Book Review: Dear Wife: Letters from a Help Meet

 

       “And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I  will make a help meet for him.”   ~ Genesis 2:18 

    Dear Wife: Letters from a Help Meet was written by my blogger friend, Misty Leask from Simply Helping Him.  As a wife of eight years, Misty felt the desire to support women in the important role of being a Godly wife.  Misty realized that sometimes we feel more like Cinderella in the ashes than Cinderella in a ball gown dancing with the handsome prince.  Misty writes a series of short encouragements to wives who feel less than a princess.  If you have ever felt lonely, unwanted, unattractive, exhausted, or depressed, Misty has words to lift your spirits and to help you go on to be who you are called to be. 

 “...And they lived happily ever after,” may follow most fairytale weddings, but in real life, after the wedding comes the marriage.  Along the journey of our wedded lives we may feel discouraged and like giving up.  That’s where Misty’s letters come in.  Each letter is devotional sized, which means able to be read in the time it takes to drink your coffee or to wait on line in the grocery store.  Each of Misty’s letters provides encouragement woven with Bible verses from someone who has been where you are and felt what you feel.  You may not relate to all of the letters, but you will have had these feelings at one time or another.  I was especially touched by the letter to the Wife Who Lives Exhausted. 

      Dear Wife is only $2.99 on Amazon.  It is downloadable on your Kindle or computer.  I would love to hear in the comments how this book has blessed you!

     Disclosure:  I agreed to review this book for Misty.  The opinions expressed are my own.  I purchased Dear Wife myself from Amazon.  I did not receive compensation to review this book.  If however, you purchase the book by clicking on it from my blog, I could possibly earn about fifteen cents.

Cleansed

    The Touch of Healing 

     While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
      Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.
      Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”
      Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses.  But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.             ~Luke 5:12-16

     A man covered with leprosy approached Jesus, fell at His feet and cried, “Lord if You are willing.  You can make me clean!”

    The leper recognized immediately that Jesus had the power to heal him, what he was uncertain of was Jesus’ love and willingness to heal him personally.

     But Jesus answered the doubt of this man’s heart completely with His response, “I am willing.”  

     With the professional accuracy of a physician, Luke tells us that this man was “covered with leprosy.”  The man was in an advanced stage of this disease.  Leprosy destroys the nerve endings of the bodies extremities, which would become damaged and fall off.  The Jews called leprosy “the finger of God” believing it to be incurable and a direct punishment from God.  Lepers were untouchable.  They had to cry out “Unclean, Unclean,” in the streets, to warn others to stay away from them.  They were forced to live outside of cities, separated from their loved ones and families.  Lepers were truly alone.  This man had not felt a loving caress or someone’s hand touch him in a very long time.

      People would draw back from him in horror and revulsion, but Jesus was moved with compassion for this man.  As Jesus spoke the healing word, He reached out His hand and touched the leper.

     If you have ever been lonely, ever felt rejected or unloved, you know what that touch must have meant.  If you have ever been convinced that no one could possibly care for you, then you understand how that leper felt.  Jesus’ touch was not needed to heal the leprosy, His spoken word could have easily done that.  Jesus meet the man’s heart felt need for love.

     Later, the leper would go to show his body to the priests so they could officially pronounce him cleansed from leprosy.  He could not however, as easily show the priests what had taken place in his heart.  The touch of love healed his heart even as the power of the word cleansed him from leprosy.

     If you have hesitated to trust God in an area of your life, or if you are convinced of His power, but uncertain about His concern for you, you personally, look at what He did for this lonely man.

     Jesus touched him.

     Jesus yearns to touch each one of us.

21 Graces: Week 4

     I've always admired those faithful people who are counting a thousand blessings.  I thought about attempting it from time to time.  But,  recording 1,000 blessings seemed a little overwhelming.  I'm good at accepting blessings, but to write them down was another story.  That's why when I saw the idea behind 21 Graces, I was excited to jump in.  Everyday I note three things which blessed me.  That's it, just three things.  At the end of the week there are 21 Graces.  So simple.  God always blesses me with far more than three each day.
     Friend, you are welcome to join in on the fun.  Visit Jordy Liz Blogs to link up or to find out more.

1. Root Beer Floats
2. County Fairs
3. Getting an unexpected check in the mail.
4. Talking to my adult son on the phone.
5. Baby robins.
6. Red converse sneakers.
7. My entry closet remodel!   Soon to be posted.
   
8. Purging the basement of lost, broken, and forgotten items.
9. Finding a brand new Kitchen Aid Mixer on Craigslist for $100.00!  The twist tie wasn't even off of the cord and the beaters were still wrapped in the packing paper.  So excited!
10. Receiving a letter from my Compassion Child, Jimi in Indonesia.
11. First day of college for my daughter!  
12. The wonder of a fresh coat of paint.
13. Getting to see baby turtles newly hatched from their eggs.  So perfect.
14. A dentist who actually listens to me!
15. Getting some projects completed around the house.
16. Finding the perfect material for the seats of my dining room chairs.
17. A dinner prepared with love for our family.
18. My son telling me, "You are usually helpful, Mom."
19. My husband tucking the blankets around me when he gets up for his early morning walk.
20. That first amazing sip of coffee in the morning.
21. Chicken eggs warm from the nest.

     Be true to yourself, help others, make each day your masterpiece, make friendship a fine art, drink deeply from good books -  especially the Bible, build a shelter against a rainy day, give thanks for your blessings and pray for guidance every day.  ~John Wooden

Dutchess County Fair!

      We had fun at the Dutchess County Fair.

      It was wonderful just to stand here and smell the aroma of the combined foods.  Delicious!

      Rides, flowers, and a newborn calf named George.

      More rides, minions, and a talking robot.

     Who knew?  Redemption can be found everywhere!
     We had a great day!

Compassion: Blog Month is Coming!

     Each September, Compassion has a God-sized goal to sponsor children through blogs like yours and mine.  This year, Compassion hopes to gain sponsorship for 3,160 children by 11:59 pm on September 30.

     Each week a writing prompt will be provided by Compassion with the goal of putting the needs of children before the heart of our readers.  

     Did I mention that there are prizes?!  Having five children sponsored through your blog makes you eligible for the Grand Prize, which is a spot on a 2014 Blog Trip.  I would love to go to Indonesia!  That's where our sponsored child, Jimi lives.  There are other prizes as well.  You can read about them here. 

    Sponsoring a child is easy.  Just visit the Compassion Website.  Each month our family gives just $38, tax deductible, which provides Jimi with food and clean water, medical care, educational opportunities, and life skills training.  Jimi also gets to hear about Jesus and is encouraged to develop a lifelong relationship with God.  We exchange letters with him.  It is wonderful to see how Jimi has grown.  

     Here are the posts that I wrote for Blog Month last year.

• Hopes and Dreams
• Want to Make a Difference?
• Letters to God
• Letters for Compassion

   Children are waiting.  Wouldn't you like to join us?

Keys to the Kingdom

     I have lots of keys.  I need lots of keys.  Unfortunately, I have a lot of difficulty with keys.  I lose them.  I put them in doorknobs and can't get them to turn correctly.  I replace them and end up with yet another key that does not open the lock for me.  I am something of a disaster with keys.
     The keys to my van have a fancy electronic gizmo that allows me to push a button and the car door will lock or unlock.  This has only gotten me in trouble once when I pushed the button and SOMEBODY ELSE'S van slider opened.  But that is another story.
     Friday afternoon, I headed out into the school parking lot joyfully anticipating my weekend.  When I pulled my keys out of my purse I realized that the unlocker button was missing.  My mind raced.  A friend's key had recently been bent in half, could my unlocker button have been broken off intentionally by the same vandal?  I headed back into the building wondering if I had a clue where the spare key was located.  You'll soon see that I really didn't have a clue about anything.  I needed a plan.   I decided that Pat would have to come rescue me.
     I called home about five or six times from the office.  Lots of rings, but no answer even though I knew that everyone was home.  Brain storm!  I could call my friend, Lori, who could call her husband, who could reach Pat and explain the problem.  Such round about stuff had worked for us in the past.  But Lori's phone had a funny sounding busy signal.  (Since then I used my remarkable powers of deduction to determine that the office phones had been turned off at 4:30.)  Obviously, I would be sitting at the school for a while.
     I headed back up to my classroom.  I decided that if I wasn't able to reach my husband soon,  I would walk over to Nik's house and throw myself on his mercy.  Nik, a friend of ours, lives about two blocks from the school.  Nik, I was sure, would be able to get me into my car.  He is pretty handy like that. After all, Nik repairs school buses for a living.  I was still pretty upset that someone might have messed with my car keys.
     I phoned Pat from my classroom.  Amazingly, he picked up right away.  I began to explain.   "The unlocker button on my key ring is missing.  I can't get into my car."
     Pat interupted, "Can't you use the keys?"
     Clearly, he didn't understand the depth of my problem.  "No, Honey, the button is missing so I can't get into the car."
     At that point my wonderful husband began to speak to me in the soothing tones reserved for crazy people and tantruming toddlers. "The button is broken, but what about the key?  Is there something wrong with the key?"
     The light dawned, "Oh!  I could use the key to open the trunk and climb into the car from the back."
     Pat muttered, "Donna, just call me from the parking lot if the key does not work."
     When I used the key, which I had been holding in my hand the entire time, to get into my car, through the door, I discovered the unlocker button was sitting on the passenger seat.  Only my mind had been missing and vandalized.
     I have always believed that there is a scripture for every occasion.  And this is no exception.

     These are the words of Him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David.  What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.  I know your deeds.  See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut.  I know that you have little strength,   ~Revelation 3:7

     Isn't that the truth?  Jesus is the One who holds the key to my life.  He unlocks meaning and purpose.  He unlocks joy and sadness.  He opens a world full of possibility and wonder.  He holds the key to eternity.

     I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me.  And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man," dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest.  His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire.  His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.  In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword.  His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
     When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.  Then He placed his right hand on me and  said:"Do not be afraid.  I am the First and the Last.  I am the Living One;  I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever!  And I HOLD THE KEYS of death and Hades.  Revelation 1:12-18

     Jesus has the keys to open and shut the doors of Hell and Death.  Jesus is the door to our salvation.  Jesus Himself holds the keys to the throne room of heaven.
     If it were left to me, I would still be trying to go through the trunk.

PS: This week has been incredibly busy, so I am sharing from my archive.

Walkway Over The Hudson

Source

     We went again to the Walkway Over the Hudson.  It is so beautiful and peaceful to walk across this piece of history.

     Before it became the Walkway Over the Hudson, this 1.28 mile structure was the Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge.  When trains began rumbling over the bridge in 1888, it was the longest bridge in the world.  The bridge was a main transportation hub that was crossed by 3,500 freight cars each day!  In 1974 the railroad bridge was crippled by a fire.

     Today the Walkway Over the Hudson is the narrowest State Park, as well as, the world's longest elevated pedestrian bridge.  It soars 212 feet above the Hudson River.

     Here you can see the Mid-Hudson Bridge which carries cars and trucks across the river.  It is a close neighbor just a little south of the Walkway.

     My handsome walking companions.  We walked from the Poughkeepsie side of the bridge to Highland and back.

     Pat pointing toward Highland.

     I love that you can see the shadow of the Railway girders reflected in the Hudson River in this picture.

     We were fortunate to see a freight train heading north on the Highland side of the river.

     Looking north.

     A photo opportunity waiting for me and the boys!