Here We Go.... First Worship Services of Naples Presbyterian Church!

As I sit here listening to my husband practice music with a young man named Wil, who will be playing the violin at our first worship services tomorrow, my heart is full with thankfulness and praise to God.  He has called us to bring His good news to the South/East part of Naples, Florida and we are ready to begin!

Eric and Wil practicing for worship.

We have been here for four months now, and all the preparations have led us up to this day. We have sent countless emails, handed out dozens and dozens of invitations, made hundreds of photo-copies and gathered all the gear we think we will need. We've had open-houses and Bible studies, and read the books about church planting.  Humanly speaking, we have done what we can do.  But we realize that ultimately none of our efforts mean anything without God's blessing and approval.  He is the one we are serving, and all our "work" only has meaning when done for His glory.  So we humbly ask Jesus to bless our efforts and bring His sheep into our fold.

Our living room is a mess with all the literature, signs, and supplies we will need tomorrow.

We'll be meeting outdoors at a hotel's poolside patio since the conference room we have rented won't be ready for us tomorrow.  It's not what we originally envisioned, but it will be a memorable part of our church's story.

"Bless the Lord, oh my soul. Let all that is within me bless his holy name!"

Recipe Classic: Banana Bread (or Muffins) Extraordinaire

 So everyone has a banana bread recipe, because we all need to find a way to use up those brown, freckled bananas that accumulate on our kitchen counters ... but do you LOVE yours? Does your family love your version?  If not, I invite you to try this one.  I can say with confidence that this recipe is the rock-star of banana breads.  It is moist and heavy and stays fresh for several days after baking.  (And it's even better with chocolate chips in it.)

Banana Bread (or Muffins) Extraordinaire

1/2 Cup butter (1 stick) softened, but not melted
1 Cup white sugar
2 large eggs
1 Cup mashed bananas (very ripe, approx. 3 medium bananas)
1 1/2 Cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
Optional: 1/2 Cup chocolate chips OR chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9-by-5-by-3 inch loaf pan OR put paper liners into 24 muffin tins. (See comment below.) Set aside.

Cream butter and sugar together until well blended (I use an electric mixer for this part). Beat eggs into mixture and blend completely.  Add the mashed bananas and blend again.

In a separate bowl,  thoroughly whisk flour, baking soda and salt together.  Using a large spoon, begin stirring this into the butter/sugar/banana mixture.  Alternate adding the flour mixture and the sour cream & vanilla until all are combined.  Do not over-mix; stir only until all ingredients are just blended.   If desired, gently stir in chocolate chips or nuts last.

Pour into prepared pan (or muffin liners) and bake.  For loaf, bake approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes, until center tests done with a toothpick. Rest in pan for 10 minutes before turning out to cool.  
For muffins, bake approximately 20 minutes until golden on top.  (Note, you may not get 24 muffins from this.  It depends on how full you fill the muffin liners.  I usually get about 20-22 muffins).

On a personal note, I highly recommend making this in the form of muffins.  Muffins are easy to grab and go, but mostly muffins are easy to share.  I took some of these over to our new neighbors across the street this past week, and they invited me into their home for a cup of coffee and conversation... how wonderful is that?  A friend told me that baking for neighbors is very "old school".  I took it as a compliment. :)

The Mayonnaise Jar Lesson

I recently read something that was simple, but profoundly inspiring.  I'm happy to share it here:


THE MAYONNAISE JAR

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day is not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and two cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.

When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and fills it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “YES”.

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

“Now,” said the professor, as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things - God, family, children, health, friends, and favorite passions. Things, that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the things that matter like your job, house, and car. The sand is everything else -- the small stuff.” he said.

“If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “There is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you...” he told them.

“So... pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Worship with your family. Play with your children. Take your partner out to dinner. Spend time with good friends. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the dripping tap. Take care of the golf balls first -- the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled and said, “I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.”


I love this story!  The "pebbles" in our lives are things that matter, but if that is all we focus on, there is no room for our "golf balls".  How much time do we waste on the "sand",  and neglect the "golf balls"?  Sadly, I have even told myself in the past that there was no room for the coffee.   I am constantly trying to re-prioritize, and this visual lesson is a great tool.

I remember watching a presentation very similar to this several years ago at a homeschooling conference.  The speaker was Don Aslett, and he used different sizes of rocks and a large jar to make the same point about time management.  In order to get the most important things accomplished each day, we have to take care of the "big rocks" first, or there won't be time for them at the end of the day.  If we fill our day (or our lives) attending to less important things, we will never accomplish our most important goals.

Good stuff to ponder!

Church Planting 301

It's been seven weeks since we embarked on our glorious adventure! And since this is the third church-plant we've been involved with, I have the blessing of perspective.  While the early days of church planting might look like a breeze to those on the outside, they can actually be quite challenging and hectic. But I am not experiencing the kind of doubts and fears that I have felt in the past.  We truly believe that God has called us to this work, so we face each day with confidence in Christ and his promises. It is also easier as "empty-nesters" since we do not have children at home who are experiencing sadness over moving.

We planned it so that our first two weeks in Florida were actually accrued vacation time from our previous church.  That was to allow us to take some "time off" to unpack and settle in without feeling guilty about making few contacts right away. That was the idea in theory.  But we no sooner arrived, and we began to feel the pull of seeking out people. It's just who we are and how we roll.

So while we unpacked and set up house, we regularly had friends (new and old) over for meals, swimming, and visiting.  Amidst all the cardboard and clutter we have had some very sweet fellowship.  Hospitality is a vital component in church planting, and we're blessed that we do enjoy having people in our home.

Someone asked my husband, "What do you do all day?" It's a great question, and he answered it more extensively here. Besides all the normal things that must be done when you move (driver's licenses, new insurance, car registration etc etc), there are lots of church tasks to attend to.

Many of our days have been spent driving around looking for that ideal place to begin holding worship services.  We have visited store-fronts, schools, office buildings, hotels and stand-alone properties. We've met with realtors, principals, managers and owners.  It's been a good experience and we feel much more well acquainted with our community after visiting so many venues.  The cloud of confusion is beginning to lift, and we think we have an obvious front-runner - yay!

Last night we held our first "event" which was an open house (in our home) to introduce people to our denomination and answer questions about our new church.  We were excited that 29 people came! We received some encouraging feedback via response cards, and now we pray for God to move in people's hearts.  We know that without the Holy Spirit we can do nothing.  Only the Lord can draw people to himself.... He simply calls us to be faithful in showing others the way.

No-Egg Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

This recipe has been in my family's repertoire for years.  It's cookie dough you do not bake.... just mix it up and enjoy! 

This became our boys' signature birthday treat in elementary school, and their classmates would even request it as celebrations approached. We have served it at all of our graduation open-houses and never had leftovers.  So I'm sharing it here for others to enjoy!

Hauslers’ Cookie Dough

2 ¼ Cups Flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt (or less)

Combine dry ingredients and set aside.

1 Cup Butter (2 sticks)

¾ Cup White Sugar

¾ Cup Brown Sugar

¼ Cup Cream or Milk (I use Half & Half )

1 tsp. Vanilla

1-2 Cups Chocolate Chips

Cream butter and sugars together. Add the milk and vanilla. Slowly add the flour mixture. Add more milk if needed for a creamy texture. Stir in chocolate chips. Eat raw with a glass of milk. Store leftovers in fridge. (DO NOT BAKE!)

This recipe is easily doubled. We use a double recipe to make enough for about 25-30 kids.  Can serve individual portions in Dixie cups or cupcake liners. Enjoy! J

Before and After: Yellow Stain Miracle!

As we were recently moving, I realized that some of our pillows were really, really yellowed. I figured we would just use them as padding on the truck, then throw them away when we got to our new house. But then I came across this article with tips for whitening mattress pads, pillows, etc., so I figured I would give it a try.  It's always nice to save money and keep more trash out of our landfills, right?

It worked!  What an amazing difference!  See for yourself....

BEFORE: Yellowed and dingy - Bleh!

 *Please no comments about how bad these look! I already know!:)

AFTER:  Much better - clean and bright!(Note that the bottom pillow has a blue/gray cover. It is significantly cleaner, but obviously not white.)

I confess that I am slightly addicted to "Before and After" photos. There is something wonderful about seeing things that look ugly (or) dirty (and/or) plain, transformed into beautiful (or) clean (and/or) spruced-up condition.  So I often click on pictures of furniture that has been rehabilitated, rooms that have been made over, and household items that have been given a new lease on life.  It is amazing what a little TLC can do!  
I have found many of these examples on Pinterest, which is where I found a recipe for cleaning yellowed bedding.  

As you can see, our pillows were really bad... gross in fact. (It's embarrassing to even show them, but I'm hoping no one will judge me here! ) We all sweat as we sleep, and this is what happens over time. So, here's the scoop:

Laundry Whitening Recipe:

• 1 Cup Laundry Detergent (I used generic powdered stuff from the dollar store)
• 1 Cup Powdered Dishwasher Detergent
• 1 Cup Bleach* (or non-chlorine bleach if you wish)
• 1/2 Cup Borax
• VERY HOT Water, using as little as possible so your solution is concentrated

Since the goal is to create a HOT, concentrated solution to soak the laundry in, I set my load size on "small" and added a couple of pots of boiling water to boost the temperature. (I would suggest skipping the boiling water if your laundry room is on a different floor than your kitchen. Mine is only a few steps away.) 

I let the washer agitate for a minute to dissolve the ingredients, then I stopped it and put two pillows in to soak. 

The water only reached about halfway up the pillows, so after 30 minutes I turned them over to soak the other side. You can definitely soak things longer, but I was impatient.  The difference was already dramatic:

After they had soaked on the other side for another 30-40 minutes, I filled the washer up so the water would almost cover the pillows, and put them on a short wash cycle. As you can see, they are MUCH cleaner and brighter looking! Not quite like new, but WAY better, and they smell great too! Now that I've proven this recipe works, I'll be giving the same treatment to all our pillows! I think I will soak them longer next time just to eek out that last bit of whiteness.

*A word about chlorine bleach: After checking a few places online, I see that the use of bleach is controversial. Some people prefer not to EVER use chlorine bleach, and some fabrics won't tolerate it.  I decided to give it a try, since I was willing to part with these pillows if it didn't work.  If you have heirloom linens or expensive pillows, you should probably avoid the chlorine bleach and replace it with a non-chlorine substitute, or leave it out altogether.

Here's another batch of pillows I did, with similar (but even more dramatic) results:

BEFORE:Super yuck!

AFTER: Fresh and white! I'm so happy!

  I think I'll also start posting some other Before & After projects I have in mind. I have some furniture I want to paint, and it's fun for me to see the difference in photos.

Book Review: Small Town Girl by Ann Gabhart

From the Publisher:
How long can two people stand on the brink of love without plunging in headfirst?
In the autumn of 1941, rumors of war whisper through Rosey Corner. The town practically vibrates with apprehension, as if it is holding its breath. But for Kate Merritt, it seems life is letting out a prolonged sigh. As Kate watches her sister marry the man Kate has loved since she was fifteen, her heart is silently breaking. And even the attentions of Jay Tanner, the handsome best man, can't draw her interest.

Then suddenly, Pearl Harbor changes everything and Kate finds herself drawn to Jay in surprising ways. Could she truly be in love with him? And if he enlists, will she ever see him again?

In her gentle and textured style, Ann H. Gabhart tells a timeless story of love, sacrifice, and longing that will grip your heart and stir your spirit. Fans of Gabhart's Angel Sister will love seeing Kate Merritt all grown-up, as well as other characters they have come to love.

My Review:
This was such a pleasant read.  I enjoyed Gabhart's Angel Sister, so it was nice to return to Rosey Corner, Kentucky and get reacquainted with the Merritt family. 

Kate Merritt is the central figure in this historical fiction, and she is a spunky, likable young woman.  When Jay Tanner comes to town, she tries to resist his charm but can't seem to get him off her mind. Many ups and downs occur, and along the way Gabhart tackles real-life topics such as alcoholism and parental abandonment. In addition, Rosey Corner is filled with interesting and quirky characters that represent the trials and blessings of life in a small town.  It's all woven together in a charming story that is perfect for a slow summer read. 

A New Home!

We made it!  All the way to Naples Florida, and we are settling into a beautiful new house that the Lord provided (which is a whole story in itself!).

We are steadily digging out from the cardboard boxes, putting things where they belong and it's beginning to feel like home already. The week we spent traveling was a nice break between places.... it gave us a chance to look forward instead of back.  Now we are eager to begin meeting people and immersing ourselves in this community. We are ready to serve and love the people that God brings into our path.

I've been thinking a lot about the concept of moving lately, for obvious reasons.  In the Bible, God's people were frequently on the move, following His leading and guidance. Abraham and Sarah. Joseph and Mary. Paul.  When God said, "Go"- they went.

Today we don't get the benefit of direct, divine revelation. But we do have a sense of God's leading and direction, and in our case we also had several confirming indicators that have caused us to believe that it was time to "Go".  Now we have to continue to trust the Lord for all our needs, especially for Him to raise us those who will be a part of our new church. We cannot make this happen. All we can do is to be faithful and diligent in reaching out to our new neighbors, and trust that God will bring to us the people that He intends to be a part of our new church family.

Saying Goodbye to People We Love....

By far the hardest part of leaving Michigan was saying goodbye.  Parting with our son (who is staying in Michigan), our friends and our church family was emotionally draining, but still good and necessary.

What can you say to people you have known and loved for years, but won't see regularly anymore?  I tried to minimize the loss by saying to some, "This isn't 'goodbye', it's 'see you later'."  But it wasn't a very effective way to soothe the ache I was feeling.  It was also tempting to sneak away and avoid the pain altogether... but that wasn't really an option either.

So we walked through it, day by day for a few weeks, visiting and hugging and enjoying last meals and conversations with people we care about.  It was tearful and amazingly difficult at times, but gave us a sense of closure we would not have otherwise had.

I've been meditating on Psalm 126:5-6 since we sang  this song on Sunday while visiting a church on Lookout Mountain, Georgia with our son (on our route to Florida):
Those who sow in tears
    shall reap with shouts of joy! 
 He who goes out weeping,
    bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
    bringing his sheaves with him.

We have sown many tears in recent days, but we "go out weeping, bearing the seeds for sowing". May God bless our efforts to plant and grow a new body of believers in Naples.  Now we are eagerly anticipating shouts of joy.

Saying Goodbye to the Farmhouse

Goodbyes are always hard. So this past week has been tough. We have said goodbye over and over... to dear friends, to our church family, to our own son, to acquaintances around town, and to our house. The farmhouse holds a lot of memories for us, and leaving wasn't easy.

Here is how things looked while we were packing up. Quite a mess!

After two garage sales, and giving many things away, we still had a LOT of stuff!  We even wondered if it would all fit on the enormous trailer we rented. An army of friends showed up on Saturday to help us. As they were staging all the furniture and boxes in the garage, almost everyone doubted we could get everything on....

But somehow, by the grace of God and some very talented packers, everything did fit and we even had a little room to spare (but not much)!

Which left us with a Very. Empty. House.

We returned to clean the house on Monday. Tuesday was departure day, so we went back for one last walk-through.  We prayed and thanked God for the good years we have had, and the memories that each room holds for us.  But the house is no longer our home.  We hugged and cried and walked out for the last time.

We are praying for the sweet family that bought the Old Red Farmhouse... that they will be even happier there than we were.   And we are looking ahead, eager to make memories in our new home.  We are still awed by the Lord's provision of our next home, and want it to be a place where everyone who enters will feel welcomed and loved.  Isn't that the purpose of a home after all?

The Protests in Turkey - Message from a friend on the ground there

I rarely have any insight on international news, but the current situation in Turkey has been on my heart lately because we have friends who live in Istanbul.  As the government tries to clamp down on protesters in Istanbul's Gezi Park, hope is blooming in the hearts of many Turkish people.

I corresponded this week with our friends, checking in to see if they are OK and to get their perspective on the situation.  Here is what our Turkish friend "Isaac" wrote back:

"We're OK  here so far. Maybe you remember I was talking about the danger coming towards our country step by step. This danger had been building up since the previous fraud election  which let an evil politician occupied the whole country with Islamic dictatorship. 

The people of Turkey had been pressed and frightened by this evil diktator (10 times worse than Putin) by using the police forces and partisan judges. Thousands of University faculty members, writers, journalists, high level army generals, elected represantatives, scientists are  in prison for several years with fake charges and fake evidences which are created in digital environment. 

But after 11 years of evil administration the public of Turkey stood up, ripped the shadow of fear empire and started a holly war that aims to build up a free country again. This is an civilized independence war. These resisting young people have no guns, no violence (except very few marginal left wing groups) They demostrate a wonderful cooperation with love and peace, express their feelings with arts and very smart humour. 

We hadn't been so proud of our people for a long time. Me and (my wife) are attending to local demostrations that are organized all over the country and watching news with tears, although there're tousands of injured people and many sad stories, we started to get full of hope for our countries future again. We know that darkness will be defeated in the end."


I love the fact that rather than only expressing grief over the treatment of the the protesters, Isaac sees the possibility of positive change after a growing oppressive dictatorship.  Two years ago, Isaac expressed to us his concerns over the changes happening in Turkey, even to the point of telling us it was not a good time for an American to visit them.  Now they have a glimmer of hope that freedom will be restored.

I'll be praying for change, just as Isaac has requested.

Stuff....

Stuff.  I have had a lot of time lately to think about stuff.  I love this quotation by William Morris, and I want this to be my new mantra.

As we begin to pack up for our move, we have had to face just how much stuff we have. And it's a LOT.  We just held a garage sale for the past two days, and wowee, have we accumulated a lot of things that we do not need!  

As I consider what the Bible says about stuff, this verse from Luke 12:15 leaps to my mind:

15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

Which makes me take a hard look at why we obtained so many things to begin with.... was I being covetous?  Did I think those things would improve my quality of life and make me happy?

Moving is forcing us to face our tendency to collect things we:

A. Think might be useful some day  OR

B. Enjoyed for a while and have hung onto far beyond their time of usefulness to us OR

C. We like, but don't have a place for, so we have parked in the garage or basement OR

D. Feel attached to because someone we love once used it.

But all that stuff can become oppressive.  When I saw the garage jammed full of things we hoped to sell, I almost had a panic attack.  "What if people don't buy it and we have to decide whether to throw it away or bring it back into the house?"  I had to admit I still actually felt attached to much of it.

God was extremely gracious to us, and most of the things did sell.  That is a double-blessing because we are donating the proceeds to the new church-plant in Florida, so we could gratefully accept the extra dollars from some friends who overpaid for their purchases.

We've already decided to have another garage sale before we move, and to be even more strict with ourselves about which items we'll take to our new home.  I also need to be vigilant about not allowing myself to gather too many new things in our new home.  I really want to start fresh and stay on-track.

What do you think? Do you struggle with this too?  I'd love to hear others' thoughts on this.

Book Review: The Artist's Daughter by Alexandra Kuykendall

This book captured my attention immediately because that adorable girl on the cover looks quite a bit like my darling niece.  Once I examined it a little more closely, I was intrigued by the summary on the back and decided to read it.

It's rare for me to find a memoir that I can hardly put down, but that was my reaction to this book. Alexandra Kuykendall has written an amazingly transparent recounting of her life as a fatherless girl.  She writes of her first meeting at age eight with her father in France, and how the void left by his absence has impacted her at all phases of her life. In spite of her mother's constant love, she still wonders if she is truly loved.  Even after she became a Christian, Alexandra continued to struggle with feelings of inadequacy.

At times I wanted to cry while reading, because I could feel the emotional pain she tried so hard to bury, and I could truly understand where that was coming from.  Though my story is a bit different than hers, I had a few "aha" moments for myself.  The perfectionism that can result from father-issues is something I relate to.

I highly recommend this book for Christian women. Alexandra's story is just plain interesting, but more than that it caused me to look inside and ask some good/hard questions.  It also helped me realize that everyone has a story, and when I meet someone, I need to take the time to listen and hear where they have come from in order to understand who they are.

Get it from Revell Publishing or at any online bookseller.

Staging the Farmhouse

It was quite a job getting our house ready to be looked at by potential buyers.  We did some painting and took care of a few minor repairs that needed attention.  Then it was time to declutter.... big time.  We could have done more, but we were working on a deadline once we invited people in.  We hired a couple of teenagers to help us move some furniture and boxes of stuff out to our storage shed.  I emptied every closet of excess stuff, leaving all closet floors empty...  because my sister said that was a rule when showing your home.  Whew, was that a lot of work!

My good friend Teresa came over to help me stage it.  Her mantra was, "LESS IS MORE." She kept saying that as she suggested which items needed to be removed and put in the shed.  It was super helpful!

On the morning of the open house, I even put my toaster, Kitchen Aid mixer and a bread basket into the trunk of my car! Here is how a few of  the rooms ended up:

Living Room: Took lots of stuff away from the coffee table and mantle. Opened all the blinds and put flowers on the coffee table.

Family Room: Put away all gaming devices, DVDs, remotes, shoes, ironing board, etc etc.

Bedroom: Removed 15 framed family photos from shelf over bed, put TV away, got rid of stacks of books on each side of bed.

Kitchen: Cleared almost everything off counters except a couple of decorative items.

Upstairs Bathroom: Same story... everything off counter, only left a couple of nicely folded towels hanging on bars, took out hamper.

Looks pretty good, huh?  Not perfect, but we do still live here and we tend to be messy people. So  just clearing counters made a huge difference.

I hope you enjoyed this little tour of our house.  I only showed you the good stuff.  Maybe later I'll post a picture of our shed. :)

Book Review: Seasons of a Woman's Life by Lois Evans

I have a great interest in women's ministry, and particularly the model seen in Titus 2 where older women teach younger women.  Throughout the many years I've led Bible study at my church, I have become that older woman! Every week I meet with several young women who are in the season of changing diapers and chasing toddlers.  They enjoy hearing from me simply because I am living proof that a Mom will survive that stage of life! :)  But I still appreciate the the perspective of those older than me, particularly Godly women who have walked with the Lord for years.

I decided to review this book based primarily on the title. I'll soon be entering the "empty-nester" season, and I'm trying to prepare for it.   At first I didn't even realize that the author Lois Evans is the wife of well-known pastor Tony Evans.  (I have heard of him, but don't know much about his ministry.) 

In this book, Mrs. Evans gives a lot of encouragement to women in all phases of life. As she addresses the seasons of Seed-Planting, Growth and Harvest, she frequently uses Queen Esther as an example for women today.  I liked her thoughts on contentment, facing fear, patience and obedience.  The book is also filled with personal examples and stories from the author's life - I appreciated her transparency about some of the hard things she has been through.

Another feature I admired was Mrs. Evans' attention to single women (including single moms) in many of her comments.  She realizes that she is addressing a diverse audience and keeps her comments applicable to all.  

I think that many women will find this book to be a helpful tool in their spiritual growth. It will especially appeal to those who are familiar with the ministry of Tony and Lois Evans.  

Here is the book description from the Moody Publishing:

Are you afraid that . .  you'll never reach the end of dirty diapers? You'll never be free of carpool duty? Your teenager's rebellion will never end? The empty nest is just a little too empty?

Fear not, seasons change. You blink twice and find yourself in another situation. Maybe longing for the "old days" or maybe grateful for the freshness of a new season. But like it or not, the seasons will come, each in its sequence and each in its own time.

Using lively examples from her own life and those of other women - including Esther - Lois Evans challenges you to to discover the purpose of your life and to depend on Him as He teaches the lessons of each season. In this book, you will find helpful priniciples, recognize familiar emotions, and take to heart encouraging promises from the pages of God's Word.

In this edition a new chapter on the grandparenting season has been added. And to help you dig deeper - whether alone or with friends - chapter study questions are included.

You can get the book here.

Disclosure:  I received a review copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Selling the Farmhouse

I haven't blogged for weeks because I've been a wee-bit busy. You see, we have sold the Old Red Farmhouse.

Once we decided in February to accept a church-planting call in Florida, we began to get busy with minor fix-ups, painting rooms, clearing closets and general sprucing up.  Two weeks ago today, we held an informal open house for a few friends and neighbors who had contacted us to express interest.

My head is still spinning at the speed  of things since then.  We received a great offer 3 days after the open house, which we accepted that day.  We've already had a full inspection, a radon test (we passed!) and well/septic inspection.  So it looks like everything is moving forward for us to leave by the end of June.  We hope the new family will be even happier than we have been here.

All of this confirms in a concrete way that we are being called to leave.  It will not be easy, and there is still a lot to do.  But selling the house so quickly is one more answered prayer that helps us to know we are headed in the right direction.

In my next post, I'll show some photos from inside the house, which has never looked so good!

Now I am left with a dilemma:  should I keep this blog name after we move, or do I need a new title?

Great New Book: The Dance by Dan Walsh and Gary Smalley - Book Review

This is a brand new book, and it's a winner!

Dan Walsh is a gifted storyteller who writes heart-impacting fiction.  Gary Smalley is known as the "relationship expert".  These two amazing men have collaborated on the new "Restoration" series, and The Dance is the first installment. Once I started reading I could hardly put it down.

Jim and Marilyn Anderson appear to have a picture-perfect marriage, but in reality it's a hollow, empty relationship.  Jim thinks that because he's given Marilyn all the material things a woman could want, she should be satisfied. But Marilyn has tried for years to tell Jim that what she really wants wants is his heart... which is more than Jim is willing to give.  So Jim is shocked and angry when Marilyn walks out on him.

Most of the story is spent switching back and forth between Jim and Marilyn's perspectives as they live their now-separate lives: Jim at first fuming over Marilyn's "ridiculous" absence, then (with some help) eventually realizing that he just may be the problem.  As Marilyn learns to stand on her own two feet, she finds a job and even fulfills a long-ignored dream - taking dancing lessons. Her taste of freedom only strengthens her resolve that she will no longer settle for the shallow coexistance that her marriage had become. As so often happens, their kids are caught in the middle.

I won't say any more about the plot, because you can probably figure out how it will end.  The beauty of the book is not in the suspense, but rather in the dawning recognition by Jim that he has taken his wife (and family) for granted for years.  He represents the clueless, stereotypical, career-driven man who uses his family and even his church as tools to achieve his goals.

I thought that the dialogue, thoughts and actions of the characters were realistic, and probably represent a composite of many true-life situations that Gary Smalley has counseled over the years. The authors did a fantastic job of bringing many different perspectives to the story. I was pulling for this family, and wanted them to find a way to resolve the differences and hurt that had torn them apart.

Since this is categorized as "Inspirational Fiction", some readers might be irritated that  Marilyn leaves her home for a time of separation without "Biblical grounds for divorce" (unfaithfulness), and the tone of the book is sympathetic to her.  Just to be clear, Marilyn does not file for divorce. She leaves in order to give her husband a wake-up call. She wants her marriage to be restored, but she wants it to be different. I wrangled with this a little myself, and if I put myself in her place, I doubt I would handle it the same way. But this is a fictional story after all. The authors walk a fine line here, but do a good job of showing what can really happen when a "Christian couple" doesn't follow Biblical principles in their life.

I believe this book may help some people recognize that their marriage is in real danger and needs attention now.  For others it may provide a nudge to work a little harder at tending the most important relationships in life. In any case, it's simply a great read.

I highly recommend it!

Here is the publisher's synopsis:

Love’s recovery starts with a single step . . .

After 27 years of marriage, Marilyn Anderson is tired of playing the role of perfect wife. Her husband Jim is a successful businessman who gives her everything she needs-a beautiful home in an upscale neighborhood, the financial freedom to be a stay-at-home mom, an enviable collection of stuff. Everything, that is, except what really matters: love.

After years of trying to connect with Jim, Marilyn has had enough. She longs to experience some measure of happiness before she’s too old to enjoy it. Needing some time to herself to sort things out, Marilyn leaves to start a new job and take dancing lessons-something she has wanted to do for as long as she can remember.

Shocked to find his wife gone, Jim Anderson must sort through the past to save his marriage. With a little help from an unexpected ally, he begins a campaign to win Marilyn back. What he doesn’t anticipate is how his actions will affect everyone around him-starting with himself.

Get it now from Baker Publishing Group!