The Basics

Title: Yours Truly, Thomas by Rachel Fordham

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

From the Back Cover: For three years, Penny Ercanbeck has been opening other people’s mail. Dead ends are a reality for clerks at the Dead Letter Office. Still she dreams of something more–a bit of intrigue, a taste of romance, or at least a touch less loneliness. When a letter from a brokenhearted man to his one true love falls into her hands, Penny seizes this chance to do something heroic. It becomes her mission to place this lost letter into the hands of its intended recipient.

Thomas left his former life with no intention of ending up in Azure Springs, Iowa. He certainly didn’t expect a happy ending after what he had done. All he wanted to do was run and never look back. In a moment of desperation, he began to write, never really expecting a reply.

When Penny’s undertaking leads her to the intriguing man who touched her soul with his words, everything grows more complicated. She wants to find the rightful owner of the letter and yet she finds herself caring–perhaps too much–for the one who wrote it.

My Thoughts

This was a sweet, fun, and easy read! I had never heard of the Dead Letter Office, and the premise of the story sounded really intriguing. Penny was a sweet, spunky heroine, and the residents in the small town of Azure Springs made for a charming setting. Parts of the story seemed a little unrealistic to me, but overall I still enjoyed it. If you enjoy historical fiction or if you’re just looking for a sweet, clean romance, this would be a good book for you!

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Thank you, Revell!

“Mom always told us that life would surprise us with important choices, and our true character would emerge in how we responded.” — Suzanne Woods Fisher, On a Summer Tide

The Basics

Title: On a Summer Tide by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Series: Book 1, Three Sisters Island Series

Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance

From the Back Cover: Sometimes love hurts–and sometimes it can heal in the most unexpected way.

Camden Grayson loves her challenging career, but the rest of her life could use some improvement. “Moving on” is Cam’s mantra. But there’s a difference, her two sisters insist, between one who moves on . . . and one who keeps moving.

Cam’s full-throttle life skids to a stop when her father buys a remote island off the coast of Maine. Paul Grayson has a dream to breathe new life into the island–a dream that includes reuniting his estranged daughters. Certain Dad has lost his mind, the three sisters rush to the island. To Cam’s surprise, the slow pace of island life appeals to her, along with the locals–and one in particular. Seth Walker, the scruffy island schoolteacher harbors more than a few surprises.

With On a Summer Tide, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher begins a brand-new contemporary romance series that is sure to delight her fans and draw new ones.

My Thoughts

This is the first of Suzanne Woods Fisher’s books I’ve read, but when I heard it was set in Maine, (my home state) I had to read it! I loved the island setting, and since I’ve never actually been to an island in Maine, it was still a little like visiting a new place for me.

I did enjoy the sisterhood aspect, but two of the sisters’ characters fell a little flat for me in the beginning. It seemed like their flaws were emphasized more than their positive traits, and it was hard to like them at first. Luckily, as they faced challenges and began to grow closer to each other throughout the book, they became more relatable and likeable. There was also a surprise twist near the end that definitely kept the story interesting! I’m looking forward to seeing how the characters continue to take shape in the rest of the series. Overall, this is a solid summer read!

Fun fact: all three of the sisters’ names have connections to Maine! Camden and Madison, the names of the two older sisters, are both towns in Maine. The youngest sister is named Blaine – as in James G. Blaine, who was a Congressman, Senator, and U.S. Secretary of State from Maine in the 1800s. The Governor’s house is also called the Blaine House after him. I don’t know if all of these connections were intentional, but since it’s all three sisters, I have a feeling they were! Those are some fun details that made me enjoy the book even more 🙂

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own; I was not required to write a positive review. Thank you, Revell!

Happy Independence Day! I hope you’re all having a fun day celebrating with your family and friends!

July 4th has always been one of my favorite holidays. I love the parades, barbecues, and fireworks, but I especially love what we’re celebrating: the birth of a new nation built on the idea of liberty. The Declaration of Independence is a brilliant piece of writing, and I believe, inspired by God. The beginning of the United States of America was truly a miracle, and it’s only by His grace we’ve made it this far. Today seems like a great day to reflect on those words Thomas Jefferson wrote 241 years ago!

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government…And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”

• Life: for the unborn and the elderly, and everyone in between. Because God has given us this right, no one can take it away; in fact, one of the only reasons government exists is to protect this right. We all have the right to live, and to defend the lives of ourselves and those we love.
• Liberty: the freedom from a tyrannical government that dictates and controls our lives. We have the right to live as we see fit, and to make our own decisions about where to live, how to spend our money, and how to worship God and live out our faith every day.
• The Pursuit of Happiness: the freedom to work hard and make our own way and to enjoy the fruits of our labor. We have the freedom to choose how to live our lives, the freedom to try and fail and then pick up the pieces and start all over again.

I don’t know about you, but I feel incredibly blessed to have been born in this country that was founded on these principles, and based on the idea that the purpose of government is to protect the rights we were given by our Creator. As we celebrate today, let’s not forget to pray for our country, that we would turn back to God and continue to enjoy the blessings of liberty for many years to come.

“…Proclaim freedom throughout the land and to all who live there…” Leviticus 25:10

Happy Resurrection Sunday, friends! I hope and pray today that you know the hope, joy, and new life that Jesus gives, and that knowing Him is making a difference in your life.

Today we celebrate that death was swallowed up by His life, and darkness was extinguished by His light. Just as death was no match for His power, our sins are never beyond His redemption. Through His life and resurrection, we can have hope and abundant life here and now, and the promise of eternal life with Him. Today, let’s rejoice in the knowledge that our Redeemer lives!

“Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb. Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint. Then the angel spoke to the women. ‘Don’t be afraid!’ he said. ‘I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying.'” Matthew 28:1-6

 

Dear girl who’s struggling..

I know you’re not where you thought you would be at this point in your life. Maybe you’re living at home when you thought you’d be on your own by now; single when you thought you’d be dating or married; childless when you thought you’d have a houseful of babies; working part-time or for low pay when you thought you’d be on your way to establishing a career. Whatever it is that you think you should have accomplished or achieved or attained by now, I know it haunts you sometimes late at night as you’re trying to sleep, or as you’re scrolling through social media and seeing how perfect your friends’ lives seem to be. I don’t know what’s kept you from those goals and dreams, and maybe you don’t either. Maybe you took some wrong turns that brought you to this place, or maybe there’s nothing you could have done and this is just a season of waiting and learning. Either way, there are a few things I hope you know.

Life is not a race. You are not falling behind. Just because your friends are all getting married, landing their dream jobs, or whatever the case may be, it doesn’t mean you’re somehow losing to them. In fact, if you can take the setbacks and struggles of life and try to see them as blessings, as opportunities to trust God and learn from the situations you’re in, I think that means you’re actually winning at life.

Nothing goes to waste in God’s economy. Maybe your life doesn’t look like you thought it would…but maybe that’s okay. You never know how God is working behind the scenes, how the situations you’re in might turn into something or lead to something better than you could have imagined. You never know how all the puzzle pieces that don’t make sense now might end up fitting together. Years from now, when you look back on this time in your life, maybe you’ll finally see the beauty that grew out of the pain and the longing, even if it wasn’t the result you thought you wanted. God makes everything work together for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28), even if it doesn’t match our definition of what we think would be good for our lives. He knows better than we do, and we can rest in that truth.

“‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ declares the LORD. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth and making it bear and sprout…so will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.'” Isaiah 55:8-11

You are not a failure. To the world, it may look like you are, if you don’t have that house or that job or that ring on your finger. You may feel that way sometimes too, but it’s not true. The only way you can fail at life is to give up, to stop learning and growing and trusting that God has a plan bigger than you can see. You don’t have to keep up with the world’s timetable and definition of success. All you have to do is follow God’s leading and trust that He is working to accomplish His purpose for your life, even when you can’t see it. Never doubt His promise that He “who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” (Phillipians 1:6)

So whatever you’re trying to do…if you’re still trying to find that job, build that savings account, pass that test, or find your true love…don’t give up. Whatever your dream is, don’t give up. If there’s something you can do to accomplish it, put your best effort into it, but don’t worry about what the world thinks of you. Don’t forget that God loves you fiercely and wants what’s best for you, in His perfect way and time, and rest in that truth when you feel worried or discouraged in the waiting.

Dear girl…don’t give up. There is grace in the waiting and hope up ahead.

One of my favorite music groups for the last few years has been for King & Country, a Christian group led by two brothers, Joel and Luke Smallbone. Last year, they had a concert less than an hour away from where I live, and it happened to be on my birthday, so of course my family and I had to go! 🙂 At the concert, they talked about their movie Priceless that came out in theaters in October, and is now out on DVD and streaming. Joel Smallbone is the lead actor, and some of the other Smallbone brothers helped with the writing, producing, and directing of the movie. Here’s the description of the movie from their website:

“Inspired by true events, PRICELESS is a powerful drama/thriller about James Stevens who was, at one time, a good man with a great life — but that was then and this is now. After the tragic death of his wife and losing custody of his little girl, James is at the darkest crossroad of his life. Angry, desperate, and unable to hold down a steady job, he agrees to drive a box truck on a shady, one-time trip cross country for cash — no questions asked. But when he discovers what he is delivering is actually who, he is compelled to save two beautiful and frightened sisters who are unaware of the danger that awaits them.

Can love, strength, and faith redefine his past and change the course of his future? This unlikely hero risks it all to save these women, confront the forces that oppose him and ultimately discover the life he was meant to live.”

We rented the movie on iTunes while my sister was home for spring break, and my whole family watched it together. It was really powerful and eye-opening, showing how real human trafficking is and how easy it can be for girls to get caught up in it. In the case of this movie, the two sisters thought they were coming to America to work as waitresses or maids to help support their family. The movie does a good job of showing the internal conflict of James, the main character. At first, he didn’t want to acknowledge what was happening; he just wanted to keep his head down and take care of his own daughter, even if it meant doing something a little shady to make the money he needed to support her. As the movie goes on, he realized that he needed to do something to help the girls he had befriended, but he didn’t know what he could do. Luckily, with the help of a new friend, James found the courage to take a stand and try to rescue the girls he unwittingly delivered to their captors, even when it put his own life in danger. This struggle that he faced put his life on a new path and showed him his purpose: rescuing more girls like the ones who changed his life.

This is a really good movie: the story, music, and acting are all very well done. It wouldn’t be appropriate for young children, but is definitely good for young adults or for parents to watch with their teenagers. If you want more information before you watch the movie, you can read Focus on the Family’s review here. This isn’t a fun topic, but I think it’s an important movie to watch. If you want more information about how you can help, go to http://pricelessmovement.com/.

Can you believe we’re already two-thirds of the way through March? And that means that today, March 20th, is the official first day of spring! If you’re like me and live in a place where it doesn’t look or feel like spring yet, I thought I would share a little bit of spring here on the blog for you today 🙂

Does it feel like spring yet where you live?

My sister and I have always been best friends, pretty much since she was born. The older I’ve gotten, the more I’ve realized how unique the relationship between sisters is, and the more I’ve come to appreciate having my sister as my best friend! Here are five of the many reasons having a sister is awesome 🙂

1. You’re always together. Especially when you’re growing up, so much of your daily lives are lived together. That also means you have more opportunities to get upset with each other, but you have to learn how to deal with conflict and how to get along, because she’s still going to be there tomorrow! But the best part about doing everything together is that you have a friend with you all the time, whether you’re going to school, church, events, or just living your life.
2. She understands you. Sisters know you better than anyone, and they understand your dreams, fears, and motivations. You grew up together, probably in the same house with the same parents and a lot of the same experiences, so you understand each other in a way no one else can.
3. You can be yourself around her. You don’t have to worry about what she thinks of you; she’s your sister, you can’t scare her away! Even if you do or say something silly, she’ll be right there to laugh with you, not look down on you or think you’re really strange.
4. You can talk about anything. She’s the person you know won’t judge you, and she’s the one who best understands where you’re coming from. You know you can trust her to listen and give good advice, and you can be a listening ear for her too.
5. She’ll always be there. You know you can count on her throughout all the changes and stages in your life. Other friendships may come and go, but sisters are friends for life!

Happy Friday! 🙂 I know I’ve been a little absent here on the blog lately…not exactly keeping up with my goal of posting twice a week. So while I’m working on some posts for next week, I thought I would share with you five things I’m loving this week!

1. We’ve had some serious winter weather for the last two weeks, but the last couple of days have been sunny and in the 40s-50s! It’s so nice to go outside without a winter coat, and to know that spring is just around the corner. It’s been a bright spot in the middle of winter…because I’m sure we’ll be back to our normal snowy and cold soon!

2. My latest favorite song is Love Broke Thru by TobyMac. So good!

3. My fun adventure this month was driving down to visit my sister at college a couple of weeks ago. It was so fun to spend the weekend with her, get to know her friends, and go to a few of her classes. Now she’ll be home in a little over a week for spring break!

4. I’m making progress on my embroidery project! This is the third out of six designs I’m embroidering, and then my plan is to make them into a wall hanging. I’m much better at embroidering than sewing, so we’ll see how that goes!

5. I know this isn’t a unique sentiment, but I absolutely love Fixer Upper. I love seeing the transformations in the homes Chip and Joanna work on for their clients, but I think what sets their show apart from other home improvement shows is seeing their relationship play out, how well they work together and how they seem to have a lot of fun doing it. Reading their book and knowing a little more of their life story makes the show even more fun to watch!

What’s been making you happy/inspiring you lately?