Portraits of Modesty - The Modest Gardener

Modesty is a subject that is near and dear to my heart.  I know different people have different visions of what modesty is and this Portrait of Modesty series is just a glimpse of my vision.  I choose to dress modestly in a way that I feel is pleasing to God.  For me that is in wearing dresses and skirts, but just because I wear dresses and skirts does not mean that I think everyone should dress like I do.  Everyone has to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling.  :)  With that being said I hope my modest series is a blessing to you and helps you to see the beauty of feminine modesty.

Portraits of Modesty - The Modest Athlete

Modesty is a subject that is near and dear to my heart.  I know different people have different visions of what modesty is and this Portrait of Modesty series is just a glimpse of my vision.  I choose to dress modestly in a way that I feel is pleasing to God.  For me that is in wearing dresses and skirts, but just because I wear dresses and skirts does not mean that I think everyone should dress like I do.  Everyone has to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling.  :)  With that being said I hope my modest series is a blessing to you and helps you to see the beauty of feminine modesty.

Modesty is a matter of heart not a matter of rules and restrictions.

Portraits of Modesty - The Modest Mommy

Modesty is a subject that is near and dear to my heart.  I know different people have different visions of what modesty is and this Portrait of Modesty series is just a glimpse of my vision.  I choose to dress modestly in a way that I feel is pleasing to God.  For me that is in wearing dresses and skirts, but just because I wear dresses and skirts does not mean that I think everyone should dress like I do.  Everyone has to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling.  :)  With that being said I hope my modest series is a blessing to you and helps you to see the beauty of feminine modesty.

The most precious jewels you'll ever have around your neck are the arms of your children.

Portraits of Modesty - The Modest Bride

Modesty is a subject that is near and dear to my heart.  I know different people have different visions of what modesty is and this Portrait of Modesty series is just a glimpse of my vision.  I choose to dress modestly in a way that I feel is pleasing to God.  For me that is in wearing dresses and skirts, but just because I wear dresses and skirts does not mean that I think everyone should dress like I do.  Everyone has to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling.  :)  With that being said I hope my modest series is a blessing to you and helps you to see the beauty of feminine modesty.

"Authentic femininity is a combination of class, tenderness and virtue. When a woman possesses these traits, a man will naturally want to be more of a gentleman around her." -Jason Evert

Portraits of Modesty - The Modest Homemaker

Modesty is a subject that is near and dear to my heart.  I know different people have different visions of what modesty is and my Portrait of Modesty series is just a glimpse of my vision.  I choose to dress modestly in a way that I feel is pleasing to God.  For me that is in wearing dresses and skirts, but just because I wear dresses and skirts does not mean that I think everyone should dress like I do.  Everyone has to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling.  :)  With that being said I hope my modest series is a blessing to you and helps you to see the beauty of feminine modesty.

"To me, a lady is not frilly, flouncy, flippant, frivolous and fluff-brained, but she is gently, she is gracious, she is godly and she is giving.  You and I have the gift of femininity...the more womanly we are, the more manly men will be and the more God is glorified.  Be women, be only women, be real women in obedience to God." ~Elisabeth Elliot

The Stranger

 Many years ago I read a story in our small town newspaper about a "stranger" coming to live with a family.  It always stuck with me and I was so happy to run across the story the other day!  I'm sharing it here so I'll always know where to find it.  :)

"The Stranger"

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"A few months before I was born, my dad met a stranger who was new to our small Tennessee town. From the beginning, Dad was fascinated with this enchanting newcomer, and soon invited him to live with our family. The stranger was quickly accepted and was around to welcome me into the world a few months later.

As I grew up I never questioned his place in our family. In my young mind, each member had a special niche. My brother, Bill, five years my senior, was my example. Fran, my younger sister, gave me an opportunity to play 'big brother' and develop the art of teasing. My parents were complementary instructors-- Mom taught me to love the word of God, and Dad taught me to obey it.

But the stranger was our storyteller. He could weave the most fascinating tales. Adventures, mysteries and comedies were daily conversations. He could hold our whole family spell-bound for hours each evening.

If I wanted to know about politics, history, or science, he knew it all. He knew about the past, understood the present, and seemingly could predict the future. The pictures he could draw were so life like that I: would often laugh or cry as I watched.

He was Iike a friend to the whole family. He took Dad, Bill and me to our first major league baseball game. He was always encouraging us to see the movies and he even made arrangements to introduce us to several movie stars. My brother and I were deeply impressed by John Wayne in particular.

The stranger was an incessant talker. Dad didn' t seem to mind-but sometimes Mom would quietly get up-- while the rest of us were enthralled with one of his stories of faraway places-- go to her room, read her Bible and pray. I wonder now if she ever prayed that the stranger would leave.

You see, my dad ruled our household with certain moral convictions. But this stranger never felt obligation to honor them. Profanity, for example, was not allowed in our house-- not from us, from our friends, or adults. Our longtime visitor, however, used occasional four letter words that burned my ears and made Dad squirm. To my knowledge the stranger was never confronted. 

My dad was a teetotaler who didn't permit alcohol in his home - not even for cooking. But the stranger felt like we needed exposure and enlightened us to other ways of life. He offered us beer and other alcoholic beverages often.

He made cigarettes look tasty, cigars manly, and pipes distinguished. He talked freely (probably too much too freely) about sex. His comments were sometimes blatant, sometimes sugestive, and generally embarrassing. I know now that my early concepts of the man-woman relationship were influenced by the stranger,

As I look back, I believe it was the grace of God that the stranger did not influence us more. Time after time he opposed the values of my parents. Yet he was seldom rebuked and never asked to leave.

More than thirty years have passed since the stranger moved in with the young family on Morningside Drive. He is not nearly so intriguing to my Dad as he was in those early years. But if I were to walk into my parents' den today, you would still see him sitting over in a corner, waiting for someone to listen to him talk and watch him draw his pictures.
His name? We always just called him TV."

-Told by Keith Currie

Stuck Together - A Book Review

Stuck Together is the third book in the Trouble in Texas series by Mary Connealy.  This story picks up where the last one ended so I would definitely recommend reading all three books in order.  The first one in the series is Swept Away and the second one is Fired Up.

In Stuck Together you will read about spunky Tina Cahill who is determined to get Broken Wheel's saloon closed down.  She has a mind of her own and doesn't back down to anyone, but she is also vulnerable and feels unlovable.  She feels like she is destined to live a life alone.  She doesn't feel like she belongs anywhere.
Vince aka "Invincible Vince" has a reputation of not letting anything stop him.  When his father shows up in town and drops off Vince's mother who seems to be losing her mind and his sister who Vince didn't even know about, his whole world gets turned upside down.  With his father being a schemer and his mom's mental problems he thinks he is destined to "inherit" their ways.  He knows he must live a life alone to keep anyone else from having to put up with what he is sure will happen to him eventually.

With everyone in Broken Wheel married off it seems that Vince and Tina are always getting thrown together.  They are both attracted to each other but since Vince won't act on his attraction Tina is convinced it is because she is unlovable.  Will either one of them ever be able to except the love that is right in front of them?

I became a fan of Mary Connealy's books with her first series "The Kinkaid Brides".  I haven't liked this series as much as that one, but it has still been entertaining.  Some of it seems a little far fetched to me and at times a little silly, but it is a fast read and I think the author has a lot of potential and I am anxious to see where her next series takes her readers!

***This book was provided to me my the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Seagrass Pier - Book Review

Seagrass Pier by Colleen Coble is an intense mystery that will have you spell bound from the first page to the last page.  I don't normally read mysteries, but my mom has read several of Colleen Coble's books so I thought I would give this one a try.  I really enjoyed it and am now a fan.  There were so many twists and turns and "edge of your seat" moments that I was captivated all the way through.  I have now borrowed several of her books from my mom!

Within the Pages of Seagrass Pier you will read about Elin Summerall, a woman who after contracting a virus needed a heart transplant.  What seemed like a blessing soon turned into a nightmare when the memories of the woman who's heart Elin received started haunting her mind.  The donor was murdered and now since Elin remembers the crime the murderer appears to be coming after her.

Marc is an FBI agent who had a past fling with Elin, now five years later their paths cross again.  Marc's partner was murdered and he believes the same man who murdered Laura (Elin's donor) is the one who murdered his partner.  He becomes very protective of Elin and her daughter Josie and Elin's mom who has Alzheimer's and he moves in with them in order to protect them.   Elin and Marc both fall in love with each other, but neither one knows what the other is thinking and both refuse to act on their feelings.  With Elin's
"memories" and Marc's detective skills the set out to solve the crime and bring the person to justice who continues to stalk Elin.

This is a very complex book with many characters interacting with each other and many story lines that all come together in one.  Even though it is the third book in the series you do not need to read them in order to understand what is going on.  It is a great stand alone book and if you like action and mysteries and of course a little love thrown in, then I am sure you will enjoy this one!

***This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

The B.T.C. Old Fashioned Grocery Cookbook - A Book Review

An Old Fashioned, "down home cooking" recipe book is a rare thing to find.  I am so excited to share with you The B.T.C. Old Fashioned Grocery Cookbook.  When it comes to cookbooks I do not want some fancy book with recipes that I will never make because I don't even know what half the ingredients are let alone have them on hand.  I want a cookbook that I can use over and over.  One that has real food for real people.  This awesome cookbook has just that!  It is filled with beautiful pictures, great stories and delicious recipes.

The B.T.C. is an Old-Fashioned Grocery in Water Valley, Mississipi.  The locals go there for it's skillet biscuits and sausage gravy breakfasts, it's fried pies and yummy sandwiches.  It's stocked with seasonal produce, local milk and fresh baked bread.  This cookbook shares 120 of the store's best recipes.  Some of my favorites found within the pages are Skillet Biscuits, Banana Bread, Buttermilk Ranch Dressing and Peach Ice Box Pie.  I can't wait to try pretty much all the recipes under the "Southern Sweet Thangs" categories.  I know I will be referring to these recipes for years to come!  It would make a great gift for anyone who loves to cook!

I will note that in my opinion this is more for a stay at home mom/wife who enjoys providing good hardy meals for her family.  I do not think a working woman would benefit from this book as much as those of us who stay at home.

***This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for my review.

A Mother's Secret - A Book Review

A Mother's Secret by Amy Clipston is an Amish story about thirty one year old Carolyn Lapp who has never been married, but is a mother of a fifteen year old boy.  When she was 16 years old she made a mistake and went too far with her boyfriend.  She loves her son, but in their strict community it seems that both her and her son constantly pay for the "mistake" that was made years earlier.  Carolyn's brother Amos is determined to marry her off and sets up a marriage of convenience, but Carolyn wants a marriage of love.

Benjamin is Carolyn's son and at an auction he finds himself getting into trouble.  Joshua Glick is furious when someone throws a rock and injures his horse, when the blame is put on Benjamin an arrangement is made for Benjamin to work off the damage caused at Joshua's farm.  A romance soon sparks between Carolyn and Joshua, but there is one problem...Joshua thinks Benjamin is Carolyn's nephew.

This is the second book in the Hearts of The Lancaster Grand Hotel Series.  Reader's of this series were first introduced to Joshua Glick and the rest of his family in A Hopeful Heart (book 1).  I was really happy to get glimpses of what is going on with Hannah in this book and I really liked the character of Carolynn.  I found her very east to relate to.  Amy Clipston's books are always easy and fast reads and I really like that.  I'm looking forward to the next book in this series!

***This book was provided to me through the booklook blog review program in exchange for my review.