A Net in Time

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Escape the daily trials

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Every once in a while the strong desire to escape takes hold.  I was pondering this today at work about the causes of that almost irrepressible urge to just flee.   What causes the urge to run, to escape the daily trials of life?  It’s an idea worth pondering on a day when Miss Kate provides a word prompt for us.  🙂 

path up mountain slope, text escape the daily trials

Escape the daily trials

The pressure builds
within, slowly it seems
until, out of nowhere,
temper flares and
tears come in the hidden places
of one’s home.

Why can’t the other
bodies that share this living space
help without having to be
blooming well asked first?
Can’t they simply open
their eyes and see?

Planning out the days
knowing that there is much
to be done in a limited
amount of time and just
so tired of having to
direct and ask for help from
others is exhausting.

Working outside the home
plays a role, as
it causes even more
time pressure since the same
amount of work needs to be
accomplished with less
available time to accomplish it.

A visit to a parent, and
a migraine hits. A sign of stress?
Or was the stress just a prelude
to the migraine?

Lack of sleep and
intense periods of “I must get this done”
often prelude a migraine, but
the lack of ability to get
things done does
nothing to ease the desire
to bolt for the hills.

But then, a growing desire fills
one’s soul. The need to dive
into God’s word a pressing need.
And so, a study in Acts begins.
As God’s word seeps slowly into
my heart, the urge to
escape the daily trials eases.
Reminded continually of the surety
of God’s grace to those he
calls his own.

path in a park, text escape the daily trials

God’s encouragement

Matthew 11:28-30

28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Ezekiel 34:12-16

12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. 13 And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. 

14 I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. 16 I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.

High Five

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Today we have another book that I recently finished an enjoyed so… here I am sharing it with you.  🙂 High Five is a murder mystery by Jane Evanovich.  Reviewing just because I want to and yes, I’ll link to amazon so you can find it easily should you be so inclined.

This book showcases bounty hunter Stephanie Pluim and just takes in her life with her somewhat… unique family…and her love life (which doesn’t get overly personal), and the people that she interacts with in her daily life.   Her family is odd…but what family isn’t a bit odd?  They love each other dearly (at least her immediate family does) and at times have an interesting way of showing it.  She’s a character who makes me laugh and sometimes… that’s just exactly what I need.   🙂 

High Five by Janet Evanovich

Talking about the Book

I can’t remember how long ago it was that I was introduced to the Stephanie Pluim series by Janet Evanovich.  First you get a gal with all kinds of attitude and lots of get up and go but not a real financial whiz at all.  Add in a quirky family and an interesting job as a bounty hunter… that often turns into a murder investigation… and you have a story that will intrigue and make you laugh.  

High Five starts with Uncle Fred and a cancelled cheque.  Shouldn’t be that hard to figure right?  Well, before you know it, bodies are dropping in all sorts of unexpected places.  The family gets involved and poor Stephanie has to deal with the fall-out. 

Bad guys abound… and one bad guy really is a scary, mentally ill, sorta really bad.  Didn’t much like him. 

But the rest… just all murder mystery feel to it. 

Recommendation

This is not the best Stephanie Pluim novel that I have read, but it made me laugh.  Since I brought it to work with me… that laughter evoked conversations with co-workers, which made it all the better.  

Is High Five worth reading?  For sure.  You’ll laugh, shake your head, and be glad that by the end, all the bad guys will have been stopped.  And that my friend, is always a very good thing.  🙂 

Acts 1:1-5

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Okay, for a while I’ve been feeling pulled to study the book of Acts, so here goes.  I’ll read in how my bible divides into section.  Today we are starting with Acts 1:1-5, which reads as follows in the ESV. 

In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

Acts 1:1-5

The author of the book of Acts is believed to be Luke.  He never really identifies himself beyond saying he is a companion of Paul throughout this book.  I won’t go into all the reasons why he’s believed to be the author.  You can find out more about the reasoning at Christianity.com. It all made sense to me.  🙂   

So that makes the first book that Luke wrote, the book of Luke, where indeed, the did deal with what Jesus did and taught. 

Who is Theophilus?   

His name means friend of God or (be)loved by God or loving God.   Some think that he was a Roman dignitary of some sort as Luke addresses him as “Most Excellent” in the book of Luke.    Be the said, most Christian scholars think he was a Gentile, but  Jewish Scholars think he was a high priest. Just exactly who he was has been lost to history.  

So basically the book of Acts is Luke continuing his conversation with Theophilus.  Explaining to him the things of Christ and then working with him through how God worked in the early Church.   But here in the first part of Acts, we find Luke giving a short synopsis of the book of Luke and Jesus’ last instruction to them. 

The Synopsis of Luke

I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

A Promise of the Story Continuing

4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

Do you see it?  The promise?  Jesus is going away, but …  but …  but…. A promise… you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit soon! 

This is how the book of Luke ended.   Luke 24:44-49

44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

Isn’t it so similar to how Acts starts?  But here, that promise of the Father is linked with being clothed with power from on high.

So often I forget the power that is the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is POWER FROM ON HIGH!  And in the book of Acts we’ll get to see the results of that power.  The birth of the early church, Christ in action.   I’m kinda looking forward to slowly going through Acts and seeing that, aren’t’ you? 

The Diamond Eye

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So I’m reviewing this book Diamond Eye because I just liked listening to it.  I listened through CloudLibrary which means I kinda borrowed it through my library?  I’m not quite sure of the logistics of how the system works.   Apparently if you borrow it through audible there’s a PDF you can get with it, I never looked into that though.  Free is better than paid you know?  Reviewing just because I want to and yes, I’ll link to amazon so you can find it easily should you be so inclined.

So why tell you about The Diamond Eye.  I learned a facet of WW2 history that I wasn’t aware of before.  Lyudmila Pavlichenko was a Ukrainian woman with a young son she was raising on her own. The Germans attacked, wiping out entire families.  Mila got angry, and her national pride kicked in, and before you know it, she was a sniper on the front lines of WW2. 

The Diamond Eye

Talking about The Diamond Eye

The Diamond Eye was written by Kate Quinn.  Just recently published, this past March.  

I found it to be a well-written story and the after story where the author talked about Mila and some of the changes she made, I found myself looking for more information on this formidable woman.   Her life was a bit sad after she stopped being in the army… She suffered from PSTD which led to alcoholism and her eventual early death. 

BUT she stopped 309 Germans from decimating her people.   She served her people well by speaking to the need for American and Canadian troops to attack the Germans from the rear.  And upon her return after her propaganda tour she again served her people well by teaching the next generation of snipers. 

YES, Kate Quinn changed the story a bit to make it all fit the narrative, but the things that were pivotal in Mila’s life she kept the same. 

Recommendation

If you like books about WW2, or just like learning a new piece of history, Kate Quinn’s The Diamond Eye will suit you.   I had not known about Ukrainian snipers in WW2 before this, I also didn’t know about the wiping out of complete villages in Russia either.   All I really knew prior to this story was Germany fighting a battle on two fronts was not the wisest decision on their part, but they really managed to hurt the Russians.  (another fact I sorta knew but didn’t really know, if you know what I mean).  🙂 

Good history, written as if it were Mila herself talking her way through her life.  Seeing her friendship with Mrs. Roosevelt develop, and her growing confidence not only as a sniper, but then later as a public speaker.  She did many hard things as a woman in the 1940’s and her history is worth knowing. 

An Absence Was Noted

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So this past week we went away, camping for a week.  I had a couple of sitters.  One for morning and evening chores and one for kitten and baby bunny duty. I was a bit worried about leaving since our little Miss Ivy is scared of strangers.  I knew that of all our cats she would be the one to say “an absence was noted”.  Stranger danger is a real thing for her, and she’s still young and lacking in mass so I wanted her minded well while we were gone.   

It’s was so funny to watch (or rather hear) through our kitten-sitter the progress that Miss Ivy made.   And as I sit here watching a movie,  I though of how my boy matures when he’s away from his folks.  When others depend on him, or when he has to depend upon himself, he matures in ways, sometimes unexpected. 

an absence was noted - kitten running across the floor

An Absence Was Noted

Last week an absence
was noted.
A shy kitten running
on high alert.
Stranger danger!!!!!!
Must hide!!!

A kitten sitter called
“I can’t feed your kitten
She’s nowhere to be found!”

Problem-solving commenced.
Place some kibble under
beds and the sofa.
She’s the only one who
fits under such things.

Careful placement of some
kibble, and a kitten was
fed. Happiness!

A phone call made
“You’ll never guess!
Ivy let me see her!!
She let me pet her!!!”

My absence, while still noted
seemed to bother the
youngest member of our
household less.

To my shock
she even allowed
ear rubs, and did
head thumps!
Could this be our
little Ivy???
Could she really be
that brave?

It’s good to be shocked
and to realize that
braveness can happen
when those you know are away.

an absence was noted - kitten sitting in a box

What God has to say

Deuteronomy 31:6-7

Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.” Then Moses called to Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall give it to them as an inheritance.

Psalm 31:24

Be strong and let your heart take courage,

All you who hope in the Lord.

Hebrews 13:5b-6

“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we can confidently say,

“The Lord is my helper;
    I will not fear;
what can man do to me?”

Squire & Knight

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product for Squire & Knight through Raincoast Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. 🙂

Squire & Knight brings us two very different heroes – one with lots of brawn who gets all the glory, and the other, a thoughtful, nerdy type that most people ignore.   Can they solve a problem in a rather mysterious town?   Will they conquer the enemy and solve the mystery?

squire & knight

Basic Details for Squire & Knight

Title: Squire & Knight
Author: Scott Chantler
Series: Squire and Knight, book 1
Publisher: First Second
Pages: 176
Intended Audience: grade 4-6
Genre: graphic novel, fantasy, folklore, medieval times, legends, fairy tales, comic, magie
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books
Available formats: Hardcover, Kindle, paperback
Received: paperback

squire & knight

About the Author and Book

The Author

Scott Chantler is a local boy!   He works and lives out of Stratford, Ontario.  Wow…he’s just a hop, skip and a jump from me.  🙂  A critically-acclaimed, Eisner-nominated cartoonist who spends time on Instagram. 

The Book

Two protagonists: Squire a nerdy, rather under-appreciated under study to Sir Kelton, a brawny, inept knight.   The two mismatched heroes find themselves coming to the rescue of a small town where things aren’t quite what they seem.  Sir Kelton rides to the rescue while Squire stays behind to read and problem solve.   Between the two of them, can they rescue the town? 

Digging Deeper

Graphic novels can be fun ways to read a story, providing images to help tell the story, and breaking the story down into less words for people who struggle with too many words on a page. 

First Second does a good job with their graphic novels making the text easy to read while moving the story along nicely.   They provide good colour, show emotion and action well, and overall.. it’s a good read in bite sized pieces. 

Don’t you just love the colour?   So bright and one that draws you in.  I love that not every page is filled with text, and sometimes the illustrations tell the story. 

You’ll also enjoy the character and setting development.  I can totally… if I believed in dragons and magic … see this world being plausible.  People do foolish things sometimes when they are put into difficult situations and that’s precisely what happens here.  The dragon who barters made me laugh! 

My Recommendation

Such a classic story between good and bad, and brawn vs brain.  Which is better?   Who will win out in the end?  You’ll meet a squire, a knight, a wizard, a dragon, an unusual dog, and lots of townspeople. 

Everyone will have different ideas about just what the problem is…and how to solve it.  You’ll have to read how creative solutions were found.   

Do I think middle schoolers would enjoy Squire & Knight?   Of course!   Who doesn’t love a story with wizards and heroes?   We all need to have some heroes in our lives! 

Replace, defined

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So I had a bit of a false start with this word prompt today.  I thought I could write easily about packing up the trailer to go camping today.  Lots of ways the word replace could be used.  Yet, God had something else in mind, so instead of replace in camping, I have replace, defined.  Hopefully you’ll find some truth hidden within.  🙂 

Replace, defined

Replace in camping

Packing up a trailer
Decisions being made
What to take and what will stay
and can I do this instead of that?

It’s not easy to decide
if the white dishpan will do the
job as well as the rather
beat up brown one. Size is smaller
but it fits the spot I have easier
and space in a trailer.. well,
premium real estate!

Well that’s not working the way I wanted it to.  So let me see if I can’t replace that poem with something that flows a bit better….

Replace, Defined

Replace, defined
take the place of.
Kinda like hmm…
Jesus took MY place on the cross.
A substitution took place
a fair few years back so that
instead of going to hell, my
final destination will the heaven.

Replace, Defined
fill the role of (someone or something) with a substitute.
Imagine this truth,
that when God sees us
instead of seeing dirty,
rather mucked up person.
He sees Christ. The pure, clean,
totally without sin, Saviour.

Replace, defined
put (something) back in a previous place or position.
Hmmm, I have a hard time here
trying to find a faith based idea with
the thought of putting something back into
position. Then I thought about how,
Jesus through his sacrifice, made it so
I could be right with God. He helped me
resume that position I was in BEFORE sin
entered the world.