Catching Up

It has been ages since my last post.

The last few months have seemed like years. I don't even remember what happened in February and March! 

April and May were very emotionally hard. First I lost my mother and then a good friend all within weeks of each other just after Resurrection. It still seems all surreal though and probably will for some time. 

Visiting family and spending time with my sisters and brother was much needed and overdue. We are all going to try and not be such strangers and let so much time slip by before visiting. It had been 6yrs since either my daughter and myself had seen them last, that is just too long! God really blessed our trip, thank you, Jesus!

June was a bit crazy unpacking and recovering from our trip to Washington, then repacking and getting things ready for our annual church camp retreat. Not to mention during that time we discovered a huge leak in one of the bedroom closest from the neighbors upstairs bathroom. Thankfully the substitute landlady was able to get it taken care of right away, I forgot to add we discovered the leak just a day after our landlord left the country on vacation. 

July started off with a bang, (pun totally intended). Church Camp was amazing as always and so needing for healing and nurturing. By the time we arrived home we were completely exhausted. And of course, between my daughter and myself, we have been sick the last two weeks on and off. We still need to get the closet painted wanting to wait until after we got back from camp. Now that July is coming to a close we are trying to enjoy the last remnants of summer and gearing up for the school year. I am already tired thinking about it. 

I hope everyone has had a good summer and 4th of July!

Thank you for reading and God Bless!
~Ryan (RMM)

Worlds Unseen by Rachel Starr Thomson (Book Review)

Worlds Unseen by Rachel Starr Thomson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Again I found this gem of a book on the freebie ebook list on Kobo. Being on a tight budget but an avid reader without a car to make it to the library all the time, I am constantly on the lookout for good books that I can read without hurting my pocket. The least I can do for these great freebies is rate and sometimes get around to writing reviews. It is also a great way to find new authors.

I will begin by saying I really liked this book and I am now hooked!

In Worlds Unseen, Thomson has created a special world in her book. This world is filled with many great characters, a plight to save the world, diabolical enemies, unexpected heroes, heartbreaking losses, and hopeful victories. The classic good vs evil storyline always gets my interest along with a strong female lead character. I also really enjoy fantasy books that work outside the box and hint at great possibilities. Rachel Starr Thomson accomplished all of this and much more in this book. A bonus to this book I had not realized until after I was submerged into her world was the strong Christian allegory throughout the story that reminded me of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.

The story is told through many character perspectives which helps give a broader view of this new world. However, it is the plight of the unexpected main characters, Maggie and a boy named Nicolas that really establishes this story for me. There is a hint of deeper things going on in the world that Maggie unknowingly steps in when she helps an old man and becomes determined to grant his last wish and is determined to find the answers to the tragedies from her past. Nicolas is pulled into the story when he happens upon Maggie who is in trouble and feels the need to help her fend off some unsavory characters in a back alley. After taking her to a safe Inn he continues on his journey, never liking to be in cities for long, but on his way, he hears a disturbing voice and knows Maggie is still in trouble from something way worse than a couple of street thugs. Compelled to race back to the Inn to save Maggie once again before whatever that is looking for her finds her first. What is after Maggie is more than what anyone would ever think is real, it is something evil and otherworldly. Will Nicolas be able to help her, will they be able to flee and find some way to overcome this evil, will Maggie be able to complete her quest and find the answers she seeks? The ending of this book answers some of these but leaves you with more questions as the quest evolves into something more. I can't wait to continue on the journey and discover what both Maggie and Nicolas and the other characters will do to help start a revolution and save their world from impending evil.



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Getting Wilde by Jenn Stark (Book Review)

Getting Wilde by Jenn Stark
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I came across this book on the freebie ebook list via Kobo. I read the synopsis and it sounded like it would be an interesting read. As it turnded out I was glad I downloaded this book to my overdrive on my phone, as I did enjoy the read.

Without giving away too many spoilers, I will say I really liked the characters in this book. The main heroine so to speak Sara Wilde has a lot of stuff going on in her past & present that she needs to figure out to help her in the future. There is alot of action in this story and those moments of frustration where you want to shake the main character but are still hooked to see how things will turn out. About the only thing I could do with out was the odd "romance" scenes, they were just a bit too graphic for my liking. I personally don't mind a bit of hinting but really I do not need to know play by play detail. I also found it frustrating how the main character just seem too confused about her own feelings and why she is so scared about the whole thing. I really do hope that gets explained in the sequels. This is definitely a book that caught my attention and I did not want to put it down, the ending leaves you hanging a bit and I will be looking forward to reading the next book to find out where Sara story leads.


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I Am Hollow

"I Am Hollow"

I am hollow
without my faith.
Only a mere shadow
of the potential,
lost among the crowd.
Many times in my life
I have forgotten,
I have let faith slip through my hands.
Only tendrils of mist
linger on my fingertips.
Without enough morning dew
to quench a dry lip,
let alone a dehydrated soul.
~RMM 2016

* This poem describes why my faith is so important to me and why I never want my cup to run dry. Thank you Jesus for all that you do in my life.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

I so hope everyone had a good holiday season.  

December was especially busy for me. 
It started off  at the begining of the month with our special Banquet event at church, then Rowan's band concert, Christmas play, Christmas service, Jesus's birthday service, Christmas dinner with close friends, caroling, packing, moving, and finally Watch Night service (New Year's Eve). Plus I still had my weekly appointments to attend. Phew.  

No wonder I just did not find the time or energy to sit down and write a blog, the whole month just went by in a blur. 

So here I am a week into January just finally calming down after all the excitement. I got the last bit of our moving/cleaning of the old apartment done on Jan. 3rd, my keys and mail box done by the 5th. I am so releived and thankful that is over! 

It just feels so good starting the new year off in a fresh new place. A great time and opportunity to get good habbits started for a healthier lifestyle in body, mind, & soul. Taking each day one at a time and making sure God is in the forefront of our lives. 

The "bare necessities" are already unpacked. Now I can take my time to unpack and sort through everything else. I do still have some cleaning in the kitchen & bathroom before I can finish unpacking those rooms. Nothing much just wiping down cupoboards and shelves and getting contact paper down. That will be my priority area before I move onto the living/dining room area. My bedroom will eventually fall into place once those other areas get done. Rowan's room is pretty much done and decorated. Which is good since school starts back on Monday Jan. 9th.

Once school starts back up it will be easier to get back onto a regular schedule and finding a routine. One that will hopefully fit with our new surroundings with a healthier lifestyle in mind. I already feel better just being in our new place for a whole week. Not breathing in the smoke, dust, mold, mice debri, and who knows what else, has helped immensely. Also just having the stress removed from the other building feels like a huge weight has been lifted. I still have a long road ahead especially where my health is concerned but I finally feel like I am living in an enviroment that will be of help and not a hinderance.

I will now take a moment to thank Jesus for everything He has done for me throughout this whole process. For the church family He has given me and the help & support they have been. The apartment that was found and now living in, the opportunity to witness to others and share a part of my story & faith with them. The peace, strength, endurance, love and joy that has surrounded me. Thank you Jesus, I love and appreciate you so much! In Jesus name Amen.

Again thank you Reader for taking the time to read my post, until next time...

Take care & God Bless!
~Ryan (RMM)