Gravel Road Musings

What is it about December 31 that seems to bring about a sense of reflection and nostalgia?  We spend it thinking back over the year-- the good and the bad, the memories, the joys and sorrows, the changes.  Bloggers post their most popular posts or do a recap on their year; companies start pulling out the end of year paperwork and getting it ready for the tax man. Retail stores gather the troops and start doing inventory--something I am very sad to miss this year.  (Call me crazy, but I love doing inventory. My last job, inventory didn't take long, but it was so much fun while it lasted.  Plus after I came up with this cool little spreadsheet, I felt all sophisticated about it too.  Please note, I am not the most up to date on technology and spreadsheets and other such things, so this was a big accomplishment for me.)  Anyway, back to December 31.  Then after all this has been done, people get together in the evening to party and toast the New Year in-...

Okay, I really don't want this blog to turn into a complete book review blog; however, I just applied with two more book review programs.  I don't think the one will accept me, but the other one might.  We will see. I suppose the only way to make this not become a book review blog is to post more often.  Ha Ha!!!  We'll see how that goes as well. Christmas songs are something I've been thinking about more this year.  I'm very disappointed that I got to help sing so few Christmas songs this year. I think I sang all of one last Sunday in church.  I like Christmas songs. I have played a few on my keyboard.  What are your favorite? And have you really stopped to consider what they say?  My understanding is that some people people don't like Christmas songs because they seem so shallow, but really stop and listen to some of those lyrics. Even Away in a Manger: "Be near me Lord Jesus. I ask Thee to stay close by me forever and love me I pray..." ...

By Julie Klassen This book was given me by Bethany House for the purpose of reading and writing a review.  All opinions are my own. It's time to get reading.  I currently have three more books that are waiting to be read and reviewed. One would think with all the down time I'm supposed to have, I would get lots of reading done, but I don't really read that much.  This week I have charted an hour in my schedule every day for reading. We will see how that goes.  Anyway, back to the review: I first read Julie Klassen on another Bethany House Review book and I really liked her style of writing.  This book was not disappointing.  It had some twists and turns in it that I didn't see coming at all.  Maybe I wasn't observant enough, but I sure didn't catch on to some of the plot until it was laid out before me. That to me is a sign of a good book.  I like books where everything comes out okay in the end, but I don't like to have it figured out in ...

Kept Forever in My Heart There are two of these little figurines sitting on our dresser--two little reminders of our heart's greatest treasures.  It's almost two years since we said goodbye to our eldest child-- a child we never had the privilege of meeting, a child we barely got to know, a child we didn't even know how much we loved until he was gone.  I wanted a reminder of this baby, something I could look at and see regularly.  We chose this figurine. Then, when we said goodbye to our second child, I wanted another figurine in honor of her, but wasn't sure if I wanted to go with the same style or not, but then my friend answered that question for me when she sent me an exact replica of the first Willow Tree and I knew it was right and it is.  Two little figurines sitting one either side of our unity candle on our dresser.  Fitting, I think.  Our two little babies are a part of our family-- they have driven us together.  In sickness and in hea...

This post would be much better with pictures, but I didn't think of taking any.  Maybe I'll see what I can snag off the world wide web to better portray my story A package comes in the mail or better interpreted an overgrown envelope: At first it's exciting like you might be getting a small gift from someone: But then you look closer and you see words that don't inspire a happy face at all.  Instead, they might inspire more of this: Because you see words like this on the package: Household Television Survey. You debate throwing the envelope away without even opening it, but for some reason you open it.  Then you are going to trash it, but wait something catches your eye: You reach into the envelope and remove five brand-new crisp one dollar bills: You smile now: But wait: the company is paying you in advance for doing their survey.  Now what?  A pause, a moment to think and then into the goes the envelope and int...

A huge shout out of thanks to Hannah for doing all the hard work.  If you need something fun to do, make those hanging cinnamon ornaments. Not the greatest pics but for better views come visit me.

I don't think I really promised to absolutely every day post something I was thankful for, did I?  If I did, I'm truly sorry, but here in is the beauty.  It's my blog and I reserve the right to make any and all changes to the content that I wish and that includes how frequently I post. It really is a little pathetic. I quit posting on the day we had a sermon on thankfulness.  How ironic, huh?  To add further to the irony is the fact that I was more than a little crabby and moody the rest of that day as well.  But it's been better since.  I'm starting to go a little stir-crazy and realizing that ten weeks is a really, really, REALLY, REALLY long time, but by God's grace I will make it for as long as I need to. Am I bored yet?  Getting there, but I still have things I can do.  I have only half met my goal for today on my online transcription job, but truth-be-told, I was getting a little tired of transcribing a focus group for undergarments. ...

By Kevin Johnson This book was given me by Bethany House for the purpose of reading and writing a review about it. I liked this book.  It's a very different style of writing, but I think it works.  Kevin has 10 chapters dealing with anything from loneliness to questions to peace to surrender and ending with hope.  He talks a little about his own journey and places a person can find themselves in, but mostly he takes a Scripture, divides it out into 4 or more sections and has you pray it.  He offers a verse and then gives some open-ended sentences to allow you to tell God what you are really feeling. For example: II Corinthians 12:8- "Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away."  His open-ended sentences that follow are: "You've said no to....." and "When you say no to my pleading,I feel...."  This allows you to really analyze how you are feeling and talk to God about it. And there were some positives too, like "I confide...