Highlights From This Year

Good day, friends!  

It has been a long while since I've shared an update post. Thought you might enjoy looking at some pictures and highlights from this year. :)

A January sunset. 

Lauren and Deborah earned their black belts in Tae Kwon Do in February. The video shows their group doing the red-black belt form. If you are viewing this post on your email, click here to visit the blog to watch. 

Deborah found a baby otter and kept it in a bucket for only a short while, before it ran away. :) 

Deborah turned sweet 16 in March, and as a surprise gift we went parasailing together. It was a total blast, and not scary in the least little bit. What a memorable outing! :) 

Gracies is doing well, and is as adorable as ever. She really loves to play with the goats; she thinks it's a fun game to nip their legs and bark, and they try to head-but her in return. It is quite amusing to watch. :D Here she is in motion...

A couple weekends ago my dad helped me repaint my bedroom. He made this lovely bookshelf, which accents the room perfectly. :) 

Toby: the goat.  

Zoey: the goat. She moves all the time, and it is very hard to get a good, still picture of her. ;) They have grown so much the past few months, and are very mischevous. They spend most of their day tied up on a leash so they won't get into trouble. 

I've been doing some gardening and have potatoes, green beans, and tomatoes growing so far. A variety of seeds have been planted in the past couple days, but haven't sprouted yet. I'll probably share pictures in the future when they do sprout. :)  

Well I would love to chat with you in the comments and hear how your year has been or what you have been up to recently. Enjoy the day! 

God: Giver of Choices & Life

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was one of them. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God: how great is the sum of them! 

~Psalm 139:14-17

Most people choose to identify themselves as either pro-life or pro-choice. Pro-choicers agree that it is perfectly okay to kill a baby in the womb and pro-lifers oppose it. Pro-choicers vote for women to have a choice on whether they want to keep their own baby or kill it. Pro-lifers love life and see it as a sacred, precious gift. No matter what people think about this issue of abortion, which is snuffing out thousands upon thousands of lives every year, God does not have to think about it. He knows life is precious because he created it, each one with a purpose. And it is not a human right to discard it like it is a piece of trash. But very sadly, that is happening all the time in this world.
In Deuteronomy chapter 30, God is speaking to Moses and the children of Israel. They would receive blessings if they continued following the commandments God provided, and they would experience judgments from God if they followed after the gods of the nations and disobeyed God. In verse 19, we read “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:”
Even though this was spoken to Israel, I think it can be applied to today. God sets before us two options: life and death. Life brings blessing and death brings cursing. God is all for promoting and giving life and he gives choices. The choice he wants each one to make is of course, that of life so you and your seed may live. And you will be blessed.


love,
Ashley
That thou mayest love the Lord thy God and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days...
~Deuteronomy 30:20

The Basic Bible Atlas ~ Book Review

About the book:

The Bible tells the story of God meeting real people in a real time and place, yet we rarely pause to wonder, “why there?” Maybe we have a hard time even picturing where “there” is. To begin to fully understand the Bible, we must understand the geographical settings of Scripture and how each place participated in the biblical story. With its colorful maps and illustrations, “The Basic Bible Atlas” helps us do just that, so we can appreciate how place impacted events in the Bible. From Eden to Egypt, from the promised land to Persia, from Bethlehem to the new Jerusalem, “The Basic Bible Atlas” is your ticket to explore the land of the Bible as never before.

My thoughts:

This was my first time reading a Bible atlas, and I found it to be very informative. The book started with Genesis and finished with Revelation, highlighting important stories and showing colorful maps that coordinated with the events that happened. It is one thing to read about the cities, rivers, and sites that are mentioned in the Bible, but when seen on a map, it helps connect all the places together. Despite the author’s use of the NIV version, I enjoyed this book and thought it was well written and put-together. I am glad to add this book to my collection, as I’m sure it will be used on many occasions in the future.

***I received this book from BakerBooks and happily provided a review.***

Did You Hear the Good News?

There’s a whole lot of evil happening in our world today, and there is always news floating around, whether it's seen on tv or read about in newspapers and magazines. Alot of times the news can be discouraging. But the gospel of Christ reminds me that there is good news to be shared.

 Even if the media doesn't broadcast any good news, the King of heaven has broadcasted some great news for all to hear in His word. Let's look at some of this good news. This first one is so important and one that we hear so much, but it can not be forgotten.

>> The first good news I'm talking about is the gospel. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:"  You know the gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. This is literally the greatest news that a person could ever hear, and yet, how often do we as Christians keep that truth to ourselves? When Adam and Eve brought sin into the world, God didn't just desert man and let him try to figure out something on his own. Instead, God came down because He knew we could never come to Him on our own merits and extended to us something beautiful ---it's called GRACE. 

God's 

Richest

At

Christ's 

Expense

God's grace is completely and totally free. No strings attached! 

>> The good news that Jesus loves us unconditionally, before we even loved Him, and that He will love us forever is pretty special.
Jeremiah 31:3 "The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." As humans, sometimes we love other people based on how they treat us. But the Saviour does not opperate that way. We were aliens, enemies, of God, but instead of withholding His love from us until we could clean up our life or start loving him, He showed us what love really looked like when He sent Jesus, his Son, down to die a death He did not deserve. And unlike our human nature, God is a Father who will never stop loving us based on our works.

>> There's good news that even amidst all the evil, God still remains on his throne, reigning over the earth. 
There are several verses that speak of the certainty of God being in control.
 Psalm 47:7-8 "For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding."
Psalm 93:1-2 "The Lord reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the Lord is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that is cannot be moved. Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting."
Psalm 96:10 "Say among the heathen that the Lord reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously."
Revelation 19:6 "And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying Alleluia: for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth."
No matter the trials we face,  the tribulation we endure in this life, or the corrupt things that happen in the world, God is not oblivious to any of it, nor does He forget. While we as humans may be surprised at events that happen in the world, the Lord is not. There's a neat verse in Isaiah that says: "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that is cannot hear:" Though it may seem like Satan has the upper hand, and truth and everything that is right and good is being shunned while evil is being lifted up, we as Christians know the outcome. God will conquer Satan, the wicked will be punished, and Christ will be exalted and worshipped. In short - God Wins! 

In closing, I'll share these lyrics from "A Mighty Fortress is Our God."

"Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;

Were not the right man on our side, the man of God's own choosing:

Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;

Lord Sabaoth His name, from age to age the same,

And He must win the battle. 

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,

We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us: 

The prince of darkenss grim, we tremble not for him;

His rage we can endure, for lo! his doom is sure.

One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly pow'rs, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him who with us sideth;
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God's truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever."

In the Beginning, God Made Daddies and Daughters...

This month people all across the world celebrated Valentine's Day which is associated with love and loving others. Around Valentine's day, I heard young girls complain about how they don't have a valentine. And then they would talk about how they were hoping some boy at their school would ask them to be his valentine, and if he didn’t, well they would just ask him. That started me thinking, and hence this post.

In the beginning, God created daddies and daughters. 💗 

I think God gave girls very special valentines. Girls are different than boys. They want to know they are loved, special, cherished, and important. They seek affirmation. Girls want to be loved by a male figure, and there's no one better to give them the love and affirmation they crave than their daddy. Growing up I never wanted or longed for a "valentine." My daddy was my valentine. He loved me. He gave me hugs. He played with me. He spent time with me. He said "I love you" often. He held me in his lap. I was special and important to him and I knew it. Girls I know who were sad they didn't have a valentine don't have a father in their lives. Their mom might have a boyfriend or there might be a step-father, but he's not their daddy. Even though girls may shrug off the fact they don’t have a dad around, or tell their friends “it’s okay” or “I’m used to it,” the fact is they are probably hurting inside and the father’s absence is deeply felt and noticed. As wonderful as they are, mothers just can not fill the role of mom and dad. Both need to be present. I think another reason girls need daddies to be an important part of their lives is because dads give them a little glimpse about God, and God as our father. Tragically, many daddies today hurt their daughters, and the daughters grow up having a distorted view of God. When I see little girls growing up without a dad, it breaks my heart.
On this day in February, if you are blessed to know the love of your earthly daddy, why don’t you take a moment to give thanks to God for him. And if not, you can be thankful for the amazing, unending love of a perfect heavenly Father. 💗

Fathers are so special 

To the daughters that they love.

They beam with pride and joy 

At their gift from God above.

As the daughters grow to women

And go into the world,

The father and the daughter know

“She’ll always be Daddy’s little girl.”

Fathers are so special.

They help mold our hearts and minds.

Their example and their love 

Last through their child’s life time.

-author unknown

Martin Legacy ~ Book Review

About the book:

Gemma Ebworthy is a struggling single mother—but not for much longer. Engaged to a kind-hearted farmer boy, her turbulent life is looking more stable at last, but troubles are still on the horizon. It seems their efforts to build a legacy for their unique family are constantly under siege.

Farris cherishes the only life he’s ever known, even though he feels more called to the mission field than his adoptive father’s fields. Growing up among extended family and in the Christian faith, he’s always had a firm foundation.

 Yet when the past Gemma is so ashamed of—the one Farris can’t even remember—comes calling again, the life they’ve built is put to the test. For it to remain standing, Gemma is going to have to silence her demons once and for all. But this time, she’s not alone.

My thoughts:

First of all, I just have to say I'm thrilled that Martin Legacy is out! After reading Martin Hospitality, I was just itching to read a sequel, and I'm so glad Abi has written it! Of course, I have to mention the lovely cover. Both books have beautiful watercolor covers, and they fit the story very well. Watercolor paintings are my favorite!  :)
This is the sequel to Abi's first book, Martin Hospitality (you can read my review of it here), and the story picks up right where it ended in the first book. It follows Josiah, Gemma, and Farris' life as a family as they learn to depend on God, trust each other, and forgive and let go of the mistakes of the past. There were two things I especially liked about the way the author wrote the story. First, even though it was more focused on Josiah and Gemma's life, the reader still gets a glimpse of the Martin family's life. Second, there were many years covered, including Farris' growing up years, and the story doesn't end on a cliffhanger or leave the reader wondering about what happens next. Unlike Martin Hospitality, the story of Martin Legacy is much more relaxed and doesn't have as much going on at one time. Both books were well written, so much fun to read, and very much enjoyed. Abi is one of my favorite authors, and you can purchase her books on amazon: Martin Hospitality , Martin Legacy & Andora's Folly
Check out Abigayle's social media sites here. 



*I received this book from the author and provided my honest review.*

O Little Town of Bethlehem

O Little Town of Bethlehem

By: Phillips Brooks

O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie! 

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by;

Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light;

The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

For Christ is born of Mary, and gathered all above, 

While mortals sleep, the angels keep their watch of wond'ring love.

O morning stars, together proclaim the holy birth, 

And praises sing to God the King, and peace to men on earth!

How silently, how silently the wondrous gift is giv'n!

So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of his heav'n.

No ear may hear his coming, but in this world of sin, 

Where meek souls will receive him still, the dear Christ enters in.

O holy child of Bethlehem! Descend to us, we pray;

Cast our our sin, and enter in, be born in us today!

We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell;

O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Immanuel!

 The author of this familiar hymn, Phillips Brooks, was born in Boston on December 13, 1835. At an early age, he showed interest in the things of the church, especially the hymns that were sung each week. By the time he entered college, he had memorized all the verses to over 200 hymns. In 1859, at age twenty-four, Phillips was ordained in the Episcopal church. As he began preaching after his training at Harvard, Phillips often used quotations from hymns in his sermons. A few years after preaching at the Holy Trinity Church in Philadelphia, Phillips took a trip to the Holy Land. On December 24, 1865, he rode on horseback from Jerusalem to Bethlehem to attend a five hour Christmas Eve service. He listened to the Scripture readings, prayers, and hymns of praise. Later, he said, "I remember standing in the old church in Bethlehem, close to the spot where Jesus was born, when the whole church was ringing hour after hour with splendid praise to God, how again and again it seems as if I could hear voices I knew well, telling each other of the wonderful night of the Saviour's birth."  Three years after his trip, Phillips was preparing for the Christmas season of 1867. He wanted to compose an original Christmas hymn for the children to sing during their Christmas program. Recalling that night in Bethlehem, he wrote four stanzas of the poem and gave them to the church organist, Lewis Redner. Phillips told him, "Lewis, why not write a new tune for my poem. If it is a good tune, I will name it 'St. Lewis' after you." Lewis struggled to come up with a satisfactory melody for Phillips poem. The night before the children's program, he awoke from his sleep, hastily jotted down the notes of a tune, went back to sleep, and completed the harmony the next morning. That day, a group of six Sunday school teachers and thirty-six children of Holy Trinity Church sang "O Little Town of Bethlehem" for the first time.


"But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah,  yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting."
~Micah 5:2

Merry Christmas!

 Merry Christmas!

I hope you have a joyful day celebrating the coming of our Saviour to the earth.

Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

~Matthew 1:22-23

 

 

 

God's Hostage - Book Review

About the book:

In 1993, Andrew Brunson was asked to move to Turkey, the largest unevangelized country in the world, to serve as a missionary. Though reluctant at first because of the daunting task that lay ahead, Andrew and his wife, Norine, became convinced this was God's plan for them.

What followed was a string of difficulties and threats, but there were also successes in starting new churches in a place where many people had never met a Christian. As their work with refugees from Syria, including Kurds, gained attention and suspicion, Andrew and Norine acknowledged the threat but accepted the risk, confident that this work was part of their assignment. 

In 2016, they were arrested. Though the state quickly released Norine, who remained in Turkey, Andrew was imprisoned. Accused of being a spy and being among the plotters of an attempted coup, he became a political pawn whose name was soon known around the world. 

"God's Hostage" is the incredible true story of his imprisonment, his brokenness, his faithfulness...and his freedom.  

My thoughts:  
This book was very interesting. At first, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Many of the books I have read about persecution and imprisonment include gory details. But even though Andrew Brunson was imprisoned in Turkey for being a Christian, he wasn't physically abused or beaten. The author describes his time in prison, how he became so spiritually weak, and how many people fought for his release. He describes how often he was so spiritually weak from the attacks of the devil and of the evil people around him. Christians all around the world were continuously praying for him and for the spiritually dark country of Turkey. Though he wanted to give up living several times, God brought him through that trial. Mr. Brunson recognized that even though he was not in the best of situations, God could still use him for his glory, even if Mr. Brunson could not see how at that time.

 I received a free copy of this book from Baker Books in exchange for a review. 


Psalm 62:5-6
"My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved." 

Stories Behind the Songs & Hymns About Heaven ~ Book Review

About the book:

Behind every song is a story...

In times of doubt, fear, and loss, we turn to the songs and hymns that remind us that this world is not all there is - that what awaits us as followers of Jesus is a heavenly kingdom. Songs like "Face to Face," "Amazing Grace," "Victory in Jesus," and "I'll Fly Away" were written amid circumstances of great personal pain in the lives of the songwriters. In sharing their stories, we can find even more comfort in our own circumstances. 

Award-winning author Ace Collins offers this collection of thirty inspiring true stories that provide hope for this world and insight into the next, painting a picture of eternal life filled with joy, peace, and happy reunions. Perfect for music lovers, pastors, hospice workers, counselors, and all of us who have lost someone we loved. 

My thoughts: 

I love hymns, and I love reading stories behind them. There were many familiar hymns in this book as well as some not-so-familiar hymns, such as the spiritual negro songs. Countless number of hymns were penned during a difficulty or trial in the author's life, and the God-honoring words they were able to pen during such a time are an inspiration. Every song has a message, and in singing a hymn so often, sometimes we don't stop to think about the words. Reading the lyrics and the story behind them helps us remember why it was written and what the message truly is. Not all of the stories had messages I agreed with, but this was a great read. Also, not all of the hymns have the lyrics included, but the reader can certainly search for the words online.

*I received a free copy of this book from BakerBooks in exchange for a review.*


Colossians 3:16
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.