A little Randomness ~ 1973

Between having non-stop company since May 7th, and a bit of writer's block, I've not written much lately. When I sat down at the computer a few minutes ago, I had a totally random idea. Randomness isn't anything unusual for my pinball brain. ~smile~ 

So, at least once a week, for the next several weeks, I'm going to use a random number generator to give me a year from 1969 (when I have my first few memories) to 2024. I'll share at least one memory from that year and then add in any randomness that comes to mind. Hopefully, this will help me to get past my writer's block and also give you something to spark a memory, or at least something interesting or silly or brilliant to read. Well, maybe not brilliant... we'll see what the years bring! 

Random Year:  1973

It's a little backward, but my very first thought was of December 31, 1973. One of my favorite game shows was Match Game 73. Each year, on the last day of the year, the giant year number was removed and the next year replaced it. It sounds crazy to me now, but I actually cried when they removed the 73! I was so sad to see the year go. It's the first time that I remember being cognizant of the passage of time. I was eight years old at the time. 

I remember being unhappy about the television being taken over by something called Watergate. I was missing some of my favorite shows! I had no idea what it was all about. It was boring to watch to an eight year old. It was probably boring to my parents as well. 

I had a transistor radio and a little record player, and I loved to listen to Top 40 music all the time. 1973 was a great year for music. My favorite was Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree by Tony Orlando and Dawn. I didn't know what it meant at the time, but I really liked it. Crocodile Rock by Elton John was a close second. 

I spent a lot of time outside. I loved to ride my bike, play with my little brother and the neighborhood kids. We played tag, hide and seek, cops and robbers, cowboys and indians, and we chased fireflies. 

It was a good year to be a kid.

~~~~~

Related posts:

Rambling Thoughts About a Beach Ball

Early Little Girl Memories

Anxiety Getting to You?

 “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”  Philippians 4:8

Philippians 4 is a treasure trove of verses that I have clung to during difficult times. I really needed this reminder to go back and read and think about these verses again. I heard Thelma Wells speak about verse 6 several years ago. She used the version that says "Be anxious for nothing...", only she very adamantly and enthusiastically pronounced it...

"Be anxious for NO THING..."

Good point, eh?

The part of the chapter that really stands out to me states in NIV,

"4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Gee, how would my life change if I really rejoiced ALWAYS?

5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

This gal definitely needs to learn to be more gentle.

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Talk about life changing! I need to not only have this memorized, but internalized. 

7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

I have been a bit down for a couple of days. Now I remember where to find peace. 

Bless God for bringing me this encouragement just when I needed it. Thank you Jesus!

May God bless you, dear Reader, as you seek for Him with your whole heart.

Laura, 

Jesus Girl

Related posts:

Anxiety, Depression, and Saturation in God's Word

Finding Peace in Troubled Times

Rehearse the Right Lines! Speak God's Truth!

Anxious or Depressed?

JESUS: a Deaf Missions Film

 

JESUS: a Deaf Missions film

Share with your deaf friends! God’s story is unstoppable when it is in the heart language of a people group. JESUS: a Deaf Missions film, uses Deaf actors to bring the story to bring the story of Jesus to life from a Deaf perspective for a Deaf audience.

Release Date: 6/20

#JESUSaDeafMissionsFilmMIN

WATCH THE TRAILER

My Childhood Summers

 

From the McCarter Elementary School website
It looks similar to how it did in the 1970's.

As a child, I remember the long, sweltering, never-ending days of May—back before elementary schools were air conditioned. It felt like we'd never make it to Memorial Day—then, suddenly...

SUMMER VACATION!

It's the most blissful time of childhood. Who cares if it's hot? There's always a hose or a sprinkler or a kiddy pool or a trip to the town pool to cool off. The days just idle away when you're young and don't have many responsibilities. Oh yes, I had chores that I was responsible for— especially after my parents divorced, and my mom went to work. But still, it was wonderful. 

Here are some of the things that I remember from my childhood summers:

• Trips to visit Grandma Mamie and Grandpa Frank
• Rides in Grandpa's airplane
• New games, sandles, and short sets from Grandma Mamie
• Leaning over the edge of an old car as Grandpa Frank worked on it
• Going with Grandma to sell ads for the The Kirksville Shopper and for the covers of restaurant menus
• Drive-in movies
• Flying over fireworks
• Going to the carnival, getting cotton candy all over my face, and watching the demolition derby
• Firecrackers and sparklers
• Playing at the dry creek ~ Daniel Boone, cowboys and indians, cops and robbers
• Bike riding - Bluebelle was my bike and my horse!
• Roller skating
• Digging in our sand pile 
• Playing at the park
• Going to the pool ~ Mom would leave me and my little brother there all afternoon and come back for us
• Nancy Drew and Little House on the Prairie books ~ I saved my allowance for these and asked for them for my birthday and Christmas. I bought them at a bookstore called The Town Crier in Topeka, Kansas.
• Trips to the library
• Walking carefully over a fallen log that spanned a dry creek bed in a local park. We were probably four or five feet off the ground, and the part spanning the creek was probably six or eight feet. It felt very dangerous and daring! I was very frightened and started by straddling it and scooting. Lots of kids must have done it over the years, because I remember it being smooth not covered in bark.
• Digging to China and finding a Hong Kong dollar. No doubt planted by Mr. Newman, the old man across the street who fixed our bike tires and who told me where to dig in his yard!
• Watermelon
• Homegrown tomatoes
• Tag and hide and seek in the neighborhood
• Catching grasshoppers and fireflies
• Saving worms from puddles after a rain
• Wishing on a star
• Coming home when mom yelled for us to come to dinner
• Watching the sunset
• Hotdogs on the grill
• Playing with Barbie dolls and GI Joe with my brother, John
• Trips to Baskin Robin's for ice cream cones—I loved chocolate chip and mint chocolate chip
• Picnics in the park
• Putt putt games
• Lots of Kool-Aid
• Collecting pop bottles for pocket money
• Running to catch the ice cream truck
• Playing catch with my Dad and my brother
• Walking up to the grocery store for a pop or candy bar
• Helping Dad wash the car on Saturday mornings
• Being outside a lot!

REVIEW: Encountering God Study Bible NKJV

From Thomas Nelson Publisher: 

The Encountering God Study Bible is the crowning work of the Blackabys. Featuring their trusted approach to Bible study, this Study Bible includes:

• Notes highlighting how God might choose to encounter you in His Word

• Notes explaining ideas, events, people and places in the text

• Word studies, character studies, and biographical sketches of figures from church history 

• Notes to help you navigate current cultural issues

MY THOUGHTS:

I've always found it a bit daunting to review a Bible.   I agreed to review The Encountering God Study Bible for two reasons. First, I prefer the New King James Version, and I've pretty well worn out my current Bible. Second, it's a study Bible. Before I ordered it, I did some checking on the Blackabys' ministry, and they are respected Bible scholars. I received the blue Leathersoft Bible. It's a softcover that is intended to be like leather. 

It's also available in leather and hardcover as well as colors. 

Alright, I've got two pages of handwritten notes that I took on this Bible. Of course, I didn't read the whole Bible. ~smile~ What I did do is focus on the additional study materials included with the New King James Version text. While I know that we are not to add to scripture, I find it helpful to have some additional information intended to help me understand context, culture, and such. It's similar to a pastor explaining and expanding upon the Word. 

Each book begins in the same way. 

• Book Name
• Introduction
• Significance of the book
• Structure
• Encountering God Through... Genesis, Exodus, I Kings, John, Romans etc.

There are lots of helps sprinkled throughout the text including:

• Word studies 
• Encounter notes

• Explaining the faith
• Outlines of books
• Extensive cross references
• Character studies
• Black and white maps 

After The Book of Revelation, you'll find lots of study helps.

• Biblical timeline including years and ages (Bronze, Iron, Persion, etc.)
• Harmony of the Gospels including date, event, location, and the scriptures in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

 

• Read your Bible in a year plan and checklist 

• Prophecies and Fulfillments — I've never seen this included in a study Bible. The prophecies are presented in order of fulfillment. For instance:  Prophetic Scripture (Genesis 3:15), Subject (seed of a woman), Fulfilled (Galations 4:4). The scriptures are included. This is one of my favorite features. 
• Colorful, full page maps 

I'll primarily use it while sitting at a desk or table. That's good because the pages are thin, and I'll need to be careful with it. I found a pencil eraser helpful in turning the pages. 

I do recommend this Bible. Although I am already listening through the Bible in a year and listening to the New Testament in sixty days, I am starting in Genesis in this Bible in order to use the study tools as I go. 

You can get a full description and pictures of the Bible. The Blackabys did a wonderful work in compiling this. 

I encourage you to take a look at this Bible and order it today.

Now, if you've read this far, I invite you to enter a quick giveaway for The Encountering God Study Bible! 

Please leave a comment below with your full name and email address. Ends Sunday, May 5th. If you win, you'll have 24 hours to respond to my email with your mailing address. 

Note: I will also contact the second chance winner for a mailing address in case the winner also wins on another site. 

Disclosure:  Many thanks to Harper Collins Christian Publishing for providing a sample of the product for this review. Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

#EncounteringGodStudyBibleMIN #EncounteringGodBible #MomentumInfluencerNetwork

@blackabyministries @nelsonbibles @richardblackaby

Disclosure of Material Connection

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

My Spring Reading List 2024 ~ Harvest Lane Cottage

Update April 28th

Hello everyone! I've been reading and listening to a lot of books. See the list I've added on the bottom. I don't think I'm going to get everything read by the end of May. We shall see!

Happy Spring!

  I've written this post to replace my earlier winter and spring list. I had to remove some books, because I found they were not the kind of thing I want to read. I've also added some books.

~♥~

I've been reading and hearing for some that winter still has a hold in parts of the United States. It's really fighting to keep a hold on Southern Missouri.  We had to cover our Hostas, Marigolds, lettuce and spinach last night. It got down into the twenties. I'm trusting that spring will win. We'll be down in the low thirties again tonight. I'm trusting that spring will win, but in the meantime....

~♥~

 It's the ideal time to open a nonfiction book and learn a new skill, a bit of history, or how something is done. It's also an excellent time to slow down a bit while the world goes whirling by and slip into the land of make believe for a little bit. I have to admit that's my favorite kind of reading.

~♥~

  You can read in the car (but not if you're driving—unless it's an audiobook), read while waiting for appointments, read while waiting for your kids to get out of lessons, read on your lunch break, read while relaxing in a comfy chair; or, if your hands are busy like mine often are, you can listen to audio books. I listen to at least two or three audio books on Everand each month. I've also found free books on YouTube and the Libby app. Interlibrary loan is my friend, too!

  My point is, if you really want to read, you can make time even if it's only a few minutes. Snatch those moments for you!

~♥~

Here are some books that I plan to read:

Michael's Gentle Wife 

by my friend Karen Andreola

I'm reading this now.

Hanged by a Thread

ACF Bookens

~ Finished~

I cannot recommend this title. 

Writing the Cozy Mystery

Nancy J. Cohen

I'm still reading this.

Walk It Out

Tricia Goyer

I'll have to order this from the library. It may go on a future reading list.

English Standard Version
Bible
Update 4/3: I'm in First Samuel.
Update 5/12: I'm in Second Samuel.

What Happened at the Cross
by Billy Graham
*This one was excellent. I highly recommend it.

 In addition, I also read:

The Adventures of Danny Meadowmouse by Thornton Burgess

Steeped in Evil, A Tea Shop Mystery by Laura Childs

Hunting the Witness by Kate Angelo

Seams Like Murder, A Sewing Studio Mystery by Dorothy Howell

The Case of the Left-Handed Lady by Nancy Springer

The Adventure of the Cardboard Box by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

When Bad Things Happen to Good Knitters by Marion Edmonds

Chosen by Ted Dekker

Yarned and Dangerous by Sadie Hartwell

Songteller: My Life in Lyrics by Dolly Parton

Lady of Disguise by Melanie Dickerson

English Standard Version New Testament by God

Misty of Chincoteague  by Marguerite Henry

These Tangled Threads by Sarah Loudin Thomas

The Redhill Sisterhood by Catherine Louisa Pirkis

Enjoy the now, friends, whatever season is showing where you are. 

Blessings from Harvest Lane Cottage,

Laura

P.S  As you may know, I really enjoy using Everand. You get ebooks and audio books plus other reading materials, sheet music, and other things for just one low price of $11.99 a month. You don't have to pay per book. It's all included in the one price. It's the best money I've spent this year!

If you use my link, you'll get a 2 month free trial of Everand, formerly Scribd, and I will get a free month as well. I'm not an affiliate, it's just a neat perk that they have for their subscribers who tell their friends. I've earned 15 free months just sharing how much I love their service! You can too.

Find me online here:

Goodreads:  Laura Lane 

2024 I have finished 56 books of my 60 book goal.

Ravelry:  HarvestLaneLaura

Facebook:  Harvest Lane Cottage  

Instagram: @lauraofharvestlane 

Email:  laura@harvestlanecottage.com

Mailing address available by email for snail mail lovers like me!

REVIEW: These Tangled Threads by Sarah Loudin Thomas

 

BOOK SUMMARY Seven years ago, a hidden betrayal scattered three young friends living in the shadow of the great Vanderbilt mansion. Now, when Biltmore Industries master weaver Lorna Blankenship is commissioned to create an original design for Cornelia Vanderbilt’s 1924 wedding, she panics knowing she doesn’t have the creativity needed. But there’s an elusive artisan in the Blue Ridge Mountains who could save her—if only she knew where to begin. To track down the mysterious weaver, Lorna sees no other way than to seek out the relationships she abandoned in shame. As she pulls at each tangled thread from her past, Lorna is forced to confront the wounds and regrets of life long ago. She’ll have to risk the job that shapes her identity, as well as the hope of friendship—and love—restored.

My Thoughts:

I found it a bit difficult to get into this book. It was well researched and well written. I think I was somewhere about a third of the way in before I really understood what was going on. Perhaps I just wasn't paying strict attention. I was confused by the changes in perspective between Lorna, Gentry and Arthur. The date changes also confused me.

However, it turned out to be a very good book. The storylines ended up being complex and intertwined in a surprising way. I think that, because the setting didn't end up being something in which I was particularly interested, I wasn't the best judge of this book. It wouldn't be the first book that I'd recommed, but I definitely want to read more from this author.

It was a story of pain, hurt, redemption and undeserved love. This is one you'll need to decide about yourselves. 

Disclosure of Material Connection

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.