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Book Recommendation: Waves of Mercy by Lynn Austin

October 17, 2016 1 Comment

Before we get started, I need to let you know that I received a free copy of Waves of Mercy from Bethany House to read and review honestly. I’ll also be using affiliate links. Now, keep reading!

On a scale of cotton candy to Brussel sprouts, Waves of Mercy by Lynn Austin is a crock pot Parmesan garlic chicken and potatoes. It’s hardy. And the flavors are deep and well-blended.

I’ve been sitting on this book for a while here because I just don’t even know where to begin, and I mean that in a good way.

Book Recommendation:

Waves of Mercy by Lynn Austin

Waves of Mercy is set in Holland, Michigan, in the 1890s, but it does do a bit of time traveling (or reminiscing). Geesje (an old Dutch woman) writes her memoir of immigrating from the Netherlands to America while Anna (a young aristocrat) seeks refuge in Holland to sort out her life. Geesje and Anna are both faced with seemingly impossible decisions.

I haven’t read anything by Lynn Austin before although I have friends who love her. The reason I chose the book out of the Bethany House offerings was simply because I’ve been to Holland, Michigan, before.

I’m so glad that I picked this book.

Waves of Mercy struggles

Let’s start off with what I struggled with before we get to what I LOVED about this book (because please hear me: I think this book is rich stuff).

Waves of Mercy started slow for me. Perhaps it’s because I’d just finished reading a Young Adult page-turner and Waves of Mercy is an entirely different genre. But, I wanted to love the characters faster and earlier (but can we just admire the opening line in chapter 1).

So that’s my one struggle (but it quickly disappeared as the story grabbed me).

Waves of Mercy LOVE

Finally. Finallllly. Finally, a book that shows a bit about faith struggles.

Lynn Austin jumped right into the deep, murky, confusing end of heartache, confusion, and relationship difficulties with her character Geesje. This older woman has seen it all, and still, she’s chosen God.

I couldn’t get over a woman who was honest about her struggle to love God and to choose faithfulness. We all struggle. But, do we talk about it?

Waves of Mercy had a depth of richness that I’ve not seen in many. Lynn didn’t skate over the heartache, and she shared characters who had to make impossible decisions.

Sometimes it’s all up to you. And then, you have to live with the decisions you’ve made.

How refreshing!

Today, we’re all about finding our easy outs, quick excuses, or a scapegoat for a bad choice. But there are some tangles that you can’t untangle. And then, you have to learn to live with that permanent knot.

Waves of Mercy by Lynn Austin is a book of depth and yet youthfulness. It sweeps through the history of the time, but more importantly, it shows the heart and faith journey of three characters. And the true treasure is that close-up look at faith.

So if you’re tired of books that are flippant with no real meat and bone to them, then grab yourself a copy of Waves of Mercy by Lynn Austin. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

Book Recommendation (& Giveaway!): 66 Ways God Loves You by Jennifer Rothschild

October 13, 2016 Leave a Comment

When The Blog Spot over at The Blythe Daniel Agency offered a chance to review 66 Ways God Loves You by Jennifer Rothschild, I jumped at the chance. But it’s not for the reasons that you think, I’m guessing.

Full disclosure: I received two copies of this book (one to keep, one to give away) for my honest review. My opinions are my own. I also use affiliate links in this post.

Back to our feature presentation:

I grew up in the church, and life with its bumps has taken me to some difficult, confusing spaces. In that time, I’ve grappled and refused to believe that God really does love me. A weird thing happened, though. I thought I’d walk away from God, but instead my baby faith kept throwing tantrums but started to wobble-walk around the life room (lots of tumbles).

When I read Jennifer Rothschild’s title, 66 Ways God Loves You, I thought, “If anyone needs that, I need that reminder.”

Some days, I’m not even sure that there is a God. I can’t be the only one who subscribes to the Christian faith who has wondered that from time to time. Please tell me I’m not the only one!

What I love about Jennifer Rothschild is that this book bloomed (doesn’t the cover remind you of the adult coloring books that have become popular?) from as early as her young teens. Her life fell apart when she stopped seeing at age 15 because of a retinal disease. She writes, “…I could no longer read it. But the truth in its pages did hold me together–and its truth still does.”

So this isn’t just some lady who’s had a daisy-perfect life. She can’t even see the flowers anymore. She can’t see how beautiful her book is. And yet, somehow, Jennifer Rothschild sees God’s love (in a way that I can’t).

Book Recommendation:

66 Ways God Loves You by Jennifer Rothschild

66 Ways God Loves You is broken down into 66 chapters of 2-3 pages each. I’ve incorporated this book into my morning devotions, and I find myself captivated by the theme that Jennifer draws out from each book of the Bible.

I’m one of those people who’s read the entire Bible a couple of times, and sometimes I feel like I know it all already. Yes, I know that I don’t.

But Jennifer approaches the books of the Bible in a way that I hadn’t considered. I think the book of Genesis (yes, the very first book) stuck out to me most. She describes the relationship between God and man in a way that I’ve never imagined before. And it struck me as so important that I shared this epiphany thought with my small group this week.

I think 66 Ways God Loves You would be the perfect compliment to starting to read a new book of the Bible or you could read it on its own.

Usually, I try to describe books by the food that it reminds me of, and 66 Ways God Loves You presents a unique problem. It’s so rich and diverse.

On a scale of cotton candy to Brussels sprouts, 66 Ways God Loves You by Jennifer Rothschild is a Thanksgiving feast. Yes, really. There’s a feast of goodness before the reader, and you can eat until your pleasantly plump and then be in a food coma of goodness.

Book Giveaway!!!!

I am thrilled to give you the chance to win your own copy of 66 Ways God Loves You by Jennifer Rothschild.
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Happy Reading!

Margin: Where I Ponder What It Is To Leave The Busy For A Moment

October 10, 2016 Leave a Comment

Margin, the white space

around the text in a book,

is the forgotten bit.

We see it, but we don’t.

The people who don’t make the actual text of the history books or are the poorest of the poor are called “the marginalized.” They’re the ones that history forgets.

And yet, the margin frames the text.

The margin is the structure for the activity. Maybe it’s deserves more credit.

Margin or the Negative Space

I used to work with a team of graphic designers, and I learned from them that it’s important to pay attention to that white space…the negative space is what they called it. That empty space is a part of the big picture.

The empty space creates a frame

for the busy of our lives

and the patterns of our relationships.

Without the white space,

it all crowds together

and we can’t tell the busy from the pattern.

When a design is too crowded, the eye is overwhelmed and doesn’t know where to focus. The negative space guides the viewer to the important part of the image he or she is viewing. Design and empty space work best when they balance each other.

Living in the Margin

I once asked a very busy professor if he could meet with me every other week to work on a project. He agreed. After a few weeks of this and learning how many responsibilities he had, I asked, “How do you have time to meet with me! Why do you meet with me?”

(You see, in my head, I wasn’t the smartest, brightest, or most important student that he could have been spending his time with. I was just another face.)

His answer still echoes in my thoughts.

“My wife and I are very intentional about living our lives with margin.”

Use the Margin

History is built on the margin, structured by it, and framed by that white space.

We might not be able to read all the stories of the lives in those margins, but I have no doubt that this white space supported the events we know about from the text.

I even wonder how many of those history-worthy people did what they did because they listened to the call of the margin, whether that meant quiet space in their lives or hearing the stories of the marginalized.

If you’re like me, you’ve lived a life that’s so speedy that if there were a life-police…well, you’d already have been pulled over at least once. Maybe twice.

Between searching for sustainability and the search for identity, there’s no time.

So it’s got me thinking. How can I build margin into my life? Does that mean a night during the week that is mine and no one else’s? Or maybe two? What about you? Do you need margin like I need margin? What’s it look like?

Should life be a constant state of blur?

I’d really love to have some margin along the pages of my rambling story, where I can doodle or take notes or leave tear drops.