By Quiet Waters

Embracing the Full, Hard and Good Life, While Pausing Often by Quiet Waters

Black Canyon of the Gunnison

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Black Canyon of the GunnisonEarlier this month my family and I traveled across Colorado to visit the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, near Montrose, Colorado.  Ever since my “mom retreat” last summer I’ve talked to my husband about going back, and I am so glad he said YES!

We had talked about going to the North Rim, where I had a fabulous time hiking during my retreat, but instead of another hours drive, we pulled into the South Rim campground.   On this side of the canyon there are various hikes along the rim, and a drive through tour of specific lookout points.

In this photo my husband and daughter look as though they are “outside” the guard fence, but there was actually a walkway off to that side, just so daredevils can make mom freak out a bit.

While I have this growing love for canyons, I prefer to keep the guard rail firmly between me and the edge!

Painted Rock

Wildflowers, Indian Paintbrush

Indian Paintbrush was in bloom all over the area.

Also along the South Rim, one can drive down the East Portal Road, down to the river.  While we were there, the park was pretty quiet, and we had a delightful picnic by the river.  While we were there, we came upon this area full of swallowtail butterflies.  Reminded me of our time on the wetlands in British Columbia.

Gunnison River

Have you ever been to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison?  What other places like this do you recommend we explore in Colorado or neighboring states?

Reading in May, 2017

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Reading in May was sparse!  I have several books in process, but May was May and I only finished one!

Saving My Assassin

Saving My Assassin by Virginia Prodan – Last fall an acquaintance told me about Virginia Prodan and her book.  I started to follow her on FACEBOOK, to learn about her.  Over time I became intrigued and requested this book from the library.  And what timing, the book arrived 2 days before I found myself sick in bed for an evening.  I couldn’t put the book down, but became quiet sleeping and finished it the next morning.  Now it is on my youngest daughter’s nightstand because I spoke so much about the story, that it caught her attention!  This is the story of Communist Romania, and the life of Virginia Prodan as she grew up and then became a lawyer.  She endured persecution, and threats against her family as she defended other Christians and churches in the courts.

This is the only book that I finished in May.  Hopefully I’ll do better in June!

Bible Stories for a Girls Heart, New Book Review

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Bible Stories for a Girl's Heart

Often I receive books to review, and many of them are children’s books.  This week I have received Love Letters from God, Bible Stories for a Girl’s Heart.

This is such a pretty book, with very inviting, colorful illustrations.  Inside, each story includes a pop up “letter from God” that draws from the Biblical story.

Bibles Stories for a Girl's Heart

This book is lovely, and I appreciate the efforts authors, illustrators and publishers are making to create literature with a Biblical theme.  That said, I do wonder if it is a matter of trying too hard.  And in that trying, a watering down of the message of the the Bible.  The content of this book left me with some questions that sent me to my own Bible.  Now that is good, and I often do turn to my Bible when reading.  But in this case I was looking at context and accuracy.  I am not sure that the target audience of this book is accurate, 4-8 seems a stretch, and due to some of the characters in this book, I would think 8-12 year old is better.

As I said, this is a beautiful book with a positive message for girls, meant to encourage I am sure.  As you can tell, though, it is not a book I would purchase, nor am I going to give it to my grand daughters.  It just isn’t the package of accurate Biblical message that is important to stay faithful to.

As you read this post, please keep in mind that this is my opinion.  I welcome conversation about children’s literature and the effectiveness of “Bible Stories” for children.

 

A complimentary copy of Love Letters from God, Bible Stories for a Girl’s Heart was sent to me from HandleBar marketing, in exchange for this review.

Finding God in Brokenness

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Pain and brokenness
Where is God when pain and brokenness are a profound part of our lives?

It is easy to blame God for letting this happen to us, or to say that He doesn’t see.

But pain and brokenness are, sadly, a part of this life. Rebellion against God, the Loving True God, abounds and this only continues the brokenness.

Some pretty terrible things have happened in my life, and frankly, bad things can still happen.  But I have learned that I can trust God in the pain, through the pain and after, to heal the pain.

Here are some things to remember when pain is causing you to doubt God’s care and love for you:

*God doesn’t cause our pain, but He does allow it.

*He is at work in our lives, and even the suffering we endure accomplishes good in us and for us.

*Brokenness is a passing part of our lives in light of eternity.

*Sometimes we have to have our will broken before we can yeild to God’s best for our lives.

Charles F. Stanley has written a beautiful small book, Finding God’s blessing in Brokenness.  In it are words that I have found to be true on this journey through life, and photographs that reflect the beauty we can find in a God who loves, cares and gently restores.

 

Disclosure:  A copy of Finding God’s Blessings in Brokenness was sent to me by the BookLook Bloggers Team in exchange for my review.

Reading in April, Reading with Grandkids Edition

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Reading in April

Have I mentioned before how fantastic it is to be a grandmother? Well it is truly fantastic in many ways. This month I introduced my 4 year old grand daughter to two old favorites, James Herriot’s Animal Stories and also, Brambly Hedge.

Those are two books I delighted in reading to my kids when they were young. And it is a treat to share these stories with Miss Joyness.

Now, of course not all my reading is of the children’s book genre. But sometimes I wonder if it isn’t better to stay on that side of the library!

In March I began listening to A Walk In the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson. Just last week I actually returned the book to Audible (did you know that you can do that? You can.). There is coarse language throughout the book, and after the chapter with the laundry mat lady I realized that I am not the audience for this book.

And as soon as I made the decision that I could stop listening to A Walk in the Woods, Tsh Oxenreider’s new book was next in the queue.  At Home in the World by Tsh Oxenreider is a travel memoir, and I am loving the descriptions of the places and people.  I love that people are as much a part of her family’s world travels as the places they visited.

Crazy Love by Francis Chan is on my kindle app and I am slowly reading this book while waiting in various lines and offices.

Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave is the impulse buy when I visited Powell Books in Portland over spring break.  The book is not holding my attention, but I am not thinking of abandoning it.

Ruthless Grace by Brennan Manning was mentioned by my mentor recently and I found it at the library.  Brennan Manning has a way of sharing his life with Christ that breaks it down in ways that I relate so well.  His books are always slow reads, as I like to roll his words around and hold them up to the Gospel.  I think it is really good to get outside the Christian vocabulary, and really have to think through what is said.  For example in the few chapter of this book I have been challenged with the idea that the need for clarity from God is a holdout from trust.

Reading in April has been a delightful return to some favorites for bedtime reading with my grand daughter when I get the opportunity.  It has also be a month of unfinished reading.  And I am good with that.

What have you been reading this month?

To Love Like You Have Loved

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Hosanna, Hosanna
Hosanna in the highest
Hosanna, Hosanna
Hosanna in the highest

Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like You have loved me
Break my heart for what breaks Yours
Everything I am for Your kingdom’s cause
As I walk from earth into eternity

Hosanna in the highest
In the highest
In the highest
Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest

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