Author Archives: Barbara Harper

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About Barbara Harper

https://barbarah.wordpress.com

Laudable Linkage

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Laudable Linkage

Some of the great reads found this week:

Why I Didn’t Deconstruct After Church Hurt, HT to Challies. “As we think about church hurt, wisdom teaches us not to elevate every pain into a five-alarm fire (Proverbs 10:12). Not every disagreement, disappointment, or conflict is spiritual abuse or what’s now commonly called ‘church hurt.’ But sometimes, a leg really is broken. The alarm is warranted. I’ve felt the flames. I’ve got the scars too.”

No Chance of Survival: How a Deadly Plane Crash Yielded a Growing Spiritual Harvest, HT to Challies. This is a long piece, but amazing and touching.

Fight the Subtle Seduction of Self-Reliance, HT to Redeeming Productivity. “My devotional exercise asked, ‘What do you look to for your deliverance?’ Essentially, in what are you placing false hope for salvation? While I don’t trust in standing armies or military might for deliverance, I still felt the implied rebuke. I was drawn inexorably to a simple conclusion: I’m my own war horse. I trust in myself.”

Understanding Therapy Culture from Different Generations, HT to Challies. “As a pastor’s wife and a Marriage and Family Therapist, I’ve had the privilege of sitting across from people from every generation: Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z. Each generation carries unique stories, pain, and questions about healing. While mental health awareness has made significant progress, I’ve noticed something concerning: though the conversation has shifted, many still carry a heavy load just in a different form.”

How and Why to Begin Scripture Writing, HT to Challies. “Almost seven years ago, I began a new way of spending daily time in the Word: I started copying Scripture (verse by verse or book by book) by hand. Over the years, I’ve done this both instead of and in addition to a Bible reading plan. . . I can honestly say that Scripture writing has completely transformed the way I approach the Bible and how I interact with God’s Word.” Rebekah includes some downloads for keeping track of what passages you’ve written.

To the Single Lady at the Wedding, HT to Challies. “A soft and discreet whisper of a lie crept in, ‘You are missing out.’ It seemed so faint, but soon it was blaring throughout my thoughts. One of my best friends recently got married. Attending a wedding as a single in the later part of your 20s hits differently than when you are a spry and young college graduate. When you are younger, time nor the future possibilities do not seem to be as narrow. As the years chip away, so does the hope.”

One for the Substackers to Consider as well as anyone who charges for their content: “Do people support you in order to receive exclusive content or do they support you because they appreciate you and the content you write? In other words, does putting the paywall in place necessarily increase reach, impact, and/or monetization? And is it possible that Christian readers think differently about this than non-Christian ones?”

J. C. Ryle quote

The goal of the Gospel is to rescue you, transform you, and redirect you. J. C. Ryle

Friday’s Fave Five

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Friday's Fave Five

The first week of June turned out to be a quiet week, which is fine by me. Though this week seemed fairly uneventful, there are always blessings along the way if we look for them. I’m sharing a few with Susanne and friends at Living to Tell the Story.

1. Impromptu get-together. Sunday evening, Jason texted to ask if they could come over. I love that they live close enough to do that. Organized dinners and outings are fun, but so are the unexpected ones.

2. Flowers inside and out. Jim brought in the first wildflowers to bloom from the seeds he planted and placed them on my desk. These are tiny–the “vase” is the cover to a hair-spray bottle. 🙂 Cute and sweet.

Wildflowers

Jason, Mittu, and Timothy brought these gorgeous peonies when they came over Sunday night.

Peonies

Our hydrangea bush is thriving, as are the “bargain” plants in the planter.

Flowers

The front planters are doing well, too. The yellowish-green stuff in front, which my Picture This app tells me is Creeping Jenny, came back from last year. The ones in the back were another of the bargain arrangements Jim found several weeks ago.

Planters

I love seeing plants blooming when I go outside.

3. Shelves cleaned and reorganized. I was able to work on a few closet shelves this week.

4. Ironing is not a favorite activity, but I am glad to have put a dent into the pile this week.

5. Sorting and organizing toys. For a long time I have wanted to sort through Timothy’s toys that we have here and pull out the ones he has outgrown. I specifically wanted to clean and set aide the “baby” ones for when we have people over who have infants. It was good to finally tackle that.

There was a song some years ago about simple pleasures being the best. The big ones are pretty nice, too, but I think most of life is made up of simple everyday pleasures.

What are some of your simple pleasures this week?

Review: Every Hour Until Then

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Every Hour Until Then

Every Hour Until Then is the fifth in Gabrielle Meyer’s Time Crosser novels about a handful of people who lead double lives. They live a day in one year, and when they go to sleep, they wake up in another year and place, centuries before or after. The next day, they wake up in the first timeline as if no time had passed there. They have until their twenty-first or twenty-fifth birthdays (depended on a number of factors) to chose which path they want to stay in. At that time, they’ll lose the other path.

Twenty-three-year-old Kathryn Kelly lives a privileged life in 1888 London with her parents and sister, Mary. As the book opens, Mary is packing to leave home but won’t tell Kathryn why. Kathryn runs to her father to stop Mary, but he insists Mary is now dead to them. But Kathryn is determined to find out what’s going on. She learns that Mary has gone to live as a charwoman in the Whitechapel district, a poor and dangerous part of London.

Kathryn’s neighbor, Austen Baird, has been her best friend since childhood. But he’s been distant since his parents died a few years ago. Still, she hopes he’ll accompany her to Whitechapel since she can’t go there alone.

In 1938, Kathryn Voland lives with her parents in Washington D.C. She has a lifelong interest in history and works as an assistant exhibit curator at the Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building. Her father is famous aviator Luke Voland. Her mother is another time crosser, Grace from For a Lifetime. They’ve just come to London because Kathryn has been invited to be a guest curator for a special exhibit at the London Museum. However, Kathryn has ulterior motives for being in London. Kathryn’s two timelines are only fifty years apart, closer than most time crossers. She hopes to find clues in 1938 that might help her find Mary in 1888. Yet with the threat of war with Germany looming, she doesn’t know how long she’ll be able to stay in London.

As Kathryn meets with the museum’s Keeper, Sir Bryant Rothschild, she learns that the special exhibit will feature Jack the Ripper on the fiftieth anniversary of his crime spree.

As Kathryn researches Jacks’ gruesome murders, she’s horrified to learn that her sister in 1888, Mary Jane Kelly, is Jack’s fifth victim.

Her first instinct is to put all her energy into finding and saving Mary. But one of the time crossers’ rules is that if they knowingly change history, they’ll lose their lives in that timeline. Kathryn’s planning to stay in 1938 anyway, so leaving 1888 a couple of years early is not a great loss. But her mother has warned her that changing history can have serious unintended consequences.

And her relationship with Austen is just beginning to reconnect. She believes he feels something more than friendship for her. Does she really want to leave without exploring whether they could have a future together?

She decides that, whatever the risks or consequences, she must save Mary.

I’ve enjoyed all of Gabrielle’s Time Crossers stories, but this one was riveting, especially the last half. Often I can guess at the ways a plot might go, but this one had a twist that gobsmacked me.

I had known very little about the Jack the Ripper murders before reading this book. They remain some of the worst murders of all time. I felt the author did a good job conveying what Jack did without going into unnecessary details.

I got a little irritated at Kathryn’s penchant for getting herself into dangerous situations. However, she does begin to realize that she is impetuous, headstrong, and stubborn, and that those qualities are not always good. She also finds that she runs ahead of God, hoping He’ll approve her plans, instead of waiting on His leading.

I enjoyed the audiobook read by Liz Pearce. I am used to Liz’s voice on some of Roseanna M. White’s books, so it took some adjustment to remember I was in another author’s stories.

I’m glad this audiobook contained the author’s historical notes, sharing where she got her inspiration and what facts were true or fiction. There are several theories about who Jack was and why he committed his crimes. Gabrielle chose one of the theories to incorporate into her novel.

I’ve wondered how many ways Gabrielle can take this time crossing theme. All of the books have been excellent so far, and another is due out this fall. I can’t wait.

(Sharing with Bookish Bliss)

Review: Code Name Edelweiss

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Code Name Edelweiss

Code Name Edelweiss by Stephanie Landsem is a novel based on a true story.

In 1933, Hitler’s rise to power in Germany causes concern for many. But Liesl Weiss doesn’t have time to pay much attention to him. Her husband is missing, and the police assume he just abandoned his family. Liesl is the sole provider for her two children as well as her mother and brother. When Liesl is suddenly fired from her secretarial job at MGM, she desperately looks for another position.

She interviews with a Jewish lawyer named Leon Lewis and learns that what he needs is a spy. An organization called Friends of New Germany appears to help German Americans, especially veterans. But Lewis thinks the leaders are up to something nefarious. He wants Liesl to work as a secretary for group, keep her eyes and ears open, and report back to him.

At first, Liesl thinks Lewis’ fears are unfounded. Her bosses seem very nice. Some of their documents could be taken the wrong way, but aren’t blatant.

As time goes on, however, the group’s stance becomes clearer. Yet there’s not enough concrete evidence to report them. Lewis meets with officials in Washington, but they think he is overreacting. Everyone’s focus is on the Communists, not the Nazis.

Lewis has another operative in the group, known only as Thirteen. He and Liesl don’t know the other’s identity. As he works his way up in the group, he becomes more alarmed. He knows they are up to something, but he can’t find clear details.

Finally Liesl’s and Thirteen’s paths converge. They take more risks to get the information they need, but put themselves in danger to do so. When they finally learn the group’s plans, will they be too late to stop them?

The last several chapters kept me on the edge of my seat.

I think Liesl was like a lot of Americans at the time–preoccupied with her own problems, disbelieving anything bad was going on, then thinking there was nothing she could do anyway. But slowly, she comes to realize that she has to intervene. Lewis shares a quote with her: “If not me, who? If not now, when?”

Then as she rises in the Friends of New Germany organization, she has to deal with misunderstandings from her mother, friends, . . . and her Jewish neighbors.

Some of the other quotes that stood out to me:

I loved my country, but also I loved my German heritage. Would I be forced to choose between the two? (p. 64, Kindle version).

He thought maybe he had it figured, the question that had hounded him since Monterey, the one about why God allowed evil like Winterhalder and the Nazis. Why he didn’t stop them. He guessed that God did stop them—but not with fire and brimstone or smiting like Wilhelm would have done. No, he used people—good people like Leon Lewis, not-so-good people like himself. Gave them what they needed to work with and let them at it. Wilhelm would sure prefer the fire and brimstone, but maybe that’s why God was God . . . and he wasn’t (p. 348).

Adolf Hitler and his religion of anti-Semitism was not a Jewish problem. It was my problem. And if good people did nothing, the evil around us would continue to grow and flourish (p. 90).

The faith element is more subtle here. At first Liesl’s relationship with God is strained: she can’t understand why He would allow her husband to leave. She’s burdened with the pressures of providing for her family and feeling like she is not giving her children the time they need. Thirteen is not particularly spiritual at first. He says at one point that most people weren’t born bad, but were made that way–which is not true, Scripturally, but which shows where his thinking is at the time. But both of them gradually come to stronger faith and dependence on God. 

I enjoyed the author’s historical notes. Leon Lewis was a real person who employed a spy network, helped prosecute American Nazis, and prevented assignations and sabotage. The Nazis really were more active here than many realized. The author includes a quote from Hitler saying the Nazis would cause confusion in America and undermine people’s faith in their government, and then the Nazis would help German Americans rise to power (she doesn’t cite the source). One of their goals was to take over the movie studios and use them for their own purposes. Organizations like the Friends of New Germany were real as well. 

The author says her goal “is not to document a historical event but to write a compelling story about how a character reacts to this event, how it affects her life, and how she is changed by what she encounters. One of my favorite quotes about fiction is this: A story doesn’t have to be true to tell the truth. This is what I hope you gain from [the characters’] story: the truth about courage, conviction, and love that both encompasses and transcends the historical record.”

I think she succeeded.

(Sharing with Bookish Bliss)

 

Rays of Glory

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Rays of Glory

When I notice rays of sunlight streaming through a cloud, I can hardly look away. They make me think of the Rapture, wondering if someday we’ll pass through an opening in the clouds just like that. Or Jesus’ return, which He said would be among the clouds.

Apparently, I am not the only one whose thoughts are turned to heaven by such a sight. Some have called this phenomenon “fingers of God” or “God rays.”

I learned recently that these shafts of sunlight have a scientific name: Crepuscular rays.

I was interested to read that the sunbeams are actually parallel. They look like they fan out to us in the same way that railroad tracks look like they are close together right in front of us but wider the farther they extend, even though they are actually parallel.

But what struck me even more was the fact that the rays are visible due to the light’s reaction with particles in the air, a process called scattering.

And do you know what one of the main particles in the atmosphere is?

Dust.

Dust is one of my least favorite substances on earth. No matter how many times I wipe dust off surfaces, more accumulates in just a day or two.

Yet glorious sunlight can interact with everyday dust to show forth light that turns our thoughts to God.

You know, the Bible says we’re made of dust. We’ll return to dust when we die (Genesis 3:19). God’s fatherly discipline of us is tempered by the fact that “he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust” (Psalm 103:13-14).

Sometimes our frames are so dusty, it’s hard to imagine anything glorious coming from them or through them.

But “God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).

God shines the light of Christ in us that we might know Him. Then His light shines through us, dusty as we are, and scatters His light that others might see and turn to Him.

Jesus told us to “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

When people look up to rays of light in the sky, they don’t notice the dust. They just see the light reflecting off the dust.

May God scatter His light across the everyday “dust” of life–in our homes, cars, stores, churches, neighborhoods. May others see Him reflected through us and be turned to His light.

2 Corinthians 4:6

(I often link up with some of these bloggers.)

Laudable Linkage

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Laudable Linkage

Some of the noteworthy reads found this week:

When Ball Becomes Baal, HT to Challies. “’Behold, I say unto you, you have made sports the household god.’ Too strong? OK, not all of you. But the deification of sports is happening to many.”

What God Forbids You to Judge. “I’m often amazed and dismayed by how quickly I leap to judgment, often without facts, without knowledge, without sympathy. Of course there are times when judgment is right and good. God calls us to be discerning, and discernment necessarily involves judging what is true and what is false. Yet there are two broad categories in which judgment is sinful and forbidden by God.”

Lie Detector. “Many of the doubts, fears, and shame in our hearts grow from the seeds of lies Satan plants in us. We often fall for Satan’s tricks because he masquerades them as God’s truth. . . Satan draws a false picture in our minds and signs God’s name to it, making us believe this is truly who God is and who we are.”

Twisted Truth about God’s Promises: Three Lies to Watch For. “In times of suffering and long stretches of waiting, it’s so tempting to wonder, Has God truly been faithful to me? Does He really keep His promises?“

Nothing is “Just” Anything, HT to Challies. “As Christian women, we are often harder on ourselves than we are on our friends and family. We tend to feel frustrated with our limitations or guilty about our inadequacies. We can cheer others on, but we’re inclined to lecture ourselves. Can you relate? What I think God wants us to pay attention to are all those times when we use ‘just’ to minimize the good things we are doing.”

The View from Titus 2, HT to Challies. “Many of the older women I relied on as a young mom are in heaven now. Others have retired and moved closer to their children. I miss them dearly, and don’t think I can ever fill their shoes. But since my memory is (mostly) still intact, I can also recall a few things that discouraged me as a young mom. If I can’t match the wisdom of the mothers who helped me, I can at least attempt not to do some of the things that discouraged me.”

The Bible

“What is the best safeguard against false doctrine? The Bible regularly read, regularly prayed over, regularly studied.” J. C. Ryle

Friday’s Fave Five

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Friday's Fave Five

We’re not only nearing the end of the week, but also the end of the month. I’m not eager to transition to summer: I’d like for spring to stretch out a bit more. I know summer doesn’t officially start until June 20, but I always think of summer being from June through August. But we don’t really have a choice about how long a season is. We can only take a day at a time and pause along the way to take notice of the blessings God bestows on us. I’m doing that today with Susanne and friends at Living to Tell the Story.

1. End-of-school-year party. Timothy completed fifth grade, so we got together to celebrate with Mexican bowls (seasoned chicken, Mexican rice, and toppings) and banana cream pie (all made by Mittu).

2. Memorial Day. I am thankful for those who fought and died for our country.

3. A long weekend. We had the kids over for my husband’s scrumptious grilled sou vide burgers along with the usual cookout accoutrements.

4. An $8.99 coupon for a haircut, which I used this week.

5. Dinner outing. When I came back from my haircut, it was nearly dinner time. We talked about whether to bring something in, but then decided to go out to Texas Roadhouse. Everything was great. Then we went to get the rest of the plants we needed to finish out our planters and flower beds. We could see storm clouds on the horizon, which I assume were responsible for the delicious cool breeze as we looked at plants. We got home well before the rain. It was a pleasant evening overall.

How was your week?

May Reflections

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May Reflections

If April showers bring May flowers, I don’t know what May rain is supposed to do–keep the flowers growing and make the grass greener, I guess. 🙂 We’ve had lots of rain this month, along with a medium-sized earthquake one morning and tornado warnings one night. We’re still loving the moderate temperatures of the season.

We enjoyed cookouts on Mother’s Day and Memorial Day, planted wildflowers, and got some medical appointments out of the way.

Creating

I made this for Mittu for Mother’s Day, cutting the flowers and vase out with the Cricut.

Mother's Day card

I had the tag in a scrapbooking collection I bought a long time ago.

This was for Timothy’s finishing fifth grade:

End of school card

I looked for free emoji clip art and printed these out.

Reading

Since last time I have finished:

  • Ruth by Elizabeth Gaskell, classic novel about a naive young women taken in and then forsaken by a well-to-do cad. She’s rescued by a preacher and his sister and turns her life around. Very good.
  • Crimson Roses by Grace Livingston Hill. A 1920s-era novel about a young woman on her own since her father died, who is pursued by a secret admirer. Very sweet.
  • This Promised Land by Cathy Gohlke, Christian fiction set in the 1990s. A woman had run away to marry her boyfriend, then was disowned by her family. Fifty years later, she discovers that her mother had left the farm to her after all. But it’s riddled in debt. She can’t keep it, but doesn’t want to turn her brother’s sons and their families out. Very good.
  • On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson, the first in his Wingfeather Saga for children. Very good.

I’m currently reading:

  • Minor Prophets 1 by the Navigators
  • The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume 3: Narnia, Cambridge, and Joy, 1950 – 1963, compiled by Walter Hooper
  • Rembrandt Is in the Wind: Learning to Love Art through the Eyes of Faith by Russ Ramsey
  • Code Name Edelweiss by Stephanie Landsem
  • Every Hour Until Then by Gabrielle Meyer

Blogging

Besides the weekly Friday Fave Fives, Saturday Laudable Linkage, and book reviews, I’ve posted these since last time:

Writing

I told my husband that I need to finish this manuscript before I die, if for no other reason, because I would be embarrassed for anyone to see it at this stage! It’s a mess. But I dug into a recent chapter to submit to my writing critique group, whose feedback is always immensely helpful.

I do enjoy working on the book when I get to it. I just need to find make more time to focus on it.

Looking ahead

June looks like it might be a pretty quiet month, which is fine with me. All I have on the schedule so far is lunch with a friend, Father’s Day, a routine cardiologist appointment, and the appointment to renew my driver’s license and get my Real ID.

How was your May?

(I often link up with some of these bloggers.)

Review: On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness

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Dark Sea of Darkness

On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness is the first in the four-part Wingfeather Series by Andrew Peterson. Amazon recommends it for children in third through seventh grades

The story takes place in the mythical land of Skree, which has been taken over by life-size lizard-like people called Fangs, whose leader is Gnag the Nameless.

The book’s main focus is the Igiby family: mother Nia, grandfather Podo, and children Janner, Tink, and Leeli. Podo is an old pirate with a pegleg, but he’s amazingly agile. Leeli’s leg is crooked, and she walks with a crutch. The children’s father died some time ago, and Janner is disturbed that his grandfather and mother won’t allow questions about him.

Despite the oppressive Fangs, life is fairly peaceful in Skree.

Oh, yes, the people of Skree were quite free, as long as they were in their homes by midnight. And as long as they bore no weapons, and they didn’t complain when their fellow Skreeans were occasionally taken away across the sea, never to be seen again. But other than the cruel Fangs and the constant threat of death and torture, there wasn’t much to fear in Skree (p. 3).

But then the children have an altercation with one of the Fangs, Slarb. The children are put in jail but released when their mother gives the commander some of her jewels.

But now they are on Slarb’s radar.

And Janner didn’t even know his mother had jewels. Between that and the secrets surrounding his father, Janner wonders what else his mother is hiding.

The tension escalates into a classic battle of good-vs.evil with a surprise revelation at the end.

Alongside this plot, the children have normal fusses with each other and learn to face fears.

There seems to be some symbolism or allusions to Christian themes like in the Chronicles of Narnia. The family prays to “the Maker.”

One GoodReads reviewer said “Peterson intended this to be the ‘vastness of Lord of the Rings’ with the ‘whimsey of the Princess Bride.'” I don’t know if she read that in an interview: if so, I’d love to find it. It does help understand the tone of the story.

Some of the animals that live in Skree and the nearby forest are skonks, toothy cows (like our cows except they have long fangs and are omnivores), thwaps–like squirrels, a menace to gardens, and flabbits–like rabbits bur hairless with exceptionally long ears..

The danger is real and scary, but humor is sprinkled throughout. In fact, there seemed too much humor in the first part of the book.

I had a hard time getting into the book at first. But once the action picked up and some of the things hinted at came to light, I thought it was very good.

Some of my favorite quotes:

Blood was shed that you three might breathe the good air of life, and if that means you have to miss out on a Zibzy game, then so be it. Part of being a man is putting others’ needs before your own (pp. 23-24),.

There’s just something about the way he sings. It makes me think of when it snows outside, and the fire is warm, and Podo is telling us a story while you’re cooking, and there’s no place I’d rather be–but for some reason I still feel… homesick (p. 70).

Even if hope is just a low ember at night, in the morning you can still start a fire.

An animated series has been made of the books–at least the first two, I think. I have not seen it but want to with my son’s family. It appears to be very well done.

(Sharing with Bookish Bliss)

Review: This Promised Land

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This Promised Land

In Cathy Gohlke’s latest novel, This Promised Land, Ginny Pickering Boyden is finally about to realize her dream of traveling to her family’s ancestral home in England. Decades earlier, she had run away to marry her boyfriend before he shipped out to WWII. Her mother and brother disowned her; she lost the baby she was expecting; and her husband came back maimed in body and mind. She cared for him as long as she could, and then he spent the rest of his years in a nursing home. When he died, Ginny spent years recovering and paying off her debts so she could travel.

Now she has just retired from her job when she gets a letter from a lawyer in New Scrivelsby, VA–the town where her family owned a Christmas tree farm for generations. The letter says her brother has died and there is a problem with his will. She needs to come and settle the family business.

Ginny doesn’t want to go, but doesn’t seem to have a choice. She plans for a quick trip to sign whatever papers are needed, see her parents’ graves, and then get on with her life.

But the situation is more complicated than she thought. Her mother, who had died long before, had actually left the Christmas tree farm and family home to her. Her brother, Harold, had told his sons he was leaving everything to them, but he couldn’t since he didn’t rightfully own it.

On top of that, Harold was not in his right mind his last few years. Despite his son’s efforts, Harold took out a sizeable loan and didn’t pay two years worth of taxes.

Even if Ginny wanted the farm, there’s no way she could pay its debts. She has no choice but to sell.

Harold’s son, Luke, has been running the farm almost single-handedly. He believes his father’s lies about Ginny and figures she’s swooping to claim everything and sell it all, leaving him high and dry.

And then Harold’s other son, Mark shows up. A Vietnam veteran, Mark has been in and out of trouble with drugs and alcohol. He did some time in jail while his three children were placed in separate foster homes. All he wants is to sell out his part of the farm to his brother so he can try to make a new start with his children. He’s stunned to learn that his brother doesn’t own the farm.

All the branches of the family tree are fractured and barely holding on. Harold is angry and barely gives Ginny or Mark a chance. His longsuffering wife, Bethany, urges patience and grace. Mark’s children desperately need stability, but his addiction recovery is fragile.

They decide to try to maintain the farm through one more Christmas season to see if they can recover their losses. If not, Ginny will sell and divide the proceeds between them. Though keeping the farm is uncertain, Ginny hopes the rifts can heal and they can become a true family, something they all need.

Unbeknownst to them all, they have enemies without as well as within.

The Bible story of the prodigal son comes up often in this story, with Ginny realizing she has been in the place of both the prodigal and the resentful older brother. Now she wants to be like the welcoming father. But all the family’s problem make it difficult.

Ginny enjoys the hobby of pressing flowers and making pictures with the dried blooms. She shares this with the children and even uses their creations to make framed art to sell to help the farm. Along with the interesting process of how flowers are dried and pressed, the process symbolized that “something so pretty and permanent could come out of something as short-lived as a rose” and “life was not done–simply waiting to bloom again.”

I have enjoyed all of Cathy’s books that I have read, and this one is no exception. The characters are well-developed, and the faith element is woven in naturally. It’s easy to sympathize with all the characters and their struggles. I like how the author brought everything together in the end.

I listened to the audiobook, nicely read by Sarah Zimmerman.

(Sharing with Bookish Bliss)