Slow Motion

Ann Marie at Household 6 Diva captures the feeling perfectly, of those days before deployment.

Life in Slow Motion

Gifts 9

(this is my gratitude journal--a sketchbook reborn, its generic cover renewed with sunflower contact paper)

36. The song "Blessed Be the Name" by Matt Redman.

37. Sunny mornings.

38. Sunny afternoons.

39. Books in all their glory.

40. Free books!

41. Giving good books as gifts.

42. Fresh flowers in a vase.

43. Sunlight streaming through a break in the clouds.

44. Hugs.

Gifts 8

29. the privilege of prayer

30. the book One Thousand Gifts

31. Bible study books that are relevant

32. new ringtones

33. sugar

34. my shredder

35. cerulean blue skies

Can We Talk?

No I am not channeling Joan Rivers! I'd like to invite you to visit the Lifeway Women blog for a giveaway of Priscilla Shirer's Bible study, "Can We Talk?"

I had the privilege of seeing Priscilla at the PWOC International conference in November, and am thrilled to see her again at one of her events coming up soon. She has such charisma and really focuses on God's word as it pertains to women.

Here's hoping I win the giveaway! :)

Pattie's World

I haven't posted anything but book reviews and book lists in awhile, so here's just a random list blog for this Sunday afternoon...

• I've been reading Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts and it's amazing. So amazing, I had to take a bit of a mental break the past couple of days. It's one of those freezer books, in that it requires change of me. I'm overwhelmed with changes right now.
• We have watched The Big Bang Theory (seasons 1-3) on DVD the past few months, loaned from Teri and Mark. Sometimes wildly inappropriate, but almost always hilarious.
• I've been researching Bible studies for PWOC for next year. Weird that I have to choose them, then leave. Probably.
• I got to talk to a high school friend this week, a fellow military wife. It was an amazing talk.
• I also found my senior musical cast photo, and began to wonder about all the people in it.
• Ended up Googling my boyfriend from my senior year and finding him online. He's in ministry too. This makes me happy. God is awesome.
• I have a LOT of unfinished stuff around me.
• My husband is working on tax stuff. I hate tax stuff. The form for the accountant is taunting me from the other side of the desk.
• I also have some books to read for review.
• I have some books that need reviewed.
• I want a Kindle 3G or a Nook Color. Not sure which.
• Depends on where we go.
• We may or may not find out this week where we're headed next. Or if we're staying here.
• To quote Inigo Montoya, "I hate waiting."
• Our 20th wedding anniversary is coming up.
• We cannot afford a cruise, or a trip to Hawaii, nor would my husband want to spend the money on that.
• We'll probably just go out for dinner.

Milspouse Friday Fill-In

One kind word can warm three winter months.
~Japanese Proverb

at Wife of a Sailor

This week’s questions are:

1. Since most of the country has had nasty weather, what has your weather been like this week?
Tricky. This is our first Texas winter. To us, it seems chilly but not cold.

2. What is/are your best money saving tip(s)?
Don't eat out often. Cook at home. Shop the Commissary and use coupons.

3. What was your favorite vehicle you’ve ever owned??
In the past: our 1996 Jeep Cherokee. In the present: my 2003 Toyota RAV-4.

4. What is a question you’d like to see asked in a future fill-in? (Your question & blog just may appear one week!)
I haven't participated enough to know what's been asked already!

5. Fill in the blank: You might be a MilSpouse if….

You might be a MilSpouse if… you never know where you'll be next year.

Larkspur Cove

My review at the end. Enjoy!

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Larkspur Cove Bethany House (February 1, 2011) by Lisa Wingate





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lisa Wingate is an award-winning journalist, magazine columnist, popular inspirational speaker and a national bestselling author of sixteen books. Her first mainstream novel, Tending Roses, is in its eighteenth printing from Penguin Putnam. Tending Roses is a staple on the shelves of national bookstore chains as well as in many independent bookstores.



Recently, Lisa’s Blue Sky Hill Series, set in Dallas, received national attention with back-to-back nominations for American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year Award for A Month of Summer (2009) and The Summer Kitchen (2010). Pithy, emotional, and inspirational, her stories bring to life characters so real that readers often write to ask what is happening to them after the book ends.



Lisa is one of a select group of authors to find success in both the Christian and mainstream markets, writing for both Bethany House, a Christian publisher, and NAL Penguin Putnam, a general market publisher. Her bestselling books have become a hallmark of inspirational fiction. Her works have been featured by the National Reader's Club of America, AOL Book Picks, Doubleday Book Club, the Literary Guild, Crossings Book Club, American Profiles and have been chosen for numerous awards.



When not busy dreaming up stories, Lisa spends time on the road as a motivational speaker. Via internet, she shares with readers as far away as India, where her book, Tending Roses, has been used to promote women's literacy, and as close to home as Tulsa, Oklahoma, where the county library system has used Tending Roses to help volunteer mentors teach adults to read. Recently, the group Americans for More Civility, a kindness watchdog organization, selected Lisa along with Bill Ford, Camille Cosby, and six others as recipients of the National Civies Award, which celebrates public figures who work to promote greater kindness and civility in American life.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Adventure is the last thing on Andrea Henderson's mind when she moves to Moses Lake. After surviving the worst year of her life, she's struggling to build a new life for herself and her son as a social worker. Perhaps in doing a job that makes a difference, she can find some sense of purpose and solace in her shattered faith. For new Moses Lake game warden Mart McClendon, finding a sense of purpose in life isn't an issue. He took the job to get out of southwest Texas and the constant reminders of a tragedy for which he can't forgive himself. But when a little girl is seen with the town recluse, Mart and Andrea are drawn together in the search for her identity. The little girl offers them both a new chance at redemption and hope--and may bring them closer than either ever planned.



If you would like to read the first chapter of Larkspur Cove, go HERE.

Pattie's Review:

I enjoyed this latest novel by Lisa Wingate. I've enjoyed Lisa's writing for several years, beginning with one of her mainstream novels I happened to find by chance one time. Larkspur Cove looks to be the beginning of another series by Wingate, focused on the area surrounding Moses Lake.

Once I was drawn into this interesting community and Andrea's troubles in particular, I found myself engrossed in the novel. In fact, I stayed up very late on Sunday night to finish it! Happily, I can report a very satisfying ending, with the promise of more from Moses Lake left with some unfinished story lines.

I think I enjoyed this much more than Lisa's earlier Christian market stories from the Daily, Texas series. I recommend this novel if you like a little romance, a little suspense, a strong faith thread, and a few quirky townspeople!

My previous reviews of Lisa's work here and here.