Sunday Words of Encouragement March 24, 2024 - Worship our God!

Pastor continued his preaching from Nehemiah noting the overall theme: Rebuild and Revive.
Believes this is prophetic message for our church (the church). Today’s message is from Nehemiah Chapter 9.
Five elements of spiritual revival expressed here:
1. Humility – they fasted, dressed in sack cloth and put dirt on their heads. Nehemiah 9:1; 2 Chronicles 7:14.
2. Separate from foreigners. Nehemiah 9:2; 2 Corinthians 6:17-18 - separate from sin. Allow God to transfer your nature.
3. Confession/repentance. Nehemiah 9:2-3. Confess inequities of ancestors and recognize our own sin. 1 John 1:9-10. Do we love the sin more than we love God?
4. Worship. Nehemiah 9:3-5. God created us to worship Him. Seek the Lord and He will be found. It is our gift to Him.
5. Listen to the Word of God. Nehemiah 9:3. They read for a quarter of the day! The Word of a God is a mirror to our behavior. The God of the universe has given us instructions how to best live our lives.

Remainder of the chapter gives examples of how to worship, what to say.
Acknowledge His greatness, who He is. Talk about His attributes. Nehemiah 9:6-7.
Worship Him for all He has done – creation, history, provision, healing; Nehemiah 9:8-11.
Worship Him for guidance, the Spirit that instructs, convicts, directs. Nehemiah 9:12-13.
Worship Him for His Word. Nehemiah 9:13-14.
Worship Him for miracles of the past and miracles of your current life. Nehemiah 9:15-17.
Worship Him for His forgiveness and steadfastness. Nehemiah 9:17-19.
Worship Him for the promises He has fulfilled and for His compassion. Nehemiah 9:20-30.
Worship Him for His presence, grace and mercy. He will never leave you. Nehemiah 9:31.
Worship Him for His greatness and His righteousness. Nehemiah 9:32-34.

When we worship, He shows up. He has come to seek and save those who were lost.

We sang a wonderful ‘older’ praise song this morning: To Him Who Sits On The Throne”… be Blessing and Glory and Honor and Power forever. That is a great song but I chose this song today: Greater Things.

Verses for Today:
Nehemiah 9 NIV
1 On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and putting dust on their heads. 2 Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all foreigners. They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors. 3 They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the Lord their God.

Heavenly Father my creator, Christ my Savior, Holy Spirit my Guide – May I share your Omnipotence, Omniscience, and Omnipresence with those I come in touch with.

Additional Verse:
2 Chronicles 7:14
…[I]f my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Martha Cooking #10

These are my HelloFresh meals over weeks two and three of March. When I show a plate or bowl it is for one meal, I am noting if it made two or more meals for me. 

Pasta Primavera

with Lemon Sauce, Bell Pepper, Zucchini & Peas;
This recipe gave me three meals. 

Peanut Butter & Cherry Belgian Waffles

with Jammy Honey Sauce & Apple
This comes with four waffles - four breakfasts and/or a lunch. 

Paprika Chicken in a Lemony Sauce with Pistachio Rice & Roasted Carrots.
I took a picture before the meat was cut but realized I hadn't added the sauce or pistachios.
This was two meals.

Za’atar-Crusted Grilling Cheese

with Sumac-Spiced Zucchini & Onion over Couscous.

I do love cheese even this when it squeaked as I ate it!

I followed the instructions to broil the veggies but my broiler was really hot.
They are crispier but taste good.
This made two meals.

Sunday Post March 17, 2024/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday March 18, 2024

I am linking with Sunday Post at Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? now at The Book Date (at Wordpress)

What Are You Reading? is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

Work continues along. I was tired after the time change last Sunday and the whole week was off a little.
I stayed home on Wednesday after the surgery on Tuesday and did a little computer work. I went into office and worked a full day Thursday which may have been too much. Friday I went in at 10:30 and came home at 4:00. I had a dinner with 18 other women from my Woman's Club and others in the state from 6-8.

I went for surgery (basically a lumpectomy and biopsy of the ductal tumor) on Tuesday, arriving at 6:30am. They sent me early to ultra sound where they put a wire in to guide the surgeon to the right spot. Then they sent me to the operating waiting area at 9am. It was very boring as they did not take me into surgery until after 2pm and I had no phone - no book! Had I realized, I would have taken a paperback that could be lost. The post surgery medicine they gave me onsite (fentanyl) was awful - made me too woozy. (Why would people take that voluntarily?)  Fortunately the pain was minimal so I only took one codeine pill the first night. The area has been tender to touch or bump, but, surprisingly, no other pain except some tightness as I worked all day. 
Saturday was pretty much a daze of a day. I did laundry and cooked dinner, but had no energy. I think I may have been dehydrated from earlier in the week.

I didn't do much exercise this week although I walked outside two days.

I will continue to pray for the Advent messages all year: Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love.

Our weather continues to be nice n the 70s with maybe one day of rain a week.

I finished three audiobooks. I did short reviews at Goodreads for the first two.

I visited 11 blogs again last week.
Audiobooks.com is still sharing some free listens for children.

• Sunday Post March 10, 2024/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday March 11, 2024.

• MarthaE Cooking #9.

• Sunday Words of Encouragement March 10, 2024 - We Are Only Pilgrims.

Finished Reading:
1. Audible on Smartphone (TBR).

You Have Been Judged
Series: Judge, Jury, & Executioner, Book 1
By: Craig Martelle, Michael Anderle
Narrated by: Chloe Cannon
Length: 6 hrs and 34 mins
Genre: First Contact, Space Opera
My Rating: 4.25 (down .25 due to foul language.)
I liked the strong female protagonist and the action.  
My Review at Goodreads.
2024TBR, 2024Alphabet, and 2024Audiobook goals.
Source: 10/29/2023 On Sale at Audible $4.99.
Click on link to see full description.

2. Audio on Smartphone (TBR).

Wild Horses
By: B. J. Daniels
Narrated by: Graham Winton
Series: The Montana Hamiltons, Book 1
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Length: 8 hrs and 34 mins
My Rating: 4.0. This is a solid romantic suspense. I liked the characters and overall plot but there were some awkward writing POV changes. 
My Review at Goodreads. 
2024TBR and 2024Audiobook goals.
Source: 2018 Audionooks.com.
Click on link to see full description.

Ava's Crucible
The Complete Box Set
By: Mark Goodwin
Narrated by: Stacey Glemboski
Genre: Action & Adventure, Post Apocalyptic
Length: 20 hrs and 49 mins
I picked this as an “A” title from 2021. I am starting over on the Alphabet as it helps me pick from soooo many books.
I decided just do the first book at this time and come back to the rest later.
My Rating: 4.25. I enjoyed the story. It is heavy on politics and Christian messages, which is okay with me.
I still have to do my review at Goodreadds, then I will link it.
Source: 8/14/2021 July Audible Credit.
Publisher's summary
A stolen election. An unlikely heroine. The Second American Civil War.
When Ava is snatched from the hands of violent agitators by the ominous man who has been stalking her, she fears her fate may be worse than death.
Political discord between right and left has reached the flashpoint. Hostile rhetoric has given way to bloodshed and brutality.
The tentacles of the deep state have infiltrated every facet of American culture. The public education system, entertainment industry, and mainstream media have all been hijacked by a shadow government intent on fomenting a communist revolution in the United States. The antagonistic message of this agenda has poisoned the minds of America’s youth who are convinced that capitalism and conservatism are responsible for all the ills of the world. Violent protest and widespread destruction will bring America to her knees.
Ava's had a hard life . . . and it's about to get a whole lot tougher!
The deck is stacked against 29-year-old Ava. She’s a fighter, but she’s got trust issues and doesn’t always make the best decisions. Her personal complications aren’t without merit, but America is on the verge of a second Civil War, and Ava must pull it together if she wants to survive.
Trouble seems to follow Ava where ever she goes. The onset of the Second American Civil War should be no different. Caught in a vicious protest, she’ll have to do the unthinkable to stay alive.
Life only gets more difficult for Ava when she spots a sinister figure watching her every move. Who is the strange man with the scar on his face and what does he want with Ava?
Don’t miss this chilling tale of America’s Civil War 2.0! Start listening today and get a glimpse into the dark future in store for our country.
This is the complete three-book box set including:
Book One: Divided We Fall
Book Two: Embers of Empire
Book Three: United We Stand
As with all books by Mark Goodwin, this book contains no profanity and no embarrassing sex scenes. However, if you're offended by conservative principles and references to Scripture, this book might not be for you.
©2019 Mark Goodwin (P)2019 Mark Goodwin

Currently Reading:

1. Audible on Smartphone (TBR).

Barrow King: An Epic LitRPG/GameLit Adventure
By: C.M. Carney
Narrated by: Armen Taylor
Series: The Realms Series, Book 1 (8 books)
Genre: Action, Adventure, LitRPG, Superhero.
Length: 13 hrs and 30 mins
I’d been eyeing this and I wanted another change of genre. I’ve just started and am meeting the hero. I like it so far.
2024TBR and 2024Audiobook goals
Source: 7/18/2021 Audible $5.00 sale on Sci Fi and Fantasy titles.
Publisher's summary
Book 1 of the best-selling epic LitRPG series The Realms.
A betrayed spy turned noob hero.
Betrayed by those closest to him, Finn Caldwell thought he’d escaped his life of violence and deception. But when a frantic message from his estranged sister draws him into The Realms, the world’s most advanced holographic reality game, Finn is forced to embrace his deadly skills once more.
Armed with a mysterious artifact known as a Godhead, Finn becomes the warrior-mage Gryph. Yet, things are not as they seem and to save his sister, he must escape a sentient dungeon by defeating its master, the Barrow King.
The Realms will take you back to the days when Advanced Dungeons & Dragons and The Elder Scrolls were new. Feel the nostalgia!
WARNING: Welcome to your new favorite genre.
LitRPG/GameLit is genre that incorporates gaming elements from tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons and Pathfinder with epic RPG video games like The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim and MMO’s like World of Warcraft and sets them in a fantasy or science fiction setting. It generally has leveling, stat tables, character sheets and skill progressions.
If you’re new to LitRPG or GameLit, then The Realms is the perfect place to start.
Prepare to lose sleep. You have been warned.
The Realms - an epic LitRPG/GameLit fantasy series. Suggested listening order:
Barrow King
The Lost City
Killing Time
Dead Must Die (a side quest)
Scourge of Souls
The Forsaken God
Chaos Rising
Ravaged Land (coming soon)
©2018 C.M. Carney (P)2018 C.M. Carney

2. eBook - NetGalley App on Smartphone (NGeB2024)

The Wild Lavender Bookshop
by Jodi Thomas
Pub Date 23 Apr 2024 | Archive Date 07 May 2024
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Small Town, Western.
I am 20% in on this and enjoying the quirky characters I’ve met.
2024NetGalley and 2024ebook Goals.
Source: 1/4/2024 NetGalley.
Return to the unforgettable world of Someday Valley, Texas, in this tender, uplifting novel of hearts in search of second chances.
The trees that circle Someday Valley near Honey Creek are dressed in their fall finest, providing a pretty backdrop for the local businesses—including the little bookshop loved by schoolteacher Cora Lee Buchanan. There, under the watchful eye of owner Noah O’Brien, Cora Lee and her sister, Katherine, meet each Wednesday. Their talk mostly revolves around one subject: their father, known to everyone in town as Bear.
Both Cora Lee and Katherine worry about Bear Buchanan. They’ve no idea Bear has a secret life of his own. As for the sisters, Katherine, beautiful and self-absorbed, is in search of her third husband, while Cora Lee is in love for the first time. On warm nights, she climbs up to her building’s roof to chat with Noah and listen to the melody of the water below. Yet there is more intrigue afoot in Honey Creek . . .
Andi Delane has arrived in town to hear the last wishes of the father she never met. She was shocked to get a letter from lawyer Jackson Landry, and she has few expectations—of this mysterious will, or of Deputy Danny Davis who’s been assigned to protect her. But fall always brings changes, and this year there will be enough to alter not just the lives of those who call Honey Creek home, but the future of Someday Valley itself.

Sort of ON HOLD. Kindle (/NetGalley )App on Smartphone (NGeB2023)

The Altered Moon 2: The Tyrant of Unity
By James McGettigan, Jingjing Huntley (Photographer), Fabiana Granado, Kyle Davis, Jason Frank, Serena Lucatero, Jacqui Corn-Uys (Editor), Anthony McGettigan (Editor), Judy McGettigan (Editor)
Genre: Alien Invasion, Space Sci Fi.
This is still reading slowly. I have reached 75%.
Although I am reading the other NetGalley ebook, I open this each day to read on the Kindle App.
Source: December 27, 2023 NetGalley.
2024TBR, 2024NetGalley, 2024Alphabet, and 2024ebook Goals.
Click on link to see full description.

I only have one letter left for my Alphabet Challenge: X,  

March 17, 2024 - I am enjoying the YouVersion App called The Bible Recap with Tara Leigh Cobble. (The link is to the plan online.) I am reading in Deuteronomy. I appreciate how Tara Leigh Cobble's discussion points out each day that "God is where the Joy is."
I am 31 days into a 40 day study for Lent: Hillsong: 40 Days of Revival.

I finished three books; rated two with mini reviews at Goodreads.

NETGALLEY STATUS--
I have started my next ebook. I still have an older audio on my shelf I need to listen to.
I still have the two old NetGalley ebook titles I might get to this year..

Other Sources: I have a dozen or so books that I received from Facebook links and newsletter sign-ups, not specific review requests. plus many titles through InstaFreebie over the past few years.

Welcome to Mailbox Monday.

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. This Meme started with Marcia at A Girl and Her Books (fka The Printed Page) and after a tour of hosts has returned to its permanent home at Mailbox Monday. Thanks to the ladies sharing hosting duties: Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit, and Me. Emma has retired so we are looking for another person willing to assist.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

No new review titles.
Two Audible Credits. this week.

No new Kindle titles this week.
Are your mailbox and TBR piles blooming?

Review Titles

NONE

Won

NONE

Purchased

3/18/2024 Two February Audible Credits. These are both continuing series that I like.

Critical Mass
By: Craig Alanson
Narrated by: R.C. Bray
Expeditionary Force, Book 10
Length: 19 hrs and 25 mins

Undead
By: Ryan W. Aslesen
Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer
Crucible, Book 2
Length: 7 hrs and 25 mins

Free

I still have more Audible Plus titles to list from February, and now March, 2024.

No new free titles added to Kindle library.  Free titles might be found at Bookbub, Book Adrenaline, Ereader News Today, Inspired Reads, or Kindle ebooks.

Sunday Words of Encouragement March 17, 2024 - We Are Only Pilgrims Here.

Pastor continued his message in Nehemiah 8.
Reminder to be hungry for the Word of God, to learn and do His Will.
God, through the leaders, called the people and directed them to celebrate the Feast of Booths. They were to live in temporary shelters during the seventh month to remember God’s faithfulness to them. Remember where they came from and how God provided for them. Proclaim His Goodness. They didn’t earn what they had. God gave it to them.

Worship is not just good music. It is so much more. It is praising, being grateful, studying His Word. Look beyond the obstacles to see the blessings.

The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof. Psalm 24:1. We didn’t earn where we are, what we have. God has blessed us. Peter notes that the people were pilgrims. We are sojourners in a strange land. We await the time of reaching our citizenship which is in Heaven for eternity.

What it means for us as Pilgrims:

1. Don’t view this world as your home. You have a heavenly home.
2. Don’t live for just here and now. Don’t seek permanent possessions here. Lay up treasures in heaven, not on earth. Matthew 6:19-2. We brought nothing into this world and take nothing out of it. 1 Timothy 6:6-8. God blesses our income not to increase our standard of living, but to increase our standard of giving.
3. Don’t be obsessed with earthly relationships. Luke 18. We should be pleasing God more than man.
4. Don’t be obsessed with this live. Throw off what hinders and set aside the weight of sin that entangles us. Hebrews 12:1. The world society will get worse and worse. The goal is to reach as many as possible with God’s gift of salvation before He brings wrath on the world.

The assembly met for eight days, and they were more dedicated each day. Each day of worship is one step closer to eternity. God has kept us through all our years.

Our ministry isn’t about church growth. It’s about Kingdom growth!

I like this song today: One Day.

Nehemiah 8:17-18 NIV
17 The whole company that had returned from exile built temporary shelters and lived in them. From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated it like this. And their joy was very great.
18 Day after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God. They celebrated the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day, in accordance with the regulation, there was an assembly.

Thank you, Lord, for all you have given me from breath to blessing. Help me share Your love and message of salvation to others!

Martha Cooking #9

These are my HelloFresh meals (made seven dinners and four breakfasts) for the first week of March. When I show a plate or bowl it is for one meal, I am noting if it made two or more meals for me. 

HelloFresh Zucchini Pomodoro Penne Bake

with Mozzarella & Herbed Ricotta. 
This is shown in the casserole dish. The recipe fed me four meals. 

HelloFresh Bagel which I topped with 
Avocado, Egg, Bean Sprouts, and Bacon.
Nice soft bagel and the rest is yummy.
Four bagels so four different breakfasts; one shared with my Granddaughter who just wanted cream cheese.

HelloFresh Sweet & Tangy Hoisin Pork Meatballs

over a Gingery Sweet Potato & Green Bean Jumble. 

These were delicious for two dinners.

This is my homemade Tortilla Cream Cheese with Green Onion Pinwheels.
I had a quarter of cream cheese left that I was afraid would go bad.
I made two tortillas with filling and sliced for snack.