Gravel Road Musings

It's Fall, the air is singing that message. The mornings feel crisp. The furnace has been turned back on. The sweatshirts and slippers are dug out of the closet. The corn is chopped or combined. The beans are brown and hanging on full. The wind is blowing. But there's been no killing frost, the leaves really haven't changed that much yet. It's a bit odd I think, to be at September 29 with no killing frost, but I'll take it. I want to bring in some flowers to keep over for the winter and I haven't done that yet and am not really looking forward to the invasion into my house that already has almost too many plants in it for my liking. Anyway, I don't have a big post today. I have about three running around in my head, but they haven't been formulated out on paper or screen yet, so they will have to wait. I'll give you some clues. One has to do with the whole introvert/extrovert thing brought about by a discussion at the lake one day. Another has ...

Remember way back about a year and a half ago, I posted a review about Flash, a book about a homeless donkey adopted by Rachel and her family? I just looked, it was the last review I posted before Dad went in for his surgery, so April of 2015. I was and would still like to go reread that book and do some blog posts on it. It will be interesting to see how it affects me differently now. A lot has changed in the last 1.5 years. Anyway, Rachel has come back with a children's book that she wrote and illustrated herself. Now to be a author or an artist is pretty amazing, but to be able to do both? Incredible. That gives an extra hats off to this book regardless what I think of any part of it. The pictures are great. A pig, chicken, goat, and of course, the donkey make up the characters of the book and they are illustrated so well. They captivated even my 19 month old who rarely sits still for a story longer than about two sentences. Of course, I had to keep my hand on the page point...

Living Loved when you Feel Less Than, Left Out and Lonely. I saw this book on the review site as an option and I was like, Less than? Left Out? Uninvited? I don't really need that book, I guess. Then I saw there was a online study about it and giveaways associated with it and other people wanting to read it, so I was like why not? I've heard about Lysa, why not get the book while I have a chance? So I did, and am I ever glad I did. I'm not sure if I'll know where to stop on this review. When I wrote the subtitle this morning, I was like how could I have thought I didn't need it? I can definitely struggle with feeling like I don't quit make the grade either as a wife or a mom or a friend or a relative, etc. No, I don't feel like I've suffered severe rejection, but there have been moments. Lysa had to deal with her dad walking out of her life, that's not happened to me. Yeah, my dad left, but I was older and it wasn't his choice. God called h...

So I missed a week here and might miss some more. Here are my top reasons. 1. I was in counseling for learning to deal with the anger of sharing my house with the mouse population. 2. I channeled that anger and went and had a meeting with all the mouse heads of home and recommended that they go to all of my neighbor's houses for the winter as I am sure the accommodations would be better. 3. I then spent the next couple of days distributing jars of peanut butter to the various mouse communities as their reward for leaving my house. 4. I'm back in counseling for conspiring such evil against my neighbors. I'll let you know when my deep seated issues have been dealt with and I return to regular blogging. In the mean time I will continue to chase mice out of my house.

How Heaven  and the New Earth Satisfy Our Deepest Longings This is a book about what heaven will be like, at least to the best of the author's understanding. She works to clear up the image that all we will be doing is floating around on clouds playing harps.  She brings out that Heaven will be here on earth, but in a new earth, a perfect earth. I don't fully understand how it is all going to work out and I don't know if I fully agree with her, but I do agree with the fact that it will be beautiful, that we won't be playing harps all day, though I would like to learn to play one, I think. One of the big thrusts of the book is that we are made for more. So many people, Christians included, are spending their life looking for something to satisfy. They are chasing the dream house, the fancy car, the Caribbean Cruise, the next rung up on the career ladder, etc. etc. in hopes of satisfying the longing in their heart. What they don't realize is that this world is s...

This is one of those books that takes you on a whirlwind ride, challenges everything you ever believed about prayer, raises some questions about the author's ideas, and hopefully transforms your prayer life. I know that sounds like an oxymoron when you question the writing and yet it challenges you, but it's true. Dutch totally rearranged my thinking on prayer. I know my prayer life has been lacking for awhile, but I want that to change. Dutch talks about prayer that creates a boundary of protection around people, prayer goes between man and God and allows God to work. Sometimes, is it true, that God is simply waiting for someone to pray so that He can work, but nobody does? This was a challenging thought for me and at first, I wanted to write it off. But.... There's a verse in Ezekiel that says how God was looking for someone to build a wall and stand in the gap for the people, but no one could be found, therefore He poured out His indignation on the people. That has h...

This is the third in the series and I'm guessing the last. Abby has been searching for hard evidence to who killed her parents 28 years ago. At times, she has let the search consume her and become her driving force. She threatens to allow that to happen in this book as well, but when confronted with someone who has allowed obsession with a situation to consume her and eat her, Abby is able to take a step back. In the end of course, there is mostly closure, but the murderer is never charged for that crime. The thing that stuck out to me in the last few chapters of this book was the theme of trust. Being able to trust that God is a God of justice and even if justice is not taken on this earth, justice will prevail. While I'm not investigating a crime scene, this can be so true in my life when things don't go my way as I wish. God can be trusted and He sees the bigger picture. He knows what I really need and I need to let Him lead me that way. A quote from the book: ...

A Prayer and Praise Coloring Journal This is a fun looking hard back journal that incorporates praise, coloring, prayers, sketching etc. all in one book.  There are pages to color that maybe have a verse on them. There are lined pages and there are blank pages for whatever you want to do with them. A few examples: There's a page spread with one side saying "I am grateful" and the instructions are to draw or sketch people and things you are grateful for. Now obviously, I would choose writing because otherwise even I wouldn't know what I drew. And the other side is a picture of various birds to color. There's a page spread that has a title of "learn to DANCE in the Rain" followed by a prayer and a Bible verse. The other side has "He will wipe EVERY TEAR" and some lined journaling space after that for writing down thoughts. It strikes me as a thought-provoking journal. I use a journal to write down the thoughts or struggles I'm havin...

What a beautiful book. It's got a leather like cover with a pretty design and just feels classy to hold. Now granted I think someone has to have a pretty big pocket to carry this around, but the idea is it's small and compact. The content? Very good. I haven't read all the prayers, but I plan to use it and then possibly pass it on as a gift. It would make a beautiful Christmas present. I also like how it's not set up my month and day, it's just numbered, so you can start whenever you want. Every 6th and 7th day are shorter for the weekends, but it wouldn't have to be used like that. There is also a topical index in the back if you're looking for a prayer about a particular issue. Now, I don't recommend this book in exchange for a personal prayer life with God, but I think it can be a helpful asset. When I do reviews, I often like to quote a few lines, especially if I really liked the book. I randomly flipped the book open when I sat down to write t...

Once upon a time in the beautiful land of "NeverRains" there lived a handsome man with his equally stunning young bride and their adorable little cherub. They lived in a quaint, charming cottage at the edge of a luscious and prosperous corn field. They were madly and deeply in love and would race all over the house in an effort to be the first to do something for the other. Meals were always sumptuous affairs, but never did anyone over eat. Evenings could find them peacefully rocking on their porch rockers or going on a leisurely walk out the back, twisting, winding road. One day this lovely couple decided to go on a little vacation to "SunAlwaysShines", so they packed up their minimalistic belongings and loaded it into their chariot and off they went. On the way to their destination, they stopped at a specialty store where free donuts were being offered on Saturdays and where there was fresh baked goods and also dented and bented items for sale. After making se...

I know this is title, or a version thereof, is one I use when I'm simply going to ramble in my post. But that's what I'm going to do today. I have a few things tumbling in my head, some is inspirational, some is domestic, and some is probably worth absolutely nothing. This thing of what we deserve. Last night I was in the kitchen doing domestic stuff, which will be in a further paragraph and Amber was there being just as good as she could be, playing and "helping". And the thought went through my mind, What did I do to deserve such a beautiful, adorable child? (Yes, I'm prejudiced.) And the next thought was, I did nothing to deserve her. This is about blessing, not what I deserve. I deserve nothing, but God has blessed us so abundantly. We have two beautiful little girls, maybe three. We only get to enjoy one now, but someday.....  I am so abundantly blessed. Domestic. I got a pound of organic cacao powder this week from a review program I'm a part of...