religion

The First Week…

Angela21 Comments

… of my being laid off (for 4 weeks to start) got off to a great start. These past 3 days? Not so much. I have gotten a lot of leaves raked, been cooking and cleaning, and crocheting. I have been trying to do something constructive every day and it is just too much.

I now have requests for 10 pairs of slippers. Don’t mind the scar and veins, breaking your ankle in 3 places can wreck a foot

My anxiety has been on fire since Wednesday, and our new Michigan orders have even the most basic things being restricted.

I have a duck pen and coop to get built, but the weather and my aching body are not cooperating these last couple of days. Snow? Really???

I have a stack of books to read, some from the library and some I bought last month. I have instead been binge watching Midsomer Murders for the past week when I am not outside.

I think not being able to celebrate Easter with my family and church is bothering me more than I realize right now. I am assuming when my youngest daughter and I are eating dinner Sunday it will hit me like a brick to the face.

I know so many others have it so much worse than I do, and I am trying to focus on how fortunate I am to keep my spirits up. And this too shall pass.

I am about to watch The Passion of the Christ. If that can’t fix my attitude, nothing will.

I hope you are all coping with whatever level of quarantine you are under right now, and staying healthy and happy!

I would love to hear what you are doing to feel good, and even what is getting you down right now!

Be well and I look forward to hearing from you!

Well Hello Sunday!

Angela18 Comments

This is day 5 that I have been wide awake by 3 am. I am getting really, really tired of it; no pun intended. What to do at 3 am? Not a lot. I did squish a spider that was on my ceiling. This seems to be a daily occurrence for the last couple of weeks as the weather in Michigan gets warmer. You would be impressed with what I can do with one leg, a scooter, and a can of Aussie Freeze hairspray.

The anxiety and panic has let up, and I have been diligent about taking my meds if I even think I feel a panic attack coming on. The days are still so very long for me though.

My Doctor’s appointment at week 5 went well. I was not as anxious this time when leaving the house (fear of falling, getting injured more, etc). The surgeon said two more weeks of non-weight-bearing on the ankle, as there are still 2 cracks that have not completely healed. I go back in two weeks, and he said we talk weight bearing. He said normally 3 weeks after weight bearing, we discuss driving! I could have cried, I was so happy to hear this, and began to see a tiny pinhole of light at the end of the tunnel.  I have been exercising my broken ankle and leg, as well as being as mobile as possible in my house.

I have been reading, and writing! I will have book reviews one after another very soon! The lack of sunshine has been especially tough for me, as it is every Winter. The weather says sunshine this afternoon, and I have fingers crossed that that does not change. Sunshine = feeling good and motivated. It is difficult for me to be motivated when it is grey and rainy and there seems to be nothing for me to do other than crawl under my covers and binge watch NetFlix. The Pinkertons, anyone? I wish it was not such a short series…

The praying and Bible study is continuing, of course. I try not to think too much about the fact that it is the Easter season, my favorite Christian holiday season, and I cannot participate as I would any other year. But I can participate in other ways, which is exactly what I am doing!

Seeing all of the brown grass and dead leaves in my yard has me thinking about flower beds for my yard, and I am so excited for when I can start digging in the ground and planting. Having something to look forward to definitely helps. My number 1 on my list is walking out my door, getting in my vehicle, and driving to work! I know that day is coming, and one day I will look back on this period in my life and reflect on what it has taught me. No matter how I feel, I absolutely try to do at least one positive thing each day, so as not to waste any of this learning lesson I am experiencing right now. I truly know this has happened for a reason, and I want to make sure I utilize every moment of it to get out of it what God has intended. My daily prayers always include asking God to let me see in my heart and spirit what it is I am meant to learn from this, so I can continue to grow.

Have you had a period in your life where you were meant to grow from what appeared to be a negative situation? How did it change you? I cannot wait to see all the ways my experience has and will continue to change me. I would love to hear your stories as well!

Anxiety and Panic :-(

Angela83 Comments

Since last night I have been fighting panic attacks. Hopefully after a talk with a 24-hour nurse, who assured me I could take my medication for anxiety since I have not taken a pain pill in 13 hours for my broken ankle, I did exactly that, and I should be feeling some relief soon. I will deal with the pain and not take the pain meds again; I cannot deal with the panic. Fingers crossed that this is enough to help me cope and get back to feeling normal again. Well, as normal as possible being on bed rest, still, with a broken ankle. I’ve started a book that I would like to finish as well, hopefully that can happen today and keep my mind occupied! Philipians 4 6 8

 

Judas: The Iscariot Warrior Series (Book 1) – Roy Bright

Angela3 Comments

Disclaimer: This book has grammatical and punctuation errors throughout. I talked to the author personally, and the book is currently undergoing a 2nd edit. It is nothing unbearable that does not allow you to read the book; I have seen far, FAR worse than this. I loved this book so much I am recommending you read it before the 2nd edited version gets uploaded if you have the time.

I am not sure where to even begin. Have I ever insisted you buy a book? I do not recall that I have. Well; I am now. This book is f-a-n-t-a-s-t-i-c! I would label this story as an action and adventure novel. I am also going to try to avoid giving away any spoilers, while at the same time describing just how great this book is.

Judas Book 1 cover image Roy Bright

The plot and descriptions are well written: you get the right amount of descriptions to see the scenes in your mind, without any areas that feel long-winded, drawn out, or just way more descriptive than necessary. There is plenty of action, it is fast paced, and keeps you from wanting to put the book down. I’ll give you fair warning that there is plenty of foul language throughout the story, but it suits the story and is a necessary part of the theme throughout. I also have to add that this is not a “religious” book as you might expect it to be. Hopefully I’ll be able to explain that in the following paragraphs 🙂

Judas Iscariot, thee Judas who was responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, has been alive and wandering the world for all of these centuries. He did attempt suicide as we are all aware, but was cursed by God for his sin to live forever, never being able to benefit from anything good, enjoy anything in life, or experience love.

While he has performed various tasks for God throughout the years, he is tasked with the most important one of his life. Charlotte Hope, the 2nd child God is sending to Earth, needs to be protected from Lucifer and his armies until she turns 7 years old, and saves the world from their path of destruction. Luckily for Judas (or unlucky?), this is happening in a time frame of hours versus weeks or months.

Judas is told that the usual restrictions he has been bound with have been lifted, and he can protect this child by whatever means necessary. Also; that if he succeeds he will no longer be punished as he has been for the past centuries. 2000 years of pent up frustrations are about to be let loose, and with the help of a few key characters along the way, Judas is literally in for the ride of his life.

I will say no more, as this truly is a book you need to read for yourself. I have put some important links below, and if you are lucky enough to read this story, I hope to hear what you thought of it!

You can purchase this book at the following links:

From Amazon US: Judas Book 1 (USA Customers)

From Amazon UK: Judas Book 1 (UK customers)

You can visit his personal website here: Author Roy Bright

 

Jesus Swagger – Jarrid Wilson

Angela3 Comments

A quick read at 127 pages, I stumbled across this book while I was searching for a different book.

Of course the title got my attention, as well as the subject. I like to read religion-based books, both fiction and non-fiction.

Jesus Swagger Cover Image

This book has many scripture references, but is written in a way that makes them part of the story, and much less intimidating than some may find when they read the same passages in The Holy Bible.

I need to be clear though; the author did not in any way-shape-or-form change the scripture. It is kind of like the difference between reading an ERV Bible (easy-to-read), versus trying to read a Bible written in Hebrew, when you cannot read Hebrew.

Okay, it isn’t that extreme, but I think you get my point. This is a refreshing look at how we believe we are followers of Jesus, but really we may just be posers and do not even realize this.

One very striking quote in the book does come from Scripture. Believing in Jesus does not mean you will get into Heaven. The Devil believes in Jesus too. Believing is not enough.

If you feel stuck in a rut with your religion, beliefs, or church, this book could be just the boost you need to reignite the fire of your faith. Even if you just have questions about your beliefs, or the Christian faith in general, I think you will find this book useful in your journey.

This Certainly Deserves a Second Read…

AngelaLeave a comment

…or a first read, if you have not experienced it yet.

THe Antichrist Book Cover

I reviewed this book a while ago, but since I have changed my theme on my blog, I can no longer search for previous blog posts.

I found this review very interesting, as the author seemed to think I did not enjoy the book as much as I really did. Online communications, yes?

I was skeptical when I began the story, but as I kept reading, and saw the amount of research that went into this story, and how everything just added up…

Truly a great read; whether you are a Christian, Atheist, Agnostic, Catholic, formerly any of the above, or any in between. Yes, even Hindu, Muslim, or a Jehovah’s Witness…

If you like facts, and math (I hate math; still a brilliant read), research, facts, astronomy, and history, this is certainly a story worthy of your time.

You can find it on Amazon here: The AntiChrist 2016:2019

 

God Forbid – Alyssa Rabil

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I love reading books about religion. Factual, fiction, speculative, and pretty much everything in between. This is the first in a two-book series. This story is unlike any religious stories I have read so far.

God Forbid Image

Completely fictional, this story focuses on the major players in the religious stories you are likely familiar with; Jesus, Lucifer, Gabriel, and other key players.

This story moves between Nabil and Albert and the people they interact with. Nabil seems to be stalked non-stop by Cannon, with some friends, or maybe they aren’t friends, who seem overly interested in his every move.

Albert has made a name for himself due to his numerous, up-to-this-point-unsuccessful, suicide attempts. Known as Suicide Man, he has managed to gain quite a following of people, his own website, and numerous viral videos.

So how would Jesus, and Lucifer, function living in our world today? A more important question is how would they function when they are not 100% aware of who exactly they are, and their importance to life for millions of people.

I am looking forward to the release of this second novel, and you can find more information on Alyssa’s website, found here: http://captainlilybob.com/books/

The Illustrated Screwtape Letters – C.S. Lewis

Angela3 Comments

Screwtape Letters Cover Image

A C.S. Lewis story I had not read before, this satirical novel was brilliant, and definitely timely for me personally. The 31 chapters are each an individual letter from Screwtape, a senior devil, to Wormwood, a junior devil whose job it is to keep his “patient”, a newly converted Christian man, from getting too deep into things with the Enemy; aka God. I won’t give away how it ends, and what happens to the patient, but I can easily highly recommend this book!

Screwtape Letters chapter 1

Mr. Lewis certainly touched on many aspects of the human condition, and what brings them closer to God, as well as moves them further from God. A few excerpts that I found still fitting today:

“…he can be induced to live, as I have known many humans to live, for quite long periods, two parallel lives; he will not only appear to be, but actually be, a different man in each of the circles he frequents” (C.S. Lewis, pg 59).

Screwtape Letters chapter 20

“Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one – the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts” (pg 72).

“They will find out in the end, never fear, to whom their time, their souls, and their bodies really belong – certainly not to them – whatever happens” (pg 128).

Have you read this already? I would love to hear what you thought of it!

All excerpts from The Illustrated Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis (1961). Illustrated by Papas. New York: Harper One Publishers.

Then The Deluge Comes – Caryl McAdoo

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Book two in The Generations series was everything I hoped for, and so much more!

This story picks up the story of Noah, starting before his birth to give you a great setting of what was going on. This is an accurate story about the book of Genesis, and what Noah and his wife, sons, and daughters-in-law went through to build this massive ship. For no other reason than they were told by God to do so, to save their family.

This story goes between what is happening on Earth, and what is happening in Heaven with God. They are intertwined, always, and helps you understand why those of us on Earth would have to experience hardship and struggles.

Caryl sets an environment for her stories that have you feeling like you are sitting in the middle of all of the activity; seeing what they see, hearing what they hear, and tasting what they eat.

As this book is not yet officially “published”, I prefer to not give too much away. But I have to say, if you enjoy religious stories, especially ones that give you even more than you will read in Scripture, you certainly want to see what she is writing.

Giving glory to God, Caryl helps make the connection for those who may be sitting on the fence about their religion.

Prince Caspian – The Chronicles of Narnia – C.S. Lewis

Angela6 Comments

One of my favorites from the Narnia series, this story had me laughing out loud, angry, and sad, all in one setting. The thing I enjoy most about C.S. Lewis and his writing is how he just puts it out there. Right there; yes, for you to see, and contemplate, and enjoy.

Prince Caspian 005

Okay, enough reminiscing.

There are some great lines in this story, as well as the others, that make me remember them long after I read them.

Chapter 3: “The worst of sleeping out of doors is that you wake up so dreadfully early.”

Prince Caspian 006

The Pevensies wanted to go back to Narnia, but they did not know what that would cost them. Prince Caspian is the rightful heir, being denied his throne by his uncle. It is a quick story, with all of the allegories you come to expect from Mr. Lewis. And I have to honestly say; Reep-a-Cheep is likely my favorite “character” out of all of them! Well, except for Aslan, of course!

Prince Caspian 007

If you have seen the movie, I have to say it is quite different from the story, but I do enjoy the movie as well. How did you feel about this installment in the Narnia series?

Prince Caspian 008