Present Danger. A Book Review.

 I have read a lot of good books lately, but Present Danger by Elizabeth Goddard is one of my favorites! This is the first book in the Rocky Mountain Courage series. I was first drawn to the book by its setting in the Rocky Mountains of Montana, an area of the country that I love, and I was not disappointed.  

Former FBI Special Agent, now county Detective, Jack Tanner and his former girlfriend, US Forest Service Special Agent Terra Connors find themselves working together when a dead body is discovered in the national forest. As the investigation continues, other bodies are discovered and things become more and more complex.

Fast moving action, with lots of twist and turns, lead to a very unexpected conclusion. The plot kept me guessing all the way to the end. Along the way, the issue of artifact trafficking is explored. Family relations and some romance round out this exciting storyline.

Present Danger gets 5 stars from me!

Anniversary Week!

 Several of my friends have celebrated wedding anniversaries recently, and others will be celebrating in the next week or so. I'll just give them all one big "Happy Anniversary!" shout-out rather than mentioning each of them by name, since I would inevitably leave someone out.

On a more personal note,  Thursday will mark another milestone in the journey of my life. 49 years ago - June 10, 1972 - I said "I do". For the past (almost) 49 years, my life has been shared with the man of my dreams. And what a life it has been!

We began our married life in a little house in the "Avenues" of West Columbia, SC. (If you're from Cayce/West Columbia, that will mean something to you. Otherwise, probably not!) When I say it was a "little" house, that's exactly what I mean. It was a very small house, about 900 square feet. We have since lived in apartments that were larger than that house!

We had some expectations when we married. We expected to live out our days in West Columbia. Or maybe we might move to Cayce! Certainly we expected to live out our days in the Midlands of South Carolina. We expected that we would someday move to a larger house. We expected that we would have children. I'm sure that back then we had other expectations as well.

In many ways, life has far exceeded our expectations, even our wildest dreams. Over the years we have moved far beyond the boundaries of Cayce/West Columbia. Far beyond South Carolina. To Colorado and to Connecticut. To Minnesota and to Florida. (How’s talk for climate extremes!). We lived in the mountains of North Carolina, and now we find ourselves back in our home state.

We have traveled to places we once only read about or dreamed of visiting. All across these United States. Thanks to our road trip in 2015, we have now both been in all 50 states at least once. We've visited such far away places as Tokyo and Paris. Sydney and Cairo. Edinburgh and Jerusalem. And numerous other spots in between. What an amazing journey we have had together!

I've said many times before that every journey has hills and valleys, smooth roads and potholes. Sometimes the scenery is beautiful. Sometimes not so much. Sometimes the road is straight. Sometimes there are curves. Bends in the road. It's all part of the journey. And we've experienced some of all of it!

Even so, there's joy in the journey. Joy because we're right where our LORD wants us to be. Joy because we're taking the journey together. 

As we have been for almost 49 years. Through thick and thin. In good times and in not-so-great. Through it all. Together.

These last few years have certainly put the "for better, for worse; in sickness and in health" to the test! My stroke was definitely not on our bucket list! Even through all that, there is joy in our journey. 

And I wouldn't want to take this journey with anyone else!

The Cryptographer's Dilemma. A Book Review

 The Cryptographer's Dilemma by Johnnie Alexander is part of a series of novels celebrating the heroines of World War II. This is a fictional account based on an actual FBI investigation into a woman who was selling secrets to the Japanese.

From the first page, I was engaged, and this was a hard book to put down. I loved the characters than Alexander created to tell the story. These characters are people I would like to meet. Eloise is a cryptographer working with the FBI to decipher the code in letters mailed by the suspected traitor. She is paired with Philip, an FBI agent, as they travel around the country following clues and tracking leads, in hopes of catching the traitor, the elusive Doll Lady.

There is great chemistry between Eloise and Philip, and their friendship grows as they spend so much time together. But this is Eloise's story. The story of the cryptographer who faces a number of dilemmas as she works with Philip and the FBI to apprehend their target.

This book is very well written, with engaging characters, and lots of twists and turns thrown it. It is full of adventure and intrigue, along with some romance. You won't want to miss this one. A very good read - once I hated to see come to an end. This is my first Johnnie Alexander read, but it won't be the last! 

The Cryptographer's Dilemma by Johnnie Alexander will be published by Barbour Fiction on August 1, 2021. I received an advance reader copy from Net Galley in exchange for my opinion.

I Love June!

 I love June! It's one of my favorite months. For so many reasons.

June is the beginning of the summer season, with a slower pace and laid-back vibe. It's wonderfully warm, yet without the brutal humidity that marks July and August here in my part of the country.

June is the month of peaches and watermelon and cantaloupe. Of farmer's markets filled with all sorts of delightful fresh produce. It's the month when tomatoes begin again to taste like tomatoes should. Not like those hothouse tomatoes we've been eating all winter. You know - the ones with not taste!

June is the month we celebrate our wedding anniversary. That's coming later this week, and we will celebrate 49 years of marriage. I'm not sure yet how we will mark the occasion, but there will probably be good food involved!

And June begins the vacation season. As a family, we get to spend an entire week together, and I am so looking forward to it! Last year, of course, there were no family vacations. We had planned that this year we would take a cruise to the Bahamas. But the cruise was cancelled. Instead, we will be spending the week in the Smoky Mountains. There will be love and laughter and wonderful memories made. I'm counting the days!

We had planned another trip for this June, but it has also been cancelled. Today is the day when Al and I had anticipated boarding a flight for Tel Aviv with plans to spend ten days walking where Jesus walked. But, as the Scottish poet Robert Burns once wrote, "the best laid plans of mice and men go oft awry."

Our best laid plan for this week has gone awry, so we will adjust our plans and make new ones for this week. It will include time with friends, time to celebrate, and time to reflect on all God's goodness to us.

In Lucy Maud Montgomery's book Anne of Green Gables, you may recall that Anne said said "I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers." I agree with her. I love October. It's another of my favorite months.

But I am also so glad to live in a world where there is June!

"Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights." (James 1:17 NASB)

One Gracious Blessing After Another

“From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another.” (John 1:16 NIV)

This verse has grabbed my attention this morning. I have come across it several times over the last few days, so it must be something I need to pay attention to.

Depending on the translation of the Bible you are reading, the verse might be rendered a little differently. Grace upon grace. Blessing upon blessing. One gracious blessing after another. I especially like the last one, from the New Living Translation. One gracious blessing after another.

That’s so true, isn’t it? We are showered daily with blessings from God. One gracious blessing after another.

Too often we fix our attention on the less-than-we-would-like-them-to-be situations in our lives. And don’t we all have some of those? The bills we are having trouble paying. The pounds we can’t seem to lose. The car that needs repair. The water heater that needs replacing. Illness. Relationships that are in trouble. The frustrations of daily living. The list could go on and on, because life is full of “stuff” that is not exactly how we would like it to be. We don’t all face the same challenges, but we all do face challenges.

Equally true, we are all showered daily with one gracious blessing after another, if we would only take time to notice.

Friendship. Family. Laughter. Sunshine. Rain. The smell of freshly mowed grass. Coffee. Good books. Good conversation. Good food. Strawberries and peaches and watermelon. Summer. The list could go in.

My list would certainly include the weekend with family. Good medical care. The 49 years of marriage we are celebrating next week.

One gracious blessing after another.

How about you? Have you stopped to count your blessings today?

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits,” (Psalm 103:1-2)

Getting Ready for Memorial Day

 

We're approaching the Memorial Day holiday, which traditionally has been viewed simply as a kick-off to the summer vacation season. Memorial Day is so much more than just a kick-off to summer. 

This is a holiday which has its roots in the days following the Civil War and which began as a way to honor and remember those who had died in that war. In those days, it was known as Decoration Day. Although in recent years it has been observed much like other patriotic holidays (Independence Day and Veterans' Day) as a way to honor all the men and women who serve in our nation's military, I believe it is important to remember why we have this particular holiday.  

 

This day is so much more than a day to honor the military, as important as that is. We have Armed Forces Day (the third Saturday in May) to honor those who are now serving in our nation's military. Sadly, unless you are part of a military family or you live in a community near a military base, you may not even be aware of this holiday. And we have Veterans' Day in November to honor all those who have served in our nation's military.

This holiday, Memorial Day, is a day set aside to remember those who have died in service to our country. To remember that freedom isn't free. To remember that all those who went off to war didn't come home. Memorial Day is a day to remember.

In places like Gettysburg and Vicksburg. At Bull Run and Bunker Hill. In faraway places like Normandy and Argonne. Korea and Vietnam. Baghdad and Mosul. Kabul and Kandahar. In all these places and many more, somebody died for you. Memorial Day is a day to remember that. Somebody died for you.

As you're celebrating Memorial Day with family and friends, let's remember.

This weekend, while you're enjoying your day off from work, or your day at the beach, or your barbecue, take time to remember.

Freedom isn't free.  

Remember.

Somebody paid the ultimate price so you can enjoy all these things.

Remember.

Somebody died for you.

Remember.


"Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends."  (John 15:13 ESV)

Obey Right Away!

What is obedience anyway? I found this definition on-line this morning: "act of obeying: the act or practice of following instructions, complying with rules or regulations, or submitting to somebody's authority." 

 

I’m always amused when a word is defined by itself. Obedience is the act of obeying. Well, duh! Otherwise, I think that's a pretty good definition. Obedience is the act or practice of following instructions, complying with rules, submitting to authority. That pretty much sums it up, doesn't it? 

What does the Bible have to say about obedience? Quite a lot, actually. Consider these examples:

 

"Be careful to obey all these words that I command you, that it may go well with you and with your children after you forever." (Deuteronomy 12:28 ESV) 

"Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice." (1 Samuel 15:22 ESV) 

“We must obey God rather than men." (Acts 5:29 ESV) 

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right." (Ephesians 6:1 ESV) 

As parents, we're ready to camp out on that last verse, aren't we? As parents and as grandparents, we expect to be obeyed when we say do this or don't do that. And we would very much prefer (see me smile!) to be obeyed the first time we give the instruction rather than having to repeat ourselves! 

In a similar way, the government expects its citizens to obey its rules and laws. Not to steal or murder. Not to cheat on taxes. Not to speed. (That may be a sore subject, depending on how "heavy" your foot is!)

What about God? Don't you think He has some expectations about obedience? Consider these examples:

"Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it." (Revelation 1:3 ESV) 

"Loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days." (Deuteronomy 30:20 ESV) "

“You are the slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness." (Romans 6:17 ESV) 

“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome." (1 John 5:3 ESV) 

This is only a brief sampling. Get out your Bible and your concordance, and you'll find lots more. When should we obey? When we feel like it? When it's popular? When the culture thinks it's relevant? When we have no other options? 

How about that oft-repeated parental mantra: Obey right away! Obey the Scriptures. Obey when God speaks to your heart through a book you read or a Bible study or the pastor's message. Obey what God says to your heart in your prayer time. 

Obey. It's not just a word for children. It's a word that applies to mommies and daddies. To grandparents. To all of us. O

Obey. Right away. Don't put it off. Don't make excuses. Don't wait to see what somebody else does. 

Obey. 

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks intently into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing." (James 1:22-25 ESV)