Streams in the Desert

Streams in the Desert Compiled by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman (Cowman Publications, Inc.; Zondervan Publishing House, 1925).


"We fail many times to receive the blessing He has ready for us, because we do not go forward with Him. While we miss much good through not waiting for God, we also miss much through over-waiting. There are times when our strength is to sit still, but there are also times when we are to go forward with a firm step." (p. 29, J.R. Miller)

This year, 2012, I am revisiting a devotional book I discovered in college. This seemed to be the right year to reread the compilation of great and deep thoughts, comments, songs, poems, Bible verses, and more.

Although much of the text is old King James wording, the truths and illustrations ring loud and clear. Numerous dog-ears already fill the first month of devotions. Sigh. My poor books!

Needing insight and inspiration? Several editions of Streams in the Desert are available. But I'd just go ahead and start with the first one.

May inspiring reading abound to you.

John 3

What a fabulous book!

John 3 - a chapter within a book within a Book. All you need to know.

In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." (John 3:3)

Another famous verse in this Book of John was shared by children last Sunday between plays of a football game, New England and Denver, if I remember correctly (thanks to Tebow, tebowing - a new verb - and Tebow 316). Radical!

Check out the instant replay on YouTube. Look for John 3:16.

Lawn Boy Returns

"And here I'd thought telling Kenny and Allen I was rich had been tricky. Wait until Mom and Dad got home and I had to break it to them that my finances were being audited. Or frozen. Or audited and then frozen. Whatever. It was not the kind of news you broke to your parents over the phone; this called for face time when they got back from up north." (page 62, Lawn Boy Returns, Paulsen; Scholastic, 2010)

What happens when a 12 year-old kid gets rich, has a personal stock broker, a lawn mowing business, employees, sponsors a boxer? He gets in trouble with the IRS and inherits mysterious relatives! And then the bad guys come in.

Not too bad for a return book. I enjoyed the fact that this preteen needed to get away and think for awhile. The only place he could do that was if he went off and mowed a few lawns. Does that sound familiar!?! Like father (KQ), like son (TQ).

Quick, fun read. Boys will enjoy this story. Good for discussion about making money, stock markets, personal goals, dreams, interesting family...

Lawn Boy

Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen caught my eye due to the lawn mower on the front cover.

We had our own lawn mover boy, from the age of 2, and he lived, breathed, fixed, used, took apart, followed, inhaled...lawn mowers. The bigger he got the bigger the mowers got. Until he was big enough to dig into the engines of full sized vehicles. Now lawn mowers are relegated to the station of yard tool. Truck and diesel engines rule.

I thought Lawn Boy would be an entertaining story of someone like our own lawn mower boy. It began that way, where the main character was given his grandpa's riding lawn mower for his birthday (hmmm, our lawn boy was given several mowers, good ones, broken ones, ones for parts, ones to fix...).

The boy starts out mowing his own somewhat horrible lawn, and ends up feeling a super connection with the mower. In short order he has entire neighborhoods using his mowing services, builds his own mowing empire complete with assistants, workers, a stock broker - the whole works.

This is a story of a poor family and how they get rich in a unique way. I was more interested in the original word play than the stock market talk, but the book was entertaining.

I think our own lawn mower boy takes the cake, but this book was a good read. Kids in elementary school, boys in particular, will enjoy reading Lawn Boy. Especially if they like mowing lawns and making money.

In This Mountain

Just finished In This Mountain by Jan Karon (Book 7 in the Mitford Series - somewhere I got out of order, as I need to read Book 9 next).

What a pleasant read! I love the character development so much. You can almost see what is coming with Father Tim refusing to take his medication for diabetes. The twists and turns of faith being worked out in multiple lives are very good. Karon manages to get the plan of salvation, the salvation prayer, and numerous Scripture references and direct quotes worked into the story line.

What I really enjoy is that the people in her books are people. Just normal, everyday people. While shy on cuss words, violence, and steamy sex scenes (I would say about 0, which is fine by me), true life happens. So and so comes from abusive backgrounds, mean people coexist with normal people, even evil people have a place in Mitford (but wait - evil people have a chance at reclamation, as regularly viewed during Christmas in A Christmas Carol).

Good and bad things happen in Karon's book(s). I keep waiting to read that Barnabas gets old and dies. I don't mind so much the people dying, although I like it when the author ends the books/series with most everyone intact. But when the favorite pets pass on, ouch.

Waiting for Book 9. I remember snatches of it, especially relating to certain characters, but it has been so long since I've read it, I'm not sure what happens. Joy! A brand new book! It sometimes pays to forget stuff!

I recommend this book, beginning at Book 1, all the way through Book 9.

Looks like Karon is working on prequels to Father Tim's life. I started one about going back to Holly Springs, but can't commit to it yet. Gotta finish Book 9 first.

BTW: Check this source out if you would like to trade books for the cost of postage (no charge, just postage to mail your books to other members, they mail their books to you...). I'm waiting for my Book 9 from this source.

www.paperbackswap.com (This site also includes hardback and listening volumes.)

Happy Reading.

The Dragon Rider Series

Humph. I'm a bit upset at the supposed conclusion of the HUGE, long, four volume Dragon Rider series.

Just finished Inheritance (Christopher Paolini). It did not end how I wanted it to. It did not end at all. Let's say that too many questions were unanswered and left hanging for the author to write THE END on the final page.

Sure, he admits to going off to other characters and stories. He even says he may have to come back and write some more to clear up some of the wide open leads and clues that left me frustrated. Duh!

Maybe he's just tired. The four books are after all, large volumes. Excellent reading (except for that phase where the dragons were all using hyphenated thoughts, which I thought was a bit distracting and annoying).

Good versus evil, compelling characters, twisting relationships, treachery, secrets, mysterious happenings, war, devastation, hope, unforeseen relatives, loss, gain, power, leaders,...but conclusion? No way.

So, from this reader, just take a year or so off. Then get back to it, baby. We all know it will take a few years to get the next volume out anyway. We'll wait.

But don't leave us hanging.