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April Reflections

Posted on April 30, 2025 by Barbara Harper

Spring has finally settled in, and I am enjoying the “in-between” weather–not too hot or cold.

Highlights in April include Easter, Timothy’s birthday, and the guys’ first camping trip in Jim’s new camper van.

Watching

We finished up The House of David. This first season ended with David’s confrontation with Goliath. Though the filmmakers embellished the story in ways they didn’t need to, we still got the truth that David met Goliath in faith. It seemed miraculous that David even got the chance, since his brothers as well as the other soldiers would not have let an untrained teenager on the battle field.

When Jim was camping, I watched Wicked, a retelling of the “Wicked Witch’s” story from The Wizard of Oz. I had seen a few clips but wasn’t sure what else to expect. I ended up liking it a lot more than I thought I would. I’ve mentioned before that I used to avoid any story with witches or “magic” until I realized that “fairy tale magic” is a different thing that the occult (more thoughts on that here).

Creating

I don’t do a lot of freehand work when I make cards: neither my handwriting nor my drawing skills are great, so I rely on my tools. A couple of Timothy’s main interests are balloon men (also called tube men or air dancers) and tornado sirens. I wanted to incorporate both in his birthday card, but couldn’t find Cricut images or stickers of either. In fact, when I searched for “tornado sirens,” most of the results were mermaids–I guess they were thinking of the sirens of Greek mythology, which are different from mermaids, but, oh well.

I wanted to have a tube man looking like he was using a tornado siren as a megaphone. So here’s what I came up with.

I thought of adding a few other touches but decided to quit while I was ahead.

This card was meant for a baby shower, but I ended up not using it, for a couple of reasons.

I’d seen a similar idea on Pinterest, which often leads back to the maker’s website with instructions. This one didn’t, so I was figuring it out on my own. I didn’t realize the cross piece was too long until I already had it glued down. Plus, I thought it would look neat to use real twine. Although it wasn’t very thick, it was enough that it left a bump under each of the bears. I wasn’t up to redoing this one from scratch, so I went with a simpler idea.

The onesie and bears were done with the Cricut.

The following two were simple variations on the same idea. These were for friends, one recovering from an accident and the other recovering from surgery.

The blue card is one of my all-time favorites. The words were done with a stamp. The rosy corners on the second card were done with a punch. The lacy strips across the bottom of both were from a set of stickers.

Reading

Since last time, I have finished (titles link to my reviews):

Hebrews for You by Michael J. Kruger, a helpful commentary on the biblical book of Hebrews.
An Ocean of Grace by Tim Chester, a Lenten devotional compiled of writings of many Christians of the past.
The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien, the last of his Lord of the Rings series.
The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry. Though the main story was good, I had some problems and mixed emotions with this one.
Wild Swan by Patti Callahan Henry, a novella of Florence Nightingale’s difficulties in convincing her family that she was called to be a nurse.
He Should Have Told the Bees, another winner by Amanda Cox. Two young women who don’t know each other are named in the same trust, which leaves them co-owners of the one’s farm and apiary. In trying to find out why, they discover each other’s history and more about themselves. Excellent.

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
On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, Volume 1 of the Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson
Ruth by Elizabeth Gaskell

Blogging

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

The First Step to Murder. Just as lust is the first step to adultery, and is a sin in itself, contempt and dehumanizing others is the first step to murder.
Redeemed Regrets. Regrets can haunt us even when we know we’re forgiven. But God can redeem them and use them for good.
The Cross Is the Measure, both of the awfulness of sin and the depths of God’s love.
When Stones Speak. Jesus said if people were silenced from acknowledging Him, the very stones would cry out. It turns out stones have testified of Him many times.
If Jesus Had Not Been Resurrected, how bleak and horrible our outlook would be.
What Does Jesus Pray for Us? I knew that Jesus prayed for us but never considered what He prayed for us until a book I was reading inspired a study of Jesus’ prayers.

As we change the calendar to May, we look forward to Mother’s Day, a ladies’ luncheon at church, the resuming of our writing critique group, and a long-awaited appointment.

How was your April? What do you look forward to in May?

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

Review: He Should Have Told the Bees

Posted on April 29, 2025 by Barbara Harper

He Should Have Told the Bees by Amanda Cox tells the story of two young women whose lives intersect unexpectedly.

Beckett Walsh kept bees with her father until he died unexpectedly. Her mother had left them when Beckett was small. Though memories of her mother are hazy, her leaving sent Beckett into nightmares of monsters when she was a child and panic attacks as a young person and adult. Her father had left his job as a banker to homestead, start an apiary, and accommodate Beckett’s needs. But now he’s gone. Still, Beckett thinks she can do just fine, despite her aunt’s attempts to manage her life.

Callie Peterson grew up with an unstable alcoholic mother who went through a series of men. Now Callie has distanced herself and bought a building to start a new business making candles, lotions, etc. But the building is going to need more work than she thought. And then her mother shows up on her doorstep, claiming she’s ready to seek help. When Callie takes her to a rehab center, she’s unaware that her mother named her as the person responsible for the finances needed.

Both women get a summons about a hearing for a trust that Beckett’s father had set up, naming them both as co-owners of the farm. The two women never knew each other before. Beckett can’t fathom why her father would name this stranger a co-owner when he knows Beckett’s needs and problems. Callie doesn’t, either. But she wonders if selling the farm could help her financial problems. But doing so would oust Beckett from the only safe place she knows.

Both women try to understand why Beckett’s father named Callie in the trust. Their search leads them to secrets and connections they never knew about. Will both their lives be upended–or fulfilled?

I enjoyed this story quite a lot. It was easy to sympathize with each woman’s journey and pain.

The side characters are delightful. Beck is unexpectedly visited by a neighbor in the form of a young girl who says she is an alien. Callie’s booth neighbor in the markets where they sell their wares turns out to be a stabilizing factor in her life.

The book opens with an excerpt of a poem by John Greenleaf Whittier titled “Telling the Bees,” in which beehives are draped in black as the bees are told their keeper has died. Evidently, according to Wikipedia, this is a custom in many European countries. It was even done when Queen Elizabeth died in 2022.

At one point, Callie’s friend points out some sunbeams and says:

They’re called crepuscular rays. And they happen because of light hitting dust. It’s just ordinary, boring particulate floating all around us like it always does, and then bam, the light hits it and suddenly it’s something that makes people stop and take pictures. If that’s not a miracle, then I guess I don’t know what a miracle is (p. 54).

That becomes an underlying theme.

A few other quotes that stood out to me:

If she could stack up all the hurt in the world and sort the kind inflicted with malicious intent from the hurt inflicted by carelessness, how would the two compare? Was there really any difference when the result was the same? (p. 216).

It was a hard lesson to learn—that you couldn’t be the one to fill the holes in another person’s life. Working through dysfunctional patterns, finding healthy coping skills, and letting God heal the wounds the past left behind, those were things you couldn’t do for another person. No matter how much you wanted to (p. 251).

It’s possible for treasured things to come out of the brokenness. Even if it doesn’t happen the way any of us would have wanted. Even if it comes through loss (p. 299).

On a humorous note, it’s fun to notice a particular author’s unique repeated words. In this book and others, Amanda uses the word “scrubbed” a lot (eight times in this book)–she scrubbed her eyes, he scrubbed his hand over his face. And hearts tend to “stutter-step” when upset. And people “worry” their bottom lips.

Amanda doesn’t have end notes about the story, but there is an interview here where she discusses the book.

All in all, I’m happy to recommend this book.

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

What Does Jesus Pray for Us?

Posted on April 27, 2025 by Barbara Harper

Robert Murray McCheyne is quoted as saying, “If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies. Yet distance makes no difference. He is praying for me.”

The Bible tells us, “The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but [Jesus] holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:23-25).

I’ve known the last verse for decades. However, it never occurred to me to wonder what Jesus prays for us until I saw the topic discussed in An Ocean of Grace by Tim Chester. He quotes a Scottish pastor of the nineteenth century, William Symington, as saying that we can assume Jesus’ prayers in heaven are similar to what He prayed on Earth.

That makes sense. I imagine He prays things for us that are beyond our imagination or consideration. But it’s logical to think that His current prayers would mirror what He prayed while here.

So what did He pray when He lived in human form on Earth?

When Jesus foretold that Peter would deny Him, He said, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail” (Luke 22:31-32).

What a comfort and encouragement. Jesus knows our temptations, our weaknesses, and our enemy’s ambushes–and He prays that our faith will not fail.

In what we call Jesus’ high priestly prayer in John 17, He prays not only for the disciples He had then, but also “for those who will believe in me through their word”–us!

He prays first for God’s glory to be manifested through the Son.

Then He asks His father to keep us in His name., and later, to keep us from the evil one even as we live in this world.

Jesus pleads that we may be one, just as He and the Father are one.

He wants us to have His joy fulfilled in ourselves.

He prays that we might be sanctified in God’s word, which is truth.

And finally, He asks that we be with Him where He is, to behold His glory.

In a sense, Jesus might also be praying for all His expressed will in the Bible to be fulfilled in us, like Colossians 1:9-12 or Ephesians 3:14-21. He might include the things He taught His disciples to pray in what we call “the Lord’s prayer“: that we might reverence His name, for the coming of His kingdom, the provision of our needs, our forgiveness and forgiving, our leading, and our deliverance from evil.

But it touches my heart to think that Jesus is currently praying for me some of these same specific things He prayed when He was here. I’m sure He doesn’t pray in generalities, but for specifics. He prays as One who has been where we are, who has faced temptations as we do, who can sympathize with our weaknesses. What a boost to our faith and confidence. What a clarification of priorities. What an evidence of love.

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

Laudable Linkage

Posted on April 26, 2025 by Barbara Harper

I found several noteworthy blog posts this week:

The Good We Cannot See, HT to Challies. “I wanted to see the purpose of the suffering; at least a small glimpse. I wanted to understand even a small piece of why God allowed it. I wanted to see the man that Ezra would become because of the pain he endured. I wanted to see a piece of redemption. I wanted to experience the tangible comfort of knowing that God intended the suffering for good with good defined by me. Therein lies the trouble.”

All the Books I’ll Never Read, HT to Linda. This resonated with me so much! “Not only will I never read all the books I wish I could, but I’ll never be all the things that I want to be, or do all the things that I want to do. When this realization first hit me, I have to confess I did not roll with it well.”

What We Miss When We Skip the Prophets. “The prophetic books of the Old Testament make up 250 of the Bible’s 1189 chapters. That’s about 21% of the Bible! And I think those books are sorely neglected.”

Big Heads or Big Hearts, HT to Knowable Word. “Truth and love ought not be thought of as if they are opposites — as if the pursuit of one will automatically detract from the pursuit of the other. Even in specific situations, we shouldn’t think that we need to decide between standing for the truth and loving. We can always do both!”

Beware Toxic Servant Leadership, HT to Challies. “Sometimes, what people mean by servant leadership is not leadership at all. If I only understand leadership as deferring to others and not stepping on people’s toes, then I’m at risk of ignoring what God has called me to do. We have become so allergic to authority that anytime someone expresses any authority at all we immediately recoil. This is not good.”

Why Does John Mention That He Outran Peter to Jesus’ Tomb? HT to Challies. I don’t remember if I ever wondered about this, but I appreciate this answer.

The 15-Minute Block, HT to Redeeming Productivity. “I am obsessed with this idea of the 15-minute block. Anything and everything becomes possible when you break it down into a manageable chunk.”

Should We Capitalize Divine Pronouns? I’ve been taught all my life that capitalizing pronouns referring to God was a sign of respect to Him. But lately I’ve found several sources saying that capitalizing divine pronouns is not necessary–partly because they are not capitalized in the original languages nor in many Bible translations. I’m glad Tim categorizes this as a conscience issue. Author and editor Lori Hatcher discusses the same question in To Capitalize or not to Capitalize: Exploring the Deity Pronoun Question.

Dead Man Talking. Bob Roberts is frequent camp speaker and the founder of Kids4Truth Clubs. We attended the same church for several years. Bob had cancer a few years ago, which went into remission. But now it’s back in his liver, and the prognosis is not good. While undergoing some experimental treatments as a last effort, Bob didn’t want to “waste” his cancer. So he began a podcast with five men who have been his friends for 30+ years to discuss what God is doing in his life. The one I linked to is the third, where he discusses the first half of his “bucket list.” The first one was more general; the second one discussed friendship and the impact of the group potentially losing one member. These are available wherever one listens to podcasts and on YouTube.

If I listened to the wretched talk of proud men, I might sometimes fancy sin was not so very sinful! But I cannot think little of sin, when I look at the cross of Christ. — J. C. Ryle

Friday’s Fave Five

Posted on April 25, 2025 by Barbara Harper

Wow, it’s hard to believe this is the last Friday of April already. I think spring has finally settled in for the duration. The dogwoods exchanged their blossoms for leaves, but it was pretty to watch the trees raining pink petals for a few days.

It’s time for a weekly recounting of blessings with Susanne and friends at Living to Tell the Story. Through highs and lows, good times or bad, there are always things to be grateful for.

1. Easter Sunday church service. We had more songs than usual, plus different individuals read parts of the gospel accounts of Jesus death and resurrection. Very moving.

2. Easter celebration with the family. To accommodate Jesse’s third shift work and sleep schedule, we got together for Easter dinner rather than lunch. That actually worked out nicely. We had the usual favorites–ham and cheesy potatoes and salad, along with “resurrection rolls.” Mittu made a chocolate mousse cake. And Jim conducted the Easter egg hunt for the guys with cash-filled eggs. 🙂

3. Our own Easter baskets. I don’t make Easter baskets for Jim or myself, though I do keep back some candy for us. This year, Jason and Mittu made one for us! Well, for me. They got Jim an off-brand Lego-type set of a camper van.

My basket–or bucket:

4. Surprise lunch. Since my kids were old enough to make a sandwich or run the microwave, I have not usually cooked on Sunday evenings. We each fend for ourselves with leftovers or whatever we want to eat individually. But since we were having our big meal at dinnertime Easter Sunday, Jason and Mittu made a heat-and-eat Sunday lunch for us and brought it over Saturday night. That was so thoughtful and helpful.

5. Thinking alike. Jim ran a time-sensitive early-morning errand for me on Monday. On his way back, I texted, “Chick-Fil-A biscuit?” He texted back, “Already got it.” 🙂

That’s our week–how was yours?

Review: An Ocean of Grace

Posted on April 24, 2025 by Barbara Harper

Tim Chester collected collected thoughtful writings about Christ’s death and resurrection and edited them into An Ocean of Grace: A Journey to Easter with Great Voices of the Past.

Some of the selections are from familiar pens: Augustine, Martin Luther, and Charles Spurgeon. Others are more obscure: Cyril of Alexander from the fifth century, Gregory of Myssa from the fourth, Cyprian of the third, and many others. I was delighted to see a piece by Anne Steele, an eighteenth-century female hymn writer. And I was surprised to see a selection from Catherine Parr, Henry VIII’s last wife, leading me to read a little more about her online. I think Spurgeon is the most recent of the authors included.

These selections are divided into daily readings from Ash Wednesday to Easter. They are grouped into themes for each week: The Light of Love, The Welcome of Grace, The Exchange of Places; The Assurance of Faith, The Gift of Christ, and The Victory of God.

In his introduction, Chester says he removed archaic language except for poetry and hymns while trying to retain the “voice” of the original authors. He also says many “descriptions have been turned into a prayer addressed to God or an exhortation addressed to our own souls.” He doesn’t say why, but he also turned what I think were prose selections into a free-verse style of poetry. I wish he had kept the selections closer to the originals–but then maybe I wouldn’t think so if I read the originals.

I began reading this book late in the season due to finishing a previous study. Because of that, and because the selections were fairly short, I read two or three a day. I think that may have lessened the impact of them. If I read this book again, I’ll plan to read one a day as the author intended.

Nevertheless, I did receive much food for thought and warmth for heart by reading this book. I have many places marked, but I will try not to overwhelm you with quotes.

In an excerpt from Catherine Parr’s The Lamentations of a Sinner, she spends several lines listing her sins and Christ’s merits. She concludes:

Shall I fall in desperation?
No, I will call upon Christ,
the Light of the world,
the Fountain of life,
   the relief of all careful consciences,
    the Peacemaker between God and man,
     and the only health and comfort of all true repentant sinners.

By his almighty power he can save me
and deliver me out of this miserable state.
For this is the life everlasting, O Lord,
to believe you to be the true God,
and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ.
By this faith I am assured,
and by this assurance I feel the forgiveness of my sins:
this is what gives me confidence,
this is what comforts me,
this is what quenches all despair (p. 10).

This line of Puritan Stephen Charnock’s “A Discourse of the Knowledge of Christ Crucified” stood out to me: “May all the charms of sin be overcome by this ravishing love” (p. 27). He goes on to say:

How can we, with thoughts of the cross alive in our hearts, sin against so much tenderness, compassion and grace, and all the other perfections of you, our God, which sound so loud in our ears from the cross of Jesus? Shall we consider him hanging there to deliver us from hell and stain, and retain any desire to walk in the way which led him there? Can we take any pleasure in that which caused so much pain for our best friend? Can we love that which brought a curse better than him who bore the curse for us?” (pp. 26-27. I put this in paragraph form just to save time formatting).

This from Isaac Ambrose also stood out to me: “Surely his death is more satisfactory to God than all your sins can possibly be displeasing to God” (p. 94).

This was from Thomas Watson: “We cannot lift up Christ higher in heaven, but we may lift up him in our hearts. So let us believe him, adore him and love him, and exalt him in our lives, for all the doxologies and prayers in the world do not exalt Christ as much as a holy life” (p. 132).

I loved this closing poem from Henry Vaughan titled “Easter Hymn”:

Death, and darkness get you packing,
Nothing now to man is lacking,
All your triumphs now are ended,
And what Adam marred, is mended;
Graves are beds now for the weary,
Death a nap, to wake more merry;
Youth now, full of pious duty,
Seeks in thee for perfect beauty;
The weak and aged tired, with length
Of days, from thee look for new strength;
And infants with thy pangs contest
As pleasant, as if with the breast.
Then, unto him, who thus hath thrown
Even to contempt thy kingdom down,
And by his blood did us advance
Unto his own inheritance,
To him be glory, power, praise,
From this, unto the last of days! (p. 154).

I had a couple of formatting complaints in the book. Chester writes verse references as, for example, Isaiah 61 v 10 rather than Isaiah 61:10. The latter has been used for centuries. I have never seen the former except in Chester’s books. I wondered if perhaps it’s done that way in the UK, but I have read several books from authors from various countries without having seen this way of writing Bible references. I Googled “how to write Bible verse references” just to see if this is a new style, and I didn’t see it mentioned in any source I looked at. It’s not a big deal in the grand scheme of things. It’s more a commentary on my heart to say it irritated me. But I tried to overlook it

The other complaint is not unique to Mr. Chester, but is to all the books I have from The Good Book Company. They put the table of contents in the back of the book rather than in the front after the title page. That doesn’t make sense to me. I use the Table of Contents to look at where a book is going, not where it has been. When I am considering a new book, I look at the front cover, the back cover, the description, the table of contents, and the first few paragraphs or pages. If I look at a sample on Amazon, they usually only include the first several pages. If the Table of Contents is in the back, I am not able to see it in the sample.

I also wish Chester had listed the titles of all the readings in the Table of Contents rather than just the main section headings.

Again, these are minor issues compared to the content of the book.

There were just two or three places where I put a question mark or didn’t quite agree with how something was worded. But overall, I enjoyed this book and plan to use it again for Lenten reading in the future.

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

Hebrews for You

Posted on April 23, 2025 by Barbara Harper

Most New Testament epistles begin with who wrote the letter and who the audience is. The author of Hebrews does neither. He appears to be someone familiar with the apostles’ teaching. He might even have been an apostle himself. He references the Old Testament. and seems to assume his audience would be familiar with it. Thus we believe he’s writing primarily to Jewish Christians. Many were undergoing persecution for their belief in Jesus and the prophesied Messiah. Some felt maybe they should go back to the Jewish traditions they had been taught.

The main theme of the book is that Jesus is better: better than angels, better than Moses, better than God’s previous revelations. His priesthood, according to the line of Melchizedek Psalm 110:4), is better because it’s eternal. His sacrifice is better because He only had to offer it once; He didn’t have to offer sacrifices for His own sin because He didn’t have any sin.

There are stern warnings at the end of each section–warnings against apostasy, against failing to enter God’s rest.

Probably most people who know anything about Hebrews are familiar with the “hall of faith” in Hebrews 11: the detailed list of people in the Bible who did follow Jesus in faith. They weren’t perfect; some on the list are a surprise. They are an encouragement to us to keep following.

This chapter also tells us, “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (verse 6).

Chapter 12 urges readers to endure God’s discipline as a loving father and reminds us of the coming kingdom that cannot be shaken. Chapter 13 ends with practical instructions and applications.

One of my favorite verses in the book comes near the end in chapter 13, verses 20-21: “Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” What a magnificent prayer that we can pray today.

Even though the first audience was Jewish, we Gentiles benefit from reading the book today. The truth it contains is applicable to all. We’re spiritual children of Abraham by faith (Galatians 3:7-9) and we’ve been grafted in (Romans 11). We don’t replace Israel. But we’re part of God’s family. So all this truth pertains to us, too.

If you’ve read through the first five books of the Bible, especially if you’ve gotten lost in Leviticus, reading Hebrews will really help in understanding.

Our ladies’ Bible study has been reading Hebrews this semester using Michael Kruger’s book, Hebrews for You: Giving You an Anchor for Your Soul as an aid. I appreciated the author’s thoughtful insights as he went verse by verse through the book.

Some of the quotes I marked:

The old covenant was not false or wrong. But it was provisional and partial. “The law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities [Hebrews 10:1]” (p. 136).

Since God’s word is empowered by the Holy Spirit, when we encounter the word, we encounter God. It is through God’s word that we meet him, learn from him, and have fellowship with him (p. 61).

The word of God is not just a way to get to know God but also a way to get to know yourself. When you read the Bible and let it penetrate your heart, you will see things about yourself that you never saw before. You will see your real intentions, your real motives, and your real character. This is a good thing because there is rot and mildew built up in our hearts which need to be exposed (p. 65).

People in our world today sometimes embrace doubt and uncertainty as things worth striving for in themselves; Christians, by contrast, believe that there are certainties, even though we may find it difficult to hold on to them. So, when we have those struggles with doubt, we fight them. We look for reassurance from God (p. 164).

God does not promise that if we follow him we will have health and wealth—becoming successful or rich. There is a sad trend in evangelicalism today of teachers claiming that if you follow God it will make your life better in earthly ways. Of course, it is better to follow Jesus; but that does not mean bigger bank accounts or more popularity. This is not your best life now (p. 190).

Hebrews has some difficult passages, but Kruger’s commentary helped shed light on them.

I’m happy to recommend this book.

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

Two Books by Patti Callahan Henry

Posted on April 22, 2025 by Barbara Harper

I’ll say upfront that I have mixed emotions about these two books by Patti Callahan Henry. I’ll explain why a little later.

In the first one, The Story She Left Behind, Clara Harrington lives in Bluffton, SC in 1952. Her mother, Bronwyn, was a child prodigy who wrote a best-selling book at the age of twelve. But Bronwyn disappeared twenty-five years ago, taking her dictionary of a language she had created with her. The family’s boat was found, but Bronwyn and her dictionary were not. Most assumed both were at the bottom of the sea.

Clara was eight when her mother disappeared, and she lived under the shadow of that event all her life. Now she’s a divorced mom with an eight-year-old daughter. They live with Clara’s father. Clara is a successful children’s book illustrator who is about to receive the Caldecott medal.

Then one day, out of the blue, Clara receives a phone call from England. A man tying up his father’s affairs found an old satchel in his father’s study. Inside was a stack of papers with words he couldn’t understand, along with a note and a sealed letter addressed to Clara. The note said the contents of the satchel were to be given only to Clara in person. They must not be mailed.

At first, Clara thinks the caller is another scammer, looking for information or seeking remuneration for false information. But as the man, Charlie, describes the satchel and reads the note, Clara realizes they are truly her mother’s.

With her father’s help, Clara and her daughter, Wynnie, take a ship and then a train to England.

The story was inspired by a true one concerning Barbara Newhall Follett, a child prodigy who wrote a book at age eight and had it published at age twelve. She also developed a language for her stories. And she disappeared at age 28. But the comparisons seem to end there. She didn’t have a daughter, and nothing is known about her since her disappearance.

The bones of Henry’s story are very good. I enjoyed the unrolling of the mystery. I liked the historical references, including Beatrix Potter and T. S. Elliot. Clara and Wynnie arrive in London during the “great smog,” a period of several days in which London was covered in an unusually thick fog caused by weather conditions and coal used for heating. Some 4,000 people died and a hundred thousand more were made ill by the air. I had also read of this in Christmas with the Queen by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb. In Henry’s story, the smog causes a crisis for Wynnie, who has asthma.

In the two previous books by Henry that I have read, Becoming Mrs. Lewis and Once Upon a Wardrobe, the author expressed some Christian-ish beliefs. That may have been just because C. S. Lewis, a major character in each book, was a Christian. I don’t know what Mrs. Henry’s personal beliefs are. But this book was thoroughly secular. That’s not so much a problem in itself–I wouldn’t expect anything different from a non-Christian. But I was very sorry to see a sex scene in the book plus continued reference to two characters sleeping together. One is even concerned that the other will somehow think less of her because she had only been intimate with her husband until now.

There were a lot of references that made me think the book was going to delve into magical realism. Emjie is the main character in Clara’s mother’s book and also Wynnie’s invisible friend (Wynnie insists she is invisible, not imaginary). There’s talk of Emjie being “sent” to Wynnie. Gaelic curses are mentioned, plus a couple of times the author writes variations of “All things are one and we are all things.” I’m not sure what philosophy that comes from, but I disagree with it.

There was a lot of repeat information, a lot of convenient coincidences, a smattering of “damns” and similar words and way too much taking the Lord’s name in vain. The romance developing over ten days seems unrealistic.

I listened to the audiobook wonderfully narrated by Julia Whelan and Theo Solomon. And I appreciated that the author’s end notes were included, which isn’t often the case in an audiobook.

Wild Swan is only available on Audible at this point, and is included with an Audible membership. It’s short, less than two hours. This book tells about Florence Nightingale’s “calling” to become a nurse in an era when cultured, privileged young ladies did not do such things.

When Florence accompanies a friend and her ailing husband on their travels, she spends two weeks at a religious medical community in Germany. The simple, almost spartan lifestyle appealed to her. She felt confirmed in her calling as a nurse.

But when she returned home, her mother and sister called her ambition selfish and said they needed her.

The rest of the story tells her inward struggles and her family’s eventual agreement to let her pursue her calling. A brief few paragraphs at the end tell of her accomplishments as well as a scene at the beginning when she meets with Queen Victoria.

This audiobook was narrated by Cynthia Erivo, who did a great job except for speaking a little too quietly sometimes.

I thought this story was very good. Mrs. Henry portrays Florence as a little too “Woe is me,” but then, she would have been greatly frustrated at being expected to fritter away her life in idle pastimes when she wanted to be useful.

The is the second book of Henry’s in which she compares mountains or hills to a resting woman’s breasts. I don’t see any need to inject a sensual element into such descriptions. It made a little more sense for Joy Davidman in Becoming Mrs. Lewis, but it doesn’t seem like Florence would think in those terms.

Several times, Henry has Florence referring to the Victorian era or Victorian women. I wondered if that term would have been used during Queen Victoria’s lifetime. Perhaps so. But it seems like people in later eras would have referred back to this time as Victorian rather than the people living during that time.

Henry is a gifted writer, and her books are wildly popular (the library’s waiting lists for both the print and Kindle versions of The Story She Left Behind had about thirty people each). Once Upon a Wardrobe was my favorite and had the fewest objectionable elements. Personally, though I liked the main stories in each book, I had reservations about some of the content.

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

If Jesus Had Not Been Resurrected

Posted on April 20, 2025 by Barbara Harper

There’s an old Christmas song I’ve only heard a few times titled “If Jesus Had Not Come” by Albert C. Norton and Donald P. Hustad. The songwriters list several consequences we would face if Jesus never came to earth. Then the rousing chorus affirms:

But Jesus came! He came to earth,
And men beheld His manger birth!
The shepherds heard the angels sing,
The wise proclaimed Him Lord and King!
He died, He rose; and by His blood,
We too become the sons of God;
We preach the gospel in His name!
For Jesus came! Yes, Jesus came!

This Easter week, I’m thinking about what the consequences would be if Jesus had not been raised from the dead.

No resurrection for us. 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 says Jesus was the “firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.” If He wasn’t raised from the dead, we won’t be, either. “If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied” (verse 19).

Futile faith. “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain . . . And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:14, 17).

No meaning in life. Paul questions the worth of the dangers he endured for gospel’s sake if there is no resurrection. “If the dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die'” (1 Corinthians 15:30-32).

Death’s sting. Paul concludes his “resurrection chapter” with this: “For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’ ‘O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?'” (1 Corinthians 15:53-55). But if Jesus is not risen, death’s sting is still with us.

No hope. Peter begins his epistle by saying, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3). But if there is no resurrection, we don’t have a living hope.

No inheritance. Peter speaks of an “inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” which encourages us in our trials. But we’ll never receive that inheritance if there is no resurrection. (Ephesians 1 also speaks of our inheritance.)

No seeing loved ones again. When a loved one dies, or when facing our own death, one comfort is that we’ll see our loved ones again if they’ve believed on the Lord. Paul shares in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 that those who have already died will be reunited with those of us who are still alive when Jesus returns. Therefore we do “not grieve as others do who have no hope.” But without that hope, we’ll be swallowed up in grief.

No comfort. After sharing the expectation that we’ll see our loved ones again after death, Paul tells us to comfort (some versions say encourage) one another with these words. Likewise, Peter says we can rejoice in our sufferings when Jesus’ glory is revealed (1 Peter 4:12-14). But with no resurrection, there is no comfort.

No power. Paul prays that we may know “what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 1:19-20). But with no resurrection, there is no resurrection power.

No intercession. Hebrews 7:25 says Jesus “is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” I can’t imagine being without His prayers!

No wrongs set right. One of our comforts in a world where there are so many wrongs is that some day they will be set right. Paul preached that God “has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17:31). But without the resurrection, those wrongs will never be righted.

No seeing Jesus. In this life, we love and believe in Jesus, though we do not see Him (1 Peter 1:8). We look forward to that “blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession” (Titus 2: 13-14). If he’s still buried, we won’t see Him.

No motivation. Paul concludes all he says about resurrection by encouraging, “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). But without resurrection, our work would be largely in vain and we’d lose our impetus to keep going.

Facing God’s wrath. Paul writes of the Thessalonians who “wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come” (1 Thessalonians 1:10). But if Jesus was not raised from the dead, we’re not delivered.

How bleak and hopeless life would be if Jesus had not been raised from the dead.

But, thank God, He has been raised! Not only that, He is the resurrection! He told Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live” (John 11:25).

I love how Krissy Nordhoff and Michel Neale expressed the joy of Jesus’ resurrection in The Mercy Tree (these are some middle verses and the chorus):

Hope went dark that violent dayThe whole earth quaked at love’s displayThree days silent in the groundThis body born for heaven’s crown.

And on that bright and glorious dayWhen heaven opened up the graveHe’s alive and risen indeedPraise Him for the Mercy Tree!

Death has died, love has wonHallelujah!, Hallelujah!Jesus Christ has overcomeHe has risen from the dead.

May we rejoice in all Jesus accomplished through His life, death, and resurrection! Hallelujah!

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

Laudable Linkage

Posted on April 19, 2025 by Barbara Harper

Here are some of the good reads found this week:

The Resurrection and the Rest of Your Life. “Encountering Jesus—walking with Him through both suffering and resurrection—changes you. When you trace His steps all the way to the cross and begin to grasp the weight of His love, when you witness His power over death and realize what He has already overcome—you don’t walk away the same.”

The Most Radical Thing You Can Bring to Easter Dinner, HT to Challies. “You look at the calendar and begin counting down the days to Easter—not with anticipation, but with angst. What should be a grateful celebration of the greatest event in history, Christ’s resurrection, is instead a time of stress as you think about getting together again with troublesome friends or family members.” Thankfully, none of the people we’re having for Easter is troublesome. But these reminders are good for any time of year.

The Dragon and the Rooster, HT to Challies. A father and daughter at odds and the power of forgiveness.

When Scripture Gets Stale, HT to Challies. “If you’re getting mired down in your reading, I want to give you some tips to help you refresh your mindset. If reading the Bible began to feel stale to me, here are five things I would do.”

When a Good Thing Turns Deadly, HT to Challies. Good and harmless things can become deadly if overindulged.

How to Publicly Thank God After a Work Win, HT to Redeeming Productivity. “Over the years, we’ve watched as the occasional actor or athlete directs thanks to God during an award show acceptance speech or after a big game. While most of us will never celebrate a win on national network television, gone are the days of a simple in-office announcement or a quiet dinner with family to celebrate a work promotion. Now, we update our LinkedIn profiles with a carefully crafted announcement that reaches beyond the intimate circles of our workplace or kitchen table. It’s wise to be discerning about how (and to whom) our gratitude is directed when we share good news.”

Shall we consider him hanging there to deliver us from hell and stain, and retain any desire to walk in the way which led him there? Can we take any pleasure in that which caused so much pain or our best friend? Stephen Charnock