My Thoughts On "Kisses from Katie"

Source:  Goodreads

From the back cover...

What would cause an eighteen-year-old senior class president and homecoming queen from Nashville, Tennessee, to disobey and disappoint her parents by forgoing college, break her little brother's heart, lose all but a handful of her friends (because they think she has gone off the deep end), and break up with the love of her life, all so she could move to Uganda, where she knew only one person and didn't even speak the language?  A passion to follow Jesus.  Katie Davis left over Christmas break of her senior year for a short mission trip to Uganda and her life was turned completely inside out.  She found herself so moved by the people of Uganda and the needs she saw that she knew her calling was to return and care for them.  Katie, a charismatic and articulate young woman, is in the process of adopting thirteen children in Uganda and has established a ministry, Amazima, that feeds and sends hundreds more to school while teaching them the Word of Jesus Christ.  Kisses from Katie invites readers on a journey of radical love down the red dirt roads of Uganda.  You'll laugh and cry with Katie as she follows Jesus into the impossible and finds joy and beauty beneath the dust.  Katie and her children delight in saying yes to the people God places in front of them and challenge readers to do the same, changing the world one person at a time.

___________________________________________________

Katie is so honest and real that I could not help but be moved, yet she takes none of the credit.  She blindly and faithfully follows the will of  God for her life, and it makes me examine my own life.  Am I being the person God wants me to be?

To say that I enjoyed this book is an understatement.  To say that it has opened my eyes just doesn't cover it.   You would not think that a book filled with such horrors and sadness could be so inspirational, but it is.  It is because it is filled with faith, hope and redemption, and Christ's love flies off its pages!

I would recommend this book to anyone.  In fact I consider it a must read.  Thanks to Dee and Kristin for the book recommendation!!!

My Thoughts On "Heaven Is For Real"

Source:  Goodreads

From the back cover...

When Colton Burpo made it through emergency appendectomy, his family was overjoyed at his miraculous survival.  Whay they weren't expecting, though, was the story that emerged in the months that followed--a story as beautiful as it was extaordinary, detailing their little boy's trip to heaven and back.

________________________________________________ 

I'd say most people that know me at all know that I love to read, so I get lots of book recommendations.  This is a very good thing because I hear about loads of books that I never would have otherwise.  I am always thankful for book recommendations, so if you are reading this and recently read a great book, please leave me a comment and let me know.  Having said that, lots of different people have recommended Heaven Is For Real...other mom's at the ballpark, friends on facebook, and lots of folks on Goodreads have loved this book.  Since I' m reading memoirs in the month of May, I thought this would be the perfect time to read it.

It isn't pleasant to read about the illness of a small child or the agony his parents felt in those moments of hopelessness.  It's every parent's greatest fear.  There is a happy ending though, and what comes from that illness is amazing.  The story that Colton tells is one that a lot of people wonder about.  What will heaven be like?  Will my loved ones know me there?  What does Jesus look like?  How do I get there?  These are all questions Colton says he knows the answers to because he's been there.  What an amazing story!  Every now and then a book comes along that just makes you feel good.  This in one of those books!

In the book, Colton's dad talks about a little girl prodigy whose gift is art.  Akiane says her talent and ispiration comes directly from God, and she painted a portrait of Jesus that Colton says is correct.  She is self taught and truly gifted...no doubt her ability to paint is a gift from God.  You can visit Akiane's website by clicking HERE.  No matter what your beliefs, go look at her work.  It is truly amazing!



Check out this video I found on Youtube about Akiane.

Merry Christmas!!! And see you in the New Year!!!

I'd like to wish all my blogging friends a very Merry Christmas!

I have really missed blogging over the past few months, but life has been crazy.  I'm not giving it up though.  I will be back in January, and I'm so looking forward to it.

Just for fun here are a couple of my all time favorite Christmas movies...

Source:  http://www.imdb.com/

Source:  http://www.imdb.com/

_________________________________________________

"And the Angel said unto them, Fear not:  for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."
Luke 2:10-11 KJV Bible


Remember...Wise men still seek HIM!


Merry Christmas and God Bless!!!

Keep Your Eyes on Jesus

Book list 161-170

161.A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle  (9/10/2009)
162.All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren  (10/2/2009)
163.Facing Your Giants by Max Lucado  (10/23/2009)
164.Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs
165.The Widow of the South by Robert Hicks  (2/2/2010)
166.Fearless by Max Lucado
167.The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F.Scott Fitzgerald  (3/17/2010)
168.The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski  (3/23/2010)
169.Dear John by Nicholas Sparks
170.Six Hours One Friday by Max Lucado

 In Number 163, Facing Your Giants by Max Lucado, Lucado uses the story of David and Goliath, as well as David's later life to show us how we can slay the giants in our own lives whatever they may be.

From Facing Your Giants...
"First thought of the morning, last worry of the night--your Goliath dominates your day and infiltrates your joy."



Source:  http://www.google.com/

 I Samuel 17:48  KJV
And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
___________________________________________________________________________________

In Number 166, also by Max Lucado, he talks about how fear sucks the beauty out of life and robs us of our happiness.  He reminds us--if we just keep our eyes on Jesus, and trust Him, we have nothing to fear.

Source:  http://www.google.com/

Matthew 10:31 KJV
Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
___________________________________________________________________________________

Number 170 is Six Hours One Friday by Max Lucado.

Source:  http://www.google.com/

From Six Hours One Friday by Max Lucado...
"Six hours on one Friday.  Six hours that jut up on the plain of human history like Mount Everest in a desert.  Six hours that have been deciphered, dissected, and debated for two thousand years. 
What do these six hours signify?  They claim to be the door in time through which eternity entered man's darkest caverns.  They mark the moments that the Navigator descended into the deepest waters to leave anchor points for his followers. 
What does that Friday mean?
For the life blackened with failure, that Friday means forgiveness.
For the heart scarred with futility, that Friday means purpose.
And for the soul looking into this side of the tunnel of death, that Friday means deliverance.
Six hours.  One Friday.
What do you do with those six hours on that Friday?"
___________________________________________________________________________________

Max Lucado
Source:  www.maxlucado.com

You can find out more about Max Lucado by visiting his website:  www.maxlucado.com
___________________________________________________________________________________

I want to end this post by sharing one my favorite Bible verses...

John 16:33  KJV
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.  In the world ye shall have tribulation:  but be of good cheer;  I have overcome the world.

Without Him Nothing Else Matters

Book list 101-110

101.On the Other Side of the Hill by Roger Lea MacBride
102.Little Town in the Ozarks by Roger Lea MacBride
103.New Dawn on Rocky Ridge by Roger Lea MacBride
104.On the Banks of the Bayou by Roger Lea MacBride
105.Bachelor Girl by Roger Lea MacBride
106.Laura's Rose by William T. Anderson
107.Digital Fortress by Dan Brown
108.Deception Point by Dan Brown
109.The Ghost in the Little House by William Holtz
110.The Way of the Shepherd by Dr. Kevin Leman and William Pentak

In my last post I talked about our visit to Laura Ingalls Wilder's home in Mansfield, Missouri.  Before that trip I had never really heard of Rose Wilder Lane.  I mean, I knew Laura and Almonzo had a baby, but that's it.  It turns out that Rose was a famous writer in her day.  She was famous before her mother.  An entire section of the museum at Laura's home is dedicated to Rose.  As you can tell by this portion of the list I came home very interested in Rose Wilder Lane.  That lead me to read the Rose books.  They are set at Rocky Ridge Farm and tell of Rose's life growing up.  Roger Lea MacBride was the adopted grandson of Rose and eventual heir to the Little House series.  He may be best known as the 1976 Libertarian Party Candidate for president.

# 101 of my book list
Source:  http://www.amazon.com/

Rose Wilder Lane Was born in DeSmet, Dakota Territory on December 5, 1886.  She was a journalist, travel writer, and novelist.  She is also credited as being the mother of the Libertarian movement.  If you want to read about the Libertarian party you can go to http://www.lp.org/. 

Rose Wilder Lane
Source:  http://www.wikipedia.org/

Number 109 on the list is The Ghost in the Little House.  It is a biography about Rose Wilder Lane, and if you like reading biographies, I would highly recommend it.

Source:  http://www.amazon.com/

According to my notes I finished this book on February 28, 2008.  In my journal it reads:

"Well I finished the RWL biography.  I have to say that this book has made me think more than any book has in a long time."

I admired her tenacity, her strength, her independence, and her intelligence.  I sympathized with the battles that raged in her mind.  But most of all I was saddened and disappointed to learn that she claimed to be an atheist.  How can someone who is so smart be so blind to the truth.  Her self induced misery stemmed from one thing...the absence of Jesus Christ in her life.  Because without Him, nothing else matters.

Front View Rose Wilder Lane Headstone
Source:  My Photo

Back View RoseWilder Lane Headstone
Source:  My Photo