Author: Laurel Luehmann

Book Reviews, Journaling, Personal

November memories – 2023

by Laurel Luehmann4 Comments on November memories – 2023
November memories – 2023

Hello, friends!

There’s not much to say to introduce this post, so I’ll stop trying to make an introduction and just get started.:)

God has no problems – just plans!

corrie ten boom

Things worth remembering…

  • my car’s first flat tire
  • demolition and cleanup adventures with the parents and sisters
  • spending a weekend with a friend
  • discovering the most amusing inscription I’ve ever seen inside an old book
  • spending time on the road with my brothers
  • picking up crocheting again
  • drinking coffee at 11 pm for a good cause and only half regretting it
  • seeing Annie for the first time on stage
  • raking cornstalks
  • trying my hand at more creative photo editing
  • attempting to shop on Thanksgiving day and finding that it couldn’t be done
  • a Walmart run with cousins
  • turning our uncle into a meme (several memes, actually) with aforementioned cousins
  • feeling like a new woman after the shop crew spiffed up the tractor I use

“In dark and loneliness they are strongest; they will not openly attack a house where there are lights and many people – not until they are desperate…”

aragorn in “THe fellowship of the ring” by J.R.R. Tolkien

What I’ve been reading…

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde – Robert Louis Stevenson

“There comes an end to all things; the most capacious measure is filled at last; and this brief condescension to evil finally destroyed the balance of my soul.”

I think I need to stop ingesting the more intellectually/morally difficult books in audiobook form because I can’t process them as thoroughly as I can when I’m actually reading. It’s definitely a dark book, but I came away from it with a good and sobering reminder of the pervasive nature of sin…moral compromise isn’t a good idea, folks!

Winnie-the-Pooh – A.A. Milne

Pooh, who now knew what an Ambush was, said that a gorse-bush had sprung at him suddenly one day when he fell off a tree, and he had taken six days to get all the prickles out of himself.

“We are not talking about gorse-bushes,” said Owl a little crossly.

“I am,” said Pooh.

Sometimes you just need an easy yet quality read that will make you laugh. This book does so nicely.

In My Father’s House: The Years Before The Hiding Place – Corrie ten Boom

Many lonesome people found a place with us, where there was music, humor, interesting conversations, and always room for one more at the oval dinner table. Oh, it’s true, the soup may have been a bit watery when too many unexpected guests came, but it didn’t really matter.

This is a reread! The manner in which this book is written is such a blessing: Corrie shares some of her family’s history, and often shares immediately afterwards about how that event or habit prepared them for the future that only God could see.

And I said, “This is my anguish; but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.”

Psalm 77:10

From the journal…

Life is far too fragile and precious to be lived haphazardly.

Lord, You satisfy me. You are enough even when my flesh begs for more…in my weakness You truly are strong.

May you know that you are small and fit well in the hands of God.

sarah Sparks

And that’s a wrap! What memories/lessons are you taking away from this November?

Stay the course!

❤ Laurel


Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase something through one of the links I share in this post, I receive a small commission…at no extra cost to you.:)

Poetry

counting stars – a poem

by Laurel Luehmann2 Comments on counting stars – a poem
counting stars – a poem

Hello, friends!

I wrote this poem several months ago as my brother and I were teaching through Genesis in Sunday School. The account of Abraham’s complete trust in God’s ability and commitment to keep His promises struck me so much that I wrote a poem about it.:) This one is based in Genesis 15.

my Shield and

my exceedingly great Reward…

I see no way from here to

what You have promised.

I ask for answers, and

You hold out the impossible,

asking only that

I count stars like a child…

that I wait in quiet trust,

believing the impossible as easily as

a child counting stars.

Book Reviews

7 indie books to give your friends this Christmas

by Laurel Luehmann1 Comment on 7 indie books to give your friends this Christmas
7 indie books to give your friends this Christmas

Hello, friends!

I know…it’s only mid-November. BUT. Some of my extended family exchanges gifts on Thanksgiving weekend, and in case anyone else is out there looking for last-minute Christmas/Thanksgiving gifts for a family member (or is actually being proactive about seeking Christmas gifts a whole month ahead of time!), I thought I’d put this post out there right away.:)

Let me know at the end if you’ve already enjoyed any of these books!

Also, disclaimer…I’m a very picky reader when it comes to editing. I don’t haphazardly recommend indie books that simply have potential but are a dumpster fire when it comes to that area. If you’re concerned about that, I just wanted to throw it out there that these are books that I (or one of my little sisters:)) have thoroughly enjoyed, with zero to minimal editing road bumps.:)

Southpaw by Tabby RH

clean thriller // memorable characters // tea // banter // clean murder mystery // new adult // lovely portrayal of light vs. darkness

Oh my goodness…I had been eyeing this book ever since it came out, and it did not disappoint. My favorite aspect of this book was the characters…they were so vivid and different from one another, and yet each one was relatable in their own way. This would be a wonderful book for the friend who enjoys reading realistic contemporary fiction written with a classical influence.

By My Own Betrayal by Cydnie Trenholm

former assassin // the best banter // FBI // fast-paced adventure novel // fun family dynamics // sequel on the way (!!!)

Whenever I read the book of someone I’ve already befriended, I always go in with a certain amount of fear that I won’t love the book as much as I love the person. I was delighted that I could find no flaws in this novel! XD It made me laugh, it made me think, and it held my interest from the moment I read the epic tagline: To live is Christ. To die is much more likely. This would be a great gift for the teenage friend who wants to enjoy a fast-paced adventure without the gore.

This Life of Mine by Victoria Lynn

// non-magical fantasy // mountains // disability representation // prolife themes // the sweetest subtle romance

This is the second book in the Chronicles of Elira series, and I love it even more than the first one. The themes of healing and redemption just blessed my heart so much, and God used this book to grow my prayer life, as well. This would be a lovely gift for the friend who enjoys non-magical fantasy and a deeply emotional read.

Content warning: While it’s handled discreetly, it’s implied that one of the main characters has been a victim of SA and human trafficking, and the healing from that is a major theme in the storyline. Because of the nature of that theme, I personally don’t recommend this novel to anyone under 16.

Dawn Chandler Series by Eliza Noel

// contemporary middle-grade fiction // large family dynamics // fashion show // small town feels //

My little sisters fell in love with this series last year, and they were over the MOON when they recently got to meet the author (a friend I met on a writing retreat!). I haven’t personally read it, but I have been unofficially hired by my sister to draw fan art for the series, so…that’s got to count for something. XD This would be a perfect gift for the little ladies in your life who want contemporary fiction about girls their age!

Wildflower Pages by Brittney Litster

// Christ-centered poetry // lovely illustrations // garden/flower themes // extremely quote-worthy //

This is the first book I annotated (see pictures here), and it’s one I keep coming back to for a breath of fresh encouragement. This would be a lovely gift for someone who loves both poetry and gardening! (But, hey, this is coming from the blackest thumb alive, so I think that anyone could enjoy this collection, whether they’re botanically gifted or not.)

Cathedral by Maya Joelle

// reflective poetry // nature imagery // raw and realistic // shot with hope //

This is such a cathartic poetry collection that has been written and compiled so masterfully. (It even has a playlist and list of further reading recommendations in the back!) Cathedral would be a wonderful gift for the deep-thinking friend who’s a fan of the classics.

Clarion Hope by Laurel Luehmann

// battle imagery // freestyle poetry with a bit of a lilt // regret and brokenness // eternal hope //

Hehe…of course I couldn’t do a post on indie books without plugging my own! XD This little poetry collection would be the perfect gift for a friend who doesn’t like poetry. One of the most common pieces of feedback I receive is “I never liked poetry until I started reading yours!” So grab a copy for the friend who turns up her nose at poetry and see what she does. Worst case scenario: she despises it and gives the copy back to you! “Free” poetry!!

I hope this post was helpful (or at least enjoyable) to you! Which books do you want to add to your wish list?

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase something through one of the links I share in this post, I receive a small commission…at no extra cost to you.:)

Photo by Mel Poole on Unsplash

Book Reviews, Journaling, Personal

October memories – 2023

by Laurel Luehmann2 Comments on October memories – 2023
October memories – 2023

Hello, friends!

October was so full of life. The hard. The beautiful. The crazy. The calm.

Here’s a glimpse…

Things worth remembering…

  • ice cream and card games and Orion
  • The Turkey Discovery (if you know, you know)
  • managing to wrangle six heads of hair into curls or updos
  • a wedding!!!
  • being pleasantly surprised by the fact that that the “intruder” who scared me half to death was the brother I hadn’t seen in months
  • ax throwing for the first time (I was not as good as I thought I could be)
  • balloon arch adventures
  • introducing my sisters to Bleak House
  • finally going on the hike I’d wanted to do all summer
  • using the Passover lesson in Sunday school as an excuse to make matzah bread ❤
  • a photography session with sisters
  • getting my hair chopped

He foresaw my every fall, my every sin, my every backsliding; yet, nevertheless, fixed His heart upon me.

A.W. Pink

What I’ve been reading…

(Yes, this list is nearly identical to last month’s list. October was not my best reading month ever.)

The Fellowship of the Ring – J.R.R. Tolkien

There is a seed of courage hidden (often deeply, it is true) in the heart of the fattest and most timid hobbit, waiting for some final and desperate danger to make it grow.

Yes, I’ve been slogging through this the entire month, and I’m not even halfway through. I loved The Hobbit, and so was determined to like this one. Thankfully the story is picking up again and I’m enjoying it instead of making myself read it. XD

The Pursuit of God – A.W. Tozer

As long as you set yourself up as a little god to which you must be loyal there will be those who will delight to offer affront to your idol. How then can you hope to have inward peace?…Such a burden as this is not necessary to bear…The meek man cares not at all who is greater than he, for he has long ago decided that the esteem of the world was not worth the effort.

I’m just wrapping this one up for the second time, and it’s so very good.

Cathedral – Maya Joelle

You are worthless, and yet you deserve so much more than you are given. I tear you apart with contradiction. – from coming, written from the perspective of Death

I’m rereading this book this fall! It’s one of my favorite collections of poetry…Maya’s words strike a chord deep in the soul and hold out such solid truth. If you’re looking for a good little book of melancholy-yet-somehow-hopeful poetry for this autumn, I’d definitely recommend it. ❤

Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change He faithful will remain
Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heav’nly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Kathrina von Schlegel (translated by Jane Borthwick)

From the journal…

ISN’T HE [Christ] WORTH EVERYTHING?

The redemption and healing feels long in coming some days, but, oh, Father, You are trying our souls in Your crucible until we come forth as gold. Thank You for caring enough to make us like You, no matter how uncomfortable the flames.

How was your October? Are there any happenings/quotes/reads that stick out to you? ❤

Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase something through one of the links I share in this post, I receive a small commission…at no extra cost to you.:)

Music, Poetry

the dark before the dawn – a tiny collection of longing and hope

by Laurel Luehmann6 Comments on the dark before the dawn – a tiny collection of longing and hope
the dark before the dawn – a tiny collection of longing and hope

Hello, friends!

Sometimes it can feel as if the darkness in the world and within our flawed natures is so weighty, and nearly too heavy to bear. The shorter days and the gloomy skies can exacerbate the soul-weariness, and so I wanted to share with you some of my favorite lyrics/poems/quotes that acknowledge the ache and frustration without glossing it over, and yet point to the light so tangibly, giving an extra dose of courage to keep on standing against the darkness! I hope they can bless you as much as they’ve encouraged me. ❤

I’ve been waiting for the sun
to come blazing up out of the night like a bullet from a gun
till every shadow is scattered, every dragon’s on the run
oh, I believe, I believe that the light is gonna come…

from “The dark before the dawn” by Andrew peterson

send out the light

please

let it pierce this

darkness shrouding my soul

don’t let me sit here

all alone

memories haunting me

“could have been”s taunting me

pulling me

deeper and

deeper and

deeper into

the darkest parts of myself

send out the light

please

don’t leave me here

all alone

– poem xix from my poetry collection, This Will Not Last

…you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

1 peter 2:9-10

and she knew that this pain –

so deep,

so ravaging,

so unpredictable in its

brutal attacks,

would not last forever.

that its strength would only

strengthen her

if only she would let Him

carry her through


those hardest nights…

…and she knew that He would.

poem xxi from my poetry collection This Will Not Last

may you find Hope somewhere unexpected;
may the Thing you’re dreading fade like mist & leave something Beautiful in its place;
may your heart beat again;
may you get warm in places that have been cold for far too long;
may you shift your eyes from the perils before you & remember all the fair things you’ve
seen,
heard,
tasted,
touched,
& made;

may Christ reach into the dusty corners of your soul,
clear out the cobwebs,
blow out the fog,
open the shutters,
& let in His healing light.

Tabby RH

with You, I can see beyond this desert –

on Your shoulders,

I see hope dancing on the horizon,

the truth that

there is more than this suffering…

and this pain will turn to gold

in the furnaces of time.

“furnaces” from my poetry collection Clarion Hope

Do you have any favorite songs/poems/Scriptures/quotes you turn to when you need an extra dose of courage? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!

Stay the course!

❤ Laurel

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase something through one of the links I share in this post, I receive a small commission…at no extra cost to you.:)

Poetry

injustice – a poem

by Laurel Luehmann3 Comments on injustice – a poem
injustice – a poem

I saw You in the lilies

and I saw You in the waves,

and I saw You in the smile that

stretched across my sister’s face,

but I can’t find You in the bloodstains;

I can’t feel You through the scars…

and I remember that You wore them both

to heal this aching heart.

This is the slightly revised version of the poem I shared last Friday on Instagram. I needed this reminder, and I hope it can bless you, too! Brokenness has never been the end of God’s story. ❤

Poetry

one humble step away – a poem

by Laurel Luehmann6 Comments on one humble step away – a poem
one humble step away – a poem

Hello, friends!

Today’s poem is actually from a few years ago…but I wanted to dig it out of the depths of the blog because I really enjoy the rhythm and the message it holds. Hope you enjoy!

two natures fight within me,

clawing for complete control

and the evil one is winning –

its dark reign I can’t o’erthrow,

for its grasp about my mind

has left an imprint stiff as stone,

and its chains about my heart

into my flesh o’er time have grown.

and I can’t break from these shackles

that hold all my habits tight,

for the rust of time has locked them

and I cry into the night

as I see the one You crafted

to be swift and strong for You

melted to the mess I am –

how could my heart be so untrue?

yet the dawn is breaking now,

and in the early morning rays

I see the promise of the future

and new mercies with new days.

and I see the power of Calvary

making chains and shackles null

as Your faithfulness transforms me

and my shell falls, dead and dull

as new life is pulsing through me –

though I’ve stumbled and I’ve failed,

still You tell me that renewal

is one humble step away.

Photo by Federico Respini on Unsplash

Book Reviews, Personal, reading

September memories – 2023

by Laurel Luehmann3 Comments on September memories – 2023
September memories – 2023

And we leave September in the dust…

(Actually, we’re leaving it in splashes of mud. LOTS of mud. After a very dry summer, we spent a week in mud that made reminded me of London as portrayed in Bleak House.)

When you think of what you are, and despair; think also of what He is, and take heart.

C.H. Spurgeion

Things worth remembering…

  • covering the corn silage bunker
  • breaking two plastic forks on a meatball in the span of 3 minutes
  • starting Sunday school up again
  • hosting this poetry challenge with a friend
  • finding that the fastest route is not always the most direct one
  • APPLE FRITTERS.
  • Making more progress on Project Redemption…make sure you’re subscribed to my newsletter to read an exclusive snippet and hear some fun info on the project coming later this week!

There is always time to do the will of God. If we are too busy to do that, we are too busy.

elisabeth elliot

What I’ve been reading…

Southpaw – Tabby RH

Garrison leaned his forearms against the island and bowed his head, letting the wooden countertop take his weight. The High King was still in the business of redemption.

This book!!! There are so many elements of the plot and characters that I want to emulate in my own novels, and it was an absolute joy to read. If you love involved plots with elements of mystery and memorable characters, you’d better get your hands on a copy!

The Pursuit of God – A.W. Tozer

Others before me have gone much farther into these holy mysteries than I have done, but if my fire is not large it is yet real, and there may be those who can light their candle at its flame.

I’ve been in a bit of a non-fiction reading slump, but I so appreciated this book a couple years back and I’m determined to appreciate it again.:)

The Fellowship of the Ring – J.R.R. Tolkien

It was generally agreed that the joke was in very bad taste, and more food and drink were needed to cure the guests of shock and annoyance.

I’ve decided to finally read through this trilogy for the first time this autumn, and I’m thoroughly enjoying it.

You have put gladness in my heart, more than in the season that their grain and wine increased.

Psalm 4:7

From the journal…

Lord, don’t let my fear overcome my desire for what is good and righteous. I just want to want Your ways completely.

Don’t let me choose tasks based on ease, but on Your heart.

Lord, help me to whole-heartedly love Your will, even when it comes at a great cost to myself.

Lay down your life FOR GOOD on the altar of truest love. If you are nothing else, be a clear channel of the love of Christ.

What are you taking away from this September?

Stay the course!

❤ Laurel

Photo by Sandy Millar on Unsplash

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase something through one of the links I share in this post, I receive a small commission…at no extra cost to you.:)

Poetry

a poem from the archives (a.k.a. last year)

by Laurel Luehmann7 Comments on a poem from the archives (a.k.a. last year)
a poem from the archives (a.k.a. last year)

Hello, friends!

I dug out some of my old poetry the other day and found so many poems I’d forgotten…I touched one up and decided to share it with you here. I hope it blesses you like it did me.❤

oh, My child…

I see the pain in the way

you hold your head so high –

stiff, afraid of being weak,

vulnerable, for you feel that

another scar would be a thousand too many.

I see you, love,

when you’ve crawled to a secret place

to let out the grief

when the sobs rise without bidding,

and you trap the muffled wails deep in your throat.

even when you weep, you’re guarded…

but I see you.

I want you to know that

you can stop tracing the scars,

running your fingers through the pains in your past

as if they were pearls.

I want you to look up…

see Me, love.

aren’t I more to you than your broken dreams?

will you risk it all just to sail with Me?

I need you to trust Me when I say

this does not need to be your last chapter.

I promise…one day you will smile again

without brushing the ghost of this sorrow.

I’m wanting to read some more cozy poetry this autumn…do you have any favorite poets/collections you would recommend? Please drop any ideas in the comments!

Stay the course!

❤ Laurel

Photo by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash