The Quote Book // April 2013

// T h e   Q u o t e   B o o k //

A p r i l   2 0 1 3 

 Dear Literary Maidens (and Literary Knights if there are actually any of you out there),

When Bethany and I (Madi) are reading, we always keep a notebook handy. In this notebook we write reviews, thoughts on the book and quotes/sayings from whatever we are reading. Now, this week we were brainstorming, and a light bulb went off. "Why are we hoarding all this for ourselves?!" we said, "Lets share it on the blog!". Thus, "The Quote Book" was born. Once a month we will each share whatever quotes we wrote down that month from books we read that month {For a complete list of what we read this past month check back tomorrow for our Monthly Reflection post!}. We hope that this brightens your day a little bit. So, sit back, relax, and happy reading!

 

// M a d i ' s    A p r i l    Q u o t e s //

• "It's a clean breath or a days pay." Pg 6 of Skip Rock Shallows By Jan Watson
• "Even a thorn tree casts a shade." Pg 39 of Skip Rock Shallows By Jan Watson
• "Gracious, young man, how did you manage to get in such a dilemma?" "Trouble picks on me," Timmy said." Pg 133 of Skip Rock Shallows By Jan Watson
• "Texas is a state that tangles with everyone." Pg 283 of Swept Away By Mary Connealy (AMEN!)
• "Even when outmatched, there's always a way to win. Find a hole in the machine. Then throw a wrench in it." Pg 10 of Avenger By Heather Burch
• "Let God's Word speak for itself. It has far more power than you." Pg 15 Of  Opal By Lauraine Snelling
• " There's something in the search for it that's better than even the finding would be." Pg 7 of Emily's Quest By L.M Montgomery
• "Too many people don't know - or don't want to know - what the truth is anymore. We don't stand for something, so we fall for anything." Pg 35 of This Present Darkness By Frank E. Peretti
• "Maybe I'll win, maybe I won't come out alive. But God didn't tell me I'd come out alive; He just told me to stay and fight. You've made one thing clear to me: Satan does want this town. And I can't let him have it." Pg 70 of  This Present Darkness By Frank E. Peretti
• "When one did not serve the Lord, they unwittingly served the evil one instead." Pg 6 of A Voice In The Wind By Francine Rivers
• "But so often, things of great beauty are full of great corruption." Pg 7 of A Voice In The Wind By Francine Rivers
• "They hate us more with every passing year." "Hatred is the enemy, Hadassah. Not the people." Pg 10 of A Voice In The Wind By Francine Rivers
• "Father said it is not God's will that any should suffer." "Then why must we?" "We bear the consequences for what we have done to ourselves, and for the sin that rules this world. Jesus forgave the thief, but he didn't take him down off the cross." He pushed his hand back through his hair. "I'm not wise like Father. I haven't any answers to why, but I know there is hope." "What hope, Mark? What hope is there?" "God always leaves a remnant." Pg 13 of A Voice In The Wind By Francine Rivers
• "Political ambition often leads to poverty." Pg 49 of A Voice In The Wind By Francine Rivers
• "What had happened to decency? What had happened to purity and faithfulness? Life was more than pleasure. It was duty and honor. It was building a family. It was caring for others who hadn't the means to care for themselves." - Pg 51 of A Voice In The Wind By Francine Rivers
• "Life was meant to be swallowed, not sipped." - Pg 56 of A Voice In The Wind By Francine Rivers
• "Most rumors don't begin without a basis of truth." - Pg 62 of A Voice In The Wind By Francine Rivers
• "True beauty is rare, and seldom recognized by the one who possesses it." - Pg 66 of A Voice In The Wind By Francine Rivers
• "While filth, poor food, no privacy, and abuse dehumanized some, these things drove Hadassa to God. Her father had said suffering brought endurance in order that one might be strengthened for whatever lay ahead." - Pg 73 of A Voice In The Wind By Francine Rivers
• God will return in His own good time, Hadassah. He told the disciples he would come like a thief in the night. For that reason, I don't think he will be expected. We only know he will come. It's not for us to know when." - Pg 74 of A Voice In The Wind By Francine Rivers
• "She wanted him to come. She yearned for him. Yet, a deep sense within  her warned against quick rescues. God didn't always intervene. Throughout scripture He had used pagan nations to bring Israel to her knees." - Pg 74 of A Voice In The Wind By Francine Rivers

 // B e t h a n y ' s    A p r i l    Q u o t e s //

• "Then Missie's eyes took on a fire. "But I hate thet Willie LaHaye. He's a show-off.' 'Missie - shame on ya admonished Marty. 'We are not to hate anyone.' 'Bet God didn't know 'bout Willie LaHaye when He made thet rule.' Missie declared with venom. 'Nobody could love him.' " - Pg. 84 Love Comes Softly, by Janette Oke

 

• "Not only was he short, but very small of build and bone, and his sleeve size did not seem to have to expand one bit for his biceps from which covered the slim wrist. What he lacked in size he seemed to endeavor to compensate with mustache. Though carefully tended and waxed on the ends, the furry appendage nearly hid the lower half of his face and stuck out beyond his face like handles on a walking plow." - Concerning the new pastor's description on page 78 of Love's Enduring Promise by Janette Oke

 

• "She swallowed a dry lump in her throat and began to recite... 'The Lord is my shepherd' she began 'I shall not want.' Eyes still closed, Katherine's cracked lips mouthed a slow, faltering response. "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside still -' Katherine's voice stopped. Her labored breaths dissolved into shallow gasps until she breathed no more...Amelia drew the linen sheet over her friends pallid face. 'Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.' - Taken from the Epilogue in The Heiress of Winterwood by Sarah E. Ladd

Joni & Ken By Ken & Joni Eareckson Tada Book Review

// J o n i   &   K e n  :  A n   U n t o l d  

L o v e   S t o r y //

 

B y   K e n   &   J o n i   E a r e c k s o n   T a d a

 

R e v i e w   B y   B e t h a n y

 

 Title: Joni & Ken: An Untold Love Story
Author: Ken & Joni Eareckson Tada
Source: Review Book From BookSneeze
Number of Pages: 192
ISBN: 0310314690
Publisher: Zondervan
Publication Date: 2013
My Rating: 5 Out of 5 Stars

Book Description :

 

"This is the true love story of Joni and her husband of 30 years, Ken Tada. A love story showing what it truly means for a man and a woman to live in love ... in sickness and in health. Even the honeymoon wasn't easy. Did Ken realize what he was getting into when he proposed to Joni, a quadriplegic woman? As their marriage years moved on, Ken became increasingly overwhelmed by the never-ceasing demands of caring for Joni, who begins to experience chronic, extreme, nightmarish pain. Ken sinks into depression, and the couple finds themselves on parallel tracks in life, married and living under the same roof but drifting apart emotionally. But as they fight for their marriage and find their way through the mazes of depression and pain, they wrap their two lives around their rock---Jesus. During Ken's denial of Joni's diagnosis, and Joni's thoughts of how wonderful a quick exit to heaven would be, they experience a personal visitation with the savior you will never forget."

// M y   R e v i e w //

I have known about Joni Eareckson Tada and her story of being paralyzed from the neck down ever since her diving accident in shallow water back when she was a teen-ager, and greatly admired her story and faith. But I have not been as familiar with her husband Ken's story, and didn't really know that much about him prior to reading Joni & Ken. So I really enjoyed getting to "meet" him through the book and was greatly inspired by the story told within the pages of this wonderful biography. This book is not very long, only a little under 200 pages - but don't let the small number of pages trick you into misinterpreting the large size of the inspiration found within it's pages which is far greater in size than it would appear. 

 

It is written from a third-person view so it reads as if you were looking into the scenes of the many stories told from Joni & Ken's married life. I really liked how this book was written from a very humble perspective which spares none of the less-that-glamorous details of what life it truly like being in a marriage when one of the partners is paralyzed and requires help to do mostly everything. I also loved the amount of stories and personal experiences that were shared in this book, which made me feel like I really got to know this couple and get an inside view of what their life's are like; and see how they deal with the challenges in their marriage.

 

There were one or two times I felt like the book was written mainly for married people since they often would give encouragement to people who are married to keep going even when it's tough, and there was a nice message from the authors at the end where they make a point to encourage married couples. But even though it was probably written mainly for married people, I benefited greatly from reading it even though I'm single. I felt like it gave me a real view of marriage and helps me to see first-hand what a true marriage that is centered on Christ - where Christ is the essence of the marriage - looks like through Joni and Ken's example. So whether you are single, engaged or married then I'm sure you will get something out of reading this book.

 

Overall I was very pleased with this book and would highly recommend it to ever Christian or to people who admire Joni's story! Know that when reading this book you will be encouraged to live a stronger more impactful life for Jesus Christ whether you are married or not!

 

n o t e :: I would like to sincerely thank Zondervan publishers and Book Sneeze for my free hardback copy of Joni & Ken to read and review. I was not paid to write this review, and all thoughts are honest and completely my own.

Swept Away By Mary Connealy Book Review

// S w e p t   A w a y // 

B y    M a r y    C o n n e a l y

T r o u b l e   I n   T e x a s    S e r i e s

B o o k  # 1

 

R e v i e w    B y    M a d i 
 Title: Swept Away
Author: Mary Connealy
Source: Review Book
Number of Pages: 318
ISBN: 9780764209147
Publisher: Bethany House
Publication Date: 2013
My Rating: 4 Out Of 5 Stars

Description (Taken From Goodreads):

 "Laughter, Romance, and Action Abound in This New Series from Mary Connealy
Swept away when her wagon train attempts a difficult river crossing, Ruthy MacNeil isn't all that upset at being separated from the family who raised her. All they've ever done is work her to the bone. She prayed for a chance to get away, and then came the raging flood. Alive but disoriented, she's rescued by Luke Stone...so unfortunately, there are more chances to die in her immediate future.
Luke is heading home to reclaim the ranch stolen from his family. But the men who killed his father are working hard to ensure Luke doesn't make it alive. He has no choice but to keep moving. Still, he can't just abandon Ruthy, so she'll have to come along.
His friends--a ragtag group of former Civil War soldiers--take a fast interest in the pretty gal. Luke thinks that's rather rude--he's the one who found her. And the more time he spends around the hard-working young woman who is a mighty good cook, the more he finds himself thinking beyond revenge and toward a different future. For the first time in a long time, Luke is tempted to turn from his destructive path and be swept away by love."

 M a d i ' s   R e v i e w ::

I adored this book.

This was actually my second time reading it. It's so refreshing! It's not like most Christian/western/romance novels. This book had some major suspense, and a lot of twist and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat. That's the reason I gave it four stars. The only reason that I didn't give it five is because though I love Christian Westerns, they aren't my FAVORITE genre. But if you like good clean Southern stories (who doesn't?) then this book is definitely for you.

 Just to give you a little idea on what this book was about, the main characters name was Ruthy MacNeil (Or Rosie). In the beginning of the book Ruthy is on a wagon train going who knows where with a family that isn't her own. She was orphaned at a very young age and a low-down family named the Reinhardt's took her in and raised her as their "daughter". Actually they just used her as a slave. She worked from sun up to sun down and then some. And to make matters worse they were forcing her to marry her "brother" Virgil. And yes, since they never legally adopted her this was completely legal. Life was looking bleak. Then they hit a wall. A wall of water, that is. Her "Pa" decided to cross a rising river against Ruthy's better judgment. Guess if he would have listened he might have lived. Anyway, instead of drowning. Ruthy gets caught on a piece of wood and floats for a while instead of drowning. That's when Luke Stone finds her.

Luke is on his way home to reclaim his home from a thief that killed his father, and he wasn't taking no for an answer. He didn't know what he was gonna do with a fiery redheaded (not to mention unconscious) woman, but he couldn't just leave her there to die. But regardless of her presence, he wasn't gonna let her distract him from his goal. Luke and his friends had a plan, and it better work.

 After this everything is a whirlwind. And a good one. I would definitely recommend this book to just about anyone.