Fruity Delights :: Recipes

I just love fruit! They come in all shapes, sizes, tastes and colors and are very healthy! Some of my favorite fruits are strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, bananas, oranges, grapefruit, apples and kiwi! Today I've compiled some yummy looking recipes that will be perfect for the upcoming summer! Please enjoy!

Healthy Fresh Fruit Pizza 

{Source}

For the cookie crust:

• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. butter
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the cheese spread:

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 1/2 cup sugar

For the topping:

• Sliced fruits

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. To make the crust, cream the sugar, egg, vanilla and butter until fluffy and light. add the baking powder and flour and mix well. Spread the mixture into a pizza pan or on to a baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool. Combine the sugar, vanilla and cream cheese and spread onto the cooled crust. Arrange fruits on top and cover. Refrigerate for 2 hours and enjoy! Serves 6.

Fruit Dip

{Source} 

• 8oz package cream cheese, softened and room temperature
• 2 – 7 oz jars marshmallow creme/fluff (I was able to buy 1-130z jar)

Mix marshmallow creme and cream cheese together (by hand or mixer) until well combined.  Serve with your favorite fruit such as strawberries, cherries, bananas, pineapples, etc.  Enjoy!

Creamy Fruit Tarts

{Source}

• 1 cup buttermilk baking mix 
• 2 tbsp. granulated sugar 
• 1 tbsp. butter, softened 
• 6 oz. cream cheese, softened 
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar 
• 1/4 cup sour cream 
• 1 1/2 cups assorted fruit slices or berries 
• 1/3 cup apple or apricot jelly, melted

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix baking mix, 2 tbsp. sugar, butter and half of the cream cheese in small bowl until dough forms a ball. Divide into 6 parts. Press each part of dough on bottom and up 3/4-inch sides of 6 tart pans, 4 1/4 x 1-inch or 10 custard cups. Place on cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light brown; cool on wire rack. Remove tart shells from pans. Beat remaining  cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar and sour cream until smooth and spoon into tart shells, spreading over bottoms. Top each with about 1/4 cup fruit. Brush with jelly.

Strawberry Fruit Roll-Ups

{Source}

• 2 cups strawberries
• ¼ tsp cinnamon

Blend the fruit until smooth, then spread onto a Teflex sheet or a parchment-lined baking sheet. If using a dehydrator, dehydrate at 105 degrees F for 8-10 hours or until the fruit is pliable and easy to peel from the sheet. If using an oven, leave it on at the lowest temperature until the fruit is dry (times will vary depending on the oven). Cut into strips and store in a glass container in the refrigerator.

Whole Wheat Fruit Muffins

{Source} 

• 1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour (I used King Arthur’s white whole-wheat flour)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup oil (I used coconut oil)
• 3/4 cup orange juice or apple juice
• About 1 cup of total filling (berries, fruit, nuts, etc. – see below for details)

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl with a fork or whisk mix the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Make a well (hole) in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the eggs, honey, vanilla, oil and orange juice. Mix the dry and wet ingredients together – do not overmix. Now here is the fun part. If you are in a hurry just add 1 cup of blueberries, mashed up banana & nuts, or other filling of your choice. If you have 5 or 10 minutes extra (and some anxious helpers) do not add anything to the muffin batter before continuing with the next step.

Line a muffin pan with liners and fill 2/3 to 3/4 of the way full with batter. If you didn’t already add your filling, sprinkle 1 – 2 teaspoons of whatever you would like (from the list below or from your own creation) onto the top of each raw muffin in the pan. Then gently mix each one with a fork or spoon. Here are some options to consider for the fillings:

• blueberries
• diced strawberries
• peeled and diced pears
• applesauce
• either diced or mashed up bananas and chopped walnuts
• raisins and chopped pecans (I add an extra pinch of cinnamon to the muffins with this filling)
• grated carrot and chopped walnuts
• orange or lemon zest (only add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of zest per individual muffin)
• a mix of dried fruit bits
• jelly

After the filling has been mixed into each muffin slide the tray into the warm oven and bake for 10 – 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature and freeze some for a later date. Enjoy! Yield: 12 muffins.

Fruit Sorbet

 

{Source}

• 1/2 banana, frozen
• about 1/2 cup frozen berries (I like blueberries and raspberries, mixed)
• about 1/4 cup chopped frozen mango or pear (adds creaminess)
• up to 2 Tbsp. agave nectar (may be omitted)
• up to 1/4 cup plain soymilk or coconut milk (may be omitted)

Throw everything in your food processor and whir until it begins to resemble ice cream.  You’ll need to stop the machine and scrape down the sides two or three times before it comes together.  As soon as it’s creamy, scoop out and serve–it melts quickly.  This is a little scoop of heaven in a bowl!

Note :: As always please use discretion when visiting the provided links. Thanks!

Judge Ye Not!

{Written By Bethany}

We were in the grocery store, grabing a few items before going home for the day. I spotted a young man an instantly a bad impression flew through my mind. I saw a slowchy teen-aged boy with baggy jeans that had chains drapping from side to side. I saw tatoos and a hair cut that was a bit weird, and on top of that there was an imodestly dressed girlfriend hanging off his arm as he scuffed through the store. I thought to myself "What a low life, he's obviously not a Christian becasue of how he looks....etc" As I continued to think bad thoughts towards the man I noticed that as he turned around there was a small book in his back pocket of his several-sizes-to-big-jeans. From the small bit that was peeking out I was able to read "Holy Bible". I was in awe of how the Lord used that young man to show me just how judgmental I was. Before I'd even seen him for 5 minutes I'd judged him wrongly. I still, to this day, don't know whether he was a true Christian or not. But either way the Lord used that store visit as a opportunity to show me how judgmental I can be without even realizing it or meaning to. How judgmental my sinful mind is.

~*~*~*~*~

We were out in town and were in a parking lot getting out of the van. I noticed a young girl walking to her car with some other girls who may have been family members and my eyes quickly turned to her large stomach, clearly showing she was pregnant. I started to think negative things towards her, wondering how she could ever do such a thing. But then the Lord hit me with a thought. She is pregnant, and yes she's not married but she is still pregnant dispite the "option" to abort the baby. She could have easily gone and had it "taken care of" and never have to go through so many stares, mean words, harsh eyes, rude looks, and embarassing situations. The amount of courage it must have taken to choose life, despite the negative response of others was huge! But she choose to keep the baby, to save it's life. I realized that even though she had messed up {as we all do daily if not hourly}, she didn't make it worse by trying to cover it up or fixing the problem to make it look like she was innocent. She made it work, she adapted her life to fit the results of her mistake. God showed me that even though this young teenaged girl was pregant, she was really a hero to me, becasue she was strong enough to not abort her baby. For that alone should I treat her with respect instead of think unkinly of her.

~*~*~*~*~

I was about 8 years old and we were at a science discovery museam. As we walked in I saw a lady with a long modest, plain dress and tennis shoes on her feet. My mind automatically began to think how "unfashionable" that outfit looked, and how her shoes totally didn't match her dress. I began to go on and on about how I'd never wear such a clothing choice in public. Before I'd even spoken to her or had time to make a first impression I judged her based on her outer appearence. How could she even stand to be in a feminine dress or skirt? I hated them! Now fast forward a couple of years. You see a family walking in Wal-Mart and notice that all the girls of the large family are wearing long skirts. You guessed it! Now I'm the girl with the skirt and tennis shoes on. { :D God sure does teach lessons in a interesting, unforgettable way, doesn't He?} Now I'm the girl out in public with the "unfashionable attire"! I'm the girl who wears skirts everyday and is willing to sacrifice fashion for modesty's sake! How the Lord has since then changed my heart! I now realize that it's not what you wear that makes you who you are! through this experience the Lord has shown me so much on judging!

~*~*~*~*~

These are all an examples of the many times I've judged before giving thought to what I was doing. My sinful nature's first responce is to judge, to find something about them to grade myself against, to see how much more "godlier" I am than them becasue of some certain area based on the outer appearance. This brings to mind the story of the sinful man who begged for God's mercy at the temple humbly, were the "clean, innocent" rule-following man just was there because he was following the rules. Who was truly forgiven? The Lord has often shown me how I am quick to judge. I must let God do the judging, and it's a good thing I can't righteously judge others, otherwise if I judged myself according to how I judge others, then I'd be bound for hell for sure with no hope of Heaven! Thank the Lord for such a merciful God! Often times when I judge others I realize that I'm really making God sad becasue I'm thinking I'm better than others based on outer appearance. But 1 Samuel 16:7 tells us that: "The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." I'm told that my best acts of righteousness are as filthy rags...how much more my sinful acts? {Isaiah 64:6}

Judging is something our sinful nature is prone to, it's something that just happens before we realize it. We must train our mind to be merciful and to stop judging, leave it up to God. The Lord is the only True Judge so if we leave the judging up to Him then our lives will be a lot easier and we will be able to see people for who they are instead of pointing the finger. Blessings!



Book Reviews

A Sister's Secret
{Sisters of Holmes County Book # 1}
By Wanda E. Brunstetter
{Review By Bethany}

Publisher :: Barbour

Number of Pages :: 299

Source :: Library

Publication Date :: 2007

My Rating :: 5 out of 5 stars

Putting her rumschpringe {running-around years} behind her, Grace Hostettler returns to Holmes County, Ohio; joins the Amish church; and begins a new life with a new romance. The next four years are nearly idyllic for the oldest Hostettler child-except for the hidden pain she bears from a carefully harbored secret. Her peaceful world is shattered the day she runs into Gary Walker-an Englisher who knows enough about her past to destroy her future. Gary's arrival in Holmes County coincides with a series of startling attacks against the Amish community-and the Hostettlers in particular. Is Gary at the root of this evil? Amishman Cleon Schrock plans to marry Grace but is unaware of her past. When evidence of Grace's deception arrives on her family's doorstep, will Cleon feel compelled to desert the woman he loves? {Taken From Back Cover}

I really enjoyed this book by Wanda. I read one book authored by her last year and really enjoyed it so I told myself I'd read more of her books but hadn't gotten around to it until now. :) This is the first book in a series called Sisters of Holmes County. The series consists of three books, each one is about one of the Hostettler girls who are Amish: Grace, Ruth and Martha. In this first book the main character is Grace, since she is the oldest. I will say that I loved it and it kept me wanting to read more and more! It had a wonderful way of making you feel like you just can't put the book down until you've read one more chapter... ;) 

Pros :: Even though this would be considered a romance, Wanda did a wonderful job keeping it clean. The most romantic part in the book is about holding hands and even that didn't go into details. Even though there wasn't much descriptive romance, Wanda had a way of still clearly getting the point across of the two being in love without presenting it in a way that is distracting to a single woman. Even though there is deception going on in the book, at the end Grace is truly sorry and repents of keeping her secret to herself. So even though there is deceptions and lies in the end Wanda made a great point at showing how truly sorry Grace was.

Cons :: Since Grace is keeping a dark secret deep inside her there is deception{don't worry it's nothing too serious...so if you are thinking she committed some bad crime, worthy of jail-time, then it isn't anything like that :)}. She hold the truth about her past from her parents and what makes it worse is that when evidence shows up on her door, she has to spill the beans all at once. One thing I didn't like about the book is how I felt as if Wanda wasn't putting much detail into how the Amish live personally. She made reference to using weapons when they were being attacked with pranks, but the Amish don't use guns or weapons, the Mennonites don't even do that! This is only one example of several that I found that lessened the ability to feel like you were in the book. So I felt as if she didn't put much effort into making you feel like they were Amish. Although this is something that makes a book more enjoyable to a reader, it's definitely not something to make you avoid the book altogether.

A Sister's Test

{Sisters of Holmes County Series Book # 2}

By Wanda E. Brunstetter

{Review by Bethany}

Publisher :: Barbour

Number of Pages :: 287

Source :: Library

Publication Date :: 2007

My Rating :: 5 out of 5 stars

Ruth is the second oldest sister in the Hostettler family, and she has one burning desire-to marry and fill her Amish household with children. Life seems to be falling into place when Martin Gingerich starts to court her and she befriends a motherless child. But her dreams are suddenly shattered in one horrific moment, putting Ruth's faith to the test. Finding herself spiritually adrift, Ruth's only prayer becomes a desperate "God, why?"


This was a very inspiring book and I thoroughly enjoyed it! It was very nicely written and was very interesting!

Pros :: This book was very inspirational and after reading it, I found myself counting my blessings more and thanking God for my family. In this book Ruth goes through lots of trials and losses and reading about her hard times makes you realize how well off you are. I never seem to realize how blessed I am until I read or hear about someone else who has it a lot worse off than me. This was a book that really left an impression on my heart and helped me be more thankful. Since Wanda went through great detail with Ruth's trials you felt as if you are there besides the person feeling their grief and pain. Often times I found myself thinking "Oh, poor Ruth" as if I would someone in real life that recently went through a loss!


Cons :: One thing about this book is that the events that happened seemed to happen too fast. For instance, in the last book Grace and her husband Cleon are having a hard time getting along and then all the sudden after several chapters of conflict in a few pages they have made up. It just didn't seem like everything happened like it would in normal life I guess, but it is fiction after all. :D The only other con I can think of is it's a bit of a sad book, several people pass away, but the end is wonderful and it makes up with a very happy, hopeful ending!

A Sister's Hope

{Sisters of Holmes County Book #3}

By Wanda E. Brunstetter

{Review by Bethany}

Publisher :: Barbour

Number of Pages :: 297

Source :: Library

Publication Date :: 2008

My Rating :: 3 out of 5 stars

Martha is the youngest of the Hostettler sisters and the most daring. While her main focus has been on her dog breeding business, Martha has also been troubled about the continuing attacks against her family and home in an Ohio Amish community. When prime suspect turns out to be Luke Friesen-the man she loves- Martha decided to play detective. But what will the search for truth cost? Luke seems to have taken the wrong road in life. With definite motive and myriad of methods, he looks guilty as sin. Will Martha's hope in his innocence be enough to bring the real criminal to justice? Roman Hostettler disproves of the love blossoming between his daughter and Luke. In his determination to drive the couple apart, discord and dissension grown within the family. {Taken From The Back Cover}

Sadly, this was my least favorite book in the series. If it weren't for not letting you all down by not having the third book's review or for finding out who had been responsible for the attacks on the Hostettler family, then I'm afraid I wouldn't have finished this book since I'd not considered it worth my time.

Pros :: The story was fairly interesting and did great on starting were you left off in the last book. Honestly the cons outweigh the pros, so I'm not able to think of anything else that was a pro in the book.

Cons :: I'm afraid that this book had more cons than pros, and I'd like to share some of those right now. For one, the subject of direct disobedience to parents was shown. Martha deliberately went against her father's commands in several areas, one being that she was forbidden to be around or talk to Luke. At first, Martha doesn't really have feelings for Luke, but as she slowly starts to see him behind her father's back, she develops feelings for him. In the book there is also more romance than in the first two which is disapointing, and two kisses are shared against Martha's fathers commands. If honoring our parents wasn't such a big deal then it wouldn't be listed in the Ten Commandments, but it was. So obviously God thinks it's important! The fact that this book shows Martha going against her father's wishes - and knowing full well that she was doing so and did nothing to stop it, but rather encouraged it-was just a bit more than I would have liked to see. To make matters worse, in the end Martha is "justified" by disobeying since Luke proves innocent and then end up marrying. The book almost makes it seem as if disobedience was no big deal and that in the end, ultimately everything fixes itself.

For those looking for the third book review in the Rose Trilogy Series {In continuation of THIS POST review for the first and second book in the series}, please let me explain why it isn't here as promised last month. :) This book seems to be pretty popular right now, and due to that, the book has been out for the past few weeks at the library, thus I've not been able to check it out yet nor read it. However the first time I am there and it's available to check out, I'll get it and be sure and review it in a upcoming review post as soon as possible. Thanks for your patience!

Fashion Fun | Craft Tutorials.

Recently I came across several lovely tutorials which I have absolutely been aching to try. I find it to be so much fun to enhance my wardrobe with handmade lovelies, or perhaps spend an afternoon creating a small fashion piece for a friend. I hope you enjoy perusing the tutorials I am sharing with you today, wouldn't it be fun to have an afternoon set aside this summer for crafting? 

--Johanna

Wide Wrap Belt

Fabulous Fall Belts 

(Cute for Summer too! :)

The Girdy Belt 

Summer Vest

Collar-Flower Tee

Pearl and Ribbon Choker 

Earring Necklace 

Victorian Silhouette Script Necklace  

{As always, please use discretion when visiting these sights. Thank you! Happy Crafting.}

Encouragement For The Tough Day

It had been a tough day. For the past three days I'd been studying to take my drivers permit test and when I'd finally finished my six required hours of study I'd failed the online practice test. Twice. Then I failed the next time I took the practice test. And then the fourth time. *Let's out long sigh* I was frustrated and wondered why I couldn't get a passing grade after I'd studied hard for six hours. On top of this I'd had a non-stop kind of day the previous day and was already tired from it. I'd not gotten enough sleep and was starting to feel it's effects. The quilt I'd been working on putting together was't working out and no matter how many times I tried to fix it, I got the same messed up result. I also had to pick out clothes and get showered for church the next day as well as get a decent amount of sleep so I wouldn't fall asleep during the sermon. {Okay, so maybe I wasn't all that tired...I get a fair amount of sleep, but you get the point} To make a long story short, it had been a rough day. At the end of it, I just sat down in despair and wondered why everything I'd done that day didn't end up working out or turned up a complete failure and mess.     

But then my mind came to my April challenge. Lately I'd been slacking on my devotions and wanted to get back with it. So I challenged myself to read 9 chapters of the Bible a day to complete the whole New Testament in the month of April. At this time I'd just finished up the Gospels which were a real blessing to me during this time. One thing that was impressed upon mind often during my Gospel readings was just how much of our regular activities Jesus took a part of daily just like us. Often times when I think of Jesus life,  it's hard to think on a personal level. It's hard to imagine what His life was like beyond that of which is recorded in the Bible. What did His normal days look like? Did He ever face trails or difficulties? Was He ever frustrated? As I got to thinking about it, I realized that I actually had it better than Jesus did. I started to realize that He really did have some tough circumstances. While He did His ministry work, He had no home, no place to sleep at night. He slept wherever He could, probably on the ground without a comfortable bed or pillow or cover. He didn't have a regular supply of plenty of food to choose from. He ate what He could find or what others gave Him. He was constantly healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, raising the dead, and we see in Scripture that often times there were a lot of people crowed around wanting to see Him or hear Him preach. He was always putting someone else first. His tired body didn't stop Him from looking down into the little children's eyes and blessing them. His hunger didn't stop Him from healing a sick person.

All the sudden my biggest "uncomfortable" circumstances or "pains" seem to small and petty besides what Christ willingly went through for me. How big of a deal is it that I failed my practice test? So what? Just study more and take it again, of what eternal significance does it hold? What's the big deal with my quilt being so messed up? Just take a big breath and fix it. Even if it takes a couple times, do it. What will it matter how it looks when I'm in heaven, or even a few years from now? Is it really that big of a deal? I must realize that this isn't my home, I'm only here on earth temporarily, for but a breath compared to the time of all eternity spent with Jesus. Then it won't matter how my day went or how my projects tuned out.

As I started to think of how He lived I realized that He also went through a lot of what I go through which helps me to know that Her knows how I feel and is ready to help. Just knowing that He's been there makes a world of difference. It helps me to be able to open my arms and let Him help instead of getting frustrated because "No-one else knows how I feel or what it's like". I'd encourage you to look up Scriptures were Jesus went through the same thing as you are whenever you're frustrated or feeling overwhelmed. Or you could just take some time to go through a few of the Gospels and note certain circumstances Jesus was in that you may have been in, or will be in sometime in the future. See how He responded. How did that impact eternity? How does it effect us today, some couple thousand years later? So, if you're having a hard day, if nothing seems to go right, then remember that Jesus has been there. He is ready to help and offer encouragement or strength. Not only has He been there, but He's been over the level we will ever be. Since He died such a horrible death, He's had it rougher than we ever will, and because of it His love has increased and is shown freely to us. Because He lives gain, we too can live today, no matter what is thrown at us, Jesus will be there for us.

Living through His strength, not of my own,

Book Reviews

A Gown of Spanish Lace

By Janette Oke

{Review By Bethany}

Publisher :: Bethany House

Number of Pages :: 251

Source :: Purchased a t a garage sale for 25 cents. ;D

Publication Date :: 1995
My Rating :: 5 out of 5 stars

A heritage so very different from her own, but one profound connection - — Ariana loves her life her parents, her little town, her job as the town's schoolteacher, her students. But one evening after classes are done and she prepares to hurry home before a blizzard hits, her whole life changes in an instant. — The two rough-looking men who abduct her and take her far from home and family make no response to her frantic questions "Why me? What are you going to do? Where are you taking me?" Held hostage in a camp of bandits, Ariana's emotions swing between terror and boredom as days stretch into weeks.
And then the boss's son appears in the doorway of her cabin. Does this mean she will never see her mother and father again, the two who had so lovingly adopted her as an infant and raised her as their own? Will she ever wear the wedding dress so carefully saved for her her one link with her birth parents, now long dead?  

Pros :: One of the best things about this book is how much God is incorporated in the story. Often times people say certain books are "Christian" just because they mention God a few times. But with this book, I felt like God was the main focus of it...just like it should be! The main character Ariana, often prayed and looked for His help in her circumstances. She often memorized and meditated on Scripture and trusted in God for her every need, even when her life looked uncertain. She was a wonderful role model. I loved how much God was a part of this story. 

I also enjoyed how suspenseful it was! It if definitely a page-turner and will have you guessing wildly at what will happen next. I loved the perfect ending and I certainly didn't see it coming so it was completly unexpected the way it turned out. Anyone who enjoys suspense and interesting books will be sure to love this interesting read.

Another thing I liked was that there was a bit of romance, yet not too much. Janette did a great job balancing it out and making it interesting yet not overly-done.

Cons :: To be honest, I didn't really find anything negative in this book. I loved every bit of it! I would highly recommend it!

The Irish Healer

By Nancy Herriman

{Review By Bethany}

Publisher :: Worthy Publishing

Number of Pages :: 320

Source :: Library

Publication Date :: 2012
My Rating :: 3 out of 5 stars

During the deadly 1832 cholera epidemic in London, a heartsick Irish healer must find the strength to overcome her most fearsome obstacles.

Accused of murdering a child under her care, Irish healer Rachel Dunne flees the ensuing scandal while vowing to never sit at another sickbed. She no longer trusts in her abilities-or God's mercy. When a cholera epidemic sweeps through London, she feels compelled to nurse the dying daughter of the enigmatic physician she has come to love. James Edmunds, wearied by the deaths of too many patients, has his own doubts about God's grace. Can they face their darkest fears? Or is it too late to learn that trust and love just might heal their hearts?

Pros :: I liked how the author made you feel as if you were there. Her writing is very descriptive and flows well. It was a great story, but I found there was too much romance for my type. And while good writing, descriptive words, etc. can be good when you have a book, if you've made a high level of romance involved then the two together may be a bit much. 

Cons :: Well to start, I didn't even finish this book. I read up until the 22nd or so out of 30 chapters and decided to stop reading it for several reasons. For one the Lord's name was used in vain several times and He was sort of rejected, the characters acted as if He'd left them so they leave Him out of their life. There was also a unplanned pregnancy with the main characters employee's maid and then when she attempts to abort the baby with potions, she ends up sick and died. {And she was found to have been at a bar in pone part of the book, but other than this there is not further detail with the pregnancy, but still it's there and didn't really need to be, the book would have been fine without it.} I also didn't feel very comfortable with the level of romance. At first I though it wouldn't get any higher, but it did. I'd only recommend this book to those who are used to reading books with romance the center of the book and the main focus, but if you are trying to stay away from romantic notions, you'll probably want to ship this book.

The Thorn

{The Rose Trilogy, Book 1}

By Beverly Lewis

{Review By Bethany}

Publisher :: Bethany House Publishing

Number of Pages :: 352

Source :: Library

Publication Date :: 2010

My Rating :: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars

Rose Kauffman, a spirited young woman, has a close friendship with the bishop's foster son. Nick dresses Plain and works hard but stirs up plenty of trouble too. Rose's sister cautions her against becoming too involved, but Rose is being courted by a good, Amish fellow, so dismisses the warnings. Meanwhile, Rose keeps house for an English widower but is startled when he forbids her to ever go upstairs. What is the man hiding? Rose's older sister, Hen, knows more than she should about falling for the wrong man. Unable to abandon her Amish ways, Hen is soon separated from her very modern husband. Mattie, their young daughter, must visit her father regularly, but Hen demands she wear Amish attire--and speak Pennsylvania Dutch, despite her husband's wishes. Will Hen be able to reestablish her place among the People she abandoned? And will she be able to convince Rose to steer clear of rogue neighbor Nick? {Description From ChristianBook.com}

Pros :: I loved this book! I love all Amish fiction books, by previously I'd found most Amish fiction to have way to much romance for my standards. But I was very pleased with the level of romance in this book. Grant it, there was a bit, but it didn't go overboard so it was nice having a bit of romance without too much. I loved the story and it was very exciting and interesting. Several times events turned when I least expected it and it made it all the more enjoyable. It was a wonderful story plot and I was very interested in continue to read the series. I loved how it went back and forth between the two sisters, so it's like you get two adventures in one. In one chapter you have a bit about one sister and her current case, and the next moves to the other sister. It was fun to see how their two different lives intertwined. I was also pleased with the writing style as well. You know how sometimes when there are multiple important characters, how it can sometimes be confusion who's who and all? Well this book had many characters, but I loved how easy it was to read, and it wasn't confusing at all! Totally loved it! This series is probably my favorite Amish fiction book/s I've read so far!

Cons :: Through this series, a portion of the book is about Hen who is Rose's sister who married an Englisher and was no longer a part of the Amish community. Once she had a daughter, she and her husband don't see eye to eye on how she should be raised. For example, do we or do we not allow TV in the home due to the influence? How should we punish bad behavior? Do we punish or just let it slip? Hen went behind her husbands back and took a job that he had made clear he didn't want her to take. And eventually this makes a problem between their marriage. But I won't spoil anymore of it for you. I did, however not appreciate how she didn't honor her husband, but I did appreciate how she was trying her best to stay with him and not divorce and for that I'm glad she was trying to make it through the tough times.

The Judgment

{The Rose Trilogy, Book 2}

By Beverly Lewis

{Review By Bethany}

Publisher :: Bethany House Publishing

Number of Pages :: 352

Source :: Library

Publication Date :: 2011

My Rating :: 4 out of 5 stars

Rose Kauffman is engaged to Silas Good, a well-liked Amish fellow, so why does she still pine for Nick Franco, the former foster son of the bishop? Especially now that Nick has left the Amish community under a cloud of suspicion after the death of the bishop's biological son? Will Rose marry Silas, even while struggling with romantic feelings for Nick?

Meanwhile, Rose's older sister, Hen, has returned to live at her parents' farm with her young daughter. Hen and her modern husband, Brandon, are separated by mutual agreement, although he is threatening to sue for custody of their daughter if Hen does not return soon. Will the judge rule in Brandon's favor? Is there any way Hen can reestablish her place among the People without sacrificing her marriage? {Description from ChristianBook.com}

Pros :: I also enjoyed this book, almost as much as I enjoyed the last one. I loved how the story continued from the last book as far as making it interesting and exciting. I again was captivated by the wonderful life of the Amish and was realizing that though the Amish are often known for their simplistic lives, most Amish fiction is anything but simple when it comes to the story lines! This book was no exception, but I did like it that way with so much guessing what would happen next, and feeling as if I were besides the characters as they go through trials and joys alike.

Cons :: One thing I didn't appreciate about this book is there was a lot of marital conflict between Hen and her husband. There was never any fighting and Hen was obviously trying her best to keep calm and peaceful even though Brandon was forcing lots of uncomfortable things on her. At this point in the series they were living separated and Brandon was forcing a divorce and complete custody of their daughter. The end of this book was a bit sad but hopefully it will all turn out right in the third book. ;D

Book number 3, The Mercy by Beverly Lewis, review to come in May's book review post!

How Great Is The Love...

Dear Sisters,

Today is Good Friday. Today is the day that Jesus paid the greatest price, suffered the most painful death possible, showed the greatest level of love. It is the day He was crucified and gave himself up for us. John 15:13 tells us: Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. Truly this was the greatest sacrifice that has ever been made in the whole course of history...and its the greatest there will ever be for there is no greater sacrifice that could be made. On Good Friday we remember the death that even though happened two thousand years ago, is still the greatest death in all time, one that we will remember forever. One that gives us freedom from death and sin. We thank the Lord for His death. But we also celebrate the love of our Father. We realize how much He loves us.

So often, we cannot even begin to grasp the love He has for us. But a few weeks ago I had the pleasure of reading this email which I've copied to share with you today, that Johanna sent to me. 

The scientific death of Jesus. At the age of 33, Jesus was condemned to the death penalty. At the time, crucifixion was the "worst" death. Only the worst criminals were condemned to be crucified. Yet it was even more dreadful for Jesus, unlike other criminals condemned to death by crucifixion, Jesus was to be nailed to the cross by His hands and feet. Each nail was 6 to 8 inches long. The nails were driven into His wrists. Not into His palms as is commonly portrayed. There is a tendon in the wrist that extends to the shoulder. The Roman guards knew that when the nails were being hammered into His wrists, that tendon would tear and break, forcing Jesus to use His back muscles to support himself so He could breathe. Both of His feet were nailed together. Thus He was forced to support Himself on the single nail that impaled His feet to the cross. Jesus could not support himself with His legs becasue of the pain, so He was forced to alternate between arching His back then using His legs just to continue to breathe. Imagine the struggle, the pain, the suffering, the courage. Jesus endured this reality for over 3 hours. Can you imagine the suffering? A few minutes before He died, Jesus stopped bleeding. He was simply pouring water from His wounds. From common images, we see wounds on His hands and feet and even the spear wound to His side...but do we realize His wounds were actually made in His body? A hammer driving the large nails though the wrist, the feet overlapped and an even larger nail hammered through the arches, then a Roman guard piercing His side with a spear. But before the nail and the spear, Jesus was whipped and beaten. The whipping was so severe that it tore His flesh from the body. The beating so horrific that His face was torn. The crown of thorns cut deeply into His scalp. Most men would not survived this torture. He had no more blood to bleed out, only water poured from His wounds. The human adult body contains about 3.5 liters {just less than a gallon} of blood. Not to mention the humiliation and pain from carrying His own cross for almost 2 kilometers, while the crowd spat in His face and threw stones. {The cross was 30kg of weight, only for it's higher part, were His hands were nailed.}  Jesus had to endure this experience so that you can live with God in Heaven one day if you believe in Him. He did it willingly because He loves you!

For the past few days I've felt compelled to share this with you all today. Even though it isn't our scheduled time for an article, I still felt like I needed to share this with you all so you can realize just how much Jesus loves you! The common saying "Smile! Jesus loves you!" if often heard but do we really take the time to meditate on the words and grasp it's true meaning?

Dear sister, JESUS LOVES YOU! As you go about your day, and go into the Easter holiday, please keep this in mind. Jesus loves you!

Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot,  and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. 

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, 

and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, 

   yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

{Isaiah 53}


Have a most blessed Easter!~Bethany