Product Review: Style J Skirt

Product Review of a skirt from Style J Denim Skirts
http://www.denimskirts.com/

I was so pleased and super excited when Style J Denim Skirts allowed me to do a product review of one of their skirts! They had some lovely choices on the site, but I finally landed on this one:

The Golden Grace Long Denim Skirt
http://www.denimskirts.com/collections/new-arrivals/products/golden-grace-long-denim-skirt

Doesn’t it look lovely? I know, for me, it is going to make a perfect Fall/Winter skirt!

I knew that I’d probably receive the skirt when we were out of town (which it did of course!), and so I was very excited to arrive home to see it. And I was so thrilled to see it and quickly take it out of the packaging to admire it. I should’ve gotten a picture of it in the wrapping, but I was too excited and forgot. :)
The skirt is of lovely material – it’s denim and still stretchy. And it fits pretty comfortably too. It is a little snug around my hips, but nothing too bad – it is still plenty comfortable to be in!

I knew it’d be a bit long on me, because I am short – but I don’t mind it and Mum might hem it up a little bit – I’m still undecided on that. I do like long skirts a lot. (I wore high-heels for these pictures so the skirt wouldn’t drag on the ground). :)
I love the pockets. Most skirts I find never have pockets, but I am so delighted that this skirt does!

The skirt feels very elegant, and yet comfortable enough to wear on an every-day basis. It is pretty easy to match with too, which I appreciated since I am more apt to just throw on a T-shirt. =)

Overall, I am SUPER pleased with this skirt, and am so looking forward to wearing it more.

A huge, huge, huge Thank You to Style J Denim Skirts for allowing me to do this review and sending me the complimentary skirt – I cannot thank you enough!
I would recommend this company to others, definitely. :)

Broken Girl

I was on author, Katie Ganshert’s blog (author of “A Beautiful Kind of Broken” that I recently reviewed), and was looking at some of the songs that inspired her book “A Beautiful Kind of Broken”.
I fell in love with the following song/video and did shed a few tears during it. It’s just…gorgeous. I don’t have many other words than that.

Broken Girl by Matthew West

It DOES remind me a lot of the main character, Ivy, of Katie Ganshert’s book, but it also makes me think of all the girls out there that have been abused in any kind of way. It makes me think of the girls I hope to one day serve in missions.
And it reminds me of myself in a little way. We’re all hungry for wholeness, I think. We all want that love that is freely given, but maybe we don’t accept. The part that ‘gets me’ in the song is the line “Those damaged goods you see, in your reflection: Love sees them differently, Love sees perfection”
No matter our flaws – Jesus’ blood has washed those away and God sees perfection – because of Jesus. When He looks at me, He doesn’t see all my failings – He sees Jesus’ perfection in me. =)
Can you find yourself in this song? I think everyone has a form of brokenness inside. It doesn’t necessarily come from abuse – there are so many things that cause us to have broken pieces. But God binds up our wounds and heals our broken hearts.

We’re all that broken girl. Because we live in a broken world. But there is a Healer. A Comforter. A Love that cannot be taken from us! Hallelujah!

BookCrash Book Review: “Rebekah’s Treasure” by Sylvia Bambola

Title: Rebekah’s Treasure
Author: Sylvia Bambola
Type: Biblical fiction
Number of pages: 315
Review copy source: BookCrash http://www.bookcrash.com/
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Description:

Forced to flee war-torn Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Rebekah and her husband, Ethan, each take something of value: Rebekah, the cup of the Last Supper; Ethan, a copper scroll detailing the whereabouts of a vast Temple treasure. Ahead, separation and danger face them as each tries to survive. But it’s not only external forces that could keep them apart forever but internal ones as they struggle to discover where their true treasure lies.

http://www.amazon.com/Rebekahs-Treasure-Sylvia-Bambola/dp/0989970744/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1405118953&sr=1-1

My Review:

Going into this book, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. Some Biblical fiction is AMAZING (*ahem* Tessa Afshar’s books *ahem*) and some are not so good (I will refrain from naming those).
But I was happy to find that this one was a good one. I thought at first that maybe it would drag on and be really boring and hard to get through, but I found the story very interesting and one I really wanted to follow! It kept me interested right to the end.
It was a fairly easy book to read – I didn’t feel the need to rush through it or anything – it was just a calm, nice read. Which I appreciated. =)
The chapters were split in between the two main characters and written through their Point of View, which was good. I will say that sometimes it was hard to switch between the two, because the chapters were really long – you would start with reading from Rebekah’s story and then get fully involved and everything, and then you’d switch to Ethan’s – and you’d get a few pages in and finally be drawn completely in for a while, and then you switch again. I won’t say that it was necessarily a bad thing and something the author shouldn’t have done – because I don’t think that! I did like the fact that Rebekah and Ethan had their own parts of retelling. And it was kinda cool to find that the author did it that way, because that is kind of what I am doing with one of my stories – though I’m not labeling them chapters; just switching between the characters. Anyway! That was a bit of a bunny-trail!
The tale was very well written, and thoroughly enjoyable.
All in all I very much liked it, and would read it again!

Note: BookCrash provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

My Stories

Hello!

One of you dear readers suggested/requested that I do a post sharing about my stories. Thank you for your input, Emma! I do really appreciate that. :)

So. My stories. :D I now have four that I am working on – at one time. I know, it is wise to only stick to one, but my mind doesn’t seem to want to work like that. :)

Lets see. The main one is one I have been working on for two years.I actually have a growing feeling it’s been almost three years now…And I am aware that most people finish their writings in at least a year, sometimes shorter, but that has not been God’s plan for this story.

I am having a terrible time trying to think of how to explain them…I joked to a dear friend, “Uh…they’re mostly fantasy. But not fantasy, because they’re not magical or anything. They’re like fairy-tales, on really not like fairy tales.”

They have an air of being ‘fantasy’ but not completely. I do not include magic, spells, witches, or really anything super dark. My purpose in all of my stories is to bring the reader back to God – not that the reader has never met Christ or anything, but that it is important that God is the base and subject of every book, no matter where the reader is at. My characters go through stages of healing, sometimes finding Him for the first time. No matter how my stories differ from each other, I always want them to reflect my Lord. Because He is the One writing these story – and I’m not just saying that. I have recently had the experience of what it would be like if He wasn’t writing through me – there would be NO story. I stared at the page of one of my works in progress, and I couldn’t fathom how to put a sentence together to form a story. He took away the ability for a few moments in order to teach me and remind me that it is all Him. He has given me the gift or writing and it is all for Him.
So that being said, I would have no writing ability or stories if it were not for Him. I’m so thankful for it, because writing is very important to me. It is how I ‘vent’, and sort through what I’m feeling. And by living through my characters, I find healing too. God has a funny way of teaching me something through what my characters are going through. And I like that. :)

Okay, so when it comes to actually telling someone what my stories are like…I am very much like this:

 

 

(Someone who pinned this on Pinterest typed an accurate description: “Well… it’s about this guy – but actually, it’s about this whole community of people who… well, it’s important because several generations back… when such and such thing happened – that’s explained a few chapters in… and then he comes to realize… It’s about a guy.” – that is almost EXACTLY what I do when someone asks about my books!!)

Hehe. I will try to give you an idea though. Three of my stories are a similar genre – like I mentioned above, being kinda like fantasy but also a lot like medieval-y. Two are retellings (but not really. I can’t think of the right word! Because it’s not completely a retelling) of fairy tales. You know of the whole Rooglewood Press doing the Five Glass Slippers, and the Five Enchanted Roses? Yeah, sorta like that. I am doing my own Beauty and the Beast one, and my own Cinderella, but obviously I won’t be submitting the Cinderella one, as that is already past, and I actually won’t be submitting my B&B one, for various reasons. It is also too long already for it. :)
I don’t want to give too much away about my stories until they are complete. Because I do hope to publish them, God-willing!
The last one, the fourth, is a more modern one set in ‘today’. I haven’t worked on that one a great deal though. It is only a couple chapters long. :)

I think my favourite part about writing (one of my many favourite parts) is creating the characters. I  love characters. I love relating to them.

 

Yep, they’re very real to me.  :)

One thing that trips me up with writing is focusing on other people’s tips for writing. There are a million and one sites out there to tell you how to start a story, what ways are wrong, etc. But they’re just opinions. My advice? Write what and how God wants you to write. He gave you the gift for a reason and He knows how to write well! Another thing: do not focus on the word count! I learned this by experience. I was too focused on my word count and it really hindered my story. Write to enjoy and glorify. Not to satisfy the world and publishers.

And personally, I don’t think you have to write every day like so many things say. I don’t write every day. I got way too caught up on that and just like focusing on the word-count, it takes away from the story. I now only write when God prompts me to and gives me inspiration. And I bounce between my stories. :) I do usually write something every day – but it’s not in a story always. It’s just like a letter, my journal, or working through emotions, etc. I still only do it to enjoy it and help. Not because I have to.

Okay, but back to my books….not my ‘rants’ or advice. XD

My main characters are almost always female because I, obviously, know them better and relate. Writing is like painting, to me – you are creating something that no one has ever created before. Just with words. Pretty cool. :)  But I do enjoy writing the secondary male characters – they’re different, and hopefully not too much of an ‘idealist’ version that often happens when we females write male characters. :D

My longest-lasting story (the one that is going on three years) is set in its own Kingdom with ruling Dukes/Duchess’. My main character is a Lady. She’s very humble, though, and has an incredible love for the Creator.

My Beauty and the Beast story is sorta set in its own kingdom – I mean, it is, but I don’t focus much on where it is – and I haven’t thought about the rulers or anything. The main character is just a common villager, owner of a sort of medicine shoppe, and she is kinda stubborn and does not care for the Lord.

My Cinderella one is likewise in its own kingdom, but again I haven’t sorted out the details. I really haven’t sorted out much details at all for this story. The main character is authentically a daughter with a stepmother and sisters ;) But she is not completely like Cinderella…I don’t know a whole lot about her just yet, but I look forward to working on her more. =)

My modern-day story is set somewhere in NY I think, and the main character has had an immensely rough life. Like, really, really, really rough one. It’s quite terrible, actually. She doesn’t believe in God, because of everything that has gone wrong in her life. She doesn’t believe in His grace. But I’m sure that’ll change over time. :)

 

And there you have a brief summery of my writing! =) I am sorry it is not much, but I hope it is somewhat ‘satisfactory’!

Oh and here’s just a funny pin on writing (can you tell I like “Sherlock”?):

 

 

 

Thank you for reading! :)

 

Nowhere but Christ

There is nowhere but Christ. And sometimes, we need to be absolutely pelted with that knowledge. We need to be reminded, especially when we are in our lowest, that Christ is everything, and there is nowhere else to go but to Christ.

I speak from experience, truly, I do. I have ran. I have sought relief through different things. But I am being pelted. And drawn back to my Creator. And praise Him for that!
You see, this year especially, I have been in the ‘refining fire’ of God. It’s not overly pleasant either. I’ve mostly kept quiet about it – I’m generally a private person. But it does help to read other’s accounts of things because other people struggle too.
So, I will say, it has been rough. I have been very low. I have struggled – and still am. My days are different than they were a couple years ago.
And I admit that various times already, when I don’t feel God, I try to find something that will ‘satisfy’ such as books, reading, writing, reading blogs, etc. I think that, since I don’t feel God close to me, I have an excuse to seek my own desires. Wrong. He is still my Lord. I am still His servant. And He still hears me. He hears my cries – and don’t you think He’s doing something through this all? A big resounding YES! I know without a doubt that He has His righteous hand on all of this. On everything. I just need to be put back on the right path a few times. Throw off the distractions and be pelted with ‘nothing but Christ’. Nothing but my Lord. Nothing but the knowledge that He is ALL. There is none that can satisfy but Him. None that can comfort me but Him. There is nowhere but Christ. Nowhere but my Lord.

I am joyful that He is calling me back – that He Himself is drawing myself to Him. That is what my soul has been craving. Him. None of my workings win out, because I am human and I fail. But He never fails, and it is up to Him right now to pull me back – and He’s doing that! I am joyful. I am thankful. I am praising! Because I am hungry. For Him only. It is like walking in a dry desert and yearning for someone to draw me to an oasis. He is doing that. Drawing me to the oasis that is Himself.

And you know, I’ll have to continually be drawn back to Him. Because I can do nothing, and I’m not going to try. Oh, I’m going to try to keep him always as first in my life – that is a comfort – but I am going to stop doing deadworks. Or try at least. I do struggle with not doing ‘works’ for Him – even though I know that He only wants me first and foremost.

Don’t give up, if you’re struggling. I pray that you will be pelted with knowledge of Him on every side of you. Because that is what we need. I once thought that, when reading constant things of ‘go to Him’, “I know, I know. but that’s not where I’m at right now”, but that is where I need to be. Because there is NOWHERE but Christ!! What glorious knowledge that is!!

I read a post that…well, it was an echo of myself. And in it I felted pelted. So, thank you Mrs. Wood for pelting His grace!
This is that post:

http://annawood.wordpress.com/2014/07/04/the-grace-of-god-sustains/

 

 

Remember, when there is nowhere else to go – Christ. There is nowhere but Christ! Run into His loving arms – let Him draw you.

Sometimes I wish

Sometimes I wish you could just post one image that summed up everything you wanted to say, when you don’t have much to say in words.
I know I need to get posting more, and get more ideas for posts, but I am lacking, sadly. I try to scan through my Pinterest page for even an ounce of inspiration, but nothing seems to come.
I’d update you on what has been going on lately, but as I discussed with my David-Jonathan (ahem, darlingfriend – You know who you are, Ken! Hehe :D I WILL stop calling you that, don’t worry) last night on the phone, not much transpires in my life – just things around the ‘farm’, like escaped chickens, or mule and horse. Or calling one of our ducks ‘Mrs. Olson’ from Little House on the Prairie. Or putting in a bigger duck ‘pond’ (it’s just a small plastic pool we put in the ground), or gardening, or laundry. Are you catching my drift? Though I love my life, there is not much to report. :D

I got married in my dream last night…well, almost. I woke up just before the ceremony. My dress was very much like Molly Gibson’s white frock, only a tad bit more ‘wedding-y’:

This is the best picture I could find of her dress (the white one). =/ And it doesn’t even show the bottom, which is what was also very much like ‘my’ dress in the dream…oh well.

 

And my hair was short and I thought (in the dream) “I never imagined to get married with short hair”.
But I guess, I actually DO have short hair right now; not that I plan on getting married…haha, there’s no chance of that. XD
The dream was strange. But really realistic. *Shrug* I have a lot of dreams like that…

Anywho…what else could I rustle up to post about? I’ve been writing somewhat frequently. Mostly in just one of my current stories. I have like, three main ones going, but I really just focus on two primarily, and lately I’ve been working on the ‘shorter’ one. It’s going to be my attempts at a short story. :)

 

So, dear readers, is there anything in particular you would like me to post about? I would welcome any suggestions and do my best to fulfill them. :)