Gravel Road Musings

One woman's search for joy, beauty, and adventure--right where she is. Wow, this is a really great book.  I'm not finished reading it, in fact I'm not even half way through the book, but I just need to talk about it.  This is the story/journey of Sarah Mae to living intentionally. That's my term for it.  Sarah wants to go to Paris, but her family's budget has no room for such trips right now and so she has endeavored to make her own Paris right in her own hometown in Lancaster County, PA.  To keep herself from going stir-crazy, she is seeking to live out her dreams while still caring for and providing for her family. One thing she has done is to go and search out the best croissant (croissants are French) in her area. She likes to stop and savor her food, close her eyes and taste her food with all her senses.  She is endeavoring to learn to meditate, to spend time with God, to feel Him close and to ponder what He is saying.  And that is as far as I ha...

Becoming as Bold, Gracious, and Wise as the Queen of Sheba This is a very interesting book about the Queen of Sheba and her visit to Solomon.  Liz takes the story straight from the Bible.  There is no romance read into it between the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon like many movies and books can portray.  Just a few verses from I Kings 10 and there is so much to glean from it. Liz has 10 chapters and I'm just going to copy her list at the back of her book as an idea of what each chapter is about and what the Queen of Sheba can teach us today: Be bold  and take frequent leaps of faith. Be open  to whatever God has prepared for you. Seek wise counsel  from trustworthy sources Be humbled,  trusting Him to lift you up Be honest  with God, with yourself, with others Encourage everyone  who crosses your path Praise God  in all things and in every season Give generously , with open hands and heart Receive graciously, to honor God...

Trading Life-Draining Obligation for Freedom, Passion, and Joy I'm starting to feel like I want to quit reading books for the sake of writing reviews and getting free books.  I'm not serious, but the last two books have hit me between the eyes and then stomped on my toes.  I just wish I was able to retain a small fraction of what I read and what sticks out to me. I really am not sure how to even describe this book: Your Sacred Yes. I just recommend getting yourself a copy and reading it.  I'll loan you mine if you're close enough.  In my words, the gist of this book is to look to God and let Him direct what you say yes to and what you don't.  God may call you to spend this season of your life resting in Him and that is okay. It doesn't matter what others think of you for not doing more outwardly where people can see.  If you are saying yes only because of peer pressure, you will wear yourself out and not be able to serve God as effectively as if you a...

I'm not even sure where to go with this book review.  It feels so much deeper than just a book review. I'll do my best and see what happens.  Joanna takes the story of Lazarus and applies it to our lives today.  What graveclothes are we wrapped in that is keeping us from walking free and resurrected in Jesus?  Or more specifically what graveclothes am I personally hanging on to?  She first addresses helping others unwind their graveclothes and then talks about our own graveclothes.  There is much more, but I am going to copy a bit from her book. This from Wes Seeliger on Kissing Frogs: "Ever feel like a frog? Frogs feel slow, low, ugly, puffy, drooped, pooped. I know. One told me.....Yes, at one time or another each of us has found himself on a lily pad floating down the great river of life. Frightened and disgusted, we're too froggish to budge. Once upon a time there was a frog." (the story of the the frog being kissed by the beautiful maiden) "Crash! ...

This is an I Can Read Level 2 Zonderkidz book. It was perfect.  My almost 8-year-old niece was here when I got the book. She promptly sat down and read it to my 4-month old daughter.  The reading level was perfect for her.  Some of the words she had a hard time with like Haman, but then who wouldn't with some of these names.  My daughter liked the book too, but that was because it was a nice size to grab and hold and is also very colorful. As far as the story line itself--it was pretty accurate. There were some details left out that are somewhat integral to the story, but for the sake of the young readers it makes sense to leave out.  Things like Esther not having a choice about marrying the king or the gallows that had been prepared for Mordecai.  I would say the gist of the story was accurate.  The pictures were very bright and colorful and corresponded well to the story line.  I did find it a little intriguing that Esther was often pictur...