So This is What 39 Looks Like

Well... my birthday was on Thursday. I'm now the big 3-9! Thirty nine years old. How did that happen? I really don't feel 39, although, I'm not sure exactly how 39 is supposed to feel.

I remember being in my 6th grade classroom and daydreaming about getting older... like being 30. Honestly, I never thought I'd see 30. I have been expecting the imminent return of Christ. I truly thought that He would rapture me out of here before I ever experienced age 30.

Yet here I am at 39.

So as I was saying, it was my birthday. The funny thing about it was I woke up at 5:30 AM. I had the opportunity to sleep in, but my body seemed to think I had sufficient sleep.

I walked into the bathroom, turned on the dimmer of the two lights, and looked in the mirror. I never look in the mirror the minute I get up. I was shocked at what I saw. Right between my eyebrows were two crease lines. They're the ones that crease whenever I scrunch up my forehead when I'm worried or upset. And there they were, as if I had been scrunching my forehead ALL NIGHT.

Seriously? This is how I look first thing in the morning? I had no idea! And if I look like this at 39, what will I look like in 10 years?

So... this is 39. It looks to be an "interesting" year.

Book Review: Shadow in Serenity by Terri Blackstock

Shadow in Serenity by Terri Blackstock
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Carny Sullivan has seen plenty of cons, having been raised by parents who were carnival people and taught her all the tricks. When Logan Brisco blows into her small, close-knit town she knows his promises to the locals of making money in his investment opportunity are nothing but a scam. Carny does everything she can to convince her town that he's a con and refuses to tear down her personal walls of defense. But just when she believes she's got Brisco all figured out, he surprises her.

The book synopsis calls this a modern day "Music Man". It is that type of story, and I hadn't expected that when I planned to read it. I think I enjoyed the second half of the book more than the first. Carny's constant nagging about Logan Brisco's con for the first half started getting on my nerves, but somewhere in the middle of the book I got over it.

I give the book 3 stars because it just didn't "wow" me. I was looking forward to suspense because it was Terri Blackstock, but the suspense just wasn't there. I would've enjoyed it more if it had been. Overall it's a fun read, and I found the background of the life of the con men and the "carnys" interesting.

*I received an advance copy of this book for review purposes from Shelton Interactive. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed here are my own. 

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Blessings

I'm uncertain as to how to sum up the last few months. I've basically written book reviews but nothing personal. The blog took a backseat to book reading, summer pursuits, and my physical problems.

I have been struggling since the first week of July with a motion feeling, akin to floating on a boat. It comes and goes, but it's mostly on all the time to one degree or another. Along with the floating sensation are constant headaches, which are an absolute puzzle to me. I have a headache all the time. Some of the time it's just a mild ache, and I hardly notice it's there. Other times it's a hard throbbing.

I've been getting adjustments at the chiropractor. I've seen my family doctor. Neither one knows exactly why I'm feeling this way. Oh, there are some medical test options I can choose from, but I don't love the options. I currently have an appointment with a specialist, but it's a month out and I'm not sure that it's the right direction for me. So I wait.

It's always been near impossible for me to proclaim God is good when I'm suffering. I believe in the sovereignty of God, but when it came down to saying those words while I'm grappling with feeling horrible and wanting my circumstance to change, I stop short of saying it.

I know the Lord is working something in me, though. He's changing me. He knows my great need to learn how to trust Him, to surrender to whatever He gives me. In my daily prayers I've been giving this physical problem over to Him, asking Him to help me be surrendered to His will. If I believe God's will is always for my good and His glory, then I should be able to say that having headaches and a floating-on-a-boat feeling is good for me. I don't want to bring shame to His name by responding with despair.

I've recently learned the song written by Laura Story called Blessings. It's currently my favorite song because it speaks of asking God to remove suffering or making circumstances better, but we don't realize that the hard things God brings are really His mercies toward us. Sometimes when I'm awake at 3:30 AM because my head is spinning, I will turn on this song and sing softly. And it's in those moments I know that God is changing me because I'm drawing nearer to Him.

Book Review: Dug Down Deep by Joshua Harris

Dug Down Deep: Building Your Life on Truths That Last. by Joshua Harris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed reading the testimony of Joshua Harris as he talked about his teenage years in a mega church youth group and his lack of being grounded in correct doctrine. The premise of his book is to help the reader understand that we need doctrine, and we need right doctrine in order to live in a way that's pleasing to God. If our doctrine is wrong, we'll live wrong.

Harris writes about some of the basic doctrines of the Christian faith, but he does it in a simple way so the average reader can grasp it. He doesn't use big words, and if he does, he explains what they mean. He covers the doctrines of salvation, sanctification, scripture and more. My favorite chapters were on the doctrine of Jesus and the doctrine of the church.

When I requested the book for review I was anticipating it would be a very good resource for the teens at my church. I would recommend it for older teens, but there is one chapter that hits briefly on a subject that's of a sensitive nature, and I would recommend a parent read the book first to determine if it's appropriate for their teen.

I have already recommended the book to friends because it's excellent. I think if you read it with other people, it would generate some good discussion. It would especially help someone who is a new Christian or someone who needs to have a better understanding of the basic doctrines of the Christian faith. It does include an in-depth study guide at the back of the book for small groups.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

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Book Review: Stained Glass Hearts by Patsy Clairmont

Stained Glass Hearts by Patsy Clairmont
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The book is about how God makes the broken pieces of our lives into something we can use to change us. We are broken people, but we need God's perspective on what He's doing and how He's working in our lives.

Patsy encourages us to focus on gratitude to God for where we are and what He has given us, looking for God in our circumstances, and thinking Biblical thoughts. She shares personal stories of troubling seasons in her life and how God gave her His perspective through them.
Although Patsy is quite a humorous speaker, this book did not use humor as you might expect from her, except for one chapter where she talks about aging. I enjoyed that one the most because that's the Patsy I am familiar with. Beyond the humor, though, Patsy does have a way with words and describing beauty around her. You can tell she loves words and puts them well to use.

As for the spiritual impact of the book, I was left feeling like something was missing. It doesn't delve deeply into spiritual truths as much as I would like, and I probably won't remember much from the book in days to come. It was a bit on the "fluffy" side, in my opinion. I also don't go in for "self-esteem talk", which was mentioned a couple times.

I probably would not recommend this book to a friend, simply because I believe there are better resources available for women who need encouragement in their spiritual growth.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

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