Plenty o’ Pretties (and Some Fun to Come)

I've been getting a few things in place for a bookiversary celebration on November 18th - the one-year anniversary of the release of How a Star Falls! Woot!

Let's start with a teaser of the giveaway. :) I've been in contact with a few of my favorite Etsy shops, and I'm so excited to partner with them and feature an item from each store for the prizes! I won't tell you what the items are yet (gotta have some surprises, right?), but here's a look at the stores the prizes are from:

Baubles, Beads and Stuff is a brand-new Etsy shop run by blogger extraordinaire Rissi (Dreaming Under the Same Moon) and her mom, and the pieces are so classy! You can find a lovely variety of necklaces and earrings there - big, bold, and colorful. Allow me to show off the necklace I recently received from their store...

You can browse the pretties at: Etsy.com/shop/BaublesBeadsandStuff

Cindy Lindgren is always a pleasure to work with, and her designs are so sweet and whimsical! You can find cards, prints, fabric, and posters at her shop. Aren't you gonna have fun guessing which card design I'm offering for the giveaway? ;) Check out Cindy's store at: Etsy.com/shop/CindyLindgren

Jaye L. Knight is someone many of you already know and love. She's the author of the new-adult Christian fantasy series called the Ilyon Chronicles. But she also runs this Etsy shop on the side and offers a wide array of lovely and clever jewelry pieces and bookmarks. See what's available at: Etsy.com/shop/JayeLKnight

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Goodness, there's so much awesomeness to explore on Etsy, am I right? Feel free to send a shout-out to your favorite shops in the comments section. :)

As for what else is in store for the anniversary celebration, I'm very excited to announce that we'll be unveiling a new cover for How a Star Falls! While I still very much love the original, my contemporary romances will now be branded with couple covers. Who else is psyched to have Derrick join Brielle on the cover of the novella?? This couple holds a special place in my heart. ♥

I also thought of something tonight...

You see, I really want to draw attention to the audiobook version of How a Star Falls. It's my first audiobook, and I really, really loved how the narrator interpreted Derrick's voice and brought the story to life. :) It would tickle me pink (like the shirt I'm wearing in the pics above!) to see the audiobook get a little extra love during the anniversary celebration.

To that end, I wondered if any of you would be interested in doing a listen-along? Kinda like a read-along, but with an audiobook? Since the book is only two hours long when read aloud, I imagine a week of less than 20 minutes of listening per day would do the trick. You could listen on the way to work/school, while eating a meal, right before bed...pretty quick and hopefully fun. :) We could chat about the little snippet of story each day, our thoughts on the narration, our own dreams and memories the scenes bring to mind, whether or not we agree with Derrick's taste in music, what we like/don't like about the beach, etc.

And here's the thing: I have extra promo codes for downloading a free copy of the audiobook, so if you're interested in joining a listen-along, I'll be happy to send you a code! (Email me at amberstokes@corban.edu to request a code.) I'd just ask for a quick and honest review on Audible and Amazon when you're done listening. :)

What do you guys think? I could see this starting around the 15th or 16th maybe, and lasting for a week?

Looking forward to celebrating the bookiversary with you in a couple of weeks!

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P.S. Fellow bloggers, have you heard about the new Book Blogger's Planner? It's available for pre-order now, and it sounds just fab! (I've already got my copy secured. ;)) Learn more about the planner HERE and about Jamie's new Shoppe opening in December HERE. It sounds like such an awesome endeavor!

It's a Jolly Holiday with Casey!

Oh, it's a jolly holiday with Casey! Casey makes your heart so light...

It really was a jolly holiday last weekend, when Casey Herringshaw (of Writing for Christ fame) came to visit me! We didn't jump into any paintings like Mary Poppins, but we did ride a carousel and have a grand old time! 

From attending a church service together, to going to the park and riding the lovely Riverfront Carousel, to eating lunch at Olive Garden and catching up on all the news (I got to hear Casey's dancing story firsthand!), and even giving Casey a tour of Corban, it was a delightful Sunday - and the often cranky Oregon weather was quite cooperative! How blessed am I to have met such wonderful friends through blogging - and then to actually meet a dear blogging friend in person, not once, not twice, but three times so far?? I am blessed, indeed!!!

It was so sweet of Casey to come and visit me - and Casey, I hope you know that I'm so grateful you made it work! I'm hoping that if it's the Lord's will, we'll have some more jolly holidays together. =)

To all of my blogging friends, thank you so much for your friendship! Because of your kindness, encouragement, and support, I can have a virtual jolly holiday through blogging anytime!

Share and Tell

Keeping it short and sweet today with a couple of links I just have to share:

• If you haven't already heard of my excitement regarding a new YA/fantasy series I discovered not that long ago, head on over to The Borrowed Book blog today for my review of Watercrossing, the yet-to-be-released third book in the "Phantom Island" series! The post includes links to my reviews of the first two books in the series, as well. I'm hoping to host the author here sometime during my spring break (next week), so be on the lookout for some fun "Phantom Island" posts coming your way really soon!!

• A dear friend of mine just created a blog called Pandora's Papers, where she's selling handmade cards and seasonal gifts. She's super sweet and quite creative! And with spring officially starting tomorrow, there's no time like the present to find a way to share a bit of springtime cheer with those you love.

That's all for now! Hope you all have a great start to the week! And remember, only 3 more days until the midnight showing of The Hunger Games movie!!! *Cheers excitedly*

Something Sweet

The holiday season - filled with sweets of all kinds! Fudge, candy canes, frosted sugar cookies, and even graham-cracker houses, such as the one below:

I made this graham cracker house (actually a church, in this case) at a friend's home the weekend before finals. Friendship is such a sweet gift, and spending some time with dear friends decorating graham cracker houses, watching It's a Wonderful Life, eating delicious food, going to church together on Sunday, and more was a very special treat! With all the stress of the last couple weeks of the semester, the laugh-a-lot, talk-a-ton weekend among friends was just what I needed.

One of the sweetest things about this season is the emphasis on relationships. We send cards to friends and relatives. We plan parties with co-workers or fellow students. We dream of the joy of spending Christmas day with family, because "there's no place like home for the holidays."

And we celebrate the sweetest gift of all time at Christmas. Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, came to Earth as a human baby in order to live among us and ultimately offer us reconciliation and salvation through His death and resurrection. There is no greater friend than the one true God of all!

"Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us."
~ Matthew 1:23

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you my friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you."
~John 15:13-15

Dear friends, may you hold close the blessing of something sweet this Christmas - not just the sugary desserts, but the relationships you have with friends, family, and most of all God.

Have a very merry Christmas!

Friends, Crafts, and a Mystery!

Today is a super fun day, because I have so much I get to show all of you! Let's start with an extra special blessing I received at the very beginning of my last vacation:

That's right! I got to meet our very own Casey from Writing for Christ!!!

Casey came and spent a couple of days with me and my family at a home we rented in Sunriver, Oregon. We had such a blast! It was almost unreal--getting to meet a dear friend I had known online for over a year in person!! I even got to have lunch with her family one day, which was a real treat, as well. Casey is a beautiful person inside and out, and I consider myself very blessed indeed to call her my friend!

Here's us at the park! We put together a picnic lunch and bicycled to the park, sat on the grass, and talked forever! ;) Loved it!

Of course, we had to get a picture of us together with books! ;) Forget snail mail when you can swap books in person!!

We packed a lot of wonderful memories into one weekend. Casey's friendship, as well as the friendships of all my dear blogging friends, are blessings I'll be forever grateful for!

Also, while I was on vacation, I finished this:

The hummingbird counted cross-stitch piece for my grandma is complete!

For those of you who attended Camp Humility 2011 here on the blog, you might recall me showing you this piece as a work-in-progress during our craft time. Well, my grandma and I spent some time cross-stitching together during our vacation. So my "hummingbirds" didn't turn out to be a complete surprise after all, but we had fun working on cross-stitching together, and the memories were even better than the surprise!

My sister was sweet enough to take a picture of me with my completed project!

As for the mystery? The mystery is what the schedule will be like for "Mystery Week." ;)

First, here are the results of the "Mystery Week Poll":

Do you enjoy reading mysteries? 19 votes

• 14 Yes, very much!
  
• 5 Once in a while.
• 1 Nope.

(Amber's Note: Good to know!)

Do you watch the PBS Masterpiece Mystery season? 19 votes

• 2 Yes, I love it!
• 6 Sometimes.
• 7 No.
• 5 What's PBS Masterpiece?

(Amber's Note: Oh, dear! Ya'll are missing out! I do hope this upcoming week might help some of you discover the wonders of PBS Masterpiece. Remember, you can watch some of these shows online for free for a limited time!) ;)

Which of these books would you be interested in discussing this week? 21 votes

• 9 Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
  
• 6 Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
  
• 7 A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
  

Which of these movies would you be interested in discussing this week? 18 votes

• 7 PBS Masterpiece: Sherlock, A Study in Pink (2010)
• 4 PBS Masterpiece: Poirot, Hallowe'en Party (2011)
• 5 PBS Masterpiece: Miss Marple, The Pale Horse (2011)
• 1 PBS Masterpiece: Zen, Vendetta (2011)
• 2 Other (Inspector Lewis, and a voter noting that they hadn't seen PBS Masterpiece)
  

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Thank you to all of you who voted! So, here's the game plan for "Mystery Week" (July 18th-22nd):

• Monday: Special Book/Author Feature (Who's the author? Well, it's a mystery that you'll have to solve by checking in on Monday!)
  

• Tuesday: Miss Marple, "The Pale Horse" (Movie review and discussion)
  

• Wednesday: Death on the Nile (Book review and discussion)
  

• Thursday: Sherlock Double Feature--Review/discussion of the 2010 episode "A Study in Pink" and the book A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
  

• Friday: Murder on the Orient Express (Book review and discussion)

• Saturday: I might throw in a review of "Hallowe'en Party" or "Vendetta" if I find time!

~ ~ ~

"Mystery Week" is no longer a mystery! I hope that this overview helps you--now you can get a start on reading these books and/or watching these movies that we'll be discussing.

Yesterday I should have included a link to the PBS Masterpiece website, and I should have let you know that some of the movies I listed are available to watch online for free! So, here's that info in case you're interested:

• Visit the PBS Masterpiece website to learn all about this summer's Mystery season!

• You can watch "Hallowe'en Party" (Poirot) now through August 2nd, "The Pale Horse" (Miss Marple) now through August 10th, and "Vendetta" (Zen) starting Monday, July 18th, online! (As you can see from the schedule above, we'll be discussing "The Pale Horse" on Tuesday, so you can watch it online before then!)
  

I know this is a lot to take in, so please feel free to share any and all thoughts (or questions!) on Mystery Week, crafts, blogging friends, or whatever! ;)

Easter Fun!

Just thought I would share some pictures from Easter Sunday with ya'll!

When my mom brought me back to school after spring break in March, she gave me my Easter basket hidden in a black garbage bag, and told me to keep it under my bed until Easter. Well, Sunday morning before church I got the bag out from under the bed so I could finally open it!

Here's what it looked like fresh out of the bag! ;)

And here's a picture that my roommate took of me and my lovely basket:

In our family we treat our Easter baskets kind of like we do our stockings at Christmastime--my younger sister and I go out to the living room and "ooh" and "aww" over all the sweet surprises! And then we look around the living room for little chocolate eggs the Easter bunny left behind. ;) Since I wasn't at home with my sister to look for the eggs, mine were in my basket:

After my roomie and I went to church, we headed off to Portland to spend the day with some of her family. The dinner was delicious (ham, turkey, green beans, salad, biscuits, etc.), and the egg hunt was a lot of fun (we did it three-legged race style)! This last picture is of my roommate (on the left) and me (on the right) at one of her uncle's home:

This was the second year I got to spend Easter with my current roommate, even though we weren't roommates last year! She is so sweet, and it was such a blessing to spend the day with her and her family.

I hope all of you had a wonderful Easter, as well! I'd love to hear some of your stories if you'd like to share!

Thanksgiving in Texas!

By the time you read this post, I'll be winging my way (hopefully!) to Texas to spend Thanksgiving with my dad's side of the family! I was blessed with the opportunity to see some of them in Washington D.C. this past summer, and I'm looking forward to seeing them again! I just know we're going to have a wonderful time together!

As a side note, I was surprised (and thrilled!) to have a visit from one of my friends from California and her parents this past Sunday!!! They were traveling through Salem on their way home from Washington, so I was able to give them a tour of Corban's campus. It was so good to see her again! (That's us in the picture above outside of my dorm!)

Anyway, I hope you all have a fantastic Thanksgiving, filled with family, friends, and food! I'll be back Sunday night to stick my nose in the books for 3 more weeks until Christmas break. ;)

May the Lord bless you all, and may we give Him thanks for all that He has done for us!

A Beautiful Gift

I was blessed today by the generous gift of one of my blogging friends, Renee Ann from Doorkeeper. I had left a response to one of her comments on my blog saying that I would appreciate her help in spreading the word about the upcoming "Love Finds You" blog party, since I had failed in my attempt at making a cool blog button to advertise it.

Renee saw my comment (and perhaps read between the lines to see my desperate plea for help!) and made me a beautiful blog button! It would have been so thoughtful of her just to mention the party on her blog or e-mail a few friends, but instead she took the time to create a button that would match my blog and e-mailed me all the codes I would need to put it in the sidebar and let others share it!

I was so touched by her thoughtfulness and so pleased with how wonderful the button looks! (Way, way better than my attempt--believe me!) I'll show it here in the post just so you can see how lovely it is:

Not only did she put it together in such a fun way, but the cover she chose as the background is one that I absolutely love! I bought Love Finds You in Sugarcreek, Ohio (the one in the button; see full cover below) a while ago and I plan to read it over Thanksgiving break (which I don't think she knew when she created the button!). It's such a beautiful cover, and the button is just so great!

The link in the button takes readers to the "Love Finds You" Blog Party page, where they can find the details of the party and the schedule. If you have a blog, feel free to take the button (code in the sidebar) and put it in the sidebar. I would really appreciate the help in spreading the word!

Thank you, Renee Ann, for your sweet gift, and thank you to all of you for making blogging so much fun for me! I can't wait to celebrate the "Love Finds You" series with ya'll!

Cupcakes!

My dear roommate hosted a cupcake decorating party in the third floor lobby of our dorm this past evening, and I thought I would share some pictures of the fruits of our labors!

We had lots of fun trying to be creative with the frosting, marshmallows, and candy!

Aren't they so colorful? The three in the front are mine. =) I wasn't as creative as some of the others, but it was a lot of fun trying to come up with ideas!

This is me with one of my creations. Almost time for building a snowman, right?

And here's one last close-up. The pumpkins are just store-bought candy corn pumpkins that I had. I thought it would be fitting to have a pumpkin patch cupcake this time of year!

It is so nice to have a time just to talk and have fun with close friends. And if that time just happens to include cupcakes, well, I won't complain. ;)

Here's to a sweet day for all of you!

Snail Mail Sunshine and a Blog Award

Many of you know what I mean when I say that snail mail is like afternoon sunshine spilled over a grassy hillside after a gray, dreary morning. We all get so busy with everyday life--going to classes, going to work, chauffeuring the kids, doing sports, helping at AWANA, doing homework, etc.--but having a piece of mail in your mailbox causes you to pause. Your heart warms as you see the return address of a loved one on an envelope, or a slip of paper that lets you know that you have a package.

I have been blessed with a lot of snail mail lately. Yes, a lot of packages I've received are books that need to be reviewed--but they're a treat nonetheless! It doesn't matter that you know it's coming. The sun starts to peek through the clouds, and you look for that inevitable splash of sun that will warm the earth and brighten the path.

This week I received copies of Within My Heart by Tamera Alexander and Emily's Chance by Sharon Gillenwater to review. I'm really looking forward to diving into those! I know I have a couple of books for fun coming, too, including a three-in-one hardcover copy of Tamera Alexander's "Fountain Creek Chronicles" series, which I got for a great price at Christianbook.com!

I recently received a letter from my grandparents, which is such a wonderful gift. I love corresponding with my grandparents, and I am so thankful that we can stay close even while I'm gone at school. "I'll be home for Christmas" takes on special meaning for the college student. =)

I also received a package from my sweet mother. Not only did she send me some different helps for my cold (medicine, Vitamin D, nose strips for nighttime breathing, etc.), but she also sent me some fall decorations! It feels a little more festive in my dorm room, and it makes such a difference to have those little connections with my mom, who decorates often for various holidays! And that wasn't all. There were other little things, like a copy of Country magazine and some candy for me and my roommate.

But there was also something very unique in this package. My mom sent me a copy of a book my aunt put together about my great-uncle Robert, who died in WWII and whose funeral I went to this past summer in Washington D.C. There were copies of letters, information about Robert, and pictures of him along with pictures of this past summer. Here's what the cover says:

Robert Lloyd Crane
He Gave His Life for His Country
On May 23, 1944
While Flying Needed Supplies
To Merrill's Marauders in Burma

Buried With Honors at Arlington National Cemetery
66 years later in Washington D.C.
July 15, 2010
In A Funeral Fit For Our Nation's Heroes

I simply looked through it when it came, and I couldn't help but cry . . . for the beautiful tribute to my great-uncle . . . for the beautiful family that I am a part of . . . for the beautiful sacrifice my great-uncle made for the people and the country he loved. This summer was unforgettable.

And it is with this aunt and some of the other members of my dad's side of the family that I get to spend Thanksgiving this year--in Texas! I am overwhelmed by the love of family, from welcoming arms to timely and meaningful packages in the mail.

Before I move on to the blog award I received from a dear blogging friend of mine (Casey), I want to let you know that I also received a package from this same friend a couple of days ago! Why am I telling you this? Because the package I received contained the jewelry I had ordered from Casey's blog Bug's Beads.

See the necklace pictured at left? I indulged and bought a piece of jewelry for myself, and isn't it lovely? Casey is a joy to do business with, and I can't wait to wear this necklace! Plus, her jewelry makes great gifts, so now might be a good time to do some birthday, early Christmas, or surprise gift shopping! (And she has a great earring sale going on RIGHT NOW!)

With that, I am so touched to say that Casey also passed on a blog award to me recently! Thank you so much, Casey! I'm so glad we can be friends! Take a look at this sweet award:

I could pass this on to so many people, because I have been blessed by all of you and your friendship! Here's a few of those people whose friendship brings sunshine into my life:

Ashley at After All, Tomorrow Is Another Day

Hannah at Project Journal

Bluerose at Bluerose's Heart

Cerella at The Cerella Life

Kav at Best Reads (2010)

. . . and Amanda, who as of now does not have her own blog, but whose encouraging, uplifting comments to everyone inspire me and brighten my life!

Thank you to all of you for your friendship! Be sure to check out the great blogs mentioned above.

And if any of you, my dear followers, would like some snail mail, e-mail me at stokes[dot]a[at]suddenlink[dot]net with your snail mail address and I will try my best to get a letter out to you, because I want to share a bit of the sunshine you have brought into my days! Maybe we could become pen pals!

My Mom and Me

Today was a long day! Saying goodbyes this morning (and last night) was really hard. I love my family so much, and I'm going to miss them terribly while I'm away at school once again! But we'll keep in touch, and I have some wonderful memories that I made this summer which I can hold close in my heart.

Anyway, my mom drove me up to Oregon, and we had lots of fun together! We ate lunch at Hellgate in Grants Pass, at the River Rock Cafe, which we love. The decorations in there are so lovely, and after lunch we enjoyed a short walk near the river.

The drive was bittersweet, consisting of mother-daughter talks and listening to music for the most part. We arrived in Salem by early evening, and after checking into our hotel, we drove over to Corban University. My sweet roomie was not there at the time, but my mom and I were so proud that we were able to set up my half of the room already! ;) Now, tomorrow can be reserved for shopping together and having girl-time! (Again, hope I don't get too carried away, but it is nice to have new clothes and such!)

We ended up eating a late dinner at Olive Garden, which was great! These pictures are from there, and doesn't the food look good? My mom and I split a dish of Chicken Scampi for dinner and a slice of Black Tie Mousse Cake for dessert.

Well, now that you've heard all about my day, I hope you're not too bored! ;) May this post remind you of the delightful blessing of family--how grand it is to just spend time together and to know that loved ones are there for you to support you and help you--whether they are blood-relations or close friends that are just like family! I'm so blessed to have a dear "family" of blogging friends with all of you!

My Day at the Fair

Original title, I know. ;) Doesn't it sound like I'm writing a report for a third-grade class? But I hope you don't mind joining me anyway on my fabulous day at the Humboldt County Fair!

My dear friend, Elena, joined my mom, sister, and me for a fun afternoon and evening at the fair. The first task on our list was to see how our various entries fared. My mom and I got second place stickers on our poems, and my sister got second and third place stickers on her artwork and photograph, I believe (as well as some stickers for several poems). But what really excited us was the special award ribbon my sister received for one of her poems! How exciting! Of course, my sister was especially excited about the $35 cash award that came along with it. ;)

Next on our task list was finding a bunny. Yes, my sister is getting a bunny for her 13th birthday! We'll be picking up the bunny from the fair on Sunday, my sister's actual birthday. The picture on the right is of our new (most likely) soon-to-be member of the family: Candy. (My sister chose the name.) Isn't she sweet? She's a Holland Lop, if I'm not mistaken. My sister is quite delighted, which is no surprise!

Following the two activities above, we all got caricatures of ourselves (me with Elena, and my mom with my sister). The man who drew them was really nice, and we had fun chatting with him while he worked!

The rest of the time was a blur of food, rides, food, games, and (did I mention this already?) food! ;) Elena and I shared a funnel cake covered in powder sugar early on. After all the talk on this blog about funnel cakes, how could I not get one? And believe me, it was GOOD! Dinner for me consisted of a "beef stick" and curly fries, topped off with a frozen peach lemonade. And for dessert: cotton candy! Oh, yes, I was stuffing my face with great pleasure, and I loved every bite! Yum, yum, yum!

And the rides? Oh, so much fun! Elena and I felt like little girls again, running around like crazy, shouting with glee, and taking in the thrill of it all! The picture to the left is of the three of us (my sister, Elena, and me) on one of my favorite rides: the Yo Yo. I loved spreading my arms out wide and feeling the rush of the wind. It made me think of standing on the bow of a ship, like on Titanic. I loved that sense of adventure and excitement as I was flying through the air on a swing!

This next picture is not flattering in the least (with my eyes all squinted like that!), but I decided to share it with you because I think it gives you a glimpse of how much fun we were having. The bumper cars were great, and between that and the other rides, I was laughing a ton!

There's nothing quite like a day at the fair when you're with those you love. We had such a fantastic time, and I'm so thankful for my mom, my sister, and Elena. God blessed me so much by letting us be a part of each other's lives!

It has been so much fun celebrating the county fair with all of you this week, and I'm so thankful for your friendship! I hope this post might have brought a smile to your face, and I hope it might serve to remind us all of the blessing we have in our family and friends! How great it is to be able to reach out to one another--even simply making each other laugh!

On a side note, as I'm writing this, I can smell the kettle corn that I purchased today. Yes, as an encouragement to any possible last-minute contest entrants, I picked up a bag of kettle corn to include in the prize package. I'm also adding a cute, purple stuffed monkey I got at one of the games to the deal! Thank you to all those who have already entered! =) Be sure and check out the comments section of the contest post to read the latest entries!

(Thank you, Mom, for the pictures and for the great memories at the fair this year!)

Monday for the Military

The United States military is such a wonderful example of honor and sacrifice. Throughout the years, throughout all of the wars the United States has been in, the military has fought for freedom--for the people who they loved and the people who loved them.

From World War II (which my great uncle Robert died in), to the Korean War ("The Forgotten War" which my grandfather was in), to the Vietnam War (which my father was in)--I am reminded of the lives that have been lost, the lives that have been saved, and the love that has been shown. I'm so proud of my family, both those members which have been in the military and those members which have had to stay at home and let go of loved ones.

And now we are part of a new generation. As a young adult, I have friends and acquaintances that have recently joined the U.S. military. From people I knew in martial arts classes, to one of my good friends and neighbor, along with his older brother (who both joined the Marines), I have seen people go off to bootcamp and off to war, ready and willing to make sacrifices for their country and demonstrate courage.

Today let us think of all those we know who are in the military, who are veterans of the military, and who have had to stay at home and watch others go as part of the military. May we pray for them and thank them for all they have done and will do.

For the Love of Others . . .

The results are in! The latest poll question was, "What is your favorite part about summer?" Of the four people who answered, here is the breakdown:

• Family vacations--2
• Relaxation--0
• Hanging out with friends--2
• Making extra money--0
• Sleep!--0

Even though there were only four people who answered the question, I think it is safe to say that it is our time spent with each other that makes summer special for us--whether with family or with friends. I have been blessed with amazing parents, as well as other wonderful family members, and great friends (like my friend Elena pictured on the right)!

Summer affords many of us more time to spend with each other and sunnier days in which to do more together. And we ought to value every moment we have with each other, because the relationships God has given us are great gifts indeed.

But there is one more Friend who we ought to spend more time with this summer, and every day of every season: our Lord. Jesus said (as recorded in John 15:14-16), "You are My friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you slaves anymore, because a slave doesn't know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from My Father. You did not choose Me, but I chose you" (HCSB).

Through God's grace, we who are His disciples (believers) are friends with Jesus! What a grand truth that is. If you are saved, you have a personal relationship with the Lord of all, and it is He who we should spend the most time with this summer.

May we (including myself!) remember to use our time wisely as spring begins to blossom into summer and bright days beckon us out-of-doors, into the beauty of God's creation.

Note: I am going to have a different kind of poll this time, so if you wouldn't mind I'd really appreciate your input! The poll will be posted in the sidebar soon! Thanks to all of my readers--I appreciate your time and your kind comments.