Summer Reading Week 2

Wow!  What a week of reading right?!?!?!

Rahab is a person that many woman can relate to.  We see she has low self-esteem, she isn't trustful of people, and she feels rejected.  She deeply longs for something more.

I too related to Rahab.  In question #3, you had to answer how your family failed to love you or protect you.  I instead answered what they failed to teach me.  Through my adolescent years, I often felt like I was trying to fit in.  What I didn't learn until I accepted Christ, was that my identity is found in Christ.  If I would have learned this when I was young, I could have spared myself a lot of heartache and wrong steps.

My deepest fears were removed when I found that hope in Christ.  I knew there would still be hard times, but my God was full of compassion and LOVED ME!!!!

Psalm 34:18 says, "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.  He rescues those whose spirits are crushed".

This is my verse I am reminded of often.  God wants to RESCUE you!

This week, read chapters 8 - 16.  You can answer questions 11 - 14.  Pay close attention to your judgmental attitude this week.  It is all too easy to judge others.

Happy Reading!

Beautiful calligraphy by Jane Farr

Photography-My New Love Interest

I need another hobby like I need a hole in my head.  As if being a mom of 4 with a traveling hubby, working 2 days a week, 4 therapy sessions a week with my wee one, sewing, blogging, gardening...oh and chef, house cleaner, pediatric doctor weren't enough....I started taking photos.  I have wanted a Digital SLR for the last 2 years.  Once I started blogging, I realized nice pictures always draw me into a Blog, and I expected that would also help pull people in.  Pinterest, was a sure sign I needed a camera that could take better pictures.  I will only pin a sight if it has a pretty picture to pin.  Yes, snobby maybe, but it is a virtual pinboard of all things lovely...and you need a lovely picture.

I asked a couple photog friends where to buy a DSLR that wouldn't break the bank and they pointed me to Adorama and told me to buy used.  I did, and the research began!  I was reading tons of blogs on photography tutorial, researching lenses, researching bags...the list goes on.  My friend Julie Kittredge of Julie Kittredge Photography was teaching a beginner course and I jumped at the opportunity!

I still have a lot to learn, but I'm loving the ride!  I have a Photography Pinboard with links to several tutorials.  Would love to know of any great tips or websites you have found!

These moments just wouldn't be the same with a traditional point and shoot :)

Summer Reading Week 1

Ready...Set...Go!  It's finally here, our Summer Reading Book, Pearl in the Sand by Tessa Afshar.  I'm so excited to be reading this book again.  It is a favorite.  I'm falling in love with it all over again.  Chapter 1 is quite intense.  So much to think about, inner struggles to contend with.  "Taking a sudden breath, Rahab put her hands to her face.  Abba would never make me do that.  Never.  He would rather die.  This was nothing more than a misunderstanding.  But the knot in her stomach tightened with each passing second"  The knot in my stomach twisted as well as I understood what was being asked of this 15yr old girl.

I found myself questioning how could he?

Does he really love her?

If he loved her why?

...and then I tried to see things from Rahab's father's perspective.  The despair, the lack of hope, no future.  How blessed I am to know that I have a heavenly Father who loves me more than ANYTHING!  That it doesn't matter how desperate the situation may seem...He can pull me through.

This week, read chapters 1 -7.  There are discussion questions at the back of the book or page 318 on Kindle.  Answer questions 1 - 10.

Consider, what are your deepest fears?

Do you know there is hope?

What points you towards that hope?

What verse do you turn to to remind you of that hope?

Please respond back here in the comments with your thoughts and questions throughout the week.

God has CRAZY - PERFECT - TIMING!  I just started following along with She Reads Truth today.  You can connect with all the ladies in my side bar as well.  We are on day 18 of the YouVersion bible app.  The question for today:  What things are you not trusting God with that you need to?  Hah!  This falls right along with what we are reading for our Summer Book Read!  If you want to join the group that is digging into God's word this summer and encouraging one another, grad the YouVersion app, find the header Plans and enter Soul Detox in the search bar, you can scroll ahead and follow along.  You can follow my Tweets too!  If you don't have the YouVersion app, but want to follow what truth we are digging into, Like my Facebook page.  I will enter the posed question for the day and the verses to be read!

Happy reading!