Well, here we are crashing headlong into the second half of 2015 and man is this head-on collision at top speed!

I am still struggling, because of the schedule in ministry, with blogging daily. Still, I am posting just as often as I can and  I am hoping that this work will also bare great fruit. You can find out how all Cee’s other contributors are faring by clicking on the “Share Your World” sticker above and beaming directly over to Cee’s site.

Here are this week’s questions:

For your blog do you basically use Mac or Windows applications.  What type of device laptop, desktop,tablet, phone or pad?

I am currently writing on my desktop though I also frequently use my tablet to write from. I only have a dumb phone (the opposite of a smart phone) so I never use phone apps to read or write. That said I do most of my blog reading on my Kindle Fire.

If you were to treat yourself to the “finer things” what would you treat yourself to?

My son recently treated me to a dinner movie theater. I had never been to one and I thought it was neato cool. I loved watching the Avengers on a super jumbo screen from a leather recliner while eating a real meal. And my son used an app on his smart phone to buy the tickets! I admit though I kept wanting to push the little red button on my chair to see if the waitress would keep coming throughout the movie. Joe had to keep me under a tight reign. That may not be the finest thing in life but it was sure fun.

Can you change a car tire?

I can (which probably would surprise most of my family) but I now have Triple A so I wouldn’t.

The 4th question this week is answer this poll about “how you would like to see the question formats for Share Your World”.  Feel free to answer the questions in your post too.

I love how Cee has been mixing it up lately. I think it’s good and keeps the challenge fresh. I loved the list thing and the complete the sentences. I hope to see these again and even other methods of asking questions! For instance I think questions that require photographic answers would be neat. Like “Show me a picture of your favorite place.” Or “Photograph a meal you ate this week.”

Bonus question:  What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?

I am grateful that I moved towards completing my latest deadline for my novel. July 1st is right around the corner! This week I launch into a season of concerts and shows. I am looking forward to the concert at LIfeskills tomorrow, leading worship for Special Touch on Saturday, Leading worship at Cornerstone on Saturday, the Concert at the GVNA next Thursday and the Art in the Park show and concert on Saturday June 20th!

Sometimes I feel like Aragorn and the Rohirrim trapped behind the walls of Helm’s Deep. There are moments when it seems Satan and all his forces are gathering at my doorstep and all I can do is stand behind my defenses and push down the screams which try desperately to rise from the center of my belly, “WE ARE GOING TO DIE!!!!”

The truth is though I am not on the defensive! Christians aren’t on the defensive! The church isn’t on the defensive! Though Satan would like us to think we are outnumbered and losing, the Bible assures us we have already taken the high ground and we are fighting from the position of established victory.

Jesus said, “Upon this rock (the high ground), I will build my church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18

Satan is the one behind the walls of Helm’s Deep and the armies of light (that’s us Christians  in case you were wondering) are gathered at his doorstep and we are attacking his kingdom to establish light in the darkness. Any other perception is an illusion spawned by the power of the Dark One to confuse and hinder us from moving forward.

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? ³³ Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. ³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁶ As it is written:

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ 

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[k] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:31-39

Don’t give up Christian! You are about to win!

So Cee has told us only pictures two weeks old and younger for this challenge.

This first photo was taken last Friday night at the Old Mill in Westminster where my daughter Amanda and I attended a Daddy-Daughter Date Night, hosted by our church’s MPACT Ministry.

I have pictures of Amanda from that evening but I think I’ll save them for a future blog. 😉

This last photo was taken at our last artist’s day apart. The afternoon group project was nature photography. You can see one of our artist’s working behind the ferns.

Check out Cee’s blog at

Cee’s Black& White Challenge

Recently I had the pleasure of reviewing Jacqueline McDougall’s first offering to the literary world, Fearless In Euroclydon.

Jacquleine’s  Booktrope publishing manager sent this bio along so my reader’s might get better acquainted with the author:

Jacqueline McDougall is a Christian daughter, sister, wife, mother, and grandmother of five beautiful grandchildren. She and her husband live in a tiny town of just 300 residents, many of whom are her relatives, in central Illinois. 

In the past fifteen years, Jacqueline has experienced a series of turbulent life events including divorce, suicide of her father, and cancer, and has emerged an overcomer with God’s help. 

In her spare time, Jacqueline’s hobbies include reading, playing the piano and singing, gardening, and dreaming over and designing floor plans for homes. 

Fearless in Euroclydon is her first book.

I was so excited to have the opportunity to review this book and to share my thoughts.

Jacqueline has offered a first person memoire of her walk through the storms of life (Euroclydons) as a woman of faith. Her language is encouraging and filled with hope while at the same time being straightforward about the moment to moment struggles that come with walking out the real challenges this world offers to the faithful.

While J.M. is bold in her proclamation of faith her prose are neither stilted nor preachy. For women struggling through difficult circumstances I would highly recommend a read through of Fearless In Euroclydon. 

Further Jacqueline offers some very personal thoughts concerning the battle many in our culture face with weight loss. For anyone struggling with this topic Jacqueline’s journal section will offer an affirming nod about staying on the path through the daily ups and downs.

Some of my favorite quotes from the book were:

I am a farmer’s daughter. A farmer’s daughter! So why did it take 35 years to come to this

realization?  Although the soil can’t do a thing to change its character, it does not have to stay hard or

rocky or thorny-p.15

Praying for others always takes one’s mind off her own troubles.  This is a truth.  Lois knew this. I did too, I had just temporarily forgotten.  If you are having difficulties of any type, particularly depression or other emotional issues, give it a try.  You will see what I mean.- p. 119

In your studies, you may come across other words and phrases such as “taking up one’s cross daily,” “living in Jesus,” “walking the walk,” “crucifying one’s flesh,” etc., being used to describe this concept. These are all Biblical and, as such, the truth. They all also describe an action which cannot be performed just once and then you’ve arrived. And they cannot be done without the help of Holy Spirit. –p. 166

Fearless In Euroclydon is not a how to book. You won’t find three steps to liberation or seven steps to happiness in any of its pages. It is a testimony about the power of God which can flow through any life facing any difficulty no matter how severe. Please consider giving it a read through, particularly if you are facing a Euroclydon of your own.

Here is the link to buy the book from Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Fearless-Euroclydon-Jacqueline-McDougal-ebook/dp/B00Y7PSTZ2/

True!