Just a quick note today to announce that once again, one of my stories has been accepted for publication in the Columbia Chapter of the Missouri Writers’ Guild’s annual collection of poetry and prose! “Well Versed 2020” makes it’s debut this Saturday, June 13th! My story, “The Eyes of Love” is among the entries chosen for this year’s book.
I was honored to be chosen for publication in this anthology last year (Well Versed 2019) with a story called, “The Brown Wedding Dress” a true-life depiction giving but a snippet of the great love story of my Aunt Martha and Uncle George who were married over eighty years and shared a life and love that I was privileged to witness and record.
I share more of their story this year with “The Eyes of Love” which tells of a horrifying incident that occurred shortly after they married and which, though it brought them shock, pain and responsibilities that any of us would shrink from, drew them into a greater knowledge of love’s sacrifices and brought healing to Martha’s soul.
My apologies for being so late with this announcement. It seems there’s something about keeping a five-month-old while in the midst of this kitchen remodel that keeps me from getting things done quite the way I’d like.
Further apologies for having to announce that if you’d like a copy, you will have to email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com no later than Friday, June 12. (I told you I was behind on things!) They are $11 and if you need me to ship it to you, they will be $14 if you’d like to get one directly from me. You may also respond to my Facebook announcement in the comments. They will be available on Amazon at a later date.
Mine is one of the many contributions to this anthology and I offer my congratulations to all the other contributors!
If you’d like to have get to know Martha and her family members, glimpses into their lives are found along with other family stories can be found right here on my “Laugh” page.
Welcome to the first Friday of June. That always means there’s a freebie for you, should you be a subscriber, comment as instructed and be so blessed as to have Smuffy pull your name out of the random drawing. It’s a one day only type of thing, so do it now before you forget! Subscribing is easy and every bit as free as a freebie.
We are on the one-month count-down now to Independence Day! I’d like to issue a reminder right now for you to begin referring to it as just that, especially in front of your children and grandchildren, rather that “The 4th”.
How often have you been asked, “What are you doing on ‘the 4th?'” Every month has one, after all. Let’s really celebrate the birth of our nation this year with the kiddies, the grand-kiddos, the cousins, in-laws and others with renewed appreciation for what it means. In the light of everything going on in the world right now, we need a fresh look at freedom and the founders who wisely and prayerfully mapped out a course for us to follow in order to maintain it!
Smuffy shares his birthday with the Good Ole’ US of A. Needless to say, he’s gone about the day in the full spirit of the thing all his life and we’ve never been short of fireworks around here.
This special First Friday Freebie is one that I’ve offered before. Considering our nation’s challenges and the likelihood that the majority of our citizens genuinely need a deeper knowledge of its roots and their own freedoms, I may start doing this every year. I would have offered it in July, but I wanted you to have it before the big day! If you happen to be one of my fellow citizens of the USA, you are privileged to live in the finest nation on earth! It may not be perfect, but it’s the best!
Now here’s June’s First Friday Freebie!
The U. S. Constitution
Nobody’s perfect. Nothing this side of Heaven is perfect. But the U.S. Constitution is as near to a perfect document as has ever been crafted by humans (and, I believe, with Divine Guidance).
Most of us studied it in school, but, let’s face it – we did it to pass the dreaded Constitution Test, not because we were overly fascinated by it.
I’d love to send you these three copies of the U.S. Constitution –
It’s time to give this little booklet another read. This little forty page book outlines our freedoms. People all around the world wish they had the liberties outlined in these pages.
There’s a copy for you, one for the kiddies (whether they be children or adults) and another for the grandkiddos. If we do not teach the generations to value this precious document, we will lose it!
To enter to win all three copies, “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “I love the USA!”
SHARE this post through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest or send the link in an email to all your friends so they can enter to win!
Previous freebies can be found on the “Freebies” page. Take a look at the gifts subscribers have been winning.
Once again, a winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight by leaving a comment which says, “I love the USA!”
And now, here are the complete rules:
First Friday Freebies are available to SUBSCRIBERS ONLY. That means if you have come to this post through social media or someone has emailed you a link to it and you haven’t become a subscriber yet, you’ll need to hop on over to the right sidebar and do that really quick. If you are on a phone or tablet, the easiest way is to go to the “About Me” page. All it means to be a subscriber is that you’ll receive an email each time Midwest Storyteller has something new, which won’t likely be more than once or twice a week. It keeps you from missing out on all the fun and FREE STUFF! And, I’m not sharing your emails with anybody.
IMPORTANT: After subscribing, you MUST check your email to confirm the subscription or it will not appear. Then, sadly, you won’t be eligible to enter.
To enter the drawing, scroll back up to the top of this post (or all the way to the bottom, depending on your device) and click on “Leave a Comment”. Subscribers who comment as directed before midnight on Friday will enter the drawing, provided they are already on the subscribers list and live within the continental United States.
Three simple steps!
What are you waiting for? Go! Go! Go! Subscribe if you haven’t already, confirm and comment to enter before midnight tonight, June 5th!
If you’ve been keeping up with me here on the blog then you know why I’m slow in getting this announcement made. Smuffy’s grand remodel is all consuming and I do have to stop once in a while to clean what can be cleaned, snuggle Phoebe June, have a little melt-down and, of course, play toys, read books and sing songs with my Lil’ Snookie. He’s five months old now, sprouting teeth, rolling over and liking his grandma to be as interactive as possible. (It’s a tough job, but somebody’s gotta do it. Tee-hee!)
May’s First Friday Freebie has found a new home in the Ozarks! Let’s meet the winner –
Carol from Branson, Missouri
Carol may have had time to finish reading her free copy of “All That Matters” by Diane Yates by now! If so, please comment and treat us all to a book review.
Congratulations, Carol, and I hope you truly enjoy it!
If you’re curious about this great read, I encourage you to check out my interview with author Diane Yates here where you can also read my review of her first book, “Pathways of the Heart”. I would encourage you all to visit Diane’s website at dianeyates.com and take a look at what she as to offer. I’ve also read her novel, “Melissa’s Fate” and I know you’ll be captivated by the story in that book. Diane has a brand new novel out now called, “Impossible Fate” and you can find that on her website as well.
If you’re wondering what “All That Matters” is all about, see my original First Friday Freebie offer along with my comments here.
You can see past First Friday Freebies and their winners on my Freebies! pagehere.If you’re not yet a subscriber to Midwest Storyteller they might entice you to become one – First Friday Freebies are for email subscribers only.
Carol subscribed by entering her email in the subscription area here on the blog and then confirming her subscription when the confirmation email arrived in her inbox. This is the best way to avoid missing what’s new here on the blog because you’ll get an email reminder each time there’s something new – like when there’s a FREEBIE on the First Friday of every month.
Comment as directed on the post and you’ll be entered to win.
Freebies are my way of reaching more people with the stories, recipes and more of the stuff of life. When you share with all your friends via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, you’ll give them the opportunity to subscribe and win also. Subscribing is free. Freebies are free. It’s one of those “I win – You win – We all win” situations!
June’s drawing will take place tomorrow on Friday, June 5th.
A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight on the day of the drawing.
REMEMBER: Should your name be drawn as the winner, you will be notified via the email you used to subscribe. That means you’ll need to check your email often in the week following the drawing so that you can respond and keep the prize from being offered to someone else.
Be sure to take a moment make yourself familiar with the Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.
These four simple steps will have you ready to enter to win on Friday, June 5th, 2020.
If you’ve won one of my Freebies in the past, leave a comment today and let me know how you liked it. Did you gift it to someone special or keep it for yourself?
We still have no kitchen as we live in this cluttered world of hitches and compromises. So, you may ask, how does a Trim Healthy Mama who is dedicated to eating healthy managing to keep on track during all this? Let me introduce you to my Not-A-Kitchen!
These photos are really embarrassing, but hopefully will make the end reveal all the more glorious. And, please forgive the spastic decorating. I find that as things change, I keep poking things onto empty nails “for now” and the house is starting to look like I’ve lost my marbles. The chairs will go also – just gotta give Smuffy the time to get my new old ones re-done. Poor fella.
I’m hoping the reveal of this mess may help someone else who is going through something similar and knows that you can’t eat out all the time – not if you want to be trim, healthy and pay for a renovation! The last thing we need around here is for me or Smuffy to get sick in the middle of the remodel. That happened to us years ago and I still have PTKSS (Post Traumatic Kitchen Stall Syndrome) from that experience that put us three weeks behind and left us with a two-year-old and nothing – nothing – but a microwave in the otherwise empty kitchen for the whole time.
I followed my original plan for daily function by shoving my dining room table as far over as possible to make room for incoming cabinets and then filling it with everything we’d be needing on a daily basis. I covered it with a felt-backed vinyl tablecloth first so that it would survive the ordeal.
Tall items at the back included a rack of plates and bowls, a spice rack and the mixer. In front of that, I lined up glassware and often used items such as salt and pepper, olive oil and salad vinegar, nuts, jars of sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and other things we grab to snack on and, of course, my big, fat jar of Dutch cocoa powder because, though I may not have a kitchen, I’ve gotta live!
I left an empty strip along the front for food prep and placed a cutting mat there. This area also serves to hold the hot plate, crock-pot or whatever else may be in use at times when Smuffy is pounding away and I can’t get into the kitchen at all.
Smuffy had built huge new drawers for the new kitchen, but prior to them being installed, I stacked them on one another and filled the top one with flatware and utensils so they’d be in easy reach. Needless to say, we fill our plates and head into the living room to eat.
My “buffet” (I think this is, in reality, a gentleman’s dresser that has seen changes over time) now serves as Appliance Row with the food processor, blender and toaster oven perched atop a towel and ready to go when I need them. One of my old wall cabinets got its doors removed and is shoved against a wall and filled with plasticware and other food prep items we might want to grab.
Over in the “new” kitchen, once Smuffy got the base cabinets in, I was relieved to find that the holes in the tops were the perfect size to catch the rims of my cookie sheets! We take our small blessings where we can find them and give thanks for them. I filled in an area and plopped in some cutting boards. Then, as if in direct answer to prayer, Smuffy discovered that one of our old cabinet doors dropped in perfectly to another cabinet top! We celebrated that discovery by placing the hot plate there and felt like we were really getting somewhere! Sort of.
The problem remained that we had no water. Family came to the rescue, sending us jugs of drinking water, but as for rinsing things for the dishwasher and washing up anything extra, we were running back and forth to the bathtub.
That is, until that glorious day! Smuffy, that man of many talents, installed a true farmhouse sink!
I’m feeling mighty stylish over here! This is where we stand until countertops are finalized. I love the way he placed the decorative part to the front so I would remember not to insert the grandchild.
Take heart if you are in the midst of a makeover. We’ll get through. When? I have no idea. In the meantime, I’m fixing healthy, balanced meals or pulling out frozen versions of the same that I prepared in advance and stashed in the freezer. In case you didn’t notice the bottle warmer and formula in the photos, I’ll point out that I am caring for my four-month-old grandbaby most days in the midst of it all. I have to admit there are days when I’m just a tad pooped.
If you have a friend in the middle of a renovation and finding themselves disheartened, share this post. It helps to know you’re not alone.
That’s the tour of my Not-A-Kitchen. Stay tuned for what I hope will be next – my pantry and remaining cabinetry and their insides. Then, countertops! I’m expecting to be downright giddy when that happens.
Now I’m leaving you hanging again. I’ll bet this has your curiosity piqued more than back when some of you were wondering who shot J. R. Others will have to do a search on that. Life With Smuffy is never dull. That’s why he has his own page here on the blog. (He’s not all about construction, you know.) If you need adventure and laughs, check that out.
I’ll be sharing some of the meals I made ahead in order to get through this. and some of the ones I was able to whip up without losing my marbles in my Not-A-Kitchen.
Can I have your kitchen remodel ideas? What would you have in your dream kitchen that you don’t have now? Leave a comment!
I promised to keep you posted on Smuffy’s monumental project. Welcome to the third and hopefully, most painful, installment. It’s a little late in posting as the clogged internet has been refusing to put photos in my posts.
Earlier, in “A Glimmer of Hope and Stainless Steel”, I shared the little chunk of the project that propelled me forward into the world of a glorious new refrigerator, wall oven and fancy-schmancy dishwasher. After that, we took time out for Thanksgiving, Christmas and to become grandparents. Smuffy then entered another busy season with his business while it was way too cold to be in the workshop messing with wood. Now, at last, we are making progress again!
If you’d like to see my embarrassing kitchen “before” photos, click here, but read the whole post so you’ll have a little compassion.
Have you ever had one of those uneasy feelings – as though you’re being followed by a mysterious “something”? Your Pollyanna nature tries to reassure you that you’ll never have to turn and face it and that it is probably just a series of spooky shadows, but eventually, you round a corner and there it is – the “thing” you knew was there but dreaded meeting face to face. Trying to duck your head and peer at it through only one squinting eye doesn’t help. We’ll, sooner or later it happens to us all and it has happened to me.
Smuffy is a marvel when it comes to undertaking almost any project, but he’s a numbers kinda guy and likes things in columns and rows. Nuance and the artistic sense elude him in some instances, though he does have appreciation for it. For some time, even though I’d labored over the perfect off-white paint for my cabinetry and the antiquing glaze that would go on over it followed by a couple of coats of polyurethane, I’d been deluding myself into thinking Smuffy would be the painter of these glorious creations. I should have known. Full of the can-do spirit he is – gifted with an artist’s touch he is not.
He got the primer on and the first coat of paint and asked me to inspect. I murmured a prayer and did so. Difficult as it was to declare them a tad crummy, I forced myself to be honest. It was mere practice as I then pushed past my lips the notion that perhaps I needed to paint these myself. (Though painfully slow, I am neat as a pin.) Smuffy’s eyes lit up and he rushed to hand me the paint buckets and all the rest of the supplies. I’d known, deep in my heart that Smuffy’s painting style and choice of tools, while fast and thorough, might not produce the results I desired. He’s an expert at detail work, just not this particular kind. That lurking instinct had caught up with me and how here I was, holding the brush, the mini roller and newly sanded face frames, shaking my head, groaning a little, but not surprised that I hadn’t managed to outrun this dreaded task.
First I used a Benjamin Moore trim paint in Fresh Narcissus with Floe-trol (from Home Depot) added to make the finish smooth as buttah. After letting each coat of this dry overnight, I mixed one part paint in a Benjamin Moore Devonwood Taupe into 8 parts clear latex glaze. I brushed this on and wiped it away with lint-free rags. It doesn’t appear too impressive here on the face frames, but will show nicely on the finished cabinet doors where it will collect in the grooves of the panels and give definition. Once this dried overnight, I applied two coats of clear polyurethane, allowing each to dry overnight. This is because the antiquing glaze is not as hard as trim paint and will wear off if not sealed in between the layers.
Once ready, we started Demo Day for the lower half of the kitchen. In order to have some functionality, we opted to complete this phase and tackle the upper portion once we can actually cook and have water again.
Chaos reigned. Smuffy ripped and tore. I shoved, shifted and fetched. Phoebe June, caught in the cross-fire, opted to enjoy the exploration opportunity of a lifetime. When cabinets, bags and boxes filled with the kitchen cabinet contents began filling every room on the main floor, she considered all rules null and void and flung herself into the spirit of the thing with wild abandon, jumping into bags of canned goods and strolling through utensil drawers. After a while, I just shrugged and made myself a mental note that it could all be washed and wiped down later. To say she was wide-eyed with excitement would be an understatement.
By the end of Day 1, we had uglified the kitchen to the point where we were committed to completion whether we liked it or not and as I looked around the house for a bright spot, I found myself thankful that our little grandson has yet to reach the walking stage. I have a feeling he’d make Phoebe June’s escapades seem like nothing at all!
With the lower cabinets in place, we’ll now attached the face frames and anchor everything in place so that Smuffy can begin the process of installing his beautiful walnut countertops and the oak furniture piece that will serve as our sink base. Oh, to have water again!
I’m going to leave you hanging there and end this special episode of my Life With Smuffy. Coming up soon, I’ll give you a peek at my “not a kitchen kitchen” that will have to serve until the counters, sink and gas cooktop are installed. I’m hoping that is very soon!
(After writing this post and struggling to get the photos inserted, we hit some snags. I’ve had to give up my design for the oak furniture piece and I may be having to part with my walnut countertops. I must confess to having two or three mid-remodel meltdowns already. I’d love to think this is the last of them, but… old houses are full of surprises and unless you open up a wall and find a chest full of gold and jewels, they are never really good surprises.)
I’d love to have your input on a kitchen remodel? What one mistake have you made that you’d like to un-do? What feature of your new kitchen do you love the most? Please comment! I need all the encouragement I can get.
Can you believe it’s May? We’re promised about a half week of frolicking weather and then (so the weather lady just said) we’ll settle in for another little stretch of chilly stuff. I’m over it, folks. The upside is that it might give some of you a little extra snuggling in time because this month’s First Friday Freebie is another great read!
You may recall that a little over a year ago, I wrote a book review of a true story called “Pathways of the Heart” and interviewed the author, Diane Yates. If you missed out on that or need a refresher, you can catch up on that here in “An Interview with Author Diane Yates”.
Today, I’m offering one of you a free copy of the sequel –
You may be distancing yourself from some of the people you know, love and care about right now, but there’s no need to separate yourself from a story like this one!
“Pathways of the Heart” is the story of Diane’s mother, Clella. “All That Matters” picks up where “Pathways…” leaves off and follows Clella’s struggles, her joys, her decisions good and bad and her love story as she demonstrates her strong will and discovers “All That Matters”.
If you read “Pathways of the Heart”, I know you were rooting for Clella, nudging her forward and shedding a tear as if she’d been your own mom. Diane related the story just as it was, weaving the story from her own experiences and the accounts shared by her parents and family members. If you haven’t read this book yet, you might want to check out Diane’s writings here and get yourself a copy! While you’re there, you’ll want to pick up the two new novels she has written as well.
Like “Pathways…”, “All That Matters” causes us to connect with our own hopes, dreams, shortcomings and disappointments, while it pulls us along with hope and promise. Though it tells of real people making real mistakes, it is in no way too graphic to share with your teens.
While the original story began in the Ozarks of the 1920’s, this sequel follows Clella (now called Catherine) from 1957 as she finds herself starting over in Texas with her new love. Again, with her, you’ll experience love, loss and the search for an everlasting love.
To enter to win “All That Matters”, you’ll need to “Leave a Comment” on this post, asking, “May I have this great book?” Be sure to do that before midnight TONIGHT, May 1st, 2020!
First Friday Freebies are for email SUBSCRIBERS ONLY, so hop on over to the right sidebar or use the menu to navigate to the “Contact” page and subscribe to Midwest Storyteller if you haven’t done so already.
Your friends will enjoy the stories, recipes, laughter and, of course, the FREEBIES here on the blog, too, so share with all your friends and family through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.
Subscribers win every single month! On the “Freebies”page, you’ll be able to see what they’ve been winning.
Once again, a winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight by leaving a comment which says, “May I have this great book?”
For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.
Four simple steps!
Don’t let the day slip away! Subscribe now if you haven’t already, and confirm in your email before you forget!
May the merry month of May bring you glorious, sunshiny, flower-filled days and may you finally get to spend them with the people you love!
Comments or questions? I’d love to hear from you! Please leave a comment telling me what good books you’ve read lately. And, I always love to ask – what is your favorite book of all time?
Here where I live, only in the last week or so have we really minded much that we’re cooped up because it’s been nippy and that makes for great reading weather. I can tell from social media that many of you are also busy with home improvements and long-procrastinated closet cleanings and craft projects. I’ve done my part to help out by sending out great reading material.
Let’s meet the recipient of April’s free gift –
Carolyn from Mount Carmel, Illinois
Lately, I’ve been asking my winners to let me know whether they’ve chosen to keep their First Friday Freebie for themselves or gift it to someone special. On a technicality, I can’t congratulate Carolyn for winning April’s Freebie because her sister Jan entered the drawing. Since Jan already owned “Killing Jesus” and loved it, she sent this copy along to her sis. This book’s been getting out and about more than I have! After journeying out west to Greeley, Colorado, it reversed course back to the Midwest and landed in Mount Carmel, Illinois.
“Killing Jesus” by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard is a gripping read whether you are enjoying it during the season of Lent and the Resurrection or any time. Could be you’re just a history lover and, if so, this well-researched story of Jesus’ life and death will have you hooked. If you’d like to read my “Killing Jesus” book review and see the original freebie offer, click here.
Congratulations, Jan, for winning and to Carolyn – Enjoy!
You can see past First Friday Freebies and their winners on my Freebies! pagehere.If you’re not yet a subscriber to Midwest Storyteller they might entice you to become one – First Friday Freebies are for email subscribers only.
Jan subscribed by entering her email in the subscription area here on the blog and then confirming her subscription when the confirmation email arrived in her inbox. This is the best way to avoid missing what’s new here on the blog because you’ll get an email reminder each time there’s something new – like when there’s a FREEBIE on the First Friday of every month.
Comment as directed on the post and you’ll be entered to win.
Freebies are my way of reaching more people with the stories, recipes and more. When you share with all your friends via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, you’ll give them the opportunity to subscribe and win also. Subscribing is free. Freebies are free. It’s one of those “I win – You win – We all win” situations!
May’s drawing will take place tomorrow on Friday, May 1st.
A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight on the day of the drawing.
REMEMBER: Should your name be drawn as the winner, you will be notified via the email you used to subscribe. That means you’ll need to check your email often in the week following the drawing so that you can respond and keep the prize from being offered to someone else.
Be sure to take a moment make yourself familiar with the Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.
These four simple steps will have you ready to enter to win on Friday, May 1st, 2020.
If you’ve won one of my Freebies in the past, leave a comment today and let me know how you liked it. Did you keep it for yourself? Did you gift it to someone special?
Our world has changed much these last several weeks and at no time have we been more aware of it so far than in preparing to change how we spend the next three days.
Many have taken a hit because of the corona virus. Some have lost loved ones, some are working exhausting, back-breaking shifts while others only wish they had a job to go to. The rest of us, here in the United States, are plodding along, wondering when we can again spend a day doing something we once took for granted – running errands.
The worldwide celebrations of Passover and The Resurrection of Christ have to rank at the top of the list of things Jews and Christians never thought they’d do without attending the largest faith gathering of the year, not to mention home gatherings to celebrate with family and friends. We thrive when we practice our faith and share our holy days with one another and we’re feeling a bit cheated this year.
I just can’t go along with the idea that these events “got cancelled”! Maybe we’ve forgotten that on the first Passover, Hebrew families were huddled, each in their own dwelling, partaking of a meal as instructed by God in order that the angel of death might pass over. And what happened the following morning? They were set free from cruel taskmasters and the bondage that had been their way of life for four hundred years. Perhaps we’ve forgotten that when Jesus, our Perfect Passover Lamb, lay in His borrowed tomb, all his followers scattered each to their own homes, hiding. No throng gathered at the entrance to that tomb on Sunday morning to celebrate the Big Day. They were, for the most part, each in their homes, confused and scared.
Neither group called it “social distancing”, but when you’re shutting yourself away from deadly plague or staying inside so that no one recognizes you and reports you to the authorities, it amounts to the same thing and reminds us that our situation is mild in comparison.
If you knew you had the cure for cancer, would you keep it hidden, or would you share it with the world, hoping to save even one who might listen?
I believe there’s an answer. I won’t tell anyone else what they must believe, but neither will I hide “the Cure” when people all over the world are suffering.
I believe in the loving God who calls his people to pray and then answers. I believe Scriptures hold examples, instructions and insights on how to pray. I believe in “standing on the promises” as the old hymn goes! I believe now is the time, this special weekend, when we’ve been offered a quiet time with just those few closest to us, to pray like we’ve never prayed before – to be bold in coming before God’s throne to ask that this plague on our health and our economy might “pass over”!
I’m asking my readers to join me and to SHARE this prayer right away with all your friends and family so that we can stand on these promises together, fasten our spiritual seat belts and see what the Deliverer will do if we will but ask. Scripture references are included to encourage you to delve into God’s Word and see what He promises (and also so you won’t think I’ve been nipping into the hand sanitizer).
I hope this has inspired you to pray and believe for an answer. I encourage you to print this out and read it aloud together with those you celebrate with this weekend. I’ve included a FREE easy-to-read PRINTABLE HERE.
Wherever you are, may you have a Blessed Passover and a Glorious Resurrection Day and may we celebrate next year together!
“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” —Numbers 6:24-26 (NIV)
How have you adapted your celebrations during this season of social distancing? What great food ideas have you invented because you might not have been able to get your hands on the usual ingredients? How have you decorated when you haven’t been able to acquire a few new things? Leave a comment and give us all your tips!
Much has changed in our world over the last month. Here in the United States we grapple, as so many other countries do, with shut-downs, social distancing and concerns for loved ones.
Each month, I try to offer, as a First Friday Freebie, something I think my readers would enjoy. This month, I believe I’ve found something that qualifies in three categories – a free gift for you, a book review and an opportunity for reflection.
As we enter Holy Week, my prayer is that this will be a blessing to you, no matter your faith or lack thereof.
Although it is not my blog’s “theme”, I’m sure most people have gleaned that I am a Christian. I not only enjoy, but depend upon, spending daily time in prayer and Scripture studies. Often, I read other books by Christian authors that offer extra insight into a particular area of study. Although I’ve never read a book by these authors before, I had heard rave reviews about history books they’ve collaborated on. I don’t know quite how it happened, but I stumbled across it and found myself immersed in the book I’m offering as April’s First Friday Freebie –
It just seemed that still, small Voice tugged at me, telling me that this was the perfect time of year to get a better grasp on the whole of world events surrounding the one event in human history of which it can be said, without dispute, changed everything!
“Killing Jesus” by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard had me hooked right away. The third in O’Reilly’s “Killing…” series (after “Killing Lincoln” and “Killing Kennedy”), it takes a detailed look at the life and death of Jesus purely through the lens of world history. Various sources including Roman writings and records, the detailed, first-hand historical accounts of Josephus, archaeological evidences, and other sources which provided records of the current events of the time are woven in with the historical record provided in the four Gospels to give a thorough picture of not only what happened, but what drove what happened and what it was like to live through what happened.
Despite my first instinct to find the book lacking and to have the tendency to pick it apart, I found myself educated and enthralled to comprehend the driving forces that motivated Herod, Pilate, Caesar, the Jewish hierarchy as well as Jesus’ followers. The efforts that the authors undertook to in order to convey the sights, sounds, smells, economy, political atmosphere and customs of the time and place transported me to Bethlehem, Galilee, Nazareth, Jerusalem and the other places Jesus lived, walked and taught.
This book is not preachy. In no way does it seek to validate miracles or prove the Messianic claims of Jesus or induce you to become His disciple. It merely lays out the historical events in ways that will familiarize you with the backgrounds, motives and sometimes the personal issues of all the people involved.
To discover what the records have to say about Herod’s health issues, the total depravity of the Roman rulers, the financial interests and investments that probably motivated the Temple priests more than service to God and where the kick-back from the money-changers’ tables really went was eye-opening.
“Killing Jesus” is an enthralling and easy read for anyone. Even if you are not a follower of Jesus or perhaps you’re even a card-carrying atheist, this book will, without coercion, educate you as to what all the fuss was about concerning this one Man who lived and died in this small geographical area all those years ago.
Here we are, in modern times, tuning into the news each day to find that people all over the world are not giving up on their Messiah because of pandemic and isolation, but looking for innovative and meaningful ways to recognize on Friday, April 10th that He was, indeed, condemned to death by the highest authorities within his own religion and given over to the Roman executioners to be tortured and put to death by crucifixion. They’re looking for ways to connect, as best they can, to celebrate on Sunday, April 12th, their belief that He rose from the dead and is still alive and will return.
I hope this First Friday Freebie offers you all three:
1. A free gift you’ll enjoy.
2. An honest book review.
3. An opportunity to reflect on who Jesus was, what His life and death were really like and who the people are who follow Him.
It benefits us all to understand other people groups and their faith and traditions, so, non-believers, this will help you do that.
Parents, this book would not be appropriate for anyone who is not yet ready to be exposed to the detailed horrors of crucifixion methods or the lengths Roman emperors and their cohorts went to indulge their vile imaginations, even at the expense of innocent children.
If you’d like to win this free copy of “Killing Jesus”, you’ll need to comment on this post, saying, “Send me the book right away!” You’ll need to do that now, because the deadline for entering the drawing is midnight tonight, April 3rd.
The winner will be chosen at random from those who comment as directed and this month, we will do that as quickly as possible so that I can get this book into your hands during the coming Holy Week time of reflection.
For the complete Freebie rules, please click here. Winners are notified using the email they used to subscribe, so be checking that in the coming days to see if you’ve won.
Each month, there’s a new Freebie – SUBSCRIBE so that you don’t miss out!
Why not SHARE this post through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest or send the link in an email to all your friends who might like to enter to win?
Midwest Storyteller’s previous freebies can be found on my “Freebies” page. Take a look. You’ll get an idea of the greatgifts subscribers can win!
REMEMBER: A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight by leaving a comment which says, “Send me the book right away!”
Three simple steps – Subscribe, comment as directed and check your email!
Now hurry! Go! Go! Go! Subscribe if you haven’t already, confirm and comment to enter before midnight tonight, April 3rd!
Spring has sprung in parts of the Midwest and here we have daffodils, hyacinths and tulips to cheer us while we are social distancing. I’m happy to announce that my March First Friday Freebie went where it could bring a little needed cheer. Something tells me that its new owner may be debating whether to use it as a table runner or a shawl.
March’s First Friday Freebie winner is –
Alicia from Brooklyn, Wisconsin!
Congratulations, Alicia, and thank you for entering to win this 48”X16” table runner from Signature Collections by Sullivans. It’s perfect to lie flat on a larger table or you can let the ends hang over on a smaller table as shown in the original freebie offer here.
Made of a soft green linen, each end is trimmed in burlap and embellished with embroidered patches that remind us of the garden herbs we’re all wishing we could get outside and plant. That’s two weeks away for me and probably just a teeny bit longer than that for Alicia. Hopefully the freebie will impart a spring feeling even though Wisconsin may be crossing its arms over its chest, shaking its head and saying, “No way – not yet!”
You can see past First Friday Freebies and their winners on my Freebies! pagehere.If you’re not yet a subscriber to Midwest Storyteller they might entice you to be come one – First Friday Freebies are for email subscribers only.
Alicia subscribed by entering her email in the subscription area here on the blog and then confirming her subscription when the confirmation email arrived in her inbox. This is the best way to avoid missing what’s new here on the blog because you’ll get an email reminder each time there’s something new – like when there’s a FREEBIE on the First Friday of every month.
Comment as directed on the post and you’ll be entered to win.
Freebies are my way of reaching more people with the stories, recipes and more. When you share with all your friends via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, you’ll give them the opportunity to subscribe and win also. Subscribing is free. Freebies are free. It’s one of those “I win – You win – We all win” situations!
April’s drawing will take place on Friday, April 3rd.
A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight on the day of the drawing.
REMEMBER: Should your name be drawn as the winner, you will be notified via the email you used to subscribe. That means you’ll need to check your email often in the week following the drawing so that you can respond and keep the prize from being offered to someone else.
Be sure to take a moment make yourself familiar with the Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.
These four simple steps will have you ready to enter to win on Friday, April 3rd, 2020.
If you’ve won one of my Freebies in the past, leave a comment today and let me know how you liked it. Did you keep it for yourself? Did you gift it to someone special?
