Monday Musings // "More Tales from Memory Creek Ranch" RELEASE!!!

note: instead of a life update + photo dump for this week's Monday Musings post, I have a special announcement to share with y'all. :) :) :) 

a few weeks back, I posted a pic of my prized CCA (Circle C Adventures) book collection. and now, I'm so excited to say . . .

My favorite author/writing mentor, Mrs. Susan K. Marlow, has just released her latest Andi book to the world!! (*cue intense applause and plenty of celebratory confetti*)

The all-new, five-star More Tales from Memory Creek Ranch is the sixth installment in the CC Milestones series, as well as a sequel to the first Tales from Memory Creek Ranch book . . . with Jared growing up and another Prescott baby born during one of the ending stories. (eeks!) 

As many of you know, Mrs. Marlow's Tales from Memory Creek Ranch is my very most favorite book EVER. I have whole scenes from that book memorized, and two copies of it at home with one on my Kindle so I can take it with me wherever I go. And when Mrs. Marlow said she was coming out with yet another Milestones book, I have to admit I might've been a bit skeptical. As far as I was concerned, there was no beating the original Tales collection.

Even so, I was very excited to be given the opportunity to help read and edit this most recent bunch of short stories. (and YES, that was my secret "job" I told you all about in an earlier post.) It wasn't long before I lost not only my reservations but also my imagination to the joys of devouring twelve more, never-before-seen-in-print adventures with Andi, Riley, and Jared Prescott.

 

A great manuscript + music = one happy young editor. :D

Each tale is spectacular, but I think my favorites would have to be the final two (San Francisco Surprise and Riley to the Rescue). Oh, and Nanny Riley, 'cause that one was inspired by a dear friend of mine and just makes me smile to read it. :)

So, what're you waiting for??? Go grab your own copy of More Tales from Memory Creek Ranch!! <3

FIND IT ON:

Amazon || Goodreads || CCA Website

Blessings,

Ellen S.

Monday Musings // Apple Butter!

This week has been both busy and enjoyable as we soaked up our final days of summer break. My sister, Marah, and I jogged every other morning, Connor (aka Big Bro) and I lugged out our bikes and went cycling together on a near-daily basis, and there was lots of writing, listening to music, new books, and baby cuddles. :D Here're a few of the highs from the past seven days . . . 

~I received the sweetest email from a friend telling me her tweenaged sister was blessed by my book. <3
~Ellen's Musings reached 62 followers! *confetti*
~I enjoyed a voice chat with an online friend for the very first time ever. 

~Sandrina and I had over an hour's Skype call on Saturday, which was AWESOME.
~an amazing young lady posted a review for The Whispers God Gives on her blog.
~there was a moment of laughing until my jaw hurt. (thanks, Mom :D)
~I added a few new songs to my Amazon music playlists. :)

~signing books + addressing envelopes.

~on the way back from a drive-through coffee shop with Mom and two of my little sisters, rain began to fall in buckets. We pulled up in the driveway, Mom messaged Dad, and he came out with an umbrella to escort each of us, one at a time, to the safety of the garage. xD
~we bought bunches of peaches, apples, pears, and tomatoes, and made a pot of rich, frothy apple butter.

I didn't get as many pictures this week, but I figured I'd go ahead and share the ones I did take. =)

Getting ready to peel all these apples. 🍎🍎🍎 Ruby found the crinkly plastic bags to be*extremely* entertaining. xD

Sadie enjoyed a handful of assorted glazed and chocolate munchkins en route from Dunkin' Donuts. (notice the bulge in her cheeks.) :D

THIS CUTIE. *heart eyes*

Soooooo, what have you all been up to? Do you like homemade apple butter? Let's talk in the comments below! <3

Blessings,

Ellen S.

Seven Days of Hope Blog Tour!

Two sweet friends of mine, Abby Elissa and Sawyer Marie, are hosting a SEVEN DAYS OF HOPE blog tour, and I'm so excited to be a part of it here on Ellen's Musings! They asked me to share a gorgeous graphic (made by the blog tour hosts), personal words of encouragement, a quote/saying that brings me hope, and a favorite song. :) I've enjoyed visiting all the blog tour "stops" thus far, and it's my prayer that y'all are blessed by my teensy post as well. <3

QUOTE:

"I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." ~ Jesus (John 16:33)

A LITTLE PERSONAL ENCOURAGEMENT:

As I prayed for wisdom on what to share today, God provided that my mom published an Instagram post about hope and . . . 🦋butterflies🦋. Nothing short of miraculous, considering she didn't have the upcoming blog tour anywhere on her radar as she worked on lettering her own quote and small, hope-filled devo. And in turn, she inspired me to also use these wonderful little creatures to spread encouragement with you.

I've always had a strange obsession with butterflies. Perhaps it's because, as a younger girl, I had my own creative way of daydreaming which resembled that of a butterfly in flight. I loved to dance around the house with my arms spread out at both sides, swirling them like wings. Up, down. Down, up. 'Round and 'round again, till my breath grew short, my limbs ached, and at last, with a satisfied grin, I collapsed.

My dad, catching me running by, would smile and call me his little butterfly. The name stuck longer than this unusual dreamy habit of mine (thank God), entering into my teenaged years and turning into a Gmail address, NaNo username, etc. It's special to me, like a precious little bond between my father and me that I don't ever want to let go of.

And now, so many years later, butterflies serve as a reminder of something even more than a fond childhood memory.

Because they haven't always been full-grown butterflies, but rather caterpillars first crawling, then eating, then being bound by a cocoon until the day of final maturity arrived. 

There's a lot of growing still to be done in your life and mine. Growth that means pushing through the hard and trusting that the darkness won't last forever.

In the moment we feel like we're dangling above rock-bottom is when our cocoons grow solid and our wings develop. We turn from caterpillars on the ground to butterflies with a destiny. To soar in the sky, gorgeous wings flapping, elegant bodies a testimony to our Creator. The pain will flee, beaten by our Savior's light. Our cocoons will unwind, air fill our wings, and we'll swoop forth. Free. Beautiful. Leaving the old and finding the new. Ready to show that the darkness is but for a moment, and the upcoming splendor for an eternity. 

Friends, even during the darkest days, when your cocoon squeezes tight and everything looks bleak and without light, remember: He is our Hope. And He will bring us safely through the valley in which we're travelling. There is no storm so long the sun will not shine; no path so winding the end does not come. 

Rest in Jesus, and place your hope in Him. The Giver of life itself has promised to be here for us. Always. And He has already conquered the world and won our souls so that we might have peace. <3

TRUST HIM.

SONG:

As an unarguable music addict, picking just //one song// to share with you guys promised to be a struggle. Almost Home by MercyMe was my original choice (after much deliberation, of course). And then Amazon Music switched into auto-play one afternoon, and I felt God's nudge to do another song. One I'd never heard before, but soon fell in love with.

"I Have This Hope" by Tenth Avenue North

(for those of you on mobile phones, you can listen by clicking HERE.)

LINKS TO ALL THE OTHER STOPS ON THE TOUR:

Blessings,

Ellen S.

Monday Musings // Week #2

Hello friends! Thanks to all of your encouragement & support, I hope to make Monday Musings a regular thing. Sooooo . . . you'd best prepare yourselves for an overload of life ramblings and fun pictures once every seven days. :)
Some highlights from this past week:

~we enjoyed a great morning playing outside @ Grandma's
~there was a LOT of rain, making the clear skies look especially glorious today
~My sweet friend, Caleigh, and I were able to face chat for the first time in a long while. Then Emma and I talked over the phone yesterday evening, discussing books, life, and blogging stuff. (both of these young ladies are such beautiful beams of sunshine! I am so blessed by them <3)
~I signed up to participate in a "Seven Days of Hope" blog tour (Lord willing, my post will be scheduled for Friday, so be sure to keep an eye out!)

~and, of course, there were new reads, trips to Dunkin' Donuts with Mom, and plenty of time for music and writing :)

A few photos . . . 

Helping Ruby discover the joys of water. :D Can you believe this adorable cutie is almost seven months old???

Dry Quaker Life cereal. Mmm!

We've made it to 50,000 views!! *confetti*

My latest 5-star read. (thanks, Emma!)

I'm so excited about these new running shoes! =)

Whoosh, that was a lot of fun. :) Hope you guys enjoyed this post!! <3

What have you been up to? How's the weather where you live? Comment below and tell me!

Blessings,
Ellen S.

It's All About Perspective

Rain. First pattering, then thudding. Hitting grass, wood, glass, cement. Puddles form upon the earth, small rivers streaking through. 

Grey clouds layer the sky, their ridges taking on the look of a garden freshly hoed.

I rise, slip into my sandals, and turn my gaze to the window to spectate. My heart thrums a little in disappointment as reality sinks in: the gloomy weather means no running, no walking, and certainly no bike-riding. Not for a while, anyway. 

My shoulders slump, and I sigh. Grabbing my Kindle and journal, I flop down on the bed and begin my devotions. After that, it's time for breakfast (Special K + bananas) and checking my Gmail inbox. Then I tap open the weather radar app and observe the blotches of green and yellow headed our way.  

I swallow. So much rain! 

"Dad, will it stay like this all day?" I ask, showing him the phone.

"Let's see." He promptly reaches over and uses two fingers to expand the map. All of a sudden, the huge blob of predicted foul weather looks teensy in comparison to the rest of the US. More like a moving dot than anything else.

"Nope," says Dad cheerfully. "Looks like it'll last for the morning, then go away." And he continues helping Sadie with her breakfast.

Wow! That's . . . different. I stare at the new image on my phone screen and feel some of my earlier tension slip away into nothingness. 

Looking at the late-summer storms from a different angle - an angle far from the blown-up version I generally used - served as a much-needed lesson on the power of perspective. 

Perspective is a very important part of our lives. It determines everything, from how we feel to how we act. It can ruin us, or it can shape us.

Choose now how you want to view the world. Other people. The daily chores you're assigned to do. And yes, even a weather radar app. 

Will you zoom in close, see the overwhelming amount, and become discouraged? Or step back and see how things appear from God's eyes? He sees things as they are: fleeting. Gone in a  moment. And everything He allows to enter our lives is for our good and His glory. 

May we trust Him and seek to find the bigger picture instead of grumbling about one part of it. He knows the whole story, from the beginning of time to the end. We can rest in this, rest in His peace, His love. These hard things of life shall pass, leaving eternal glory and splendor in their wake. I can hardly wait for that moment! 💜💜💜

Monday Musings // Caleigh's Giveaway!!

Hello friends! I was recently inspired to a do quick, impromptu "Monday Musings" post. What is that, you ask? Just a bunch of life randomness, a picture or two, and a special announcement swirled in. So, let's get to it!

First off, I just want to thank you all SO MUCH for helping this blog obtain SIXTY FOLLOWERS. ​😱😱😱 I am continually in awe at the way God works through this little corner of the web to bless and encourage others. And coming on one day and seeing I've reached the next milestone in the blogging world? (*screams*) You guys are pretty amazing, and I don't know what I'd do without you! ((*ice cream for everyone!*))

On another note, Mom has been making some recipes using zucchinis and our ugly, ripe bananas. (wow, judging from that description, these creations don't sound too appetizing, do they? xD on the contrary, they're super luscious. she's pulling three fresh loaves of round wheat bread out of the oven as I type.) 😋

And finally, now that your mouths are watering from the pics of zucchini bread and banana-and-peanut-butter smoothies, it's time for the announcement. 😊

My sweet email/pen/blogger friend, Caleigh C., has just launched her very first giveaway on her little nook of the internet, Caleigh's Random Thoughts! The prize is great and the rules are simple, so I encourage y'all to hop on over and enter! CLICK ANYWHERE IN THIS SENTENCE TO VISIT HER POST. 

That completes my Monday Musings post for this week (maybe I'll have to turn this into a regular thing, eh?). TTYL!!

Blessings,

Ellen S.

Are You Ready?

Tuesday, August 4th, 2020

5:45 AM

The sudden peal of shrill beeping noises from my alarm clock slices through my thick haze of sleep. I stifle a groan, roll over, and punch the Snooze button. I'm not ready to get up yet.

I'd been up till half past eleven the night before with a new book. It had seemed worth it at the time, but now . . . All my body wants to do is sleep, not awaken at 5:45 to brush out my hair and ready for the day. 

I burrow deeper into the covers. Just for a few more minutes . . .

As you can probably guess, those "few minutes" quickly turn into another hour. Before I know it, it's a quarter to seven, and I don't feel any closer to rising. 

From downstairs, I hear bowls and spoons clattering as my siblings have their breakfast. Rain pounds on the windows outside, while violent gusts of wind whip tree branches against the glass. I grimace. For sure this storm wins the prize as one of the worst we've had so far this summer.

I release a breath and pull my blanket farther up over my shoulders. No running for me today, I reckon.

Oh, well. All the more time to work on WIPs inside a warm, cozy house.

Energized by this idea, I'm just about to crawl from bed when my little sister, Marah, comes in. She plops down in my rolling desk chair and strikes up a "hello, darling" type of chat. (does this occur every morning? hm, yep, just about. nothin' out of the normal about it.) In mid-conversation, we hear a strange ringing. Neither one of us can place where it comes from, so we go on in our talking.

Suddenly, one of my brothers leaps into my room and exclaims, "Ellie! Get downstairs now. There's a tornado warning!"

Marah springs from the chair, and I shoot to a sitting position. "Wait, what?!"
My hands fly to my tangled hair. I still have to use the bathroom. And my Kindle remains unopened, the next part of my daily Scriptural reading undone. I'm not ready!

No time now. According to our radars, the tornado is close.

I push back my blanket and make a mad grab for my computer, Kindle (+ Bible), hairbrush, watch, a couple hair bands, phone . . . essentially anything I can think to find in the next frantic two minutes. From the floor below, Mom yells for me to "c'mon!" 

Arms full, I charge down the stairs, flannel pajama bottoms sweeping my ankles and with my hair tumbling in loose waves around my face after a brisk, ten-second combing. 

Please, God, keep us safe! 

Thankfully, after about twenty minutes in the basement, the threat goes off, and our house is still in one piece . . . and now my stomach is growling for something to eat. I scurry upstairs (so much for not running, heh?) to stuff a jug of almond milk and a package of Special K into my mail bag (which was hanging conveniently from the railing), then return to the basement to eat.

I notice my hands shaking as I pour cereal into my bowl. Boy howdy, was I so not prepared for this! 

Mid-morning, as the clouds clear and bright, glorious sunshine spills down, I can't help but notice the parallels between this true story and the life of an unbeliever. 

They push off getting ready for Jesus' Second Coming. "I've got plenty of time," they say. Well, so did I . . . or at least that's how it seemed. Until the call came, and I realized I wasn't even close to ready. 

Jesus told us that His return will be like a "thief in the night." Unexpected with no warning. 

Are you ready? 

Friends, the breath you're taking right now could very well be your last. Are you prepared to face Jesus? Or will the time come for Him to bring you home and you panic, realizing you've never repented, never asked Him to enter your heart, and now it's too late?

Please, don't wait one second longer. Right here, right now, confess to God that you're a sinner in need of forgiveness and His love, and you'll be guaranteed a room in Heaven. Best of all, once you have Jesus in your heart, you're 100% ready for that moment when He returns to bring you home. <3

Praying for you all! 

Blessings,

Ellen S.

My Andi Carter Collection!

I never realize how many of Mrs. Susan K. Marlow's books I own . . . until I go to pull them off my shelf. Which of these have you read? Do you have a favorite? Are you excited for the sixth book to the CC Milestones series, More Tales from Memory Creek Ranch, which is due to release THIS. MONTH? I know I am! :) :) :)