It’s funny how a month can seem long in some ways and short in others. September had several full days plus some slower-paced ones.
We celebrated my youngest son’s birthday this month and enjoyed meals and games together. We got some sorting, organizing, and purging done of old boxes and my dresser.
Timothy is learning the joys of orthodontia. 🙂 He got spacers and an appliance installed and will get his braces on in March.
Creating
I usually go with a tech or gamer theme for Jesse’s cards. But this time, I remembered he also likes medieval things. I looked around my Cricut images and found this design:
I had something completely different in mind for friends’ 50th wedding anniversary. But as I looked through the materials I had on hand, this design almost assembled itself.
Reading
Since last time I have finished:
- 1 and 2 Timothy for You by Phillip Jensen, not reviewed. Not my favorite of the “For You” series, but I did glean a few good things from it.
- A Face Illumined by Edward Payson Roe. An 1878 story about an artist who sees a woman with a beauitful face marred by her manners and attitude. He seeks to try to awake “a woman’s mind” in her, leading to near-tragic results and showing him his own faults.
- Little Lord Fauntleroy by Frances Hodgson Burnett, audiobook. A young boy in genteel poverty finds out he is the sole heir to his grandfather’s estate. His grandfather moves him to England to teach him to become an earl but is changed himself. Somewhat overly sweet, but a lovely story.
- The Bitter End Birding Society, audiobook, by Amanda Cox. Ana Watkins comes to Bitter End to help her aunt clean out her house to prepare for moving to a retirement community. Finding out her aunt has had a long and bitter feud with a seemingly nice neighbor, Ana investigates and finds a sixty-year-old story of a moonshiner’s daughter who fell in love with a preacher’s son. Very good.
- The Island Bookshop by Roseanna M. White. Kennedy Marshall comes back to the Outer Banks to help her injured sister and run the family bookshop. A discrepancy on the store’s deed leads to a surprising search about her grandmother’s history. Very good.
- The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady by Sharon J. Mondragon, audiobook. A church’s prayer shawl knitting group is encouraged by their pastor to take their knitting out into the public, much to the consternation of the group’s leader. Gradually, God works not only through, but in the prayer shawl ministry in surprising ways. Delightful story, though I found it lacking in a couple of areas.
I’m currently reading:
- Exodus for You by Tim Chester with the ladies’ Bible study at church.
- Titus for You by Tim Chester
- Van Gogh Has a Broken Heart: What Art Teaches Us About the Wonder and Struggle of Being Alive by Russ Ramsey
- Raising the Perfectly Imperfect Child: Facing Challenges with Strength, Courage, and Hope by Boris Vujicic, father of Nick Vujicic
- 100 Ways to Improve Your Writing by Gary Provost
- North! or Be Eaten, the second in the Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson.
- The Collector of Burned Books by Roseanna M. White, audiobook
Blogging
Besides the weekly Friday Fave Fives, Saturday Laudable Linkage, and book reviews, I’ve posted these since last time:
- What God’s Sovereignty Does not Mean. “People have argued for centuries over what God allows vs. what He ordains and how His sovereignty and our responsibility work together. . . . But through years of talking with other Christians and reading Christian writing, it seems to me there are some things God’s sovereignty does not mean.”
- The Only Bloodline That Matters. “It’s not whose blood flows through our veins that determines our characters or our destiny. It’s whose blood flowed on the cross.”
- When Evil Gets Worse. My thoughts processing Charlie Kirk’s murder.
- Are You Full? What the Bible says we’re to be filled with.
- How to Withstand Pressure. Inspiration from sea creatures that survive the intense oceanic pressure they live in.
- Ways to Pray for the Lost. Scriptural ways to pray for lost loved ones to come to know the Lord.
Writing
My turn to present a chapter for critique to our writing group came up last week. It’s good to get back into my manuscript more deeply, and I’m always inspired by the feedback. Now if I can just keep that momentum going!
Looking ahead
Not much is on the schedule for October, so I hope to get lots done at home!
How was your September? Are you looking forward to anything in October?
(I often link up with some of these bloggers.)
Stray Thoughts 
I’m really impressed you can keep that many books straight, reading at one time! I love medieval things too; awesome card. I agree that Sept. seemed both long and short at the same time. It sounds like a good month overall; praying that October will be filled with blessings as well 🙂
The books are read in different places or times or on different devices. 🙂 I alternate the two Bible study ones with studying for the ladies Bible study a few mornings a week and then doing my own study the rest of the weekdays. I was on a Bible reading plan for some years that left Saturday as a catch-up day. Since I didn’t often need it to catch up, I began reading a chapter of an inspirational Christian non-fiction book on Saturdays, like the Ramsey book. I really liked that set-up, so I have continued it. I keep one book in the bathroom 😀 and listen to an audiobook while getting ready for the day. I usually read from a Kindle book before going to sleep, sometimes a few pages of nonfiction first, and if I am still awake, then finishing off with fiction.
If all the books are different enough, I can keep them straight. But I couldn’t read more than one of a particular type, like WWII fiction, without getting them mixed up. Recently two different books I was reading had a character named Ana, spelled that way, except one was in the contemporary part of the story of one book and the other was in the historical part of another. I was afraid of getting those stories mixed up, but they were different enough that it turned out okay.
Okay, that makes sense. But it’s still impressive! I often have 1 non-fic and another fiction going. That’s pretty much my mental limit though 🙂
September was filled with many doctor appointments for me. October is turning out to be the same. Hopefully, everything will calm down soon. 🙂 Have a blessed week!
I’m sorry about all the doctor visits and the need for them. Still dealing with the back pain? I had multiple doctor visits earlier this year, and I am dearly hoping the rest of the year won’t be the same way.
What a good month you have had! You had fun family times along with getting much accomplished around your home.
I’m sorry to read that Timothy is learning about what it’s like to go to the orthodontist. Our daughter went through that, as well as our granddaughters. They have come a long way in improving their techniques since back when our daughter had her braces.
I so appreciate your book reviews, and I appreciate your comments on the book on 1 and 2 Timothy. That’s such a gracious way of handling it.
The cards you made are both beautiful and I am sure they were appreciated by both your son and your friends who were celebrating their 50th anniversary.
Praying that October will be a blessed month for you…especially health wise.
Thanks so much, Dianna. Neither Jim not I had braces–I don’t remember many people having them back then. All three of my sons had them, and my oldest said that, although they were a pain, they were worth it in the end.
September was not one of my favorite months, so I am looking forward to October and the fall weather.
As usual, I really like your cards! I’ve not started venturing into that yet, but I plan to.
Looking forward to our lunch tomorrow!
Now that we’re in October, I am loving it. I love the transitions in fall with the leaves and cooler weather.
I enjoyed this little glimpse into your September, Barbara! What a beautiful 50th wedding anniversary card you made for your friends. September flew by for me, but I’m looking forward to October!
Thanks so much, April. I’m looking forward to October, too, with fall coming in more fully. We don’t have a lot on the schedule this month, which gives us a nice break before holiday season.
Your cards are great! Funny enough my youngest son’s birthday is also in September. I hope your son had a fabulous birthday.
I hope your son had a great birthday, too!
I just love your monthly reflections. You always amaze me with your cards. I have a Circuit too. But I’m still Circuit anxious when making things. Currently it’s in my closet.
Thanks bunches for sharing with Sweet Tea & Friends this month sweet friend. I’m so happy you’re here.
I was intimated by the Cricut, too, when my husband got it for me. It didn’t come with much instruction! It still does much more than I have figured out. But usually if I have a question about how to do something with it, I can find a YouTube video about it. I’m learning as I go.