Sunday Words of Encouragement December 2, 2018

My husband had a rough night with pain and when it was time to go to church this morning, he was sound asleep. It was pouring rain and we didn’t get to church service.

Mid-day the sun came out and I took the chance to go to my office to empty the dehumidifier water trough. I realized the water was flowing towards the other offices where our file boxes were lined up. My staff wasn’t available to help move boxes so I called our Pastor to see if I could get help from the youth in the church. Within ten minutes he showed up and spent the next hour helping me move the boxes. Now that is God’s love in action! I thank God for a caring, shepherd pastor!

I am mindful that this is the first day of Advent – We begin the season by preparing our hearts for the coming of the Savior.

I chose this song: Even So Come

A Verse for today:
James 5:8 (ESV)
You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

Lord, help me to focus on YOU this season; to stay calm knowing that You have all my issues under control. I love that I can trust You.

Audible Book Review: 29 Gifts: How a Month of Giving Can Change Your Life by Cami Gilbert

This is very well done and inspiring. It was a nice listen for Thanksgiving week!
29 Gifts
How a Month of Giving Can Change Your Life
By: Cami Walker
Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert

Length: 6 hrs and 27 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 11-20-09
Language: English
Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Genre: Inspirational, Memoir, Multiple Sclerosis
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Publisher's Summary
At age 35, Cami Walker was burdened by a battle with multiple sclerosis, a chronic neurological condition that made it difficult for her to walk, work, or enjoy her life. Seeking a remedy for her depression after being hospitalized, she received an uncommon prescription from an African medicine woman: give to others for 29 days.
29 Gifts is the insightful story of the author's life change as she embraces and reflects on the naturally reciprocal process of giving and receiving. Many of Walker's gifts were simple - a phone call, spare change, a Kleenex. Yet the acts were transformative. By day 29, not only had Walker's health and happiness improved, but she had created a worldwide giving movement.
The book also includes personal essays from others whose lives changed for the better by giving, plus pages for the reader to record their own journey. More than a memoir, 29 Gifts offers inspiring lessons on how a simple daily practice of altruism can dramatically alter your outlook on the world.
©2009 Brightside Communications, Inc. (P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Review:
This memoir/inspirational work started out rather difficult to read (listen to). Cami, the author, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and at age 35 she was struggling with fatigue, weakness, consistent pain and severe depression. This impacted her life as well as tired out her caregivers, her husband and mother.

Cami met with an African healing woman for massage and mental therapy. This friend (she was more than a healer) shared the unique prescription of spending 29 days in a row giving gifts to others. Cami’s friend explained that the gifts did not have to be big or expensive but did have to be given with meaning and intent. The purpose was to focus on giving but it had a surprising effect on opening Cami to receiving gifts too. Cami was so impressed with the changes in her life that she established a blog to share the story and prescription with others.

Cami does a good job sharing her 29 Gift experience with honesty and charm. The change in her attitude was a relief and pleasure to listen to. I can appreciate the difficulties for the caregivers as I experienced some of the meanspirited elements when my husband was on medication recovering from his heart valve operation. (You would think the patient would show more sorrow for bad behaviors and gratitude for the care, but they don't seem to recognize that.) The end of this audio includes short descriptions from others who shared on the blog/webpage. Since I am a strong Christ follower, I wasn't totally comfortable with some the occult 'dabblings' the author shares.

I like to think I have a pretty giving nature to begin with. I am not sure I will do the 29 day exercise, but this has made me more mindful to give unexpected gifts to friends and strangers. I love the idea of unexpected kindnesses! I would certainly recommend this to anyone who is suffering with stress and depression as I do think it would help turn the focus to more positive ground.

Audio Notes: Tavia Gilbert did a fine job with the narration. She captured the distress in the beginning and the relief as the journey progressed. I didn't realize that I had just listened to a fiction title by Tavia (Zoe's Tale) until I started to include my audio notes here. The works are totally different but she did well on both of them. I am glad that I picked this up at a bargain price and I enjoyed the listen.

Source: June 2017 Audible Daily Deal $1.95. This qualifies for 2018TBR and Audiobook Challenge.

Sharing Beyond Books #357 Comment Giveaway December 1, 2018

Hello again and Welcome back to Sharing Beyond Books, SBB.

Thanks to everyone who commented last week.
There were two people who don't worry about waiting for sequels. Of the other 15 answers the waiting time ranged from a few months to over 10 years. At least two get tired of waiting while others find the books worth waiting for.

The Winner from SBB #356 comments is: #10 Rita who can make a GC choice if international or book choice from the Updated (**Finally!) ARC/Review titles or (recently updated) Love and Christmas titles - all linked near the end of the post.

**NOTE: I did post an Updated ARC and Other books for Giveaways. I have to go back and list the titles -- someday.
Please let me know your choice by completing the WINNER FORM.

WEEK #357

(One Question.)

This is a question from Nikki: Have you even had a scary/shocking encounter with an animal(s) before??

When I was a child we had a very large bull break into our pasture. They couldn't get it to go home so they had to put it down. That wasn't pleasant. The other events I think of are with snakes. I went out to go to work one morning and found a big rattlesnake across our driveway. I called hubby from the car. One evening a harmless oak snake fell out of the ceiling vent next to my computer - that was a shock. We also have some very large zipper spiders that we sometimes walk into - ugh.

This was the snake across the driveway.

Thanks to those who are sending in Questions. DON'T BE SHY! Surely everyone has a Q or two you'd like to ask. Input suggestions in this Suggested Question Form. At the end of each month I draw from the suggestions I used during the month and that person will get a book choice or GC. I thank everyone for submitting questions. Thanks for sending in questions! The supply of questions is dwindling so share some if you think of any -- even if they are duplicates I'll weed through or try to modify.


Your turn to share. Nikki asks: Have you even had a scary/shocking encounter with an animal(s) before??

SBB Comment Winners can choose a selection from the Updated ARC and Other books, including the "Love" and Christmas titles all in one post.

SBB Rules:
a) Must be a follower.
b) Share a comment on the question above.
Open internationally and an international winner may get a smaller book or a $5.00 GC if I decide the mailing is too much.
I will pick a Comment winner from all comments made through Saturday December 15, 2018 at 5 PM central.

The Damage at my Office - No Rain Needed

These are images of the damage to my office.

Office image before the hurricane:
my office, brown with the bright blue awning, is the fourth building in from the right.
The other brown brick building with lighter blue awning shares the middle wall with me.
She has a true second story; mine is only a facade.

This is an image shared by someone during the storm:

The building that lost its front is two doors down from mine; the second from right above. It is being demolished.

Here are images a few days after the hurricane of just my office and the neighbor.

Here is an aerial view of the corner block after the storm, before we could get up to see the damage.
The hole on the roof shows on the fourth building in from right.

This is the inside lobby which becomes a rainfall when raining.

There are cracks from corner to corner along the front which is creating the structural concerns.

Here is the 15' x 32' hole on the roof with bricks fallen in.

The side walls and this hole are making it difficult to get tarping secured.

We are not sure what is holding the bricks on the roof.

This is a broken beam below that area.

The front entrances to the buildings were blocked by the fallen brick. This is my neighbors rear storage area that we have to wade through to get access.

The roofer was by on Thursday and was supposed to tarp the roof but then decided there was too much risk and they had to arrange to get the brick removed and a temporary fix of the hole. Now we have a weekend of heavy rain which we don't need until we can get the roofs covered. :-(

Audible Book Review: Eleventh Grave in Moonlight by Darynda Jones

This is a good addition moving the series along toward the conclusion.

Eleventh Grave in Moonlight, A Novel
By: Darynda Jones
Narrated by: Lorelei King

Series: Charley Davidson, Book 11
Length: 9 hrs and 18 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 01-24-17
Language: English
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Genre: Fantasy, Ghosts, Private Investigator
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Publisher's Summary
Series narrator Lorelei King returns to narrate Eleventh Grave in Moonlight, the latest installment of Darynda Jones' New York Times best-selling paranormal series.
My entire life can be summed up in one sentence: "Well, that didn't go as planned." (T-shirt)
A typical day in the life of Charley Davidson involves cheating husbands, errant wives, missing people, philandering business owners, and, oh yeah...demons, hell hounds, evil gods, and dead people. Lots and lots of dead people.
As a part-time private investigator and full-time grim reaper, Charley has to balance the good, the bad, the undead, and those who want her dead. Now Charley is learning to make peace with the fact that she is a goddess with all kinds of power and that her own daughter has been born to save the world from total destruction. But the forces of hell are determined to see Charley banished forever to the darkest corners of another dimension. With the son of Satan himself as her husband and world-rocking lover, will Charley be able to defeat the ultimate evil and find a way to have her happily ever after after all?
©2017 Darynda Jones (P)2017 Macmillan Audio

Review:
Charley has her memory again and is happy to be back with Reyes. She is trying to help Cookie who is worried about Ubie (Uncle Bob) who keeps getting grumpier. They are keeping an eye on him until finally a conflict brings his issues out in the open.

Meanwhile, Reyes half-brother, Shaun, has sought help from Charley. She and Cookie track down the foster parents who kidnapped Reyes and then turned him over to the monster man who abused him. Reyes keeps telling Charley to drop the investigation but she now suspects that a missing young girl is the latest kidnap victim and she isn't willing to back down.

Charley is slowly starting to accept her powers as a god with the training help – and challenge -- of  Reyes. When Cookie's daughter, Angel, develops problems, Charley seeks the help of demon Osh to go undercover at school to trap a stalker.

There is plenty of strong, snarky humor to go along with the suspense of the several investigations. There are also several rather sexy encounters between Charley and Reyes. I like how Charley is maturing as this moves along. I can't help but chuckle at the fun, sardonic sayings that start each chapter. There is additional backstory divulged in this volume and it helps as the author prepares for the next story. I wasn’t so taken with book 10, but this one is engaging and moves the story forward. I recommend this series to those who enjoy snarky fantasy, but I do suggest beginning at the beginning.

Audio Notes: Lorelei King has this series down pat with wonderful narration. She conveys the full range of emotion and snark and trepidation of the characters. I truly enjoy this series in audio.

Source: Audible Credit November 2018. This qualifies for Audiobook Challenge.

My Reviews for Books 1 through 10 can be found through THIS LINK.