNkFg9eRQWROZtcYyBq-YCAx99E3HHW13htKRJXV1YrHmE/s1600/Blog+pic+storm.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ15A3g6-wll4iQoRdcZDHOn82Z7PI2cg0A_oLiDL_HbE7mwwSQ5hbt2sKptEiC_jpaAQFw1lp_6E2zKJClGlASVNjI8Jy9LNkFg9eRQWROZtcYyBq-YCAx99E3HHW13htKRJXV1YrHmE/s200/Blog+pic+storm.PNG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">I'm no stranger to storms. Growing up in tornado alley, some of my earliest school memories include tornado drills. When I was in first grade, I remember my teacher reviewing those drills as the sky turned a sickly green, wind slashing rain against our classroom windows and bowing the trees low. When I was a junior in high school, my hometown was hit by a deadly F4 tornado that tore a half mile wide swatch of destruction across the small town where I grew up, destroying downtown and killing six people. </span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #222222; direction: ltr; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; padding-bottom: 0px; position: static; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">After spending the first twenty-seven years of my life in Arkansas, my husband, two small boys, and I moved to the coast of Texas, where we were quickly introduced to a whole new kind of storm - hurricanes. Just five months after moving, a small system blew up into a hurricane shortly before landfall, and we rode out the Category 1 storm as the wind screamed and sheets of rain fell for hours. The next year we evacuated for two storms, and our home flooded in the second one: Hurricane Ike. Last year, much of our area flooded when Harvey dumped 60 inches of rain on the Texas coast. We walked with friends and church members who sustained massive damage, some losing everything they owned.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #222222; direction: ltr; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; padding-bottom: 0px; position: static; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
Physical storms can be terrifying. But life's storms can be just as scary, just as damaging, and even harder to protect ourselves from. These storms take many forms: job loss, marriage problems, close friendships that end, people we trust who hurt us, life changing medical diagnoses.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #222222; direction: ltr; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; padding-bottom: 0px; position: static; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
I want to handle life's storms the way I handle physical storms. I want to make myself small and cover my head like I did in those elementary school tornado drills. Or I want to pack up what matters most and get in my car and drive far away like we do in a hurricane evacuation. This isn't a new feeling. David wanted to do the same thing in Psalm 55:6-8: I said, "Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. Behold, I would wander far away, I would lodge in the wilderness. Selah. I would hasten to my place of refuge from the stormy wind and tempest." But hiding and running won't protect from life's storms. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #222222; direction: ltr; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; padding-bottom: 0px; position: static; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
When storms hit, I do tend to make myself small and run away emotionally. I withdraw. I listen to a lot of music, even creating playlists that fit what I'm dealing with at the time. I read a lot, sometimes fiction, because it's an escape from a dark reality; sometimes Shauna Niequist or Emily P. Freeman, because their words and their openness always seem to meet me exactly where I am. I get quiet, because I know if I put my feelings into words, I'll shatter and I won't be able to contain the emotions. I hate losing control in front of anyone, so I hide my deepest feelings until I'm alone and safe. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #222222; direction: ltr; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; padding-bottom: 0px; position: static; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
When you're in the middle of a storm, it's all you can see. It takes over your awareness, filling every sense. When the sky turns green and eerie silence screams in your ears, all you can do is take cover and pray. When wind screams and debris flies, all you can think about is staying safe from the carnage. When your life turns upside down, all you can focus on is the pain and the fear.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #222222; direction: ltr; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; padding-bottom: 0px; position: static; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
Then the storm passes, and you're left to clean up the destruction that's left behind. You find yourself looking for a new job, grieving a loss, finding a new normal while wishing life could go back to what it was like before the storm, but realizing it will never be the same. Life will be marked differently now: before the storm, and after the storm. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #222222; direction: ltr; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; padding-bottom: 0px; position: static; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #222222; direction: ltr; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; padding-bottom: 0px; position: static; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
Jesus knew what it meant to face storms. He knelt in the Garden of Gethsemane, knowing what He was about to face, begging the Father for another way. But there was no other way. The only way we could be saved was for Him to face the storm head on. He knew how the story ended, and He knew the storm was worth the price. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">We don't know how our story will end - but God does. He wrote the ending long before the storm started. He walked this earth and faced the same kind of storms we face. He knows our pain and fear, and He doesn't leave us to face the storm alone. He holds our hand and walks beside us. He comes to us when we need Him and never leaves our side. When we call out to Him, He gives us grace to face the storms and find new life on the other side. </span></span>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130395080716366052noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298855987135938607.post-5508398975076329612018-04-24T00:00:00.000-05:002018-04-24T05:24:26.287-05:00Beneath the Surface Blog Hop, Interview, and Giveaway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700;"><span style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none currentcolor; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I'm so excited to be part of the blog tour for <i>Beneath the Surface</i>! This is such a great kick-off to the Dive Team Investigations series. Find out a little more about the pick up, enter to win your own copy through the Rafflecopter link, then scroll down for an interview with Lynn H. Blackburn. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700;"><span style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none currentcolor; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Title:</span></span><span style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none currentcolor; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Beneath the Surface</span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none currentcolor; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Series: </b>Dive Team Investigations, Book 1</span></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #333333; font-weight: 700;">Author:</span> Lynn H. Blackburn<span style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none currentcolor; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: inherit; color: #333333; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none currentcolor; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="box-sizing: inherit;" /></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #333333; font-weight: 700; line-height: 15.75pt;">Publisher:</span><span style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: inherit; color: #333333; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 15.75pt; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none currentcolor; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Revell</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: inherit; color: #333333; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none currentcolor; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none currentcolor; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 700;">Release Date: </span>March 6, 2018</span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: inherit; color: #333333; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none currentcolor; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none currentcolor; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 700;">Genre: </span><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">Contemporary </span><span style="font-weight: inherit;">Romantic Suspense</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Links: </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="color: black;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"> After a harrowing experience with an obsessed patient, oncology nurse
practitioner Leigh Weston needed a change. She thought she'd left her
troubles behind when she moved home to Carrington, North Carolina, and
took a job in the emergency department of the local hospital. But when
someone tampers with her brakes, she fears the past has chased her into
the present. She reaches out to her high school friend turned homicide
investigator, Ryan Parker, for help.<br /><br />Ryan finds satisfaction in
his career, but his favorite way to use his skills is as a volunteer
underwater investigator with the Carrington County Sheriff's Office dive
team. When the body of a wealthy businessman is discovered in Lake
Porter, the investigation uncovers a possible serial killer--one with a
terrifying connection to Leigh Weston and deadly implications for them
all.<br /><br />Dive into the depths of fear with an exciting new voice in
romantic suspense. Award-winning author Lynn H. Blackburn grabs readers
by the throat and doesn't let go until the final heart-pounding page.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">PURCHASE HERE: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Beneath-Surface-Dive-Team-Investigations/dp/0800729382/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1523644939&sr=8-1&keywords=9780800729387&linkCode=sl1&tag=justcomm-20&linkId=3a0311a16092cef4eb6842ba822905dc">Amazon</a> - <a href="https://www.christianbook.com/beneath-the-surface-1/lynn-blackburn/9780800729387/pd/729383?event=AFF&p=1183766&">ChristianBook</a> - <a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/Beneath-the-Surface-Mike-Pilavachi/9780800729387/?a_aid=justcommonly">BookDepository</a> - <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/beneath-the-surface/id1275655214?mt=11">iTunes</a> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">ADD TO GOODREADS: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35086540-beneath-the-surface">Goodreads</a></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><b>ABOUT THE AUTHOR</b></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://cdn.bakerpublishinggroup.com/processed/authors/photos/thumb/Blackburn_Lynn.jpg?1509979640" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEiqKaaAMGd8t9jH21CW1H0bjeDYyZ2ny7IoIJM2Dlh1uuxBx8DfJvmdhdbNGCfRXi8yjszZ7-bB1tCXFw2HBBqnj7eWsKhyu-mV83OnK8It3WxVm4hVuY3gOLyQ51PSsT9CHXMqHTSLmkV-PsBGSO52gQiUylhH7vOGdRewoY3REjXtys3osdQerTBSHKZ5ZHOJhAe6xpMLB_K8lJT0SMvt=" /></a> Lynn
H. Blackburn is the author of Hidden Legacy (Love Inspired, June 2017)
and Covert Justice, winner of the 2016 Selah Award for Mystery and
Suspense and the 2016 Carol Award for Short Novel. Blackburn believes in
the power of stories, especially those that remind us that true love
exists, a gift from the Truest Love. She’s passionate about CrossFit,
coffee, and chocolate (don’t make her choose) and experimenting with
recipes that feed both body and soul. She lives in Simpsonville, South
Carolina, with her true love, Brian, and their three children.</span><br />
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<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
(3) Winners will win: </div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<ul>
<li>(1) Print copy of <i>Beneath the Surface </i>by Lynn H. Blackburn</li>
<li>Surprised Bookish Treat</li>
</ul>
</div>
<span style="color: black;">(US/Canada Mailing Addresses Only) Full terms & conditions noted on Rafflecopter form.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">Click here to enter: <a href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/7425d38e147/?">http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/7425d38e147/?</a></span><br />
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<a href="https://justreadtours.wordpress.com/">JustRead Publicity Tour Landing Page</a></div>
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<a href="https://justcommonly.blogspot.com/2018/04/beneath-surface-by-lynnblackburn-bloghop.html" target="_blank">Just Commonly</a></div>
</div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>April 23</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://eahendryx.blogspot.com/">Create Explore Read</a> - Author Interview</div>
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<a href="http://www.abakersperspective.com/">A Baker's Perspective</a> - A Day with Special Agent ___</div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>April 24 </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.savingsinseconds.com/">Savings in Seconds</a> - Quote Hightlight</div>
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<a href="http://graceinourmoments.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Grace in Our Moments</a> - Guest Post from Author </div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>April 25</b></div>
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<a href="http://christenkrumm.com/">Christen Krumm</a> - Guest Post from Author</div>
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<a href="http://amongthereads.net/">Among the Reads</a> - Beneath the Surface & the Power of Prayer</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>April 26</b></div>
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<a href="http://bloomingwithbooks.blogspot.com/">Blooming with Books</a> - Character Profile</div>
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<a href="https://fictionaficionadoblog.wordpress.com/" target="">Fiction Aficionado</a> - Did you know this about diving investigators?</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>April 27</b></div>
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<a href="http://www.remembrancy.com/">Remembrancy</a> - Photo Tour of Carrington</div>
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<a href="https://storiesbygina.wordpress.com/">Stories by Gina</a> - Quote Highlight</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>April 30</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://christianfictiongirl.blog/">The Christian Fiction Girl</a> - Quote Hightlight</div>
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<a href="http://www.daysongreflections.com/">Daysong Reflections </a>- Underwater Investigations & Evidence</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>May 1 </b></div>
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<a href="https://worthy2read.wordpress.com/">Worthy 2 Read</a> - Quote Hightlight</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://katscornerbooks.com/">Kat's Corner Books</a> - Beneath the Surface with International Adoption</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>May 2</b></div>
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<a href="https://allofakindmom.wordpress.com/">All of a Kind Mom</a> - A Character Like Me</div>
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<a href="https://robinsnest212.wordpress.com/">Robin's Nest</a> - Quote Hightlight</div>
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<a href="https://lmckeeediting.blogspot.com/">Edits & Reviews by Leslie</a> - Food Beneath the Surface </div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>May 3</b></div>
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<a href="https://rbclibrary.wordpress.com/">By the Book</a> - Quote Hightlight</div>
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<a href="http://cafinatedreads.com/">Cafinated Reads</a> - Quote Highlight</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>May 4</b></div>
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<a href="http://pagebypagebookbybook.blogspot.com/">Book by Book</a> - Playlist</div>
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<a href="https://www.pnwbookworm.com/">Pacific Northwest Bookworm</a> - Cookies Beneath the Surface</div>
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<i><span style="color: black;">I loved being part of the blog tour for Beneath the Surface! </span><span style="color: black;">Thanks to Lynn Blackburn for answering a few questions about her newest book...</span></i></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I’m thrilled to be
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<span style="color: black;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What was your
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<span style="color: black;">Lynn: I was born in western North Carolina and lived there in
elementary school and high school. But after I was married and living in South
Carolina, my parents lived in central North Carolina for almost two decades, so
it’s a place I have never lived but have visited often. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">There are some beautiful lakes in that area and wonderful
people. I thought it would be fun to create a fictional city that is much like
the city I live in (Greenville, SC) and add a lake and a tourism industry and
then see what happened. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">An added bonus to choosing central North Carolina is that
it’s not far from the location of the real dive team that inspired the series.
The Guilford County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team gave a demonstration as part of
the Writers Police Academy in 2014. By the time we walked out of the building I
knew I wanted to write this series. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What is it like
going from writing Love Inspired Suspense to writing a series? What do you like
about each? What is difficult about each?</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">Lynn: The transition from LIS to a series has been relatively
smooth. As a reader, I prefer series to stand-alones so I was thrilled to be
able to try my hand at writing one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">The biggest challenge in the beginning was—the beginning!
Because LIS books are so much shorter (55K words verses 90K words) you have to
begin with a bang and never stop! In the Dive Team Investigations series, I had
to keep reminding myself that I needed to take the time to ground my readers in
the story world and in the main characters inner worlds before I started
messing with them too much. I’m naturally long-winded so I adjusted quickly! </span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">I think LIS is fantastic and I’m thrilled to write for them.
I’m hoping to sell a third book to them soon. It’s a wonderful way for a writer
to break into the romance/romantic suspense world. You learn to write tight –
you have to tell a compelling story and create realistic and engaging
characters that readers will want to spend time with – and there’s no room for
any extra words. And that’s a skill every writer should have! You also learn
how to handle edits and how to write on a deadline. Also critical skills for
writers. An added bonus is that LIS readers are awesome. I’ve received some of
the kindest letters from readers of my LIS books! </span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">The hardest part about writing the trade-length series for
Revell is also the part I love the most—it’s longer! It takes longer to write
and longer to edit, but I also have more room to develop the main characters
and the secondary characters. There’s room for a more complex plotline and more
romance. </span></div>
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</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/u/2/null" name="_GoBack"></a>As a reader, I love a complicated plot
that keeps me guessing and a romance that leaves me swooning, and that’s what
I’m trying to create for my readers. </span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I know Lynette
Eason is your mentor. How has she helped you as an author? And who else has
influenced you as a writer?</b></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Lynn: Yes, Lynette Eason is my mentor and friend. In fact, as I
type these words she’s sitting beside me in a Starbucks that’s in between our
houses. We live about five miles apart and meet at local coffee shops quite
often. We brainstorm and write. I can only imagine what some of our fellow
patrons think about our conversations. “Well, if you kill him this way . . . ”
is guaranteed to raise a few eyebrows! </span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">We met in 2012 and she’s helped me with everything from
brainstorming ideas to untangling convoluted plot threads to talking me off
ledges when I’m convinced I’m a hack and no one will ever want to read my
books. She’s encouraged me to enter contests and introduced me to my agent and
editor. There’s really not much she hasn’t helped me with! I’m eternally
grateful for the way God put her in my life! </span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">As for my influences—I’m an avid reader and I read broadly
growing up. I read just about anything except erotica or horror. Classics,
thrillers, romances, literary works, historicals, YA, epic family sagas, I love
all of it. I don’t think it’s possible to overstate how much a steady diet of
beautifully crafted sentences and stories impacted my writing. </span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Within my own genre I’d have to say the biggest early
influence was Dee Henderson who, interestingly enough, mentored Lynette. The
O’Malley series remains one of my favorites of all time. </span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Thank you for having
me today!</b></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Grace and peace,</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">Lynn</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Disclosure: I received a free copy of <i>Beneath the Surface</i> as part of the blog tour. All opinions expressed are mine. </span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn_hLB0bh8mvWejx1KngEaincnx3ugrZNwaMbDo9qXuV2bSjTMDnx2WICrxiwq2R-PIEZgY8E39Ke-e9MIfZk30i3r7pMS3kFojJQL9io1Vmmk2ETEbZr4n2-MVTAccWsNr390zKigMGA/s1600/Grace+From+Beginning+to+End.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn_hLB0bh8mvWejx1KngEaincnx3ugrZNwaMbDo9qXuV2bSjTMDnx2WICrxiwq2R-PIEZgY8E39Ke-e9MIfZk30i3r7pMS3kFojJQL9io1Vmmk2ETEbZr4n2-MVTAccWsNr390zKigMGA/s320/Grace+From+Beginning+to+End.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<i><span style="color: black;">At the end of today's post, I have a little something extra - a free printable of one of the verses I shared. You can also find a link to it on <a href="http://graceinourmoments.blogspot.com/p/books-i-recommend.html">my new "Printables" page. </a></span></i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">Sometimes it's hard to see God at work in our lives. When we're
struggling, it's easy to forget that He's in the middle of the mess with
us. Sometimes it's only when we look back that we see His work and
realize He was right beside us the whole time. There have been many times in my life
like this, but honestly, His grace starts at the very beginning of my
story.<br /> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">Jeremiah 1:5 says, "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and
before you were born I consecrated you..." A few years ago, I shared the
story of my birth in my post "First Grace." You can <a href="https://graceinourmoments.blogspot.com/2014/05/first-grace.html">read the whole story here</a>. The short version is that I had a 50/50 chance of surviving
after a doctor's bad call led to a very difficult delivery. Even if I
lived, there was the very real possibility of brain damage. God's grace
was there from my first breath or I wouldn't be here.<br /> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">Grace was there as I grew up. There were times I could have taken the
wrong path, the one that led away from God - but He placed people in my
life to turn me back to the road to Him. There were times He protected
me from danger I didn't even know was there until it passed. There were
the times He healed me when I could have faced surgery or worse. His
grace covered me.<br /> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"> Even in the bad times, there was grace. When I had nothing, God
provided and gave me all I needed. When I was afraid and couldn't see the
next step, God walked with me. When I stumbled under the heavy load I
carried, He carried me.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"><br />
Isaiah 46:4 says "Even to your old age I will be the same, and even to
your graying years I will bear you! I have done it, and I will carry
you; and I will bear you and I will deliver you."<br />
"Your graying years" - my hairdresser will tell you I'm there. She points out every six weeks how quickly the gray in my hair is spreading. As much
as I've always loved this verse, I didn't expect to hit my graying years
so soon. I'm not even forty yet. Life is passing by faster than I ever
imagined.<br /> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">My life is changing quickly. My oldest son is finishing his junior year of
high school. My youngest is in eighth grade. The babies I carried in my
body now tower several inches taller than me. Within just a few years,
there will be two less people living in our house as our boys grow up
and move out. Our nest will be empty. My husband and I will begin a
whole new phase of life.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"><br />
It's scary, knowing everything is about to change. I want to hang onto
the here and now, or rewind time and relive past moments. But I can't. I
march on through my graying years. But I know that God meets me here.
He promised He would.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"><br />
Psalm 71:18 says "And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake
me, Until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to
those who are to come." God isn't done. Until I breathe my last, He has a
purpose for me. He has a role for me to fill, and He will give me grace
to do it.<br /> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">One day, when my life ends on this earth and my new life in eternity
begins, I believe I'll look back see His hand in every aspect of my
life, the good and the bad, grace from beginning to end.<br /> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">Do you need a reminder of His never ending grace as much as I do? I've
created a free printable for you! <a href="http://graceinourmoments.blogspot.com/p/books-i-recommend.html">Click here for the card size version of Isaiah 46:4</a>. Print it out and use it to memorize this scripture. Or use it as a reminder that God's grace is always with us. I hope you enjoy it!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130395080716366052noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298855987135938607.post-27897521292416927062018-03-06T00:00:00.000-06:002018-03-06T05:15:19.900-06:00Five Books I Can't Stop Recommending<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMPofFezfj8niIv8QUn6E6VPIcTaZnY4My21MuNRvygKB3QA_qrGm6JwKcQYovZf72HOwdyOnbuLmnxgjaaZ2pYa5faXdkhdlJu5bTBPNr5aCqozS0Ou2bZu1cGDxHIVKlKug0AeTB5WQ/s1600/Blog+pic+books.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMPofFezfj8niIv8QUn6E6VPIcTaZnY4My21MuNRvygKB3QA_qrGm6JwKcQYovZf72HOwdyOnbuLmnxgjaaZ2pYa5faXdkhdlJu5bTBPNr5aCqozS0Ou2bZu1cGDxHIVKlKug0AeTB5WQ/s320/Blog+pic+books.PNG" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
There are few things I love as much as getting lost in a great book.
When a story is so good it keeps me up late, desperate to find out what
happens next, I'm a happy woman. Every so often, I come across a book
that just grabs me and won't let go. These are the books I recommend to
everyone, the books I can't stop thinking about long after the last
page, the ones I could read over and over again.<br />
<br />
These five books are fantastic. Many are award winners and bestsellers,
so I'm not alone in my opinions of them. If you're looking for your next
great read, check out one of these titles.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<b>1. <i>The Feathered Bone</i> by Julie Cantrell</b></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbqFJiNOfw3XWUbSl0SykVOChKafvOLIHYOVsxTBc-rMliFHaKmewdkHp-4YFT6nSr72HgaIIh9vE0H5ieCx0yqyUuB_c48LGAueKuNkWvJqfkj3z8CKQeUPa1BBxaNOoiASu3Qf4w2RU/s1600/Blog+book+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="398" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbqFJiNOfw3XWUbSl0SykVOChKafvOLIHYOVsxTBc-rMliFHaKmewdkHp-4YFT6nSr72HgaIIh9vE0H5ieCx0yqyUuB_c48LGAueKuNkWvJqfkj3z8CKQeUPa1BBxaNOoiASu3Qf4w2RU/s320/Blog+book+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I read and loved Julie's first two books, <i>Into the Free</i> and <i>When
Mountains Move</i>. She did a great job in these two historicals dealing
with really tough topics, but nothing could prepare me for her
first contemporary novel, <i>The Feathered Bone</i>. It deals with incredibly hard
topics with gut wrenching reality and incredible hope. It's been over a
year since I read this book and I still think of it often.<br />
<br />
Be warned - this is not a light read. There were times I was so
overwhelmed I had to put the book down for a little while and process
what happened. But this is one of the most heartbreaking, beautiful,
hopeful books I've ever read. It's a must read. Just keep the tissues
handy.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<b>2. <i>Redeeming Love</i> by Francine Rivers</b></h3>
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<br />
I read <i>Redeeming Love</i> more than twenty years ago, when the Christian
fiction book market was still young. It pushed the limits back then. I
remember thinking how different this book was from everything else in
the Christian market at the time. Now it's considered a classic of
Christian fiction.<br />
<br />
This book deals with some of the same topics as <i>The Feathered Bone</i>. The
retelling of the story of Gomer and Hosea, set in the American West, is
also a heavy read, but the ending makes it all worthwhile.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<b>3. <i>Long Way Gone</i> by Charles Martin</b></h3>
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<br />
Charles Martin's name kept popping up for months - in Facebook groups,
on Instagram, on friends Goodreads lists. When I read <i>Long Way Gone</i>, I
realized why. Not only is the story incredible, but the writing style is
one of the most beautiful I've ever read. I wanted to get to know these
characters, to sit down and have coffee with them. Based on the parable
of the prodigal son, <i>Long Way Gone</i> made me cry more than once, but
there's still that strong theme of hope in the darkness that I love so
much.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<b>4. <i>The Martyr's Song</i> by Ted Dekker<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</b></h3>
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<br />
Mention Ted Dekker's name and you'll probably get a strong reaction.
People either love his books or hate them. I personally love them,
especially his mysteries. But <i>The Martyr's Song</i> is unlike any of his
other books. This short book is so powerful. Set in a small town in
WWII, it tells the story of two people facing death for their faith in
God. As they face the unimaginable, God reveals tiny hints of what they
will soon see as they make the ultimate sacrifice for their faith. Though the story is very dark, it's laced
with the incredible hope we have because this world isn't the end. Every
Christian should read this one.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<b>5. <i>Same Kind of Different as Me</i> by Ron Hall and Denver Moore</b></h3>
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<br />
The only nonfiction book on my list, <i>Same Kind of Different as Me</i> tells
such an amazing true story that it reads as well as any novel. The last
line is one of my favorite quotes ever. You'll look at life, friendship,
homelessness, and more so differently after reading this. Read it before you see the movie--it just came out on DVD a few weeks ago.<br />
<br />
I'm always looking for my next favorite book. What do you find yourself recommending to everyone? Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130395080716366052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298855987135938607.post-88605157616490050802018-02-25T16:13:00.004-06:002018-02-25T16:13:58.911-06:00Coming Soon<span style="color: black;">Changes are coming to <i>Grace In Our Moments</i>! In the next few weeks, you'll see a new look, a new format, new resources, and more. You'll also see changes coming to the Facebook page. I look forward to moving ahead.</span><br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130395080716366052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298855987135938607.post-4005455695519438682016-02-22T05:00:00.000-06:002016-02-22T05:00:13.583-06:00Something to Cling To<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Comfort. That's what my soul is crying out for.<br />
<br />
The cold, wet weather outside feels like it's crept into my heart. My soul needs warmth the way my body craves a soft blanket and a steaming bowl of soup. It's easy to comfort my physical body, but much harder to find peace for my restless, worrying soul.<br />
<br />
So much in this life is out of my control. Experience has proved it time and time again. Things happen to me, to people I love, and I feel helpless. No matter how hard I try, I can't stop sickness from infecting friends or keep a loved one's heart from breaking. I can't keep storms from hitting. I can't fix every mistake or force someone to make the right choices.<br />
<br />
Maybe it's because we're in the middle of Lent. Maybe my heart is more fragile than normal. But lately, life is tearing me down. When I pray, the words don't come, just desperate tears. My neat little prayer list sits useless as I get on my face before God, unable to put my needs into coherent words.<br />
<br />
I long for something physical to hold when life threatens to overwhelm me, like a little girl clinging to her teddy bear. I reach desperately for my Father, longing for Him to hold me with physical arms. Countless times I've prayed, "If I could just see You, face to face, even for a few seconds..."<br />
<br />
I know He's there, but I wish I could see Him with physical eyes. But I hear Him, whispering to me that it will all be okay, that He has this, that He will never let me go. So I cling to those promises and follow Him through the darkness of this life.<br />
<br />
Right now, I cling to my Bible, to the words from my Father, as I long for Him. It's the physical thing that pulls me closer to Him. But one day, I won't need those words anymore, because I'll cling to Him. I'll reach out and touch Him. One day, I can finally worship Him face to face. One day, He'll reach out His hands, wipe away a lifetime of tears, and put all the shattered pieces of my heart back together. I'll be whole and complete in Him. That hope is the comfort my weary soul needs. It's what I cling to.<br />
<br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130395080716366052noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298855987135938607.post-77132987290166040392016-02-08T06:30:00.000-06:002016-02-08T06:30:37.126-06:00Renew Isn't an Easy Word<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /></div>
<i><br /></i>
<i>Renew.</i> I was so excited when God laid this word on my heart for 2016. Last year's word, <i>refine</i>, was so hard. But renew? Sure, I could do that. Renew is a comfortable word, right?<br />
<br />
I was so wrong.<br />
<br />
Renewal is hard. It's leaving me on my face, begging for grace and mercy and strength. Being made new means dying first. It's painful and scary.<br />
<br />
Being renewed is going to take slow, focused time - time with God to renew me spiritually, time working out to renew my body, time resting to renew my exhausted body and mind. I think <i>slow </i>and <i>focus</i> would be perfect complimentary words for the year.<br />
<br />
God is calling me to slow down. Not to take things off my plate - this isn't about busyness. This is about intention, about taking time in the midst of chaos to focus on what really matters. It's about finding peace in the middle of the storm and hearing the voice of God in the midst of the noise.<br />
<br />
That means daily time with God, taking my spare time back to read or pray or study Scriptures (instead of playing Candy Crush Soda Saga or checking Facebook), and finding routines, patterns, and practices that bring my focus back to God.<br />
<br />
A few days ago, I read the perfect words in <i>Jesus Calling</i>: "Through the intimancy of our relationship, you are being transformed from the inside out." That's true renewal - changed from the inside out, giving God control of every aspect of who I am.<br />
<br />
As I look ahead this week to my Lent Bible study, I feel like the last few weeks have been preparing me for this time. Lent is about remembering the cross and the price Christ paid to set us free. It's a time of reflection. It's a time to remember that we have to die to truly live - we must die to ourselves to find life in Christ.<br />
<div>
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Renew isn't an easy word, but it's my prayer this year: Jesus, help me die to myself so I can made new in You.</div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130395080716366052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298855987135938607.post-17287338468186835722016-02-01T05:00:00.000-06:002016-02-08T06:59:58.146-06:00What I'm Into: January 2016<div style="margin: 0px;">
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";"><b><a href="http://www.leighkramer.com/blog/what-im-into/" rel="nofollow" title="What I'm Into"><img alt="What I'm Into" src="http://www.leighkramer.com/What%20I%27m%20Into%20button.jpg" style="border: none;" /></a></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">READING: </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I haven't had nearly as much time to read as I wanted, but here's what I've been working on:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>A Swiftly Tilting Planet</i> by Madeline L'Engle - I'm re-reading this series, one of my childhood favorites, and I think it may be even better as an adult than as a kid. Added bonus: I kept my copies from middle school, and I'm reading the same paperback I read when I was twelve. It's made me very nostalgic. </span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The Hour That Changes the World</i> - A how-to on prayer that breaks down different aspects of it. Easy to read and really practical.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>WATCHING:</b> </span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The Blacklist </i>- best thing on TV since <i>24</i>. James Spader's character is just incredible.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The Killing Fields</i> - This true crime show follows a detective who came out of retirement to solve the cold case that wouldn't let him go. Bonus: It's set in Louisiana, in an area we've traveled through many times.</span></li>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">WRITING: </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My fourth short story was accepted by a magazine and will be published in February. I worked on edits for it and worked on another short story in January. I'm not sure what I'll do with the second one quite yet, but it's one of my favorites so far. In about two weeks, you can find <i>Promise Me Forever</i> in the February romantic suspense issue of <i>Splickety Love</i>. I'm also working on my one page synopsis for my novel so I can enter the ACFW Genesis contest, and I'm getting agent proposals ready.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">LISTENING:</span></b></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bethel Music, especially You Make Me Brave - Hillsongs has always been my top choice for worship music, but Bethel Music is now running in a tie with them. I even bought a Bethel kids worship DVD for my children's church class.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ted Dekker's interview/writing course - Ted Dekker is, without a doubt, my favorite author. Hearing about his struggles and his writing process was so inspiring. When your favorite author admits there were times he wanted to quit, it makes your own occasional frustrations seem okay.</span></li>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">PO<span style="font-family: inherit;">DCASTS:</span></span></b></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Write From the Deep - This is full of practical advice and really great stories.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Simple Show - Still one of my favorites. This is my go-to podcast no matter what mood I'm in.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sacred Ordinary Days - A friend in a Facebook group introduced me to this one, and I'm so glad she did.</span></li>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">STUDYING:</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This month I've been focused on scripture memory. I'm memorizing Matthew 6 with Hide His Word. In just a few days, I'll start the She Reads Truth Lent study and Kris Camealy's Holey, Wholly, Holy.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">PLANNING:</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am absolutely in love with my bullet journal/traveler's notebook system! Mine isn't fancy. I made it from a piece of leather I bought at Michael's and filled it with Moleskine notebooks from Target because I didn't want to sink a lot of money into one until I tried it for a while. It didn't long to realize this is the perfect system for me. My traveler's notebook obsession is here to stay. I will probably end up buying a real Midori or fauxdori at some point.</span><br />
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<a href="http://i689.photobucket.com/albums/vv256/holland1023/49D47E8F-AE55-4E81-BBA8-B51490A4CDDE_zpsjzotxncx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i689.photobucket.com/albums/vv256/holland1023/49D47E8F-AE55-4E81-BBA8-B51490A4CDDE_zpsjzotxncx.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">HEALTH:</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My husband got me a FitBit Charge HR for Christmas. I love it! I had the original Jawbone, but it died just a few months after I got it. Jawbone replaced it with a newer model, but I hated it and just quit wearing it. The FitBit has so many great features! I love connecting with friends through the app, charting my progress, and doing challenges. I find myself checking my band often to see how I close I am to hitting my goal. I'm definitely moving more, even if my workout routine still needs to be revived. </span></div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130395080716366052noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298855987135938607.post-36957838693454968612016-01-31T19:11:00.000-06:002016-01-31T19:11:25.600-06:00Five Things I Learned in January 2016<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1. How to make the perfect fruit smoothies.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Smoothies make the perfect breakfast for the mornings I work. I can sip one in my car as I drive to my office, and I really fills me up until lunch. I recently switched from fruit to a fruit and veggie blend. It was getting healthier, but I still put lots juice in them, and I knew there had to be a better option. A friend mentioned using unsweetened almond milk in smoothies, so I tried it. Perfect! My smoothies are creamy and rich, and the almond milk adds a lot of protein.</span><br />
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<a href="http://i689.photobucket.com/albums/vv256/holland1023/077F56D8-15B9-4D52-88F0-37B45FC5E172_zps45w6q9d3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i689.photobucket.com/albums/vv256/holland1023/077F56D8-15B9-4D52-88F0-37B45FC5E172_zps45w6q9d3.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2. Drinking enough water every day is hard. </b></span><br />
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Someone made the adorable sparkly water cup (above) for me for Christmas. To get enough water every day, I need to fill it up and drink it four times. FOUR. It's hard to drink enough water, y'all. Most days I fill it up two or three times. I haven't hit four times yet, but I'm getting there. </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>3. How to use my FitBit Charge HR</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My husband got me a FitBit Charge HR for Christmas. I love it! My Jawbone died just a few months after I got it. Jawbone replaced it with answer model, but I hated it and just quit wearing it. I'm excited to have a fitness tracker again, and the FitBit has so many great features! One of my favorites is the silent alarm. It's nice to wake up to a gentle nudge from my band instead of a blaring alarm. I also love connecting with friends through the app, charting my progress, and doing challenges. I find myself checking my band often to see how I close I am to hitting my goal. I'm definitely moving more, even if my workout routine still needs to be revived.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>4. Matthew 6</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I haven't learned all of Matthew 6 - just the first four verses. But I'm working on memorizing it with Hide His Word. I love memorizing Scripture because it keeps me focused on the Word. When my mind is on it so much, reviewing it and writing it daily, it seeps into my soul.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>5. Renew isn't an easy word.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Last year, my One Word was refine (after a lot of wrestling with God and the complete upheaval that proved I was not in control of anything). When God gave me renew for this year's word, I was thrilled. Something comfortable and safe for the new year!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I was wrong. Renew isn't an easy word. Before we can be made new, the old has to die. It's not easy or comfortable. Honestly, so far, renewal hurts. Lent begins in just a few days, and I'm preparing to do the She Reads Truth study along with Kris Camealy's <i>Holey, Wholly, Holy</i>, which leaves me completely wrecked every time I read it. I have a feeling this year of renewal may not get easier...but like my year of refinement last year, the end result will be worth it. </span></div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130395080716366052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298855987135938607.post-56089238735060458702016-01-03T18:04:00.000-06:002016-01-04T05:56:13.646-06:00OneWord 2016: RenewELast year, I wrestled with God over my word for 2015. Late in 2014, I heard God whispering a word to me - <i>refine</i>. Not the word I wanted to hear. Refine is a scary word, one that brings thoughts of Job losing everything or David running for his life. There's no safety in that word. Instead of choosing it, I ran away, choosing <i>dwell</i> as my word for the year. Even as I did, God whispered to me, <i>"It will be a year of refinement, whether you name it that or not."</i><br>
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He was right.<br><br>
Last January started a long, hard year full of changes and challenges. It was definitely a year of refinement. As is often the case, I learned lessons through those hard times that I wouldn't have learned any other way. While I never want to repeat them, I can look back and see why I needed them.<br>
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Most of all God showed me last year that He is faithful. He's with us through the fires of refinement, and He really can create something beautiful from the ashes of loss and change. God changed my word last year, and through that, He changed my life.<br>
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As December drew to a close, I'd almost decided not to choose a word for 2016. Nothing felt right. Just when I was about to give up, God dropped a word into my heart: renew.<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdYl75UphZxRQFF3zLoEsYA3JntZShPaoS0zIx131qBTRy6AZBPWWDVDZq3SwNUuoTH5tiT1xn17LhvIr_zWJTD9YWunXbzOIrwEhwpWQUV6MYp6AMsWxSBT1MtA3-nbBHsYzSbQQHKyg/s1600/Renew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdYl75UphZxRQFF3zLoEsYA3JntZShPaoS0zIx131qBTRy6AZBPWWDVDZq3SwNUuoTH5tiT1xn17LhvIr_zWJTD9YWunXbzOIrwEhwpWQUV6MYp6AMsWxSBT1MtA3-nbBHsYzSbQQHKyg/s320/Renew.jpg" width="320"></a></div>
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It's exactly what I need. God took me through the fires of refinement. Now He's making me new. This year, my prayer is that God will renew my heart, my mind, my body, and my soul. This year will be a journey of becoming new.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130395080716366052noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298855987135938607.post-77799266267472512352015-09-21T05:00:00.000-05:002015-09-21T05:00:02.543-05:00Where I've Been - and Why I'm Ready to Come Back<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Watching your son's dream come true is amazing. My youngest is a huge fan of the <i>Dolphin Tale</i> movies. He almost has them memorized and can rattle off all kinds of details about Winter and Hope, the marine stars. When we went to Orlando for our family vacation/business trip last month, we were only an hour and a half away from the marina where the movie was filmed. So on our last day of vacation, we made the drive. It was amazing! We saw all the animal stars of the movie up close. We got to touch stingrays, and both of the boys fed them.</span><div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwADxopiEYV8m5nCQ2VSeF8smxkSbMH3SvOPQAOpXR-5IE1lq08qs15xrpujqDiPN8cR25ETHp2ZA7nhPjRDK7lD9__D7xVxy5zAGEZkc_G6bqZj1ZuzfqEh78QIR_8h-8tvppkn-OA1U/s1600/Clearwater.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwADxopiEYV8m5nCQ2VSeF8smxkSbMH3SvOPQAOpXR-5IE1lq08qs15xrpujqDiPN8cR25ETHp2ZA7nhPjRDK7lD9__D7xVxy5zAGEZkc_G6bqZj1ZuzfqEh78QIR_8h-8tvppkn-OA1U/s320/Clearwater.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUq0BfEKIBI8c63MQHLP3udkXSXVUfNE0YBeK3u82b528_TUeSN318p_umVRSsi-Kc3TtZHeT0maw3kelowcjjLjdgMhR4HvpfRNksXY0vOc5IyWL0GoPcWQN7_x1umNrAh4jCFMwNb3g/s1600/Clearwater2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUq0BfEKIBI8c63MQHLP3udkXSXVUfNE0YBeK3u82b528_TUeSN318p_umVRSsi-Kc3TtZHeT0maw3kelowcjjLjdgMhR4HvpfRNksXY0vOc5IyWL0GoPcWQN7_x1umNrAh4jCFMwNb3g/s320/Clearwater2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBlvncBCYa92Q7VFsmCgcrT6onJ9jeQBzhkPXMtsNjQBAvApLIzZqI-aSekxZDFd7YmAesXoXprxqRGteDgINQ3d0OTu7V6O3A3agmhX6ZLZJuOTB6qXck_nC-Nz9eZZUm2_-H_LbkkaY/s1600/Clearwater3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBlvncBCYa92Q7VFsmCgcrT6onJ9jeQBzhkPXMtsNjQBAvApLIzZqI-aSekxZDFd7YmAesXoXprxqRGteDgINQ3d0OTu7V6O3A3agmhX6ZLZJuOTB6qXck_nC-Nz9eZZUm2_-H_LbkkaY/s320/Clearwater3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">That day was special, but the whole trip was amazing. Five days at Disney parks, a trip to both Disney water parks, and multiple visits to Disney Quest, plus Clearwater Marine Aquarium. We snorkeled with sharks and stingrays, ate dinner at our favorite restaurants, rode all our favorite rides, and marked everything off our list. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">It was a great trip. After the rough year we've had, we desperately needed this break from the routine. We were all sad to leave, especially because we know this was probably our last Disney trip while both boys are still home.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Now we're firmly planted back in reality. My husband is dealing with church business, paperwork, and sermon prep. I'm back to work and adjusting (very happily) to a great new job just minutes from home. I'm planning children's church lessons, writing, and doing laundry. Our homeschool year started just after we returned, and adding to the stress is the fact that our oldest started high school. Record keeping is a lot more complicated now.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">After more than a year of writing and revising, m</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">y long dreamed-of novel is finished. It's about to go through the final editing test - six "beta readers" who will read it cover-to-cover with fresh eyes before I send it to agents in January. In the meantime, I'm working on book proposals for my finished novel, starting a brand-new one (book two in the series), and writing a short story to submit to a magazine later this year. I also have some other potential writing opportunities coming up that I can't wait to share.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">It's been a year of refinement. Life has taken us through a lot of ups and downs. But it's a year that has taught me a lot. The ups I've had, the moments of celebration, wouldn't have come without the downs. Some of my greatest blessings this year grew directly out of some of my greatest disappointments. That's just like God. He took what was meant for harm, and He turned it around, making it into a gift. I couldn't always see that at the time. I only saw the bad. But He knew what was waiting just down the road for me. </span></div>
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<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Now life marches on, much faster than I'd like. I'm already missing our days filled with roller coasters, snorkeling, and dinner at our favorite restaurants. God has given me lots of reasons to celebrate, though. He's refined me this year. He may not be done yet. If He's not, that's okay, because while the process is hard, the end result is worth it.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><i>While I share a lot about my Bible study methods and notes here, if you want to see more, <a href="https://instagram.com/graceourmoments/">you can find me on Instagram</a>. If you want to follow my fiction and where I'm at with my novel, you can follow <a href="http://facebook.com/amandahollandwriter">my author page on Facebook</a>.</i></span></div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130395080716366052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298855987135938607.post-27363150903273030042015-09-15T09:15:00.000-05:002018-03-12T09:16:49.369-05:00First Grace<div style="margin: 0px;">
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<span style="color: black;">50/50. Those were the survival odds the doctor gave me and my mom. After three days of labor, seventy-two hours of agonizing pain, three days of a doctor insisting my mom could have a "natural" birth despite so little progression, the odds weren't good. When a new doctor arrived and rushed us into emergency surgery, he wasn't sure either of us would make it. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">I came into the world a perfectly healthy bundle of eight pounds, covered already in God's grace from my first breath. From even before. I had no damage from our ordeal, not a single health problem.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">But I didn't have a name. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">I did, but it didn't work. In the days before ultrasounds, it was all guesswork, but I was supposed to be Jeremy Wayne. The revelation that their only child was wrapped in pink, not blue, left my parents scrambling for a new name. My mom chose Christy Lynn, but my dad had a last minute change of heart. He chose Amanda Michelle.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">I don't believe for a second that my name was an accident. My parents didn't know the meaning of it. They didn't have time to research it, like my husband and I did before our boys were born. They just liked it. It wasn't until middle school that I learned the meaning:</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">Amanda - worthy of love</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">Michelle - who is like God</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">Worthy of love. Growing up, I felt anything but worthy of love. I was the skinny, painfully shy, clumsy kid, the one who never quite fit in. Not talented. Not pretty. Not anything special. Just a misfit.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">But from the beginning, God saw something else. He saw a little girl with a broken heart and dreams bigger than herself. He knew me.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">I wonder sometimes - when did He first think of me? </span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">He knew me when He spoke the earth into existence, before Adam took his first breath. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">When Jesus went to the cross, when He walked up the hill to Golgotha to be tortured and killed, He knew me - and He knew I would need grace. He gave His life so He could inscribe me on His hands forever.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">Before my parents met, before they were born, before their parents were born, He knew me. He knew that from a tangled mess of sinners and praying parents and changed lives would come a little girl who was supposed to be Jeremy Wayne.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">He knew me, the little girl who would put her life into His hands. He knew I would mess up over and over, running back to Him for more grace. He knew I would battle fear, taking trembling steps forward, sometimes moving ahead and sometimes cowering in terror. He knew the feelings I would have - that I was worthless, unwanted, unloved. So He gave me a name that would remind me every day that I am loved - Amanda, worthy of love. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">Grace from the first breath. From even before. Grace I can't even begin to wrap my heart around.</span></div>
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It's all grace. Every moment, every breath, every heartbeat is grace. From the first to the last.</div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130395080716366052noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298855987135938607.post-66055165331710845152015-07-06T11:38:00.000-05:002015-07-06T11:38:17.873-05:00How I Study My Bible<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you follow me on <a href="https://instagram.com/graceourmoments/">Instagram</a>, you’ve seen my new
Bible study chart. I’ve gotten a lot of questions about the method I’m using,
so I wanted to share my methods and the resources I’m using. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’ve been studying the Bible for over twenty years,
since I really got serious about my faith as a fifteen year old high school
sophomore. My methods have changed a lot over the years as my life has changed.
The one discovery that changed everything, though, is when I was introduced to
inductive Bible study. I’m a very visual and tactile learner – I have to see
something and work through it to understand it. My learning style makes
inductive study a perfect match for me. My chart has developed out of that, but
I’ll get to that a little later. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’m starting to add art journaling, too, but I’m
very new to it. That’s definitely a work in progress. I think it will add a lot
to my current study. I want to get more comfortable with it before I share it
on my blog, though.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The best starting point for inductive study is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Discover-Bible-Yourself-introductions-Applications/dp/0736910689">KayArthur’s book, Discover the Bible for Yourself</a>. This is how I got my start. She
walks through a detailed approach to inductive study and provides step-by-step
instructions, charts, and more for each book of the Bible. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Along with the book,
I highly recommend the symbols key available as <a href="http://preceptcamden.com/key-word-symbols-2/">a free download at PreceptsCamden</a>. I printed this list and keep it in my Bible study notebook. I use it
every day. I’ve added a few symbols to the list, but this has just about
everything you’ll need. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now for my chart. There’s no printable for this,
it’s just something I draw out on notebook paper to help organize my thoughts
from my study. The idea came from Pinterest. I loved the basic concept of the
chart I found, but I knew it wouldn’t work for every chapter, so I took the
idea and tweaked it a little.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://i689.photobucket.com/albums/vv256/holland1023/B9E632B3-A5E6-4CB6-BCC4-D466056F9030_zpsxlhpncgm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i689.photobucket.com/albums/vv256/holland1023/B9E632B3-A5E6-4CB6-BCC4-D466056F9030_zpsxlhpncgm.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I use the same basic layout for my chart:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Basics (who, what, when, where, why, how
– recommended in Discover the Bible for Yourself)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Key Words/Phrases (I list them and draw
the symbol I used)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Key Verse (This is something I may verse
map or art journal later)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Word Studies (Words I want to dig deeper
into at a later time)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Chapter Theme (another Kay Arthur recommendation)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Extras (timelines, notes on specific
topics, etc.)</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">As you can probably tell from my Bible pages and my
chart, inductive study is a slow study of the Bible. I usually spend 2-3 days
per chapter. My usual breakdown is:</span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Day 1: read chapter – mark Bible with
symbols</span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="line-height: 115%;">Day 2: fill in chart<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="line-height: 115%;">Day 3: word study/journaling<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I love this slow approach to God’s Word. It gives me
time to really soak in every detail of a chapter. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you’d like to see more of my Bible study, <a href="https://instagram.com/graceourmoments/">followme on Instagram</a>, where I post pictures from my study most days. You can also
follow <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/graceourmoments/">my Pinterest boards</a>, including Bible study, Bible art journaling,
journaling, and more. And if you’re on Periscope, I’ve started doing a few
videos. Periscope is new and hosted by Twitter, so you can find me by my Twitter handle (@graceourmoments).</span></span></div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130395080716366052noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298855987135938607.post-2856488593274970882015-06-27T10:29:00.002-05:002015-06-27T10:29:53.435-05:00Fun Weekend LinksI'm so glad the weekend is here! Lately I feel like I've been spinning in circles. My work schedule is busier than ever, my summer is full of children's ministry events, I've got several writing projects going, plus life and family stuff. I have a couple of quick, fun things you might enjoy this weekend.<br />
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First, my friend and writing partner Voni Harris has done a great series on her blog this month. She challenged four mystery-suspense authors to write a short story based on the same prompt. She's wrapping up the series this weekend with my story, <i>Run</i>. She's also offering a fun giveaway. You can check it out at her blog, <a href="https://vonildawrites.wordpress.com/2015/06/26/flash-fiction-feature-amanda-holland/">Vonilda Writes</a>.<br />
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Second, I did my first ever Periscope chat on Bible study! It was really fun. If you're wondering what Periscope is, it's a new social media outlet started by Twitter. I describe it as SnapChat meets YouTube. Periscope users broadcast live videos, which are then available for 24 hours. Mine should be available until around 10:00 a.m. Sunday (CST). Here's the link if you'd like to check mine out: <a href="https://www.periscope.tv/w/aF6z6jU2MzU1NDV8Mjk2MzUxNzgZiugqjxlwMkZZ1cXDJ2wq0G6VCbWwhpf0ZFFYEPZNmw==">How I Study My Bible</a>.<br />
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I'm planning a post next week that talks more about my current Bible study method, why I chose it, and how it works. Until then, I hope you have a great weekend!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130395080716366052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298855987135938607.post-75385266950878512872015-06-25T05:00:00.000-05:002015-06-25T05:00:05.558-05:00Unraveled<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Last month, San Antonio left me unraveled. Not the city itself, not the trip, but a combination of things. I sat in our hotel's library one night, thankful for something familiar, missing my family. The day was full of convention exhibits and continuing education classes required for my dental hygiene license. At night, though, my heart ached because someone I respected fell hard, shattering the image of the person I thought I knew. Just one more rock tossed at my soul in this year of refinement and hard grace.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This whole year has left me reeling. The girl who hates change has faced constant shifts: job changes, writing groups dissolving, my youngest struggling with health issues, plans changing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The urge to curl into a fetal position and hide has been strong. Despite our 90 degree Texas summer, I crave leggings and fuzzy socks and my favorite hoodie sweatshirt that's two sizes too big. What I'm really craving is comfort. Safety. Security. An end to the unraveling before everything I know and love changes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But sometimes everything unravels in the best possible way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">God has a way of preparing things before us, laying a foundation for what we need long before we even know we'll need it. Looking back, I can see Him working when I read <i>Cold Tangerines</i> by Shauna Niequist as I started the new year. It deals in large part with Shauna's job loss and how she wrestled with it - and I read it days before my boss announced his retirement, which meant my own job loss. God spoke to me on those hard days, telling me exactly how He was going to work things out. I wish I could tell you I boldly trusted Him, but I didn't. I was a weepy, emotional mess. True to God's promises, I found another job that started as soon as my old job ended. But if it was a test of my faith, I failed miserably.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The changes didn't stop there. It's been a year of refinement, a year of learning to cling to God. James 1:2-3 have taken on a personal meaning to me: "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance." Testing is hard. Refinement is not a process I get excited about. "Joy" is not the word that comes to mind when I'm going through trials. It's painful. But verse 12 tells us that God makes the pain worthwhile: "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which The Lord has promised to those who love Him."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">That's our true joy in the middle of the pain: knowing that God is in control. We don't have to panic, because it's not our job to work it out. God will take care of it. He has a way of taking our disasters and turning them into fresh starts. When life unravels, He weaves a new, more beautiful pattern.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This year has been hard, but it has also defined me. The changes have forced me to focus on what matters most and refined what I believe, what I cling to. My time with God has become slower, forcing me deeper into every word and nuance of His Word. The year has left me on my knees begging for more grace. It's drawing me closer to God. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Life has left me unraveled...but God is weaving the pieces into something new. </span></div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130395080716366052noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298855987135938607.post-9955811798591688952015-04-30T05:00:00.000-05:002015-04-30T05:00:07.430-05:00Hard Lessons in Grace and Trust<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Segoe UI, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">I'm excited to link up (for the first time ever) with Emily P. Freeman's "What We Learned." April has been a month full of hard lessons in grace and trust. It's driving me to my knees...and I have a feeling that's exactly why it's happened this way.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>1. Failure is part of our story.</b></span><br />
<b><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /></b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The words hit me so hard I stopped the podcast to think about what I'd just heard. "It's not enough to write a good story. We have to live one." </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Reading is my passion. I love getting lost in a good novel, being so caught up in the story that I feel like I'm there. Any good story has conflict. Who wants to read a story where the main character just floats along with no opposition? When I write, my motto is "How can I make this worse?" It sounds horrible, but the higher the stakes, the better the story. So I make things as difficult as possible for my main character.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Why should my life be any different? If I just float along with no struggles, I won't experience victory. I texted a writing friend recently about my novel. I'm halfway through edits right now, and it's making me crazy. I told my friend how discouraged I was. "I'm feeling so fragile right now...but maybe that's what I need. So when the victory comes, I'll stand there with trembling hands, knowing it's all Him and nothing of myself." Life imitates art. I talked to her about writing, but it's true for my personal life as well. God is using my circumstances to make my story better.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>2. God is enough - and because of Him, I am enough.</b></span><br />
<b><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /></b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">After 35 years, you'd think I would know this by now. I do know, but I need a lot of reminders. <a href="http://www.shaunaniequist.com/you-are-enough/">This post from Shauna Niequist</a> was perfect.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>3. <a href="http://graceinourmoments.blogspot.com/2015/04/when-your-soul-is-full-of-empty-calories.html">My soul doesn't need empty calories any more than my body does</a>.</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>4. Bullet journals are the best thing ever created.</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Technology is great, but when it comes to planning, I'm still a pen-and-paper kind of girl. I'm also weird about my calendar and how I want it laid out. So bullet journaling is a perfect match for me. It's basically a build-your-own-planner project, and it's working beautifully for me.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>5. There's a good reason why Rhonna Designs is my favorite photo editing app.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Segoe UI, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;">This is the app I use for all my blog photos. It's so easy to use and has so many options. When the latest update released, they added even more. AND they've been offering free backgrounds to their Instagram followers. I love this app!</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>6. Our world is only as big or small as we make it.</b></span><br />
<b><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /></b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">This, from the latest She Reads Truth Bible study, has been rolling around in my mind for days. Since January, I've been wrapped up in my own problems. My thoughts and prayers have centered on me, even though my problems are small compared to what's happening in our world. I need to broaden my horizons and realize just how big the world is, and just how small I really am.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>7. This quote is true, and it's where I'm at right now.</b></span><br />
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130395080716366052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298855987135938607.post-80574147218291394772015-04-19T15:33:00.001-05:002015-04-21T05:43:35.638-05:00When Your Soul is Full of Empty Calories<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Breakfast last Thursday morning was a Coke and a devil's cream cake. Empty calories. Junk. Not what my body needed as fuel before I spent the morning seeing patients. It was a guarantee that I'd crash before lunch and need a snack to pull me out of my slump. My body doesn't function well on empty calories. If I start the day with my normal fruit and yogurt smoothie, I can go strong for hours. But if I'm not prepared, or if I simply decide to be lazy and not take the time to make something healthy, I grab junk food, and I pay the price.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">It's easy to feed my soul junk, too. When I'm feeling worn down, it's so much easier to open Candy Crush Saga than my She Reads Truth app, or to pull up <i>Criminal Minds</i> on the DVR instead of opening a book. I can make every excuse for why I should veg out on the couch instead of going for a run or working on my to-do list. Not that it's always bad to relax. Sometimes our body and brain need to tune everything out. More often, though, we need to push through the exhaustion and the cravings for junk and really feed our souls.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">This has been a tough year. I've gone through two job changes. My family and I stayed sick for weeks at the beginning of the year, passing illnesses back and forth. Right now I'm deep into edits on my first novel. It's painful. One of the hardest things I've ever done. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: white;">Emotions are high right now. Fear peeks around every corner as I make plans to submit my manuscript to agents in a few months. It's been a year of refinement, in more ways than one, and it's scary.</span><div><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I've learned something through all these changes. I am weak. That's the biggest thing God is teaching me. On my own, I fall so easily into sin. I slip into fear, negative attitudes, and bad habits. It takes so little for me to fall. One day of not reading my Bible, skipping a morning of reminding myself of His promises, and I'm falling, my faith growing weaker.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Clinging to God isn't an option. Dwelling with Him every day isn't just something I <i>should</i> do - it's something I <i>have</i> to do. If I don't stay on my face before God seeking Him, I'll fall on my face. The older I get, the more I learn about Him, the more I realize how desperately I need His grace and mercy. I am completely incapable of making it on my own.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Psalm 31:16 (NASB) should be our daily prayer: "Make Your face to shine upon Your servant; Save me in Your lovingkindness." Save me, Lord, because on my own I'm own, I'm a sinful, fear-filled mess. I can't do this life without you holding my hand. My soul can't live on empty calories. Help me fill up on You every day.</span></div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130395080716366052noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298855987135938607.post-78837295654158847962015-04-08T20:31:00.000-05:002015-04-08T20:31:29.556-05:00How I Use My Commute Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i689.photobucket.com/albums/vv256/holland1023/8BB50823-C713-46A9-B804-7A25D7423A94_zpssv14ndqg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i689.photobucket.com/albums/vv256/holland1023/8BB50823-C713-46A9-B804-7A25D7423A94_zpssv14ndqg.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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Commuting can get really, really boring. In good traffic, I drive 30-35 minutes. In rush hour traffic, which is pretty much every night, it's 45 minutes. Add in wrecks or road construction, and I'm in my car for over an hour, one way. I spend anywhere from 1-2 hours in my car every day, five days a week.</div>
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As much as I love music, it didn't take long to get bored with my favorite radio station. When I started dreading my time in the car, I had to find something to fill those hours. Here are my favorites: </div>
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<b>1. Podcasts</b></div>
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My first foray into podcasts was a disaster. I downloaded the app to my phone and found it eating up massive amounts of data. After just a few weeks, I deleted it. Months later, I got an iPad mini and realized I could use the podcast app on it. I quickly subscribed to several podcasts. Now on my drive to work, I can just plug in my iPad and listen.</div>
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There are so many great podcasts! The first one I listened to was <a href="http://howtheyblog.com/">How They Blog by Kat Lee</a> (of Inspired to Action). Kat's interviews with bloggers have given me so many ideas for my own blog. I've learned an incredible amount from her. From her podcasts, I found The Portfolio Life by Jeff Goins. </div>
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I sometimes listen to health and fitness podcasts, although I haven't found one yet that I really love. I'm open to suggestions. I just subscribed to The Art of Simple but haven't had a chance to listen to it. If it's as good as the blog, I know I'll love it.</div>
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When my favorite radio personalities left Air1 several months ago, they started their own podcast. If you want something fun that will keep you laughing, check out Brant and Sherry's podcast.</div>
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<b>2. Audiobooks</b></div>
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This is my newest obsession. <a href="http://modernmrsdarcy.com/2015/01/beginners-guide-audiobooks/">Modern Mrs. Darcy introduced me to audiobooks</a>. Listening to my first one was such a great experience! </div>
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<b>3. Memorizing Bible verses</b></div>
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Katie Orr changed the way I memorize Scripture. In the past, when I learned verses (which was rare), I chose one or two verses. Katie introduced me to the concept of memorizing entire passages. Over the past couple of years, I've memorized Isaiah 55, John 15, and Psalm 27. When I'm memorizing, or even just reviewing, I love listening to the passage. Using the Scripture Typer app, I can record myself reading verses.</div>
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<b>4. Brainstorming</b></div>
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Sometimes my mind is just too busy to focus on listening to anything. There are days when ideas are rolling through my mind and I'm tiring to sort them out. That's when my iPhone's voice recorder comes in handy. I can not ideas for my writing, things I want to research, or a list of things I need to do.</div>
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Note: These ideas work for driving. If you commute by subway or bus, you have even more options. You could use this time to plan, read, knit, write, or just about anything else. </div>
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Do you commute for work? What do you do during your drive?</div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130395080716366052noreply@blogger.com0