There is something wonderful about sitting on a sandy beach, waves gently lapping the shore, and reading a good beach book. It’s an essential in my picnic basket whenever I plan a day-trip to the lakeshore of Wisconsin. A yummy sub, cold can of Coke, brownies and a novel suitable for the beach. Don’t get me wrong, I love reading anywhere and anyplace. In front of a cozy fire during a snowstorm, lounging on the porch, draped on the sofa with a good page-turner- all these are terrific. But the combination of a beach and a novel is magical. Here’s my list of reasons why: No kitty distractions. I cannot tell you how many times I have been at the climax point of a good mystery, about to find out whodunit, when a very cross and persistent meow interrupts me. I try to keep reading, but the meows come in succession and a higher pitch. I relent, set aside the book, and glance at my demanding Ragdoll kitty who paws and meows at me until I give my spot on the couch up to her. Doesn’t matter if I’m in a different chair; she’ll want whatever I’m sitting in. At the beach, this is not a problem. Perhaps a random dog might come across my path, but I don’t have to give my seat to him. It’s more relaxing and easier to “get into“. Lying on a beach, waves lapping on the shore and a gentle cold breeze invites relaxation. My mind is less distracted, it’s easier to focus on the story and become immersed. It’s freeing not having a schedule and being able to tuck my toes in the sand and my nose in a fabulous read. No Internet (usually). I realize we live in an age of technology. I am grateful for the friendships I have made online that I would have otherwise never found if not for the easy access to connect with others. I enjoy listening to my Pastor’s sermons streaming when I cannot get to church. But the Internet can be a rabbit hole for me. I can be innocently checking my Facebook, see a post about gardening, click on a link and end up spending forty-five minutes researching local CSAs (Community Share Agriculture aka Farm Box). Don’t even get me started on the time wasted viewing adorable cat videos. So, when I do head to the beach, I purposefully end up at one that is remote, where there is no Internet access. No lure of jumping online to see what the temperature is or whether rain is heading my way. Just the blissful disconnection from the world of technology, even if only for a few hours. Ambiance. I did some research for this blog by traveling to Point Beach State Park in Two Rivers, Wisconsin. It is a gorgeous park with dense pines (ah the aroma!) and six miles of sandy beach along Lake Michigan. Sitting on the beach, novel in hand (‘The Inn at Hidden Run by Olivia Newport’) the occasional caw of seagulls against the backdrop of the gentle waves lapping the shore was the perfect mix to enhance my reading experience. A glance up here and there to watch the waves and pelicans made the experience complete. Now you might be wondering, does the book have to be specifically beachy? Set in some nautical town? Not necessarily. I have a few faves set in a beachy setting - ‘The Ebb Tide’ by Beverly Lewis and ‘Cottage by the Sea by Debbie Macomber. But I am constantly reading Christian Living books as well, those work, too. I hope you enjoyed my blog post and encourage you to get out this summer and enjoy reading on the beach!
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Years back, I read a book by Brother Lawrence "The Practice of the Presence of God". It talks about communing with the Lord during every day, mundane tasks. I have prayed, of course, everyday to the Lord but not so much ongoing communion during the day. Recently, I have begun to talk to him throughout the day, and bring every little concern to Him. He has answered those little prayers in faith-building ways. Recently I was roaming the baking aisle in the grocery store on the hunt for coconut. I wanted to make a bunny cake for Easter and needed coconut for his fur. I scanned shelf, double checked the laminated directory indicating coconut was indeed in the baking aisle and began to be more and more anxious as I still couldn't find it. Finally, in the middle of the aisle, I prayed. "Lord, I can't find the coconut. Could you please show me where it is?" I looked at the shelf and, lo and behold, there lay bags of coconut. Talk about a fast answer to prayer! I praised the Lord, scooped up a big bag and successfully created a bunny cake. The second instance of the Lord answering little requests happened the other day when I was on my way to the library. I was on a tight schedule, and didn't have a lot of time to get there and pick up my books on hold. Yes, I am one of those people that always has at least a couple books on hold. I do adore to read. Anyway, this library has a weird parking system, where there are a few precious spots on the street in front of the building to park that are always taken. Otherwise, you drive to the back of the building, go through a long, dank corridor to an elevator that slowly creaks up to take you to the library. It's actually in an old paper mill, which is why the layout is so weird. I prayed for a good spot in front of the building, as I didn't have the time to deal with the long corridor and creaky elevator. You guessed it, I drove up and there was an open parking spot directly in front of the door! I had never been in and out of a library so fast in my life! The Lord is faithful, seek Him and He will be found. I chastise myself for not asking Him for the little things prior to this. Invite Him in to your daily, mundane life issues and He will abundantly answer and reward! The calendar tells me spring is merely weeks away, but the enormous snowbanks surrounding my driveway and needing to slip on boots to fill the bird feeders tell me otherwise. I'm trying to keep a positive outlook. Our small-town local drive-in opened for the season March 1st, that's always a good sign. Girl Scout cookies sales are starting as well. I've even started onion seedlings and persimmon seedlings indoors, in anticipation of planting them outdoors in May. I am eagerly awaiting the first sign of life from my crocus bulbs I planted last fall, too. Spring is always a special time seeing the re-birth of nature. Such a great reminder of the re-birth granted by the mercy of Jesus Christ in our souls. Even if the days are gray, and life gets tough, we can always be thankful everyday for eternal life in Jesus. We know the sorrows of this world are temporary, and there's an eternal weight of glory awaiting those who trust in Jesus for salvation. On the writing front, I'm plugging away at my Christian fiction mystery. I have published my novella, "Hearts Knit Together" on Amazon. It's also available as an e-book for free if you live in Wisconsin through the online library system, InfoSoup. May you have a blessed and wonderful spring! ....never changes, His mercies, they never come to an end! I love that hymn. It is a reminder that, although our circumstances in life change - people come into our lives and go, finances fluctuate, even our emotions change with each day, but our Lord's love for us never changes. He will guide us all the days of our life and into eternity. Hard to believe it's already February! January was an interesting month, I experienced a couple snowstorms and am currently cozied up to the fireplace because of the -50 below wind chills. They closed schools and businesses, even the mail carriers are not delivering! Every winter seems to bring a stillness and a peace. I tend to gravitate more toward indoor activities, although I do love a good, snowy hike in the woods. Right now I'm attempting to grow radishes indoors under a grow light. So far the seedlings are just sprouting, it's looking good! I'm hoping to have some good news to post soon. I'm working on a Facebook page and hoping to publish "Hearts knit Together", my Christian fiction romance soon. Stay tuned! Have a very happy Valentine's Day! It's hard to believe 2018 is coming to a close. The Lord has guided me through some trials and some victories during the year. The new year is approaching with new opportunities to pursue goals. I hope to finally publish this year, either through a publisher or self-publishing. I also aim to have a decent garden, and even purchased a grow lamp to help my little seeds along. Most importantly, I desire to know Jesus more this year, and better understand the power He gives us to "occupy until I come".
I picked up a devotional "Catch of the Day" for my brother, it's spiritual lessons from the sport of fishing. Here is today's "The last day of the year to me is as exciting as the first as we look back upon what we have been through and to look forward to what is to come. Many times we feel so close, yet at other times still so far away from Christ. But no matter how we feel, Jesus offered and paid for a relationship with us that will never end. He is always close to us. His direction and His purpose from God the Father was to establish that relationship with you and me. May we never take our precious salvation for granted!" Have a very blessed New Year! Luke 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Christmastime is finally here! It is hands-down my favorite time of year. The cheerful decorations, yummy treats, the fun of buying gifts and the holiday programming on television all bring joy to the season. Growing up, my mother always made this time of year special. We had stockings hung by the fireplace, and she made sure St. Nick came in early December and filled them with chocolate stars, candy canes and little toys. She took us to Gimbles department store for breakfast with Santa, which was a full-on breakfast with scrambled eggs and bacon. Visiting Santa was special, because we had to wander through a winter wonderful first to get to him. Bruce the Spruce, the talking Christmas tree, would greet all of us kids at the entrance. Then, on the big day, the presents would be piled high under the tree (I have three other siblings, so there were a lot of gifts.) As I grow older, and closer to the Lord, the miracle of the true meaning of Christmas becomes more real to me. I can't wrap my mind around the fact that Jesus would be willing to become flesh in order to redeem us to Himself. I can't imagine what Mary and Joseph were thinking, or how people treated them. I gaze at my manger scene and try to imagine that holy night, and the shepherds leaving their flock (which was unheard of) to see the Christ child. I know the greatest gift of all this Christmas season is God's gift of salvation to us. It brings true joy and peace to our souls. His precious Holy Spirit indwelling and guiding us through the maze of life. I stand in awe of God's love and wisdom. May you all enjoy this blessed season! Have a very merry Christmas and Happy new year! 1 Thessalonians 5:18 - In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Thankfulness. There are countless Scriptures instructing us to give thanks to God in all things. In our society, it seems there is a bent toward complaining, and comparing ourselves with others. I've been guilty of comparing my life with the lives of those on Facebook, or with co-workers. I forget God has a unique plan and purpose for each one of our lives, and comparing doesn't do anyone any good. I have been attempting to make a more conscious effort to express thankfulness toward God. Even if everything is going wrong, we can always be thankful for the precious gift of eternal life through Jesus our Lord. I read the other day we should keep a journal of all the wonderful things God has done for us. I like that, of course, being a writer :) So, I am keeping track of all the amazing ways God is working in my life, even if it's small, like a kind word I needed at just the right time. I encourage you to do the same. Have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving :) I started reading a new book the other day, "Unexpected" by Christine Caine. I'm about halfway through, but I am really learning a lot already. In the latest chapter, she talks about the battlefield of the mind and taking captive every hopeless thought before it takes us captive. In Matthew 6:31 Jesus said "Do not be anxious." In her book, Christine says "We don't have to magnify our anxious thoughts with our words. Instead, we can choose thoughts full of hope and faith and peace and speak those." She also says, "I know that taking captive every thought often requires a ruthless fight, and that sometimes it's a minute-by-minute battle. I have often said I am only one thought away from being overtaken by all I have been freed from. But I daily choose to be a prisoner of hope. I do this by giving hope a voice - in what I think and in what I say." This resonated with me. It's easy to fall down the rabbit hole of negative thinking and pessimism. A lot harder to stay positive and hope, even when everything looks hopeless. I have found sometimes that means not going on any social media, although, truth be told, I have a lot of positive people on Twitter and Facebook. It does mean getting into God's Word each day, and letting our minds be refreshed by His truth. Enjoy the wonderful month of October! It's full of fall fun, from picking pumpkins to fall strolls in the woods and baking wonderful comfort foods! I'm already making soups and sweet breads. My pumpkin seed recipe is below 😊 Rinse and salt pumpkin seeds Saute seeds over medium heat in olive oil for 5 minutes Bake in a pre-heated 325 degree oven for 15 minutes. I love fall in the Midwest. I'm excited about the cooler days, trees changing color, pumpkin spice and football coming back (I am a Green Bay Packer fan, I live about twenty minutes away from the stadium). The holidays are right around the corner and, honestly, I have already started to decorate corners of my house for Christmas! I saw a quote the other day, "Writing is a form of worship. It's taking the talent God has given us and creating with Him". I love this, and need to remind myself of it when I'm writing. Sometimes I get distracted with writing "rules" and forget to pray before I write. The words flow from Him, He is the One Who is ultimately the author. He did write the greatest bestseller of all, the Holy Bible! As the fall season settles in, and I start attending my Bible study again, I want to keep the Lord Jesus ever before me. Falling in love with Jesus is a process we as believers are continually going through until we meet Him face to face. He is a wonderful Savior, and as the song says, "Every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before". I had to glance at the calendar twice today to remind myself it's already August! July flew by. I had a fun day trip to Door County, the picture in this post is from Whitefish Dunes state park. I was hopeful about my garden this past month, checking it every day. The good news - my tomatoes are doing quite well, the garlic did fine and I believe the carrots will be great. The bad news - someone ate my pepper plant, the cucumber disappeared and my zucchini keeps producing flowers, but no fruit. Mixed blessings, I guess :) It brought to mind something I read the other day, when God doesn't give you the desire of your heart trust and see if He ends up giving you the heart of your desire. I love that. The Lord loves us and knows what is good for us and what isn't. Speaking of good, below is a great recipe I found for chocolate zucchini bread. I ended up using zucchinis from the farmer's market :) CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI BREAD (makes 2 loaves, I usually half the recipe) 2 C sugar 2 C shredded zucchini 1 C canola or vegetable oil 3 eggs 3 tsp vanilla 2 1/2 C flour 1/2 C cocoa 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp baking powder Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together and pour into two greased loaf pans. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes. |
Blessings,
I enjoy writing and I hope to encourage everyone to always see the blessings in life. Archives
December 2020
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