Musing #90 - Quotes and Lines

Everybody . . . this is my ninetieth musing, meaning I'm just ten short of doing 100 posts! *eeks*  Anyway . . . 

My good friend and email/pen-pal, Sandrina, @ From the Notebook, had this really fun post last Monday called Quotes and Lines. I loved her idea, and I thought, "Hey, why not do it on my blog?" So, here you go - a few of my favorite quotes from a series of different books. (Thank you, Sandrina, for the inspiration!)

"Lord, help me be a bonfire on someone's beach, a light in the darkness . . ." this is a prayer mentally lifted up by Cara, the main character in Kaitlyn Krispense's book, Beloved. 

"Heart and flesh often fail. Let them fail! He faileth not." Hudson Taylor, from Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret.

"How are you ever going to move on with your life when you're living in the past?" this quote . . . I loved this quote. Indeed, the book from which it is found (Faith Potts' Freedom) has more of my highlights enclosed within it than almost any other book I've read, with the exception of the Bible. 

"I only wanted him. I only wanted someone who would never leave me, someone who understood. But the scar laughed in my face." from Hosanna Emily's book, The Torch Keepers. This quote hit me hard. It made me feel like crying. I longed to reach into the pages and wrap Kadira in one big hug, assuring her that she is loved, she is wanted, and she is understood. So many girls in today's society feel the way Kadira did. It's very sad, and I pray that God will provide me with more opportunities to show these girls the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

". . . I nearly swooned, so great was my anguish." guys, I can't read this line without bursting into a smile . . . or, I admit, a giggle. Aunt Lydia from Susan K. Marlow's The Last Ride has got to be the most hilarious character Mrs. Marlow has ever come up with. Anyone agree?

Wow, this post was super fun to write! Thank you again, Sandrina!

Have you read any of the books mentioned above? Do you have a favorite quote? Let's talk in the comments below! 

Musing #89 - Baby's Gender Reveal + Giveaway Winner

So, I have two exciting tidbits to announce today! One is the gender reveal of my newest, precious sibling. As you may have noticed, the background of my blog has been changed to pink with diapers, bottles, etc. YES, we're having another girl! *dances wildly around the room* To break the news to the family, Dad, after returning from the ultrasound with Mom, blew up a "cannon" of pink powder. The picture included in this post is of that special moment. :-)

Now, for my other announcement, the winner of the giveaway is . . . 

Musing #88 - Pink or Blue?

All right, everyone, tomorrow is the BIG DAY. Mom will be going in for her 20-week ultrasound, and we're hoping our precious baby's gender will at last be revealed! So, put in your guesses now . . . will the girls outnumber the boys in this family 6 to 3, or do you think it's time for another brother before pink totally takes over?
Can't wait to read your guesses, and stay tuned for more details! 

Musing #87 - Giveaway!!!!

So, guys, (*huge smiles*) my beautiful hard copy of The Torch Keepers arrived yesterday, and I'm so excited to be hosting a giveaway that features this amazing novel as the prize!!!! (yes, I'm a big fan of descriptive adjectives) 
The rules for this giveaway are simple: found below are a list of ways you can enter - you may do them all or simply stick with doing one or two. Your choice. Just be sure and comment to let me know how many entries I should credit you for! 
So, entry is free, the prize is great . . . let's get this giveaway rolling!

To enter for a chance to win a copy of The Torch Keepers, you can . . . 

❤ Hop over to Hosanna's blog and leave her an encouraging comment on any one of her posts
❤ Mark The Torch Keepers as "to-read" on Goodreads
❤ Find out which The Torch Keepers character you are most like by taking Hosanna's personality quiz
❤ Share this giveaway with a friend or on any social media page, whether it be Facebook, Instagram, your personal blog, etc. 
❤ Follow my blog

A few final notes before we finish . . . 

*this giveaway is open to United States residents only. (So sorry, international friends!)
*interested in knowing what this book is about and what my thoughts are on it? click HERE. (Back cover summary found at the end of this post.)
*this giveaway runs from Wednesday, September 18th, 2019, to Wednesday, September 25th, 2019. the winner will be announced either on or soon after the final day.
*questions? ask them below!
*have fun!

Blessings,
Ellen❤

Back cover summary for The Torch Keepers:

The King's blue flame quivers as a new fire arises, and Kadira must hold fast to his torch. It's destiny; she's a Torch Keeper. 

A fiery revolution sweeps across the kingdom of Érkeos, and each person must choose a side. Kadira, a girl set apart to serve the King, finds her city engulfed in the Liberation's emerald flames. Her blue eyes mark her as the enemy, and she flees from death. It stalks her anyway. When she meets Rekém, the Liberation warrior sent to kill her, she rebels against the King's ways. Two armies collide; indecision isn't an option. As hearts and lives hang in the balance, Kadira and Rekém could bring destruction or liberation to the entire kingdom.

Musing #86 - Call Upon Him

So many lessons can be learned from a girl who has not yet seen her second birthday! 
Recently, my little sister has figured out how to say my name . . . sort of. In sweet baby accents, she sings out, "Eh-yee!" - her form of my nickname, "Ellie." My name is the one that seems to come most readily to her lips, even more than "ma-ma" (shh . . . please don't tell my mom I said that!). Whenever my sister spills a cup, gets a dab of oatmeal on her finger, or wants to go outside, it's "Eh-yee! Eh-yee!" And there are times, even, when she says my name for no apparent reason at all, but just because she wants my attention, or because she wants to show me something she's proud of or puzzled over. Her love and devotion for me is obvious - it's unarguable.
So . . . why am I sharing all this? Well, one reason is for my sisterly pride, but . . . *clears throat* No, the real reason I'm sharing this is because I want to remind us all of something.
And that is that we are like little toddlers, just learning to speak, excited over every little discovery, agonized in every crisis, and longing for attention - each time knowing that all we have to do is cry out, "Father!" and He hears us. In fact, we don't have to say anything at all before He knows. He knows our thoughts, our circumstances, our everything. It's all in His hands.
He is right here, right beside us, all the time - seeing, knowing, and hearing.

All we have to do is trust in Him.
And now I must go, for once again I'm being summoned by my sweet sister. 😊

It is my prayer that each of you has this hope within your hearts. If you're reading this post and you're unsure of who God is, who you are in Him, or anything along those lines, don't hesitate to drop a comment. I'd love to converse further with you and perhaps, with God's help, lead you to the path of true peace and joy. ❤
Don't ever forget: you are LOVED. 
Loved beyond all comprehension. 

Musing #85 - "Freedom" by Faith Potts

Guys, this book . . . I was blown away. Like, completely, fully, undeniably blown away. Even now, the scenes are all vivid in my mind. This book is. so. good.
Before I launch into my review, I'll go ahead and be honest: I had my doubts from the very moment I started reading Freedom for, as all of you know by now, romance is a huge "no-no" for me - and this book seemed to have been labeled in that dreaded genre. Besides that, suicide is a heavy topic, and I was unsure of just how deep author Faith Potts was planning to go with it.
I stand corrected.
This book - I needed it. Needed to read it; needed to have my eyes opened; needed to have my heart torn to shreds so that, for the first time, I could really and truly give suicide some deep thought . . . and pray for all those who struggle with it. 
I also needed the goofy mental picture that I got as I visualized Alex and James (the two main characters) riding in the sit-and-shop cart, Alex perched on a series of cheap pillows. (That was definitely one of my favorite scenes!) 
There were a couple of places where I became a tad bit iffy (a guy asking a girl to go on a date with him is a little out of my comfort zone), but, thankfully, these characters did not tumble overboard in their love for one another. Through the whole book, there were only two noted kisses on the lips - one after engagement, and one after marriage; before that, there were embraces and pecks on the hair, cheeks, and forehead. And the ending . . . ah! the ending! *happy sigh* . . . was so sweet.
To sum it all up:
This book was gory, but it was also fun. It was open. It was real. I give it a full 5 stars, and I look forward to a sequel. 

Musing #84 - While You're Waiting for My Giveaway . . .

Hi friends,

So, while you're waiting for me to launch my giveaway for a copy of The Torch Keepers, I just wanted to let you know that authors Faith Potts and Kaitlyn Krispense are having a giveaway of their own over at Faith's blog, Stories by Firefly!. Both of these young, talented authors are preparing to publish books on the tenth day of September, and the winners of their giveaway will be some of the first to read one or both of their books, Beloved and Freedom. So, what are you waiting for? Hop on over to Faith's blog post for more info and to enter the giveaway!!! 

Also, the authors are asking people to share their #R2L (Reason to Live), so here is my reason:

JESUS.

My one and only reason for, without Him, you've got nothing. He's placed each one of us here for a purpose, and that purpose is to serve and glorify Him. Our lives are in His hands! ❤

Musing #83 - Belated Wrap-Up Post + Special Announcement

Hi friends! *waves hand* It's me, Ellen, again, and I'm here to share with you all a (belated) wrap-up post for the fabulous month of August. I've never done one of these wrap-up thingies before, so you'll have to let me know in the comments below what your thoughts are of this first attempt. 
Ready? *draws deep breath* Here we go!
In August, I:

*acted as an eager ARC reader for Hosanna Emily's novel The Torch Keepers

*went and saw a special, colorized edition of five I Love Lucy episodes at our local theater with my precious mama. :-) :-) :-)

*spent the last week with sandy toes, wet hair, and a sun-kissed face. (Yep, you guessed it - a family vacay to the beach!)

And here are just a few (*giggles*) of the pictures that I took during the past month.