Beautiful Christmas Ornaments at Zulily

OK, I admit it... I LOVE Zulily.  I think they just offer beautiful quality products at great prices!  This is a completely unendorsed post, I really just love the site.  Today they have some beautiful Christmas ornaments.  I have a few of these pieces and I know they are high quality:

Christmas Angel from Zulily

Take a look and see all of the items that Zulily has to offer. You have to be a member to see it! Love and Blessings! Margaret

Book Review: Wrapped in Rain by Charles Martin

Wrapped in Rain by Charles Martin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

From the book:

An internationallly famous photographer, he has traveled the world and seen both the serious and the strange. But when his brother escapes from a mental hospital and an old girlfriend appears with her son and a black eye, Tucker is forced to return home and face the agony of his own tragic past.

Back in rural Alabama, Tucker comes to terms with the ghosts he left behind. Miss Ella Rain once loved Tuck and his brother like they were her very own. Hiring her to take care of Waverly Hall and to keep them out of sight was the only good thing their father ever did. And though Miss Ella has been gone for many years, Tuck can still hear her voice.

My review:

The book starts off telling the story of a mental patient Mutt (the younger brother) until he escapes, then Tucker Rain (the older brother) takes over the story. The transition between storytellers was seamless though. It's a story about two boys who grew up with an abusive father and relied on Miss Ella for protection. Miss Ella was a deeply religious black woman who was a combination housekeeper/nanny. Although she wasn't allowed to take the boys to church, she manages to instill in them the love of God.

It's a question as to which character is the main character because they each play such an important role. The story wouldn't be complete without any of them. The author does and excellent job of weaving this story and bringing it to it's comforting conclusion. This book reads more like a biography than a fictional book. Although it started off slow, I really enjoyed the book and would recommend it to friends.

Disclaimer: This book was provided to me free of charge by Thomas Nelson's Booksneeze program for the purpose of review.  All opinions are 100% my own!

Love and Blessings!

Margaret

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Book Review: Waiting For Morning

Waiting for Morning by Karen Kingsbury

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


From the descriptions:


Hannah Ryan is the mother of two adorable little girls and the wife of a doting husband. Her life is perfect -- until the night her husband and eldest daughter are ripped away from her by a drunken driver. Torn by grief and rage, Hannah finds her faith -- like that of Jeremiah weeping over Jerusalem -- tested to the limits. As she walks the long road of her own modern-day Lamentations, she must learn to forgive... and finally discover that God's mercies truly are new every morning. Sometimes the road home is only found by letting go.


My review: 

Hannah Ryan is placed in a position that would cause many of us to "lose" our faith, to get angry with God...  And she does for a time.  But this is also a story of redemption, forgiveness and the love of Christ! Karen Kingsbury once again allows us to reach into the depths of our soul and draw out those "deep down" feelings.  How would I react if I was in this situation?  Would I be able to forgive?  Would I be able to continue with life?  Hannah Ryan had to face all of these questions and help her surviving daughter in the process.

I really cannot find all of the words I need to say how great this book was. As always, I found myself crying along with the characters, trying to place myself in their shoes while praying I never have to.  I found myself wondering if I would reject my faith, or is it "strong enough" to go through a tragedy like this.  What I love most about Karen's book is that you can't just read them and not make a decision about your faith and where you want it to be!  Highly recommend this book!

Disclaimer: This ebook was provided to me by the Waterbrook Multnomah Blogging for books program for the purpose of review.  The opinions expressed are 100% my own!

Love and Blessings!

Margaret
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The Truth About Butterflies: A Memoir by Nancy Stephan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

From the "book jacket:"

They belong to each other. Nancy and Nicole—mother and daughter. They’re two halves of a whole, two facets of the same breath—until the day Nicole exhales. . . and never inhales again.

After the death of her daughter, and quickly losing her own battle with grief, Nancy moves from the house she can no longer bear to live in. While packing, she finds a box in the attic. Inside she uncovers treasures she didn’t know existed and evidence that she and her daughter’s lives had been more divinely entwined than she could’ve imagined.

The Truth About Butterflies is a true story of grief, hope, and transformation, and a single enduring truth: Life cannot be restrained by death

My review:
The Truth about Butterflies is a heartfelt story of a mother and daughter, a story of life's challenges and a story of loss.  I couldn't imagine the pain of losing a child.  But Nancy shares the joy of raising her only precious daughter... and of losing her, first to her daughter's rebellion, then to death.  My emotions were up and down throughout the book.  I felt the joy when Nicole was born, I felt the pain when Nicole was "lost," I felt the sadness when Nicole took her last breath. 


Nancy told her story with painful openness and honesty.  She didn't withhold the things Nicole did to herself during her "lost" period or the pain of seeing her laying on the hospital bed not knowing if she could hear her. I love this in a memoir because it allows you to connect with the emotions of the author.  I highly recommend this book for any audience!


Disclaimer:  Nancy provided me with a free copy of this book for the purpose of review.  The opinions are 100% my own!

Love and Blessings!

Margaret

View all my reviews