Dreamy

My girl and her cousin.

Omigosh, I r e a l l y like this.

Can I get an amen?

My Girl

I'm hurting for posts these days and my laptop is preoccupied with my hubby who has been working on a project. Said laptop is also getting on up there in age as evidenced in how slowly she's been moving of late. I feel fortunate that she found it in herself to give me this picture...

A Man of His Word by Kathleen Fuller

Moriah married the man of her dreams.

Levi Miller, unfortunately, had other dreams. Dreams that didn't include Moriah. Or the Amish life he had grown up in.

Members of a closeknit Amish community, Moriah was looking forward to her life with Levi. Her wedding is picture perfect and soon after she finds, to her delight, that her dreams are fulfilled when she discovers she is pregnant.

But Levi leaves Moriah and the Amish before she can tell him of the good news.

Gabe Miller, Levi's twin, has loved Moriah since they were children. His heart breaks as he sees Moriah pregnant and abandonded.

But what can he do? The Amish Ordnung does not permit divorce. Even if Levi never returns, Moriah can never be his. Must he be content to love her from afar?

Hurt and betrayed, Moriah struggles to trust a God who also seems to have abandoned her.

For some reason, I'm drawn to books with Amish settings. Maybe I'm drawn to the portrayal of a simpler life. The Amish seem to live such quiet, orderly lives.

I love Kathleen Fuller's characters. She presents a very human side of the Amish showing deep emotional struggles. She also places real life scenarios into the story. Unrequited love, betrayal, hurt and bitterness are not glossed over in A Man of His Word. The parallel story line of Tobias and Rachel provided a bit of lightness to all the heavier drama the main character, Moriah, was facing.

I look forward to Kathleen Fuller's next Hearts of Middlefield book, An Honest Love.

Birthday Adventures

I wasn't quite awake, but mommy and daddy said I there was an birthday present for me to open before I went to school. Even though my birthday wasn't until Saturday, mommy said I could have this present early! Hurray! Knowing you have a birthday present sure helps you wake up quicker! Daddy is holding our cat Coco. Coco really wants to "help" me open my present.

Ooooh, what is it?! Coco says, "It's CRACKLY PAPER!"

It's a dress!! With birthday balloons on it!!! Mommy won this dress from Chigger Hill Cottage! Mommy said Ms. Rhonda made it all by herself! Wow, Ms. Rhonda is really smart to know how to do that!

"IT'S CRACKLY PAPER!!"

And look what else!! A cool bow to go with my dress! (Uh, daddy, no offense, but I think I'll let mom put it in for me.)

Daddy, maybe it would look better on you if you were wearing the bow...

See, Daddy? Doesn't it look better with the bow?

Here I am, all ready for school.

School is always fun, but today was extra special because, I was THE BIRTHDAY GIRL!!

Mommy and Daddy brought BALLOONS! Just like on my dress!

They also brought cupcakes for everyone in my class! My favorite part is the icing. I got a blue one, 'cause I always get blue.

Do you like my blue lipstick?!

I'm wearing my pink class shirt under my dress. You can't see it, but this is what is on the back! We drew our faces and wrote our names. We are all really good artists!

Part of my favorite part of Friday at school is going to the treasure chest!!

Wow! I had so much fun celebrating my birthday with my friends at school!

--A note from mommy...

You really MUST go check out Chigger Hill Cottage. While you very well may get a cavity looking at all that sweetness, you should definitely risk it because there are some cutie-patootie outfits for your girly-girl. Her prices are reasonable and her handiwork is very well done and professional. Tell her Hippychick sent ya.

Wishes...

That pretty much describes how I feel today.

Unfortunately, that's not how the day is going...

Le' sigh

Fearless by Max Lucado

What is your greatest fear?

Is there really a way to live fearlessly?

Our lives are filled with fears. Fear assails us from every side. It robs us of joy, relationships and many times people take their life because fear swallowed them alive.

Max Lucado's book, Fearless, exposes fear as a powerless ploy Satan uses to cripple a person's walk with Christ. Max reminds us in his imitable style that faith is the key to disabling fear.

Each chapter identifies fears we struggle with on a daily basis and dismantles each with reminders of who God is. Far from a dusty, hard to swallow lesson in theology, Mr. Lucado weaves his words in such a melodious fashion, you find yourself drinking in more and more hope with each turn of the page.

After reading Fearless, you too will be encouraged and hopeful to live and fear less.

Avenue of Oaks

St. Simon's Island, Georgia