Eminent Plague

March 15, 2012

About

Eminent Plague
by Don Lowell

After years of staggering from one global disaster to the next, humanity faces what will perhaps be its final enemy: the epidemic “Heavy” and its aftermath. Aided by human folly, apathy, and arrogance, the Heavy has wiped out most of the planet’s population, and with it, all semblance of civilization. A few, scattered bands of survivors are left to pick up the pieces and rebuild—if they can.

Told from the viewpoint of one of the surviving groups’ leaders, Eminent Plague is a fascinating study of courage and cruelty in the face of nearly unimaginable hardship. Don Lowell paints an intricate picture of the plague’s survivors, struggling to overcome the ever-present threats of starvation and disease, and in the process creating the beginnings of a new, primitive society. But their modest success draws brutal bands of human predators, intent on plundering their hard-won resources and on burning and killing everything else—indifferent to humanity’s long-term survival. In Eminent Plague, humans overcome disease, starvation, and anarchy…but can they survive human stupidity?

My Review

After reading this book I wonder what would really happen is something like actually happened. This book makes you think about society and how different things could be. I feel that what happens in this book could really happen and that most people would act like this if society fell apart. Once I start this book I couldn’t put it down. I recommend this book to anyone who likes to read books about rebuilding after society falls apart.

FTC-I received this book for free in exchange for my review. The opinions are 100% my own.

Laughing Til It Hurts

March 15, 2012

For the writers workshop this week I chose to write about #5 which is: Write about the last time you laughed until it hurt…what happened?

Most people probably don’t know that I was raised by my grandparents. Over the last few years my grandma and I have gotten really close are she is always doing things that make my laugh until I am crying most of the time. My little brother also does crazy things to get a laugh out of people. I am sure some of the things we laugh about aren’t funny to other people but they sure amuse us.

We were out to dinner in January and we were finished eating and getting ready to leave when my brother looks around and says “I am going to get shot for this one”. We all looked at him kind of strange and he grab my napkin and his and held them up to his head. I won’t say what he said but lets just say all of us were laughing til we cried. I kind of wish we had done it sooner because there was a guy sitting near us that kept staring at us the whole time he was eating. I wish we could have given him something to stare at.

My grandma also will mix up her words or say wrong colors and after she says them wrong she looks at us with a strange face and almost always says “Who’s Yo Mamma” which makes me laugh even harder because of how she always says it. We are always laughing at our house and I am sure people would get a kick out of how we act most of them.

When is the last time you laughed til it hurt?

Case Of Nerves

March 14, 2012

This past week for the Writers Workshop I was going to write about #2 which was A case of the nerves! When was the last time you had them and how did you get through it? I didn’t get a chance to finish the post and get it up because I had so much to do at work since I was going to be off Friday and I had to get everything ready for the temp person. I still really wanted to write a post about it so I figured that I would write it and post it now.

I chose this one because I have had major issues with nerves the past couple of weeks. At the end of February I chipped a tooth while I was eating so I had to find a dentist and also figure out how I am going to pay to get it fixed since I don’t have dental insurance. When I was younger I had to have 2 sets of braces and the 2nd set was super painful. Ever since then I have always had major issues when it came to going to the dentist. Since I had chipped my tooth I had to go I couldn’t put it off any longer. As I was calling around to find a dentist I literally wanted to have a panic attack because the thought of going to a dentist made me so nervous.

I finally did find a dentist and the first 2 times I saw him I was super nervous and anxious but now that I have seen him twice I don’t have the same problem. I have to go back in may to have more work done but I don’t get nervous at all thinking about it. When I get nervous I always just force myself to do whatever makes me nervous because I know that it will all pass with time. I have learned to just talk myself through the situation because as I have gotten older I have had more issues with nerves and I think that is something that the MS has caused. I know that I can talk myself through situations and then after time they aren’t as scary and don’t make me nervous like they did in the beginning.

Quote Of The Week

March 12, 2012

Vulnerability Invites Romance

March 11, 2012

Enter Today and Save the Date-3/8!

source

It has become second nature for women to defend themselves. For untold generations, women have been hurt, taken advantage of, and diminished in their value. With the advent of the Women’s Liberation Movement, women came out swinging against the injustices they’d endured and, in the process, they lost something of great value—their vulnerability.

There is something so inviting about vulnerability.

Vulnerability is armorless.

Vulnerability draws others in.

It invites others to look deep inside.

This invitation to look inside is exactly why so many avoid vulnerability at all cost.

It’s dangerous.

If you offer vulnerability to your husband, what will he do with it?

Hurt you?
Take advantage of you?
Think less of you?
These risks overshadow vulnerability’s beauty until you consider the consequences of a life lived defensively.

Living defensively is like living in a fortress—walls built up and weapons ready. The face behind the wall is tense, scanning for threat.

A life lived on the defense is a life spent without rest, joy, or freedom.

Many women dwell behind walls that inadvertently keep their husbands out, and they wonder why they do not feel known.

Since true romance involves being known and desired, to invite your husband to romance you must take the risk of being vulnerable, tearing down your defensive walls.

For instance, when you get hurt, do you retaliate in anger, or are you vulnerable with your husband and admit your feelings?

Retaliating in anger may satisfy your thirst for justice, but it won’t give you the increased romance and intimacy you want.

No one approaches a fortress when arrows are flying from it—unless they are prepared for battle!

It takes more courage to admit your feelings of hurt than to defend yourself. It requires you to trust God to keep you safe when you expose your hurts, and to heal you if your husband is not gentle. The good news is that God promises to do all these things and more in Psalm 91:

. . . The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name.”

You must come to recognize what triggers you to defend yourself rather than to admit your pain.

Perhaps it’s a fear that your needs won’t be met or that you’re not valuable.

When the triggers come, remind yourself that God loves you and He’ll defend and protect you if you put your trust in Him.
Shooting arrows of anger over your walls doesn’t provide your husband the safety he needs to know, desire, and pursue you.

Allow God to protect you and go before you, leveling your defenses and making way for your husband to romance you.

Do you offer your husband vulnerability?

Special Note: If you are in an emotionally or physically abusive marriage, exposing your vulnerability could be damaging to you instead of healing. I urge you to seek the help you need. Contact the Domestic Abuse Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE, or call your church and ask to be referred to a reputable Christian counselor.

The Beautiful Wife

March 7, 2012

About The Book

The Beautiful Wife uses these inspiring stories along with biblical principles to guide and encourage any wife looking for God’s best in her marriage. The Beautiful Wife answers serious questions women have about their roles as wives. Discussing everything from romance and money to beauty, communication, and sex, Sandy challenges women to open up and share their journeys so that together they can see God’s plan for their marriages. “It is my passion to help women discover God’s heart for their marriage, just as the other women helped me,” writes Sandy. “When women share with each other the details of their journeys with God as wives, it’s a beautiful thing indeed.” The Beautiful Wife has two companion resources – Prayer Journal and Mentor’s Guide.

My Review

As most of my readers know I am going to be getting a divorce from my husband but when I saw this book I knew I wanted to see what ideas and advice that author was going to give. I haven’t read the whole book but the parts that I have I wish I would have gotten this book in the beginning because I think that this book could have maybe saved my marriage. I do know that if I ever get married again I am for sure going to make use of this book. I know it will help and I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is married regardless if your having a rough time or if things are going great.

About The Author

Sandy Ralya is the founder and director of Beautiful Womanhood, a marriage mentoring ministry based near Grand Rapids, Mich. Her marriage testimony was the focus of a popular three-day interview on FamilyLife Today, TV’s Walking by Faith, and Time Out for Women. Sandy is a sought-after speaker, presenting Beautiful Womanhood seminars to hundreds of women each year at MOPS groups, women’s retreats, and church leadership conferences across the country and in Canada. Sandy and her husband Tom have been married since 1980, and have a growing number of grandchildren. www.beautifulwomanhood.com