Laudable Linkage

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Laudable Linkage

I haven’t been online as much as usual this week, but I have a short list of good reads discovered.

Count It All Joy: How to Grow and Mature in Trials. “I have a confession to make: Sometimes I revert to thinking like I’m in a fairytale. This one meets that one, and they live happily ever after. This happens and that happens and . . . they live happily ever after.”

Let’s Stop the Kid Jokes, HT to Challies. “While joking about kids may seem inconsequential in the moment, this sort of talk points to a larger cultural trend toward devaluing children by depicting them as burdensome and annoying. As Christians, we need to pause and reflect on how we speak about our children. Do our comments about parenting and our children’s struggles reflect Christ’s heart or the hot takes of our culture?”

The Measure of a Mom: How Women Combat Comparison. “Even in the local church, conflict flares unseen in the minds of mothers who allow their choices to become their identity. And with so many choices available, there are infinite ways for us to be divided.”

I Don’t Want to Be Taught! “While the rest of us are trying to white-knuckle a disciplined outward appearance, my youngest daughter’s disdain for being taught was in full display. It caused me to consider the state of my own heart, how often I might resent being shown my lack of wisdom and knowledge in matters more weighty than chess. Despite following Christ for most of my life, I find I am often still trying to go it alone, trying to prove I know the rules (or can make my own) and can safely play by them.”

How I Read Ten Books at Once. My own routine has some similarities, except I’m in five to seven books at any given time. I shared some of that several years ago in Finding Time to Read.

You Can’t Afford to Sit Out the 2024 Election. “There is no perfect party or candidate. But some support policies that do a better job of honoring biblical values. I pray for protection for those who do.” I don’t say much about politics here, but I believe we need to be good stewards of this right we’ve been given to have a voice in our elected officials.

Unbelief puts our circumstances between us and God, but faith puts God between us and our circumstances. F. B. Meyer

Unbelief puts our circumstances between us and God,
but faith puts God between us and our circumstances.
—F. B. Meyer

Friday’s Fave Five

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October is chugging right along. I’m pausing a few moments with Susanne and friends at Living to Tell the Story to remember the good parts of the week.

1. Getting “extra” things done. You know how, when someone is coming over, all of a sudden you have a number of projects and “extra” housekeeping tasks you want to get done? A friend was due to stay with us overnight on her trip from OH to SC, but had to change plans due to Hurricane Helene. She did go later, but had to vary her route so much that she wasn’t passing close to us any more. I decided to go ahead with some of those extra activities anyway, which was helpful since we’re having some folks over for dinner this week.

2. Answered prayer. My son’s friend’s cancer surgery went well, and a friend’s family in FL was safe during Hurricane Milton.

3. Dinner and games. Timothy texted and asked if he and his mom and dad could bring dinner over one night. Of course! We often play Jackbox games through the Apple TV, but this time played Telestrations at the table since Tim is old enough to handle it now. That one always provides laughs and creativity.

4. Rearranging and sorting books. I have a small bookcase in our bedroom (in addition to two large ones in the family room and one in the guest bedroom). The small one has my massive pile of “to-be-read” books. I also put books there that I have finished but either haven’t found a place for yet or haven’t decided what to do with. It felt good to get those organized and dusted, find places for a few, and set aside a stack to give away.

5. Recorded Zoom training sessions. A couple of sites I follow had Zoom meetings about writing with special guests and a Q&A session afterward. I couldn’t attend either at the time, but, thankfully, the sponsors made the recordings available to watch later. I’ve worked my way through those a little at a time throughout the week.

How was your week?

Review: Be Alert: (2 Peter, 2 & 3 John, Jude); Beware of Religious Imposters

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Be Alert: Beware of Religious Imposters

At first glance, it might seem like Warren Wiersbe collected leftover short epistles to review in Be Alert: (2 Peter, 2 & 3 John, Jude); Beware of Religious Imposters. However, as his subtitle indicates, these four books near of the end of the New Testament have a common theme.

Often we go to the Bible for comfort, affirmation, assurance that God loves us and will take care of us. Those motives aren’t wrong: we find all those things in the Bible.

But the Bible’s purpose isn’t just to make us feel warm and cozy. God is truth, and anything that isn’t in line with His Word is falsehood. Satan, as God’s enemy, works seemingly tirelessly to question and pervert what God said. Indeed, his first recorded temptation was to question Eve in the garden of Eden about what God said and then to twist it. Often Satan includes enough truth to hook unsuspecting individuals.

That’s one reason to know God’s truth well (the first being that we learn to know God by learning His truth). Paul warned that “Men will rise up even from your own number and distort the truth to lure the disciples into following them” (Acts 20:30). Peter shared that false teachers will “twist” the Scriptures (“wrest” in the KJV). “The Greek word translated ‘wrest’ means ‘to torture on the rack, to distort and pervert’” (p. 113).

2 Peter, 2 and 3 John, and Jude all share what false teachers do, what motivates them, and what judgement is coming to them.

We’re not to support false teachers in any way, not even allowing them into our homes (2 John 10-11), but we’re to help those who have been influenced by them. “And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh” (Jude 22-23).

While the call to beware of false teachers is meant to help us to be alert and careful, we don’t need to panic or live in fear. 2 Peter opens with the reminder that “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire” (2 Peter 1:3-4) and closes with “You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen” (2 Peter 3:17-18).

Likewise, Jude ends his warnings with “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life” (verses 20-21). Wiersbe comments, “He did not write, ‘Keep yourselves saved!’ because he had already assured them that they were ‘preserved in Jesus Christ’ (Jude 1). He wrote, ‘Keep yourselves in the love of God.’ Our Lord made a similar statement recounted in John 15: 9: ‘Continue ye in my love’” (p. 191). After several paragraphs on Christian love, he concludes, “We grow in our love for God as we listen to His Word, obey it, and delight in doing what pleases Him. That is how we keep ourselves in God’s love” (p. 192).

Finally, Jude concludes with this wonderful benediction: “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To ]God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen” (verses 24-25).

Here are a few more thoughts Wiersbe shared:

In his first epistle, Peter emphasized the grace of God (1 Peter 5: 12), but in this second letter, his emphasis is on the knowledge of God. The word know or knowledge is used at least thirteen times in this short epistle. The word does not mean a mere intellectual understanding of some truth, though that is included. It means a living participation in the truth in the sense that our Lord used it in John 17: 3: “This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (italics Wiersbe’s) (p. 19, Kindle version).

God has not only given us all that we need for life and godliness, but He has also given us His Word to enable us to develop this life and godliness. These promises are great because they come from a great God and they lead to a great life. They are precious because their value is beyond calculation. If we lost the Word of God, there would be no way to replace it. Peter must have liked the word precious, for he wrote about the “precious faith” (2 Peter 1: 1; cf. 1 Peter 1: 7), the “precious promises” (2 Peter 1: 4), the “precious blood” (1 Peter 1: 19), the precious stone (1 Peter 2: 4, 6), and the precious Savior (1 Peter 2: 7) (p. 22).

God gives His children all that they need to live godly lives, but His children must apply themselves and be diligent to use the “means of grace” He has provided. Spiritual growth is not automatic. It requires cooperation with God and the application of spiritual diligence and discipline. “Work out your own salvation.… For it is God which worketh in you” (Phil. 2: 12–13) (pp. 22-23).

It is a frightening fact that many people who are now zealous members of cults were at one time attending churches that at least professed to believe the Christian gospel (p. 79).

And with that, I have finished all 50 of Warren Wiersbe’s “Be” commentaries!

Review: Tending Roses

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In Tending Roses by Lisa Wingate, Kate Bowman drives with her husband and baby son to her grandmother’s Missouri farm a few weeks before Christmas. But this will be no idyllic holiday season.

Kate’s grandmother “had a talent for stirring up unpleasantness, she was an expert on every subject, and she felt the need to control everyone” (p. 16). She acted like a martyr when she didn’t get her way. She was so fussy about her house, Kate often felt she loved it more than her.

Kate’s grandmother has become forgetful and nearly burned the farmhouse down. Kate’s father and aunt are coming for Christmas and planning to move Grandma Rose into a nursing home.

All the family has not been together and has rarely spoken to each other since Kate’s mother died.

So this holiday family reunion has all the makings of a potential war.

Kate and her husband have been elected to go to the farm early, under the guise of an extended visit, to help keep an eye on Grandma and prevent any other fires or disasters til the rest of the family comes. Kare is still on maternity leave due to her son’s heart condition, and her husband works remotely, so they are the perfect candidates.

But worries over the baby’s health, the piles of medical bills, and her assistant taking over her job have Kare distracted.

At first the visit goes about as well as Kate expected. But one day she finds her grandmother’s journal and discovers the hopes, dreams, and trials she experienced as a younger woman. That and getting to know her on an everyday level have Kate questioning her own future as well as the family’s decision about Grandma’s.

There’s naturally a lot of tension at first in the book with all the personality clashes and problems. But I loved the story arc and the slow understanding that developed between Kate and her grandmother.

A secondary story line involves Dell, an impoverished child living nearby in a shack with her ailing grandmother. “Poverty and ignorance were characters we saw on TV, or sometimes passed on the highway while traveling to some vacation hideaway. They were not our neighbors. They did not have faces with soft brown eyes and down-turned mouths that never smiled” (p. 83).

A few sentences that stood out to me:

I felt a little like a wishbone in a tug-of-war (p. 146).

Grandma sensed World War III coming on and stepped in like Switzerland (p. 175).

That’s the problem with people. We’ll starve to death looking over the fence when we’re knee-deep in grass where we are (p. 206).

Years have mellowed my joy in Christmas, as in all things. The packages, the tree, the fire, all carry memories to me—reminders that I am the last. Looking at them, I relive, remember, and regret. And an ache blossoms in my breast that I am no longer young (p. 232).

This had been the hardest year of my life, when all the colors ran outside the lines I had drawn, but also the year when I finally discovered myself (pp. 272-273).

This story is more than a reminder to “stop and smell the roses.” It weaves together themes of family, forgiveness, faith, materialism versus contentment, aging, caring for each other, especially the elderly.

This book is the first in a series of five. I’m looking forward to the rest of the series.

To Confront or Cover?

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To Confront or Cover?

There are times the Bible tells us to overlook offenses.

Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses (Proverbs 10:12).

Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends (Proverbs 17:9).

Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense (Proverbs 19:11).

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8).

But other times, we’re told to confront sin.

Whoever rebukes a man will afterward find more favor than he who flatters with his tongue (Proverbs 28:23).

If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector (Matthew 18:15-17).

My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins (James 5:19-20).

How do you know when to confront someone and when to overlook what they did?

That’s something I have wrestled with most of my adult life. By nature, I tend to avoid confrontation unless I am in a position of authority, such as with my children or a class.

As I have pondered these questions, it seemed confrontation is clearly called for when someone

  • commits a crime
  • violates a clear, specific biblical command, like lying or committing adultery
  • hurts someone else, like an abuser
  • premeditates any of these things.

On the other end of the scale, we should obviously overlook minor irritations like squeezing the toothpaste tube or putting toilet paper roll on the “wrong” way.

But a vast gray area exists between those extremes.

Once I was talking with a friend who was upset with our pastor. He had preached a strong Mother’s Day message about the value of a mother in the home. He never said a mother shouldn’t work outside the home, but my friend felt that’s what he meant. She felt that she had no choice but to work while mothering. She was so troubled that she was already planning to avoid church the next Mother’s Day.

We moved shortly thereafter, but I was concerned about a larger breach forming between my friend and the pastor. I didn’t think she had sinned, but Hebrews 12:15 warns of a “root of bitterness” which would have caused much grief and more hurt. I don’t remember what I said in the moment, but this concern grew to the point that I wrote my friend a letter, trying to bring understanding and smooth things over. Still feeling uncertain over whether I should say anything, I asked God to let the letter get lost in the mail if it wasn’t His will for it to reach her.

Soon I got a note from my friend saying, “I hope you didn’t send me a bunch of money, because I received an envelope from you with nothing in it.”

Furthermore, the next time we talked, she spoke of the pastor in glowing terms. So no breach had formed at all.

Well—God definitely answered my prayer! But I was also a bit shaken. This was obviously not a time God wanted me to intervene. So how could I know when He did, especially when my bent was to avoid doing so?

How do we navigate the gray areas? I still don’t have all the answers, but these principles come to mind.

Pray much. We can cause further problems if we jump in where we shouldn’t. We need God’s wisdom and guidance.

Be swift to hear, slow to speak (James 1:19). Unless someone is in imminent danger, it’s better to act slowly and cautiously. “The one who gives an answer before he listens — this is foolishness and disgrace for him” (Proverbs 18:3).

Speak from a relationship. An expression of concern will go over much better if there is a previous relationship. Someone who knows me and cares about me has more of a right to point out something wrong than an acquaintance.

Speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). Someone whose blog I have lost track of wrote about a woman in her church who spoke to her rather harshly about dressing immodestly at church. To this younger lady’s credit, she took the woman’s rebuke to heart and agreed with her. But the way it was handled caused unnecessary pain.

Aim for restoration. Most rebuke in Scripture is meant to help turn the person around. We live in such a smack-down culture, we need to remember not to just lob attacks at people. We don’t point out wrong in order to elevate ourselves as “right,” but to help the person see what’s wrong and be motivated to correct it.

Give the benefit of the doubt. For example, if a person seemingly snubbed you at church, consider that maybe they didn’t see you or were preoccupied.

Consider extenuating circumstances. When people are under stress, they say and do things they wouldn’t otherwise. After everything calms down, we might need to discuss how what they said hurt our feelings. But then again, we might write the offense off as uncharacteristic.

If this kind of reaction is a habit, though, I think a discussion is probably necessary. Abusers often follow this pattern of blowing up, then blaming their reaction on the other person.

When you overlook, truly overlook. If we’re not going to speak to someone about their offense, we shouldn’t stew over it.

Don’t be a busybody. A young woman in a former church shared with some of us that an older woman told her that she and her husband shouldn’t wait until he finished school, as they planned, to have children. This same older woman told another young mother that she was having too many children too close together. Though I know this older woman felt she was “helping,” she seems to me to have stepped over the line.

When the young wife told us of this incident and how it hurt her and seemed an unnecessary intrusion, I said, “That sounds like Mrs. X.” It was Mrs. X. Another lady in the group spoke of needing to know how to take Mrs. X. so as not to get feelings hurt. But I have often wondered if someone should have said something to Mrs. X.

Ephesians 4:1-3 says, “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

Sometimes love bears with each other in our faults and foibles; sometimes love points out wrong that it may be confessed and forgiven.

What helps you decide when to do which?

Speaking the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15a)

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

Laudable Linkage

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Laudable Linkage

Here is some of the thought-provoking writing I found online this week:

The Corner of Sanity. “The Corner of Sanity has ended up being the most graciously extended metaphor for my life as a Mom; I’ve willingly handed over my sleep schedule, my to-do list, and certainly my standards of cleanliness each time a new baby comes along. But from the beginning, I’ve learned the vital importance of holding fast to morning time with God to get me through. Many other priorities can be downgraded or abandoned entirely, but going without time in the Word and in prayer has been akin to spiritual starvation. Trying to love and tend young life while starving is impossible to sustain—at some point, I will just run dry.”

When You Fear Your Best Days Are Behind You. “We notice how our struggles have changed us and fear we may never be able to do anything significant again. We look at how we are now, compare ourselves to how we used to be, and think our most fruitful years are behind us.”

Complaining to God. “In the book of Numbers the people of Israel are judged for moaning and groaning about not having enough food. Then why are there so many Psalms of lament, suggesting that complaining to God is okay?”

How Hannah Found Peace in the Middle of Pain. “Sometimes I’ve told myself, ‘When I get past this, then I’ll quit fretting.’ However, if my peace depends on my circumstances or other people, then peace is fragile and illusive. The story of Hannah in 1 Samuel 1-2 shows sorrow and challenges can either rob our peace or push us toward the Source of peace.”

Proverbs Purpose #4: To Transform People. “He desires nothing less than the transformation of the simple person (‘the youth’) into a wise person (who has ‘prudence’), and of a wise person (‘one who understands’) into a wiser person (one who will ‘increase in learning’).”

Guard Your Heart When Suffering, HT to Challies. “In an effort to pull us away from fellowship with the Lord and our effectiveness in the kingdom of God, Satan is always looking for weak spots to target his assaults on God’s children. His long experience with humans has taught him that we are especially vulnerable in times of physical weakness. This is why he delights in or taking advantage of times of physical suffering.”

What If He’s Faithful? HT to Challies.”I’d like to pose another question when life is hard and you’re fearful of the future. What if He’s faithful? Instead of immediately defaulting to all the potential disasters, what if we take our thoughts captive and force them to settle down in front of the 100% likelihood of who God will be to us no matter how hard life gets?”

He’s Still Working on Me. “As he and I don’t go away by ourselves very often, I had a verrrry hard time with this turn of events. Since I’m a Christian and believe in the sovereignty of God, I knew God could have changed the timing of this sickness or just not allowed it to happen in the first place. But he didn’t. And though it wasn’t a life-threatening illness, I was still less than pleased.”

Clearing Up Confusion About Humility, HT to Challies.”Here’s the simple guideline: To develop humility, don’t put yourself up relative to others, and don’t put others down relative to you. Instead, do the opposite.”

“The only thing that keeps me stable and settled in these days of uncertainty is the absolute dependability of God’s Word.” — Elisabeth Elliot

“The only thing that keeps me stable and settled in these days of uncertainty
is the absolute dependability of God’s Word.” — Elisabeth Elliot

Friday’s Fave Fives

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Friday's Fave Five

This first Friday of the month, I echo what Anne of Green Gables said: I am so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers! I’m joining with Susanne and friends at Living to Tell the Story to share some blessings of the week.

1. Safety. I mentioned last week that we were predicted to lose power for a few days during Hurricane Helene. Some people in the area did, but most were fine. Our lights dimmed a couple of times, but, thankfully, didn’t go out. My two sisters in SC were without power for several days but have it back now.

As I mentioned Wednesday, though the storm is over, the ramifications are not. It’s not often that hurricane-level winds and rain make it this far from the coast, but parts of TN, SC, WV, and particularly NC and FL were hit badly and will take years to recover.

2. Helpers. Though some of the photos and footage I’ve seen are horrifying, I’ve also been heartened to see groups and individuals jumping in to help.

3. Fall coolness and color. We’re still pretty warm in the afternoons, but the evenings have been so nice. And, though this sounds trite in light of what some people have lost, I was really hoping the trees wouldn’t be stripped bare of leaves during the storm. Soaking up the beauty of fall color helps me get through the bleakness of winter. I’m happy to say we have plenty of leaves left that are turning lovely fall shades.

4. Fall decorations. I finally got these put up last weekend. I didn’t take any pictures since the decorations are the same as in years past.

5. Dinner. Last Sunday night, Jason and Mittu came over and made grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup from Jim’s tomato bounty. He only planted one package of seeds, and the tomatoes have been small, but they’ve been prolific.

That’s our week. How was yours?

Review: Written on the Wind

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Written on the Wind by Elizabeth Camden

In Written on the Wind by Elizabeth Camden, Natalia Blackstone has an unusual position for a woman in 1900. Her father owns a major bank in New York. Natalia rose through the ranks until she became one of his main analysts. Because her mother was Russian and Natalia speaks Russian fluently, she heads the analysis and funding for the Trans-Siberian Railway project.

She has communicated so often with the man in charge of the project, Count Dimitri Sokolov, that the two have become friends. Their correspondence veers into music, literature, and a number of other interests.

Lately, however, Natalia hasn’t heard from Dimitri. When she inquires about him, she is only told that he is no longer on the project.

Unknown to Natalia, Dimitri had been ordered to take part in an appalling crime. When he refused, he was arrested, stripped of his title and lands, and exiled to a Siberian penal colony. His only hope is to escape and tell the truth about what happened. But the incident will reflect poorly on the czar, so Dimitri must tread carefully. Without cash and contacts, he plans an impossible journey to get to Natalia, the only trustworthy person able to help him.

I very much enjoyed that the plot, setting, and characters were all much different than anything I have read before.

The only other book I have read from this author, The Rose of Winslow Street, had characters from Romania. With that and this book having Russian characters, I wondered if the author had a Russian heritage or a special interest in that region. The audiobook had an end note with details about the Trans-Siberian Railway, but nothing about the author personally.

Unfortunately, the narrator of the audiobook had an annoying way of over-enunciating. Plus she emphasized minor words in sentences, like propositions. (“He navigated THROUGH mirrored hallways”; “AFTER arriving IN New York . . .,” etc.). She made a faint attempt at the accent of an Irish character but none with any of the Russians. I am going to avoid this narrator in the future.

I didn’t realize, when I started the book, that it was the middle volume in a series. But it read well as a stand-alone. I looked through my Kindle library and saw I had the first book in the series on hand, so I’ll look into that one some time.

After the Storm

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After the storm

Now that Hurricane Helene has spent herself, it might seem like the worst is over. But some of her effects are long-lasting.

I have friends in SC who are still without power and have been told it likely won’t be restored until Friday, at the earliest. There is so much debris just to get to the power lines, and so much involved in repairing and replacing them, that it’s going to take a while.

I-40 is the main highway through the mountains. When we first moved to TN from SC, I-40 was closed due to a major rockslide that damaged the roads. There was a detour that added about an hour to our route. But with so many bridges and mountain passes damaged now, it’s hard, if not impossible, to get through.

I’ve seen photos of part of I-40 on the edge of a cliff that just washed away. I don’t know how they repair something like that. I don’t know if they cut deeper into the side of the mountain, or if they can somehow build a retaining wall underneath the road. Either way, it’s going to take a long time to repair.

Because trucks with supplies can’t get through, there are lines at gas stations. Stores are starting to run out of some supplies. Many businesses are operating on a cash-only basis because they are without internet service and can’t process credit cards. Of course, many people don’t have ready cash or can’t get to their banks.

Because businesses are closed, some people are not earning money right now. Many can’t afford the unpaid time off.

This is peak tourist season for the Blue Ridge area, as people usually come to see the fall leaf color in the mountains. But a lot of businesses, especially the smaller ones, are closed and under repair.

Besides supply chain and economic issues, many people are still missing. Some have lost loved ones in horrific circumstances.

And that’s just SC, NC, and parts of eastern TN. I imagine parts of FL are facing similar or worse circumstances.

I’ve heard a lot of encouraging news, too. Linemen from our area and others are traveling south to help repair the lines. People are raising funds to help. I even saw someone was taking his mules down to help remove heavy debris.

Please continue to pray for the physical, economic, emotional, mental, and spiritual needs of the people affected by Helene.

Updated to add: Unfortunately, tragedies like this bring out scam artists looking to capitalize on people’s sympathy and generosity. If you feel inclined to help or give in any way, please be careful and give or donate only to reputable places. Samaritan’s Purse is one such organization: another is Operation Renewed Hope. There are many more. A lot of churches. groups, and individuals are helping as well.

September Reflections

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September Reflections

I know I often say that the week or the month passed by quickly. But, wow, September set a record for going by in a blur.

I’m thankful fall is officially here. It’s finally starting to feel like autumn.

We had a couple of quiet weeks, then attended a craft show, the Tennessee Valley Fair, and celebrated Grandparents Day all in one week. My youngest’s birthday was the following week.

Of course, this last weekend we dealt with the edges of Hurricane Helene. Thankfully, we didn’t lose power or suffer any damage except for some of our plants, which were nearing the end of their season anyway. We’ve heard of downed trees, roads closed, and bridges washed out as well as more serious damage between here and FL.

Creating

Can you tell what my youngest son’s interests are? 🙂

gamer birthday card

The background paper and game controller stickers were from a scrapbooking packet of boyish interests, though girls are gamers, too.

Reading

Since last time, I completed:

I’m currently reading:

  • Be Alert (2 Peter, 2 & 3 John, Jude): Beware of the Religious Impostors by Warren W. Wiersbe
  • 2 Corinthians for You by Gary Millar with our ladies’ Bible study
  • Write a Must-Read: Craft a Book That Changes Lives—Including Your Own by A. J. Harper–still chipping away at this one.
  • What’s a Disorganized Person to Do? by Stacey Platt–just reading a small section at intervals
  • The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume 3: Narnia, Cambridge, and Joy, 1950 – 1963, compiled by Walter Hooper. I’m taking this in small bits as well.
  • Tending Roses by Lisa Wingate, fiction
  • Mrs. Tim of the Regiment by D. E. Stevenson, audiobook

Blogging

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

Writing

I have not done much on this front but hope to next month.

Looking ahead, October is usually a quiet month for us, a nice rest between “birthday season” and Thanksgiving and Christmas. We do have a few more social occasions on the calendar than usual, but they are all things I’m looking forward to.

How was your September? Is there anything you’re looking forward to in October?

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