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Archive for December, 2009

New Year is almost here

by Twinkle Mom @ Thursday, December 31st, 2009. Filed under Uncategorized

Like many, we are preparing to ring in the New Year, but with close family.
For us, the New Year is a time for a fresh start and a beginning of another road to travel down, sometimes good, sometimes bad, sometimes smooth,sometimes bumpy, but through it all, it is a great way to use as a reminder of what has happen to us, when we come to know our Heavenly Father as our Lord and Saviour:

³¹ But those who wait on the LORD
      Shall renew their strength;
      They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
      They shall run and not be weary,
      They shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31, New King James Version)

As we ring in the New Year, let’s also not forget, that beyond time as we measure as human beings, that in and through Jesus Christ, we already have the hope of a new day.

²² Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed,
      Because His compassions fail not.
       ²³ They are new every morning;
      Great is Your faithfulness.
       ²⁴ “ The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,
      “ Therefore I hope in Him!”
       (Lamentations 3:22-24, New King James Version)

If you don’t know Christ or are the fence about becoming Christian, my dear friend, my prayers, and hopes that you will use this New Year to seek Him, to learn about Him and to understand what it means to call Jesus Christ, Your Lord and Saviour and to start this New Year on a firm foundation by becoming a Christian and finding out about a relationship and salvation that no storm can ever overturn.

The blessings, the challenges, the encouragement, it’s all worth this fantastic and exciting journey of knowing our Heavenly Father.

We still faces the challenges of today, but we are strengthened in our joys, our laughter, our disappointments and our tears, through continual hope and promise from our Heavenly Father that:

¹¹ He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. (Ecclesiastes 3:11, New King James Version)

God bless you Gentle Readers and it is my prayer and hopes, in this New Year, that our Heavenly Father will bless you and your family; Keep you strong and encouraged and that you are led and challenged and encouraged to seek Him willingly, courageously, with excitement and hunger to read His word, to follow Him in an exciting and challenging journey, to challenge yourself to grow as a Christian and to strive to have a strong and growing relationship with our Heavenly Father.

Welcome back!

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Top 10 Books for 2009

by Twinkle Mom @ Tuesday, December 29th, 2009. Filed under Uncategorized

top10reads I’m an avid book reader and a speed reader at that, but still, deep down, in my heart, an avid book reader.

When Amydeanne at “The 160 Acres Wood” posted her 10 ten books for 2009, she has invited other book readers to share their favorite books for the year of 2009.

I say some, because, to show how many books I tend to read, I couldn’t really keep track with all of them, so I’m sure there are books missing from this list or from my GoodReads profile.

So without further adieu, here are some of the books that I have enjoyed reading for the year 2009.

10. The Intimate Lives of the Founding Fathers by Thomas Fleming

9. 1776-David McCullough

8.Cast of Characters by Max Lucado

7. Paul: A Man of Grace and Grit by Charles Swindoll

6. When Wallflowers Dance by Angela Thomas

5. Sense and Sensibilty by Jane Austen (I re-read it either once or twice a year)

4. Learning to Soar by Matt Willis and Avery Willis

3. How to Become More Than a Good Bible Study Girl by Lysa Terkeursk

2. Color the Sidewalk for Me by Brandilyn Collins

1. Holy Bible (sorry, nothing can ever top it as the number one book to read every year)

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Ready for the New Year?

by Twinkle Mom @ Tuesday, December 29th, 2009. Tags: New Year Resolution
Filed under General Musings

²² Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed,
      Because His compassions fail not.
       ²³ They are new every morning;
      Great is Your faithfulness.
       ²⁴ “ The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,

      “ Therefore I hope in Him!”
       (Lamentations 3:22-24, New King James Version)

Are you ready for the New Year?

I am.

My hubby turn to me and asked if I had any New Year resolution and I told him, “Not really”, but I do have “God’s Resolutions” that He has planned for me and that’s good enough.

I’m just working on His promises that are without boundaries of any other time, and are on His time, not mine or on time that is defined by man and one day, mean nothing in His domain.

The biggest thing is really continuing what I’m resolving to do which is to pursue Him with an active eagerness to have and live a faith that is active and alive and not subject to “habits” or checkmarks off a list.

Not an easy thing to do sometimes, living in a world that seems to be measured in blocks or lists, compared to our Heavenly Father’s world.

I find myself resolved, to really read His word and not on my favorite books in the bible, or familiar books in the bible, or what I choose at random, but rather, through reading through His entire Word be it in 90 days or through the daily readings that have become a good habit each day.

When I got over the hurdle of reading His word, to “accomplished” a check mark and straightening my thought process to think instead, I need to read His word to grow, to mature and to have a better relationship with Him, I found myself “on fire” to really read and make reading His word a part of my life.

Using the Life Journal and S.O.A.P. method, has been a great help and I’ve been humbled how much I am learning and didn’t know from reading His word.

I found myself having it led on my heart other things that I needed to be humbled and refined of:

developing a better and stronger prayer life
commiting His word not just short term, but permantely to memory and to heart
seek Him on His terms and not mine, I can’t and shouldn’t try to control or define my relationship with Him, by my terms but by His terms and just give it to Him and when I mean give it to Him, not give it to Him and just dwell.

Then there are other things that He really has convicted and laid on my heart, that I have felt convicted by Him to really listen to Him and work on.

Things that I have had shelved and well…He’s telling me…it’s time to start taking things off the shelf, trust Him, go through and work on and then give it to Him once and for all where He will do with it what He knows only and correctly it should be handled.

He knows what He has planned for me already.

¹¹ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11, New King James Version)

Me? I just need to just trust Him. Whatever I have plan for me, the reality is that I’m not in control, He is and He has something better than I could or would want to try and plan for myself.

Do you have any New Year’s resolutions? Maybe wanting a stronger, better relationship with our Heavenly Father?

Maybe you don’t know Him yet or have a personal relationship with Him?

If you don’t or have been thinking about it, maybe this is the best time and hey, great time, to learn what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

It’s an amazing journey and though not always easy, the love and grace, is worth the time and investment.Do this for no one else but for our Heavenly Father and yourself. Make this an amazing 2010, where you either started or strengthen a fantastic relationship with our Heavenly Father.

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Color the Sidewalk for me-Book Review

by Twinkle Mom @ Monday, December 28th, 2009. Tags: Book Review, Brandilyn Collins, Color the sidewalk for me
Filed under Book Review

Author: Brandilyn Collins

Paperback: 384 pages

Publisher: Zondervan (March 1, 2002)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0310242428

A powerful and emotionally charged story,”Color the Sidewalk for Me“,is one of those books that you don’t want to read unless you have a box of tissues nearby.

By the time you are done with this book, you’ll find yourself in tears and smiling and filling interwined with the characters as if they are flesh and blood.

Set in the small town of Bradleyville, Kentucky, the main character, Celia Matthews, finds herself returning home to help her father recover from a debilitating stroke, only to discover herself being set on a path of healing herself.

Centered around the scripture verse,Matthew 11:28-29, you find yourself, by the middle of the book, become so captivated by the characters and so caught up with the estranged relationship between Celia and her mother, that it’s hard not to feeel completely pulled in to the story’s tale of how God’s forgiveness is bigger than all of us.

The story seamlessly moves from the past to the present and back to the present with strong character development of both the major and minor characters whose lives are interwoven with each other. They (the characters) are everyday people-imperfect, proud, close to Jesus, running from Jesus, filled with regrets and/or guilt, they are the everyday people we maybe friends with, know of or are.

Ms.Collins perfectly captures the story of what it means to be saved and what it means to not only to be forgiven, but the journey it sometimes takes to learn to forgive ourselves and others. “Color the Sidewalk for me”, provides a strong lesson that there is a story on both side of the pictures and sometimes, we are not the only ones who maybe hurting.

By the middle of the book, I found myself, having to stop long enough to get tissues , because of the tears that were welling up and feeling that longing pang in my heart as I found myself caught up with both the pain and the love of the characters of,”Color the Sidewalk for Me“.

The feel of a small town and more than anything, the intimacy of the characters, makes it so easy to quickly become attached and caught up in their lives and feeling that they could be anyone you know in real life.

Throughout the time I was reading the book, I couldn’t help but think of how much it is a reminder that we could try to run from the hurts in our lives, but eventually, there comes a time when we need to learn to give it to our Heavenly Father and allow Him to enter our lives and heal us and part of that is, as He has forgiven us, so we need to forgive others and ourselves.

By the time I was finished, I couldn’t stop crying.

“Color the Sidewalk for Me” just captured the essence of Matthew 11:28-29 and more than anything was the subtle but powerful punch that Ms. Collins characters delivered God’s message of forgiveness and there is nothing too big for Him to handle.

“Color the Sidewalk for Me” just reminds the reader throughout that eventually we have to face our hurts and through His forgiveness, forgive others and ourselves, all to His Glory.

It is a heart-wrenching read because it is just such a powerful reminder how much God does understand our hurts and how as much as we want to try to think we are in control, we’re not, He has bigger and better plans for us, and sometimes, it is through others that He helps us heal.

This is a book that I would recommend with a box of tissues to anyone who may have feel like that there is nothing our Heavenly Father can forgive, or may have found themselves, wounded either large or small and thinking there is no hope at the end of the tunnel.

“Color the Sidewalk for Me” is a reminder that there is always hope in and through Jesus Christ.

This is the first time I have read anything by Brandilyn Collins, and it had me wanting to read more in the series, though when I do, I definetely will have to make sure I have a box of tissues nearby so I could try to work on finish reading if the tears didn’t get in the way first.

This is just one of those books that I had check out of the library to read and now, I think I just need to just go and buy the whole series to have at home to re-read again and again or be able to loan to someone who I pray and hope could benefit from the story of healing and forgiveness in and through Jesus Christ that “Color the Sidewalk for me” provides.

The only drawback I could think of owning this book is that it will be worn out from re-reading and tear stained from me crying while reading it.

Be forewarn.

You will smile.

You will be haunted by the powerful story of “Color the Sidewalk for me”.

You will cry (oh you will cry so I highly recommend the box of tissues) and it is promised that you will smile and cry when you are done, but more than anything, “Color the Sidewalk for Me” will have you turning to God and just saying to Him,”I am Yours, Lord”.

This is definitely worth checking out of the library (though hold at arm’s length to keep it from being stained by tears, buy for yourself, give as a gift to someone who loves to read, maybe someone you know who is dealing with past (or present) hurts and need to know that God does love them and not only has forgiven them, but also wants them to learn from His forgiveness to forgive others too.

“Color the Sidewalk for Me” is part of the Bradlyeville Series and if the rest is anything like “Color the Sidewalk for Me“, I’m going to need a lot of tissues.

This is a book that I want to add to my bookshelf and just pull out to re-read again and again.

Disclaimer: This is a library book that was checked out and the only vested interest is that I return this book on time and in good condition (i.e. without teeth marks from the dogs or mine, water stains from using as a shield from rain or coffee splatters.

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Learning to Soar-Book Review

by Twinkle Mom @ Monday, December 28th, 2009. Filed under Uncategorized

Learning to Soar: How to Grow Through Transitions and Trials

Author(s): Avery T Willis Jr. and Matt Willis

Hardcover: 192 pages

Publisher: NavPress (September 4, 2009)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1600066976

Written for encouragement in a weary world,“Learning to Soar”, is a strong encouragement for new, mature and just world-weary Christians who find themselves struggling in a morally and spiritual challenged world.

Avery T. Willis Jr. and Matt Willis are unique in the fact that Avery is the grandson of Matt Willis, and together they have written a book, that the press release for this book,“Learning to Soar” has captured so eloquently:

“ Are you going through tough times? Discover how God uses challenging circumstances to bestow abundant blessings. Showing you how to use your hardships to teach and serve others, Avery and Matt Willis encourage you to risk trusting God, leave your comfort zone, and be light and salt to a hurting world.”

Immediately the first chapter captures both the heart and soul with references to Deuteronomy 32:11 and Isaiah 40:31 being the point of focus and working outward from those scriptural verses, they provide scriptural resassurance in a difficult world where sometimes morality seems non-existant.

The way,“Learning to Soar”, is designed, the first 142 pages are given for the actual book itself, while the rest is devoted with chapter by chapter questions, in the event that the reader is felt led to use this for a small study group.

It was enjoyable and uplifting to read and a highly recommended book to share with others, particularly as a reminder of God’s providence in our lives and a reminder that He is in control. Reading, “Learning to Soar”, the book challenges the reader to leave life beyond the nominal and instead show how each of the reader can strive to the maxiumn in their lives, in and through our Heavenly Father and by taking up our cross and following Him, to better understand what the Christian journey is about.

Avery Willis, the co-author, provides ancedotes throughout the book, that helps bring home, on a more personal level, each chapter’s theme and for the reader, an ability to see how our Father works in our lives on an intimate level. Each chapter itself ends with personal reflection questions, that encourages the reader to reflect on how our Father in Heaven is working in our lives and what are ways that we can allow Him more control or introspection of what He can do for us.

“Learning to Soar”, makes a wonderful gift, if you are in the mood for just an encouraging book about the Christian journey or if you are looking for that next bible study to do with friends or your church and is sure by the end of the study to give the reader more encouragement on what our Father in Heaven can do in our lives.

With delightful ancedotes throughout each chapter, Learning to Soar, provides an intimate look at how our Father seeks to challenge and encourages us to take up our crosses and follow Him and in the process grow in our personal relationships with Him.

Learning to Soar brings understanding that the circumstances that are thrown our way, are not to cause us to stumble or stop us, but is His way of growing us, refining and reshaping us and bringing us closer to Him. Using timeless principles and biblical based encouragment, Learning to Soar has something for everyone.

Disclaimer: This is a complimentary book, received from Navpress Publishers for review.Thank you to Navpress Publishers, for the opportunity to review and share this book with others.The publisher had no editorial rights or claims over the content or the conclusions made in this review.

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