Monthly Archives: March 2011

Coping when husband is away

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The first time my husband was ever away overnight, I was a basket case. I thought I heard something in the leaves outside and frantically called my landlord, who patiently came over and checked the outside of the house for me. If I had to leave home while my husband was away, when I came back I wouldn’t feel comfortable until I checked every room and even every closet to make sure no one was lurking there.

Over the last thirty years, I have had to get used to him being away from home much more than either of us likes. Thankfully that’s not been as much of a problem since our last move.

Other ladies have sometimes commented to me that they could never handle having a husband travel as much as mine did. Believe me, I didn’t like it! And at the beginning of my married life, I would have despaired if I had known just how much my husband would be away. It is only the grace of God that has enabled me. I would like to share some things He has taught me along the way.

Acceptance

I used to pray that my husband would not have to travel as much. More correctly, I used to whimper and wail and and whine and tell the Lord it wasn’t meant to be this way, that husbands and wives were meant to be together. It seemed like the more I prayed, the more my husband ended up having to travel!

Of course, it isn’t wrong to pray that the Lord would change a difficult situation; but until He sees fit to do so, there has to be acceptance of the situation as allowed by Him. If He allows it, He will give grace for it. We may not like the situation, but focusing on that dislike can cause us to be stuck in discontent, resentment, even despondency.

Loneliness

Women marry for love, of course, but I believe the next biggest reason is companionship. Girls dream of finally being able to “be with” the man of their dreams “happily ever after.” It is a difficult adjustment to realize that the job, the children, and multitudes of tasks and commitments leave very little time to just “be with” each other. This is further compounded when a husband’s job requires him to travel.

While husbands and wives do need to be sure they make time for each other, most wives also have to realize at some point that their primary emotional and companionship needs are not to be fulfilled by their husbands. God has to have first place in those areas. No human being will ever be able to meet all of those needs all of the time. God does graciously give us husbands and friends, but our main fellowship and contentment must be from Him.

Once settled on that point, it is necessary for couples to keep in touch. I am thankful that my husband has been able to call me almost every night he has been away: in fact, sometimes we actually talk more when he is away than when he is home! For situations that don’t allow that, though, perhaps e-mailing or frequent notes would help.

A husband’s absence is a good time to focus on others, perhaps visiting an elderly neighbor or calling a girlfriend. Keeping busy, taking up a special project, or having specific goals of things you want to accomplish while he’s away can help pass the time.

Fear

One of the biggest things I have wrestled with when my husband was away was fear, though I don’t check closets when I come home any more (after 30 years of marriage and three children, there is no room in any closet for anyone to lurk anyway!) And once after checking locks and closets before going to bed one night, I woke up the next morning to find I had left my keys in the doorknob! All my efforts amounted to nothing, but God protected me anyway.

Originally the fears had to do with someone breaking in, but then I developed a couple of health problems which have required five emergency room visits between them; so new fears developed about the possibility of something happening to me when my husband was away. The Lord has dealt with me and helped me from His Word many, many times in regard to fear. Though He uses husbands to protect us, ultimately our protection is from Him. One moment that crystallized that truth for me occurred when I was lying in bed and realized that even if my husband was right next to me, I could fall ill or even die, and he would not be able to do anything about it. Now, that may not sound like much comfort! But it helped me realize as never before that my health and safety are of the Lord, not my husband.

Incidentally, God did allow one of those emergency room visits when my husband was away. When I needed to go, I was able to call a friend who was nearby, who also graciously stayed with me til the early hours of the morning when I was released. My oldest son was old enough at the time to watch the other two; my youngest was already asleep, so he was spared being frightened by the situation. My friend’s husband offered to come and stay with the children. Another friend called while I was at the hospital, and, upon learning of the situation, offered to come over or to come and take the kids to school the next day. God took care of every detail.

Children

I think perhaps a mother with young children at home has the hardest time with a husband’s absence. She looks to him not only for a little relief in giving the children care and attention, but also for adult conversation. When he is away, perhaps trading off babysitting time with another friend would help, or little excursions like going to the park or even for a walk with another friend.

A mother also needs to keep things consistent even when Dad is away. Standards and punishments should be the same: nothing should “slide” when Dad isn’t there. “Wait until your father gets home” doesn’t work when Dad won’t be home for three days and Junior is young enough to need immediate dealing with to reinforce the principles you want him to learn. I am about the most indecisive person I know, and so many situations come when my husband isn’t there that I have really wrestled with knowing what to do. When I can, I wait until I can talk with my husband; but God does promise wisdom when we ask Him for it, and He has given it many times.

It can be easy for Mom to spend even less time with the children when Dad is away, either because there is just more to do with one less person in the house to do it, or because she is keeping extra-busy to keep her mind off his absence. Depending on the children’s ages, perhaps Mom can do some fun things with them to help them with their loneliness while Dad is away: play games, read together more, rent a special video. In our case, there is a nearby pizza restaurant that my husband doesn’t care for but my children love, so sometimes we’ll stop there for a meal when Dad’s gone. This relieves another problem: it used to be that, when my husband was gone for several days, I would be ready to get out of the house and go out somewhere when he came back. He, on the other hand, having been away and eating out for days, was ready to stay home and have a home-cooked meal. So now I try to take the children out if Dad is away for an extended time so we get that out of our system before he comes home. There are also some very simple meals that my children love that my husband isn’t crazy about that we have when he is gone.

Danger zones

Every individual has his or her quirks that make for adjustments in marriage. When one spouse is away, sometimes those adjustments have to be made to some degree all over again when he returns.

We have to be careful not to let resentment build up against our loved one. We need to guard against stray thoughts that can lead to a root of bitterness: “He could have gotten out of that trip if he tried.” We may feel that is actually true. Or, “Why doesn’t he find a different job where he doesn’t have to travel so much?” We have to help our children with disappointments when Dad can’t be there for the big game or the recital. Life doesn’t always work out like the family movies where Dad leaves his company in the lurch to get home at a crucial time. We may wish it did. We, or the children, may not understand why Dad could not be there for the special occasion. It is hard, but we have to accept it and not resent it or him. Beyond just trying to “grin and bear it,” perhaps we can think of fun ways to include Dad in special occasions he has to miss: a video recording of the event (possibly even styled as a news report), or an e-mail write-up including a picture.

Though naturally we will be lonely and maybe even tearful when a spouse is away, we have to be careful not to just give ourselves over to grief and pine away the whole time he is gone. On the opposite end of the spectrum, when we realize we’re not to be so emotionally dependent on our husbands, we can tend to pull back a little too far and become almost aloof in an effort to insulate ourselves from loneliness, or we can get so busy that we’re hardly aware he is gone — and then hardly have time for him when he is home. Our Lord can help us find the right balance.

A friend once told me it was easy for her to get a little too independent when her husband was away for a long time. Though we have to make decisions and direct the family when he is away, we need to remember we are still in submission to him and try to make decisions in light of what we think he would want us to do — and not resent a possible reversal of that decision when he comes home. Once when my husband arrived back at home, one of my sons was due to attend an event soon. My son was displaying a bad attitude, and my husband told him he would not be able to attend that event if he didn’t change his attitude. Immediately I began to think, “That’s not fair! You haven’t been here; you don’t know the circumstances; you don’t know how he has been looking forward to that event!” But I had to rebuke myself, because my son was sinning with his attitude, and even though I would have handled the situation differently, my husband was still in charge. Happily, my son changed his attitude and was able to attend his event, and happily, the Lord set a watch before my lips and prevented me from creating an even bigger problem!

Pray for him

Once when my husband was out of town with a colleague, they stopped to eat dinner. Some time during their conversation, the other man noticed two girls and said, “There are two chicks just ripe for the picking.” My husband explained that he wasn’t interested in pursuing women. That incident jolted me to the realization that I needed to pray for his protection from temptation.

Pray also for his witness. People in secular jobs have an opening with folks who would be unlikely to darken the door of a church, and long hours of travel with a colleague can naturally open the door to talk about the Lord.

Of course, it is natural to pray for his safety, but we can also pray for his health (our family has learned from experience that falling sick while traveling is a trial!), for his business, meetings, etc. to go well.

Conclusion

Some years ago my pastor preached through a section of the Psalms that men sang on their way to Jerusalem. There were a few times a year men were called to go to Jerusalem, leaving their families behind, and those particular psalms were sung by the men on the way. My pastor pointed out the faith it took to go away, trusting God to take care of the loved ones back home. My thoughts, as the “loved one at home,” considered the situation from that angle, trusting the Lord to take care of us at home as well as the loved one on the road. That sermon also helped me realize that, in the providence pf God, He sometimes does call a husband to be away: it isn’t just circumstances or the job. That helped me immensely to trust that He had all things under His control, and to trust that Him for the sufficient grace He promises in His Word for all things: “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work,” (II Cor. 9:8) and “He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” (II Cor. 12:9.10)

This post will be linked to “Works For Me Wednesday,” where you can find a plethora of helpful hints each week at We Are THAT family on Wednesdays, as well as  Women Living Well.

Book Reviews: A Walk in the Park and A Long Walk Home

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I won two books in the Sand Dollar series, A Walk In the Park and A Long Walk Home by Barbara Andrews, in a contest held by Mocha With Linda, who knows the author. Either could probably be read as a stand-alone book, but their enjoyment would be enhanced by reading them both.

In A Walk In the Park, Barbara Andrews tells a very sweet and tender story of Mac Richmond, who became a troubled young child acting out his grief over the death of his parents until he found an outlet for his emotion in sculpting. He grew up to become a brilliant, well-known sculptor of female figures, and though he talked easily to “his girls,” as he called them, he was too shy to talk to women in real life…until he met Maddie.

A Long Walk Home tells the back story of Berdine, Mac’s housekeeper from the previous book, and then ties the two stories together at the end. Though small of stature, Berdie  had “the heart of a lion,” fiercely protective of others whom she loved and ready to defend them. Her childhood friendship with Michael became complicated as they grew older, and Berdine’s parents did not want her to see him. Berdine came upon a fight between Michael and the school bully, and jumped in to defend him, not realizing she was embarrassing him. When he left town the next day without a word to her, she grieved, fearing she had ruined her friendship with him. She withdrew from her family due to their lack of understanding and threw herself into her studies. Just after her senior year, she accidentally runs into Michael at Parris Island, where he is in basic training as a Marine recruit, and is stunned by his coldness to her…until they get a chance to talk and learn of the changes the years have made for each of them. Is there any hope of renewing their friendship, or of something more? And what about Michael’s new-found faith and Berdie’s disinterest in it?

Barbara knows how to weave a tale and pull the heartstrings. Both books were very realistic, the characters were well-developed, and the plots pulled me in emotionally. You might need to keep a box of tissues nearby.

My only quibble was the amount of physicality between Michael and Berdie in the second book. I know I am more conservative than many in this area, so I know not to expect most books to follow my convictions of how much physical contact an unmarried couple should engage in, yet I know some of you feel the same way, so I feel I should mention it. There were no sexual scenes at all, but Michael is trying to keep the physical aspect of their relationship under control, yet in one scene he spins Berdine around and stops to “slowly let her body slide down his until her feet met the sand” (p. 215), I want to tap him on the shoulder and say, “Um, fella, that’s not the way to avoid temptation!” That’s probably the worst incidence, and if it were not for that I would give the book 5 stars.

(This review will also be linked to Semicolon‘s Saturday Review of Books.)

The Week In Words

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Welcome to The Week In Words, where we share quotes from the last week’s reading. If something you read this past week  inspired you, caused you to laugh, cry, think, dream, or just resonated with you in some way, please share it with us, attributing it to its source, which can be a book, newspaper, blog, Facebook — anything that you read. More information is here.

Here are a few that ministered to me this week:

From a friend’s Facebook:

“Order and beauty are contagious. So are disorder and ugliness. I want my house to reflect the peace and order of heaven.” ~ T. Sparrow

I quoted this post of Challies’ on Saturday, but I wanted to share this quote from it here as well:

Humility is not found in doubting what is true, but in believing that what God says is true is true indeed.

I saw this at Diane’s Facebook:

We profess to be strangers and pilgrims, seeking after a country of our own, yet we settle down in the most un-stranger-like fashion, exactly as if we were quite at home and meant to stay as long as we could.”— Amy Carmichael

That’s convicting to me because I have a pretty strong “nesting” instinct, which I don’t think is wrong in itself, but I have to remember this world, this home, is not permanent.

From an e-mail devotional of Elisabeth Elliot, taken from her book On Asking God Why:

I seek the lessons God wants to teach me, and that means that I ask why. There are those who insist that it is a very bad thing to question God. To them, “why?” is a rude question. That depends, I believe, on whether it is an honest search, in faith, for his meaning, or whether it is a challenge of unbelief and rebellion. The psalmist often questioned God and so did Job. God did not answer the questions, but he answered the man–with the mystery of himself.

From another friend’s Facebook:

“Great thoughts of your sin alone will drive you despair; but great thoughts of Christ will pilot you into the haven of peace.” -C. H. Spurgeon (March 27, Evening)

If you’ve read anything that particularly spoke to you that you’d like to share, please either list it in the comments below or write a post on your blog and then put the link to that post (not your general blog link) in Mr. Linky below. I do ask that only family-friendly quotes be included. I hope you’ll visit some of the other participants as well and glean some great thoughts to ponder.

And please do comment even if you don’t have quotes to share!

Majestic Sweetness

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This hymn was one of the favorites of a dear former pastor, Jesse Boyd (for whom our Jesse was named). Pastor Boyd has been with the Lord for several years now. I hadn’t thought about this hymn in a long time, but I heard it on the radio this morning. Loved ones of several different friends have passed away in the last week and a half, and this song was a sweet reminder of what they’re experiencing now. I was only going to post a few of the verses I was familiar with, but as I read these over, I don’t see how I can leave any out. But I think among my favorites are stanzas 4 and 5. You can find a MIDI version of the tune here. You can here about a 90 second clip of it here.

Majestic Sweetness Sits Enthroned

Majestic sweetness sits enthroned
Upon the Savior’s brow;
His head with radiant glories crowned,
His lips with grace o’erflow,
His lips with grace o’erflow.

To Christ, the Lord, let every tongue
Its noblest tribute bring
When He’s the subject of the song,
Who can refuse to sing?
Who can refuse to sing?

Survey the beauties of His face,
And on His glories dwell;
Think of the wonders of His grace,
And all His triumphs tell,
And all His triumphs tell.

No mortal can with Him compare
Among the sons of men;
Fairer is He than all the fair
Who fill the heav’nly train,
Who fill the heav’nly train.

He saw me plunged in deep distress
And flew to my relief;
For me He bore the shameful cross
And carried all my grief,
And carried all my grief.

His hand a thousand blessings pours
Upon my guilty head:
His presence gilds my darkest hours,
And guards my sleeping bed,
And guards my sleeping bed.

To Him I owe my life and breath
And all the joys I have;
He makes me triumph over death
And saves me from the grave,
And saves me from the grave.

To Heav’n, the place of His abode,
He brings my weary feet;
Shows me the glories of my God,
And makes my joys complete,
And makes my joys complete.

Since from His bounty I receive
Such proofs of love divine,
Had I a thousand hearts to give,
Lord, they should all be Thine,
Lord, they should all be Thine.

Words by Samuel Stennett, 1787
Music by Thomas Hastings

Laudable Linkage and Fun Videos

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Here are a few things that stood out to me online this week:

Filling my home with the unseen, HT to Lizzie. Both the photos and the sentiments are lovely.

Pray to BLESS. I’ve heard and read a number of acronyms as a help to prayer, but I had never come across this one before. Very helpful.

The New Evangelical Virtues. Tim Challies masterfully discusses “characteristics that seem to pass as virtues today…doubt, opaqueness, and an emphasis on asking rather than answering questions.” “Humility is not found in doubting what is true, but in believing that what God says is true is true indeed.”

Spring Cleaning Your Facebook Account. No, not a discussion of purging your “Friends” list, but rather helpful questions to check our hearts. It’s not that the technology is bad, but what’s in our hearts is going to reveal itself even there.

Why Books Still Matter.

I almost labeled this “Luggage Inspectors,” but I didn’t want to be snarky. 🙂 Let’s just say don’t leave a parked car where there are monkeys:

This is amazing. I could never do this — not only because I can’t play music, but I’m sure I would knock over more than one glass.

Happy Saturday!

Friday’s Fave Five

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Welcome to Friday’s Fave Five, hosted by Susanne at Living to Tell the Story, in which we can share five of our favorite things from the last week. This has been a wonderful exercise in looking for and appreciating the good things God blesses us with. Click on the button to learn more, then go to Susanne’s to read others’ faves and link up your own.

Here are a few of mine:

1. A low-key week. That’s been especially helpful since our church starts a week of special meetings next week. It’s hard to start out that kind of week tired.

2. Going back to bed. Jesse had to be at school at 6 a.m. for a trip to a Fine Arts Festival his choir from school is in today in another town. Getting to school at that time means getting up that much earlier….so pretty soon after he left I went back to bed (thus my lateness in posting today!)

3. My husband taking Jesse to school so early so I didn’t have to.

4. A haircut. No pictures: nothing special or different, I was just overdue for one and finally got to it yesterday. Feels so much better!

5. The hope of heaven. I’m not trivializing that by putting it on a “favorites” list. It’s just especially poignant today as a the step-father of a friend from our church here passed away after a long health struggle. As believers we sorrow when a loved one dies, but not as those who have no hope (I Thessalonians 3:13-14). A verse that often comes to mind when a believer dies is John 17:24: “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.”

Controversies

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There have been a couple of controversies brewing within Christendom over the last few weeks, one quite well known, and one not known by quite as many (and if you don’t know what I am talking about, don’t worry about it. I’m not addressing these particular conflicts themselves).

What almost always seems to happen with this type of thing is that people quickly take sides.

On one side is the “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all” crowd. I think many women fall into this category: we want everyone to play nicely. Do you know that that sentence is not in the Bible? Of course there are warnings about gossip, idle words, schisms, doubtful disputations, etc. But in one message I heard, the speaker said he used to feel that way until he bought a red letter edition of the Bible and noticed some of the things that Jesus said. Paul in his epistles deals with many controversies of his day and ours and even names names publicly. He publicly rebuked Peter at one point. There are admonitions in Scripture to take a stand against error — not just the error of those who do not know God, but the errors of those who profess to:

Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. I Timothy 2:4.

And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. Ephesians 5:11.

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Matthew 7:15.

Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. Acts 20:28-31.

The Bible does teach that there should be unity among the brethren, but not a unity at all costs:

Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us. II Thessalonians. 3: 6

And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. II Thessalonians 3: 14-15.

I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. I Corinthians 5:9-11.

On the other side of controversies are the “contenders for the faith.” Jude does exhort us to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (verse 3). Yet there are some who become needlessly contentious in their contending. There are sometimes sharp words used in Scripture, and some define their whole personality and outlook on those words, forgetting the ones about “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:14-16) and the admonition that “the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will” (II Timothy 2:24-26).

Doctrine is important. I am so grateful for the balanced voices of discernment who wisely and carefully lay out the issues and their importance with as much grace as possible after careful study of the issues. May we learn from them to take a strong, bold stand when necessary but in a way that brings Scriptural light to the situation rather than just stirring up the heat of controversy.

That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ. (Ephesians 4:14-15).

Wednesday Hodgepodge

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Joyce From This Side of the Pond hosts a weekly Wednesday Hodgepodge of questions for fun and for getting to know each other.

1. Sunday was the first day of spring. So they say. Ahem.

What is your favorite outdoor springtime activity?

I don’t actually do much outdoors in springtime because of allergies. So I guess I’d say — noticing when we drive somewhere what new things are growing and blooming.

2. Who would you want to come into your kitchen to cook dinner for you?

The people who cook at Cracker Barrel. Or one of the guys from Kanpai — those Chinese places where they cook the food on a big grill right in front of you. Except then we’d need to get one of those big industrial sized grills — unless they bring their own. 🙂

3. When did you last fly a kite?

Oh, let’s see….over 16 years ago, I think, when the boys were younger. Maybe less than that. If it were 16 years ago, Jesse would’ve been just 1, and I think we’ve flown kites with him. It’s been a while, anyway.

4. What topic puts you to sleep faster than anything?

Politics.

5. Which flowers do you associate with specific people, places, or events?

I tend to associate carnations with corsages worn at special programs, concerts, etc., at college. I wonder why we don’t see them in arrangements much? They are one of the few flowers which has a scent I like that doesn’t make me sneeze — at least the last time I had any. I know one or two people who really like sunflowers and a couple who like daisies. I grew up in Texas and of course associate bluebonnets with TX. Azaleas and dogwoods remind me of SC.

6. What significant historical events took place during your elementary school days?

I remember when JFK was shot and watching footage of some of the moon landings. I also remember when the end of the Viet Nam war (or our involvement in it) was announced.

7. Do you swear? Do you pseudo-swear? (You know crap, shoot, etc.?)

No, except for “shoot” — I don’t consider that a euphemism for anything. I feel pretty strongly about this and wrote about it in The Language of Christians a few years ago.

A couple of the guiding principles there:

But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment (Mattehw 12:36).

In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you (Titus 2:7-8).

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Does anyone else watch The Biggest Loser? I wish they could have let the girl who wanted to go home count as the one leaving for the week rather than having to vote between the two that they did. Her whole attitude last night was really weird.

Book Review: Just Between You and Me

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Just Between You and Me by Jenny B. Jones is one of the most fun books I have read in a long time, yet it is not without depth: the subtitle is “A Novel of Losing Fear and Finding God.”

Maggie is a cinematographer who has traveled all over the world and loves to challenge herself in her spare time by sky-diving, exploring caves, etc. Yet the thought of returning to her hometown of Ivy, Texas has her quaking in her boots…not that she’d admit it to anyone. But a family emergency calls her home, and she finds a serious situation with a sister who refuses to take her meds for her bipolar condition and her niece, Riley, left behind with Maggie’s widowed father. Riley has seen too much and been left too much on her own and is totally out of control, and the last person she wants to tell her what to do is an aunt who is basically a stranger.

Riley does respond well to the local vet, Conner, but Maggie and Conner butt heads over…just about everything. Conner begins to find that his first impressions of Maddie may have been wrong, and Maddie finds that helping her niece entails facing her own fears.

The dialogue just zings in this book — talk about witty repartee! And the bits between the dialogue aren’t bad either. Here are a few samples:

John’s hand strokes along mine, and my stomach does a little flip. Not the good kind that makes you want to break out into a show tune. More like the sort of quivering that happens when you’ve swallowed one too many bites of questionable sushi (p. 6).

I go directly to the aisle with candy. It’s like I have the gift of sugar prophecy (p. 13).

“Well, thank you, Dr. Phil. I appreciate the parenting advice. If only it were that easy for the rest of us.” I walk toward the door, my shoes slapping the tile. It’s hard to make a dramatic exit when you’re wearing flip flops (p. 186).

From a message about Jonah: “Fear is the opposite of faith, and where does that get you? Swimming in the guts of a fish. You can’t outrun God. But you know what the good news here is? You also can’t out love him” (p. 209).

From what I can tell, it looks like most of Jenny’s books are Young Adult fiction, but I’ll be seeking out her other books for adults and looking forward hopefully to more. I may even try one of the YA ones. This was my first Jenny B. Jones novel, but it won’t be my last.

(This review will also be linked to Semicolon‘s Saturday Review of Books.)

What’s On Your Nightstand: March 2011

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What's On Your NightstandThe folks at 5 Minutes For Books host What’s On Your Nightstand? the fourth Tuesday of each month in which we can share about the books we have been reading and/or plan to read. You can learn more about it by clicking the link or the button.

Since last time I finished:

A Memory Between Us by Sarah Sundin, set in WWII — riveting. hard to put down, very good, reviewed here.

The Book Lover’s Devotional: What We Learn About Life From 60 Great Works of Literature by various authors, one of whom is blog friend Laura Lee Groves of Outnumbered Mom, reviewed here.

One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp, a book about learning to give thanks and see God’s hand in every moment, reviewed here.

The Damascus Way, biblical fiction by Janette Oke and Davis Bunn about the early believers, reviewed here.

Just Between You and Me by Jenny B. Jones, one of the most fun novels I’ve read in a long time. I hope to have a review of it up in just a bit. My review is now up here.

I’m currently reading A Walk In the Park by Barbara Andrews, a very sweet and tender story about a sculptor who easily talks to “his girls” that he sculpts but can’t seem to talk adequately to a real, live one — until he meets Maddie.

Next up is A Long Walk Home, also by Barbara Andrews, and after that something from my Spring Reading Thing list — not sure what yet!

Happy Reading!