Christmas for the Heart: Cheryl Barker

Christmas is only 85 days away, and if you are looking forward to the holiday season as much as I am, then I strongly encourage you to order Cheryl Barker's new devotional book, Christmas for the Heart published September 30, 2025. 

I was given early access to this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, and I am so excited that I was.  It is simply delightful.  The book includes twenty-five days of Christmas devotions, which are beautifully encouraging, filled with biblical references and reminders of the true meaning of Christmas.  In addition to the devotions, Barker has inserted many of her own Christmas holiday poems. She also built in areas for self inflection to further explore the wonder of Christmastime.  Barker uses writing prompts to aid the reader in writing prayers, remembrances, and present Christmas plans. 

The holiday season is such a precious time of year, but it can become blurred by the busyness of the days.  Christmas for the Heart is a simple way to unplug and spend some time each day reveling in the true joy of the holidays, the birth of God's only son , Jesus. 

Book Review: Faith Over Fear : Harnessing Resilience in the Face of Uncertainty

     Faith Over Fear: Harnessing Resilience in the Face of Uncertainty by Micheal Leach was not what I expected. My disclaimer to this comment is that I am not saying that it is not a good book.  Just not what I thought I was going to get when I was approved to read it. ( I received a copy of the book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.) From the title, I was expecting to acquire a bible based book with references to scripture and how faith in God helps one overcome fear to build resilience.  However, what Leach's book does is take the reader on a personal journey through his professional life beginning in high school, then to college and career, illustrating how being fearless through his faith built his resilience to lead a successful life.  

    From this perspective, Micheal Leach has led a very successful life centered around hard work and the willingness to trust God's faithfulness to lead him to build a life that he would not have attained without taking chances and stepping out in faith; when perhaps playing it safe would have been an easier if less successful path.  Leach held jobs throughout his life in the NFL as an assistant to the head coach for the Chicago Bears, then moving forward later in his career to work in the white house as the first-ever Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer. One quote from the book that I feel illustrates the overall theme of his story is, "I leaned into faith.  I trusted that even when the path seemed unclear, I was exactly where I was supposed to be. And that's the thing about faith--it doesn't guarantee that the journey will be easy, but it promises that every step forward is worth it."   

Towards the end of his book, Leach includes various "tools" to use to assess the reader's current spot in life and whether they are following potential or  are stagnant in fear of moving forward.  I was not expecting this either but feel it is an interesting addition to the book.

Overall, I feel that had I known that the story would be mostly a personal account of his life, I might not have picked it up.  From the title I would have preferred more direct references to his spiritual journey with God leading his path and helping him conquer his fears.  I did appreciate the segments that Leach does include a reference to God leading him forward.  And he certainly gives God recognition in the acknowledgements in the end.  I just felt it was more his initiative and less spiritually led, which is what the title suggests.  The one section that I can honestly say I related to most dealt with his trusting God was in Chapter 2, when he tells the account of sitting in church, putting the last $50 he had into the offering plate.  His example of surrender being the "nature of faith" was spot on. He wrote, "That's the nature of faith.  It asks you to release what is in your hand so that God can release what is in his. " I appreciated this reference, and wish Leach had put more of these direct instances in his story along with some biblical references to support his accounts.  I think this would have enhanced the faith portion of his work and encouraged readers even more in their own journey. 

    I am impressed with Micheal Leach's ambition and life accomplishments and am thankful he shared those experiences in his book,  Faith Over Fear: Harnessing Resilience in the Face of Uncertainty. 

Into The Mist: The Story of Thomas by L.K. Aldrich

     As a boy grows, so a man becomes, sometimes with the help of a loyal friend. L.K Aldrich takes the reader on such a journey in his newly published book,  Into The Mist,  published by Little Book Factory and available on Amazon.com.  (I was given access to this novel through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)

   Aldrich, a veteran of the armed services, weaves a story beginning with a young boy, Thomas, and his ever-present companion, his cat. The boy experiences adventures with "cat" as they play together, creating memories throughout his childhood. As Aldrich creates the child, so he also jumps forward and shows the reader the man that emerges from that child.  Thomas is now an army reservist serving alongside three other men during the post 9/11 Afghanistan War. Thomas serves in coordination with the Afghan National Police in the hot zone.   The main character, Thomas, shares glimpses of his other self in memories when he reminisces during his deployment maneuvers.  The reader gets to know the depth of Thomas as a man as they move throughout the book.

Thomas  is a relatable character because he experiences friendships, loves and losses yet with his family and ever faithful "cat"  he perseveres. 

    I have to confess, at first I was a bit frustrated with the flow of the story. Mainly because the sequences from boy to army veteran felt choppy. It may be because there is quite a bit of army jargon and abbreviations needed in the story, and as someone unfamiliar with the terminology, it was distracting to me.  Yet once I got to the half way point in the book, it all seemed to come together and flow well throughout the remaining of the book.  I am not certain whether I just got comfortable with the format or whether the author's style changed, but whichever  the case, I enjoyed the book from that point on so much that I mourned the ending of it on the final page. 

    I also had a personal stake in the story which made the book even more interesting for me.  I grew up in Manhattan, Kansas which is close to the army base Fort Riley. Having grown up nearby I have many memories of the soldiers that are trained at that location.  The references in the story to Fort Riley, though fleeting, brought the book even more alive to me.  

    At the end of the story and on the writer's website I found that he has two sequels to Into The Mist: The Story of Thomas. I am excited to read those as well.  Now that I have met the character "Thomas," I want to learn more about his life and what happens to him next.  One knows a book is a success if the reader is captivated enough to want more, and Aldrich has certainly done that for this reader.  

    To learn more about the author, visit his website: https://www.lkaldrichmist.com/

    

Every Bend in the River : Book Review

 As a book reviewer, I have been in hiatus for a while. However, a new book caught my attention and begged to be read and reviewed.  A Bend In The River, by Emerson Ford  soon to be available on September 29, 2005 through Storm Publishing was well worth my time.  I received access to this book through NetGalley in exchange for this review.

A Bend In The River is a historical fiction set in the late 1700's during the French and Indian War and subsequently entering the American revolutionary war.  It centers around the main characters, Rosanna Waters and Callum Stewart. Rosanna is a wild and impetuous  imp of a girl, wanting to follow her twin brother Philemon in all things fun, as she shuns her mother's desires to make a lady of her. Callum is an indentured servant as an orphaned child, sent to America after his prison release following the Scottish rebellion in 1745.  Both characters are followed throughout their growing into adulthood while  surviving the wilds of a young country facing hardships and war. 

As an avid reader of the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, I appreciated the style of writing and historical details that went into this novel. It was well written with a strong voice and a knack for storytelling that captivated this reader. The dialogue used highlighted the character's personalities without becoming over done with the "brogue" of the Scottish language or colloquialism of a young girl like Rosanna. The dates included to set up the historical references were accurate and enhanced the story further. There were enough references to the past to peak my interest and encourage me to want to know more about the time period and setting.  Cameo appearances or mentions of actual historical figures such as  General Washington and Alexander Hamilton gave the book just the right amount of "spice" for any historical fiction buffs, without overpowering the story of the two main characters.  

I would highly recommend taking the time to read, A Bend In The River by Emerson Ford.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

This Was a Special Moment: Conscious Joy

     I have found that I really enjoy Instagram more and more.  I particularly love my quirky algorithm.  It seems to me that each person's algorithm on social media is actually a rather accurate definition of one's personality.   Mine is peppered with cute animal videos, particularly cats.  It also includes recipes,  adorable children, catchy ear worms (trending songs and tunes), and my favorite- spiritual posts.  The Christian messages and teachings generally make my day and give me focus. 

I recently found a video in my feed that featured an older woman discussing with her family the importance of recognizing special moments. 

I was impressed with the gentle reminder of what is important in life. Cherishing special moments.  Everyday activities that just happen and can so easily be missed without conscious attention being made.  Since watching this video, I have noticed many special moments.  

We, as a society, put so much effort into big events, and then share those with others in person and on social media.  Events like weddings, vacations, birthdays and anniversaries.  Yet what about the acts like sharing a funny event that happened during the course of a day.  Playing a board game together, reading a book to a young child, or sharing a bible study with a group of friends.  That's a special moment, and one to be noticed when it happens.  

In the video, the woman stated that when she experiences these moments, she calls attention to her family or friends with her and says, "This is a special moment." It highlights the delights being shared and brings it to everyone's attention.  I would like to embrace this practice.  I have been doing it myself, but perhaps I need to call it to attention of others when it happens.  

Just a few of my most recent special moments include, strolling through a field of sunflowers with my daughters as we discovered bees busily gathering pollen on their legs so thick they looked as though they were wearing pantaloons.  That's a special moment.

Holding a dear friend's three month old baby daughter and hearing the small nursing sounds as she drank a bottle. While also admiring her tiny painted toenails, courtesy of her big sister's request. That's a special moment.

Hugging a huge sequoia tree while on vacation in California, hugging it just because I could and  because it smelled so wonderful of fragrant bark and sunshine.  This is a special moment.

I encourage everyone to begin to look for and enjoy the special moments in our everyday lives.  It's more than smelling the roses, it's coating ourselves in the sweetness of even the most mundane happenings simply because we are a part of God's perfect creation and are blessed to be in this world together.  

Here is the link to the original post:   https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNY42X7yU3y/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

God Bless and Hugs for your day!

God's Plan is Humbling!

 Yesterday I had an experience that made me think about my life in a different perspective.  I think that as we grow older we tend to do more introspection and examine the events in our lives through various filters.  If you have read this blog in the past, you are aware that my faith in Christ is an important part of my life and how I try to live each day.  

When reading the bible, the more study and application one does, the more interconnections within the pages are found.  Prophesy from the old testament is revealed as events in the new testament.  The genealogy of Jesus dates back throughout the old testament -  so many areas are interwoven together. 

What I found myself marveling at yesterday is how one experience in life truly prepares us for how we approach and live future happenings; even though we probably have no clue why we are placed in the original event and it's purpose is not clear until much later in our life.  Yet when it does reveal its purpose, the connection is transforming and faith affirming.

To set the scene, I must first explain.  I am a person who has never fully settled into any one job as a career.  I actually sat down this morning and counted how many jobs or positions I have held that I was paid for my work; and the number is 17! In my 60 years of life I have worked 17 various jobs that I got a paycheck.  Everything from dental assistant to retail salesperson, to receptionist, tospecial education paraprofessional to Targeted assistance/ESOL instructor to SAT test scorer and most recently I am finishing credentials for water aerobics instructor.  Obviously, there are multitudes in between these listed but I just hit the highlights.  😊

I have never understood why I couldn't pick one career, settle in and do it long term. I am just always wanting to learn something new, try something different, and when approached with a new challenge I think, "Yeah, I could do that."  But I have wondered why God put me in all these situations.  I grasped a small window of His will yesterday. 

As I listed, one job (my first job actually while I was still in high school) was as a dental assistant for a local dentist in my hometown.  I originally was hired to do mailing of billing and make patient reminder calls.  Over time I was assimilated into the practice as a chair assistant, which was a stressful position for me at such a young age. (I was 16-17 at the time.) I saw and assisted many procedures from fillings, to extractions, root canals - most general dentistry.  I'm not one to really want to see those things, but I did it anyway.  I have always wondered why God put me in that job, that place in time.  Especially since it gags me.  😕

Now, jump forward to my 60 year old self yesterday.  I volunteer at various events now that I am retired from school. This weekend I donated my time at KMOM (Kansas Mission of Mercy free dental clinic).  I worked the teeth brushing station where patients brushed their teeth prior to medical screening, I was a runner of paperwork from patient exit to coding, and I did a brief stint in sterilization.  No big deal. Not much blood and pain.  That was until the last two hours of my shift yesterday.  

One of my friends who works the event to organize volunteer placements came to get me.  She had a patient in extractions that was having severe panic attacks. She had a history of abuse and was having all her teeth removed due to infection and decay. She needed a comforter...she needed me.  I didn't exactly know what I was getting into, didn't know about all the extractions, I just knew someone needed me and I could do that, I could be there.  After I stepped into the area I saw what was going on. there were patients all around with dentists and assistants doing emergency dental procedures, like an emergency room for dental care.  I went in, introduced myself and  held her hands, encouraged her courage in the situation to get treatment and care for herself, and silently prayed as she cried. As the doctors worked as efficiently as possible to deaden her gums and remove all her damaged teeth I saw all the trauma and suturing, just as I had when I was 16 years old in a local dental practice. 

The woman was able to finish her procedure, and I stayed with her until she left with her friend.  It was excruciating for her.  It was emotionally difficult for me. But I know God put me in that place, at that time for this specific purpose.  Had I not had the experiences that I did early in life, I would not have been able to be there for her yesterday. I would most likely have fainted. It was rough. 

Right after she left, I took a break and thought about all that had happened. I am still humbled that God would choose me to be there for her.  To witness  to her while she was in recovery that I had silently prayed for her during the procedure. (She said she felt the prayers.) 🙏💗 And that God would have planned this all out more than 40 years from the time I was a teen until I was a retired 60 year old woman.  

Just as the bible is all interconnected throughout its pages, so are our lives.  My thoughts I want to leave with you reader are...don't discount the trials and challenges given in this lifetime we are allotted.  You never know how or when they will be used for good. 

Prayers for you all!