Laurel Luehmann

This Life of Mine – book review

March 27, 2023by Laurel LuehmannLeave a Comment

Friends, meet one of my favorite books and the first one I’ve had the privilege of endorsing!

This Life of Mine has earned a forever home on my bookshelf and in my heart. Featuring memorable characters and a powerful stance on the sanctity of life, it had me in tears with its story of redemption in the wake of regret. Victoria Lynn has done it again, weaving a tale that holds out hope to the ones who have been broken…and to the ones who have broken others.
Laurel Luehmann

First off, let me introduce you to the book via the blurb…

Marcus is tired of losing those he loves. The last shred of his childhood has been uprooted, and he feels alone… again. When the ruler’s new policies take effect, the anger of the Rusalkan mountain king is unleashed upon the borderlands. With refugees streaming into Elira by the hundreds, the stories from the wall are horrific.

Marcus joins a convoy to lend his medical skills to those in need at the Eliran border. What he finds there requires him to face his own deformities. Will he be able to overcome them? Or will his life forever be marked by suffering and sacrifice?Dilara’s life as a slave in Rusalka was anything but idealistic. Consumed by a system designed to use, abuse, and discard the likes of her, she has been taken through the very depths. Carrying a traumatic secret and wounded in her frenzied escape, she finds herself with an unlikely protector and an even more confusing relationship. Can she traverse the waters of this new life of hers and make it her own?

“Curses often have a way of turning out to be blessings in disguise. It’s a wise man who will see the first and recognize it as the other.”
This Life Of Mine – The Chronicles of Elira

What I loved about This Life of Mine

The characters.

Even the side characters in this book had so much personality! Everyone was so endearing and just came alive so effortlessly in my mind. (I’ve got to admit that Keitha was probably my favorite side character.:) )

I loved how you got to see the main character’s flaws, too. The characters weren’t unrealistically perfect…they were believable and relatable.

Marcus’ prayers/conversations with God.

Every now and then, there comes a fictional character who challenges you to live your life differently, and Marcus’ effortless open dialogue with the Lord did just that for me.

The recurring imagery and parallels.

Man, oh man. This was so much fun. It was the ashes one that got me.

The reveal.

I can’t say much about this because of spoilers, but WOW. This was one plot twist I never saw coming, and the absolute beauty…

“Pain shared brings healing instead of making the wound grow deeper with each remembrance.”
this life of mine – The chronicles of elira

Intrigued? Purchase a copy from Amazon here or a signed copy here!

This Life of Mine is the second book in Victoria Lynn’s series, The Chronicles of Elira, but this book can also be read as a standalone! If you’re interested in hearing more about the first book in the series, check out my review of Once I Knew here.

Meet the author

Victoria Lynn has an insatiable desire for truth, light and beauty.

Traveling to destinations of beauty created by our Heavenly Father, reveling in creative pursuits that fill her with joy, or pouring her heart into words of life are some of her favorite things to do.

She seeks to bring the life giving words of the Savior to a dark and broken world that desperately needs to know of His sacrifice.

A writing and publishing coach, author, journalist, seamstress and creator, she loves spending time with any of her 8 siblings, exploring her native state of Michigan, and sewing gowns fit for a princess.

Victoria’s content just blesses me so much…be sure to check out her blog and Instagram account!

Poetry

love lets go – a poem

March 13, 2023by Laurel Luehmann14 Comments

Every now and then I write a poem that I just want to read over and over again. This is one of those poems.

they told me love lets go,

and I replied, “it can’t be so”,

for to love is to show the loved

how much you care…

how much you need them there.

but slowly I am learning…

love smiles and waves

as the loved one walks away

on a path marked “God’s clear calling”.

the songs were wrong –

love doesn’t long

for eternal nearness only…

love goes deeper

farther

wider…

longs for the good of the loved

even when the good of the loved is

goodbye.

they told me love lets go…

and I folded empty hands

and I replied,

“yes, it is so.”

Photo by Marc-Olivier Jodoin on Unsplash

Book Reviews, Journaling, Personal, reading

February memories – 2023

March 6, 2023by Laurel Luehmann3 Comments

I have run out of original introductions for these posts. So here you are!

Things worth remembering

getting my teeth bejeweled
learning how to jig
finishing the Sue Thomas, F.B.Eye series with my sisters
speed walking behind my sister on roller skates for what had to be miles
many games of Rummikub with my family
realizing that not all potato pancakes are created equal
writing the outline for Project Redemption in two days

It does not matter how great the pressure is. What really matters is where the pressure lies – whether it comes between you and God, or whether it presses you nearer His heart.
Hudson taylor

What I’ve been reading

The Gryphon Heist – James R. Hannibal

“Also you are very small, no? You need the help.”

Eddie turned and walked away.

Man, oh man, was this an exciting read! I was very pleasantly surprised to find that, not only was it void of junk, it also had some cool forgiveness elements, as well. A great balance of action, banter, character depth, and plot twists.

Becoming Elisabeth Elliot – Ellen Vaughn

“He is my Rock. it is on Him I count, not on the purity of my own heart…His promises depend on His character, NOT MINE. This is the only foundation for faith.”

Yes, I’m still reading it…yes, I’m still loving it. (It does get a bit descriptive with some of the injury scenes, so if that’s something that disturbs you, be forewarned.)

The Magician’s Nephew – C.S. Lewis

The Bear lobbed the whole sticky mass over the top of the enclosure and unfortunately it hit Uncle Andrew slap in the face (not all the bees were dead). The Bear, who would not at all have minded being hit in the face by a honeycomb himself, could not understand why Uncle Andrew staggered back, slipped, and sat down. And it was sheer bad luck that he sat down on the pile of thistles.

I just finished this one! It was so fun to read it again.

(I also got to beta-read a dual-timeline novel that hasn’t been published yet.)

Teach me never to let the joy of what has been pale the joy of what is.
Elisabeth Elliot

From the journal

…thank You, Lord, that the love does not come from my meager resources, but from the incredible depths of Your love.

Purify my heart, Lord…let self-will die a quiet death in me.

Help me to live in pursuit of Your heart, Father. And yet it is not a pursuit…for You ask me to knock, and tell me it will be opened to me, and all I must do is keep in step with Your Spirit.

What memories/lessons are you taking away from February?

❤ Laurel

Uncategorized

More haikus!

February 20, 2023by Laurel Luehmann11 Comments

Hello, friends!

Remember the haiku roundup I shared awhile ago? Here’s a sequel.:)

clumsy

what love it would take

to die to win a heart that

loves so clumsily!

effervescence

her effervescence

spilled from a deeper spring than

her frail emotions.

guitar

vibrating steel sings,

bouncing beauty through a void

and echoing joy.

laurel

You were crowned victor –

yet You placed the laurel wreath

on my guilty head.

starlight

starlight pricks the sky…

shatters the hold of darkness…

offers midnight hope.

diamond

diamond in the rough –

mere carbon turned gem by the

press of deepest pain.

Thank you to all of the Instagram friends who shared the prompts with me!

Did you have a favorite haiku?

❤ Laurel

Uncategorized

A roundup of old posts + poems on love

February 13, 2023by Laurel Luehmann3 Comments

Hello, friends!

I haven’t written anything specifically for Valentine’s Day this year, but I found some old posts I’d written along those lines and thought they were worth sharing again.

The Valentine’s Day Post – February 2021

Honest-to-goodness true love... The stuff that remains when all the beauty and romance of life is gone. When there are no happy emotions. When sin has left deep, open wounds on the heart and there seems to be nothing left but hurt. When everything that’s in you screams to leave it all and run…

Love is what picks up the pieces and painfully carries on when the road is so broken, life seems to have no direction or meaning anymore.

Love suffers long, and it’s kind.

I love it when my old writings come back and encourage me. XD You can read the full post here, if you’d like!

Straight from the Journal – Tough Gentle Love – January 2021

True love is to walk according to God’s commandments. “be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous;” (1 Peter 3:8)

I want this tough gentle love for others, Lord.

Read the whole post here!

Love Song – A Poem – March 2021

I wonder what I did

with these dirty hands

to earn

Your faithfulness

how could I be so

vile

and yet so

loved

by the God of

holiness?

One of my earlier poems…read the full poem here!

First Love – a poem – March 2022

You haven’t changed…

my heart has calloused.

Read the full poem here!

So tell me – when it comes to Valentine’s Day, are you an Ebenezer Scrooge or a Bob Cratchit? And what are some of the ways you encourage yourself to love God and others with more sincerity?

❤ Laurel

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January review – 2023

February 6, 2023by Laurel Luehmann11 Comments

And it’s the first review post of 2023!

Things worth remembering…

skits on New Years Day
gingerbread house creation
“bowling” night
many intense games of floor hockey
Clarion Hope’s cover reveal!!
making dragon eggs (they “smelled something sinful” and I won’t be doing it again)
getting yummy breakfasts delivered to the skid loader
not losing my eyesight
hiking
discovering that stinging nettle tea is actually delicious

God reveals Himself in rearview mirrors.
Ann voskamp

What I’ve been reading…

Romanov – Nadine Brandes

“Revenge would have shattered us both. But you’ve given us the opportunity to be strong. To mend our hearts instead of break them further.”

I’ve been fascinated by the tragic story of the Romanovs for years, and I really enjoyed this fantastical take on it. While it was a bit more gruesome than I would have liked, I loved the characters and the epic plot twists so much.

The Magician’s Nephew – C.S. Lewis

“In fact, Digory, you are now talking to the last man (possibly) who really had a fairy godmother…”

“I bet she was a bad fairy,” thought Digory…

I’m rereading this book with several of my friends from Bible study, and it’s been so much fun!

The Scarlet Pimpernel – Baroness Emmuska Orczy

The same deep, intense love was still there, on both sides, but each now seemed to have a secret orchard, into which the other dared not penetrate.

I’m really enjoying this story that takes place during the French Revolution!

Becoming Elisabeth Elliot – Ellen Vaughn

Her presupposition – that we are to die to self, and it is only in dying that we actually find real life – informed her views about life choices, time management, risk avoidance, public opinion…everything. This is why she was radical. This is why her life continues to be relevant today.

I’m really enjoying this deep look into the early years of one of my spiritual heroes!

The flesh must die though the heart may break – spare not the pain, oh, spare not the pain.
Ruth bell graham

From the journal…

Oh, God, help me to hold it all with open hands. Time and time again, you’ve set just the right people in my life at just the right times.

I find it so interesting that God asked the Israelites to go up to battle against Benjamin two times to suffer great loss. They came weeping to the Lord both times to ask His will, and still He told them to go up against them. Oh, strengthen me, Father, to fight boldly when You command and yet it ends in defeat.

“The Lord sat enthroned at the flood…” (Psalm 29:10) In the middle of mass destruction and the greatest catastrophe the world has ever known, the Lord retained His rule.

May I not let go merely because I hope to see You give back again. May I watch dreams burn to ashes, never to return, while still trusting the faithfulness of my God.

What were some things that you enjoyed this January?

❤ Laurel

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Thoughts from four years ago

January 30, 2023by Laurel Luehmann8 Comments

In going through some old papers, I found this little piece I wrote almost exactly four years ago and thought it would be fun to share here.

The sun was warm on my hair, yet the wind blew its frosty breath in my face as I walked through the browned grasses. The solid feeling of the frozen earth beneath my feet was so ordinary…yet so wonderful.

Wisps of cloud scudded across an ocean of powder-blue sky, hovering over the golden stubble of a cornfield lately reaped. A solitary cornstalk or two stood defiantly at the horizon, piercing the sky.

I filled my lungs with the frigid air and released it again. The vapor dispersed in the wind. I could hear the wind rushing through the grasses, swelling and fading by turns in its song. I had never been to the sea, but I liked to think that it sounded like the wind in dry grasses.

Maybe someday I’ll know.

But today holds so much. So much to love, so much to feel. So many things for which to praise God.

More things than the sand by the sea.

❤ Laurel Luehmann, January 24th, 2019

I find it pretty neat that exactly two years after that was written, I was staying by the ocean for the first time. God’s timing is incredible.✨

Poetry, writing updates

Clarion Hope Cover Reveal

January 25, 2023by Laurel Luehmann13 Comments

Behold: the shell of the soul-words that cry for beauty on the battlefields.

This cover makes me so happy, and I feel that it truly represents the poetry inside. There are some deeper meanings beneath the design that I’ll delve into someday soon, but for now, the important details!

*insert a “pay attention” sort of cough*

the official info

dare to dream that there’s more than this broken road,

and that beauty may lie on tomorrow’s edge…

A sequel of sorts to the author’s debut collection, Clarion Hope takes the spark of courage held out in This Will Not Last and fans it into a roaring flame. Over and over again, scars are healed, brokenness is bathed in tears, and fear is buried in the name of the truth and hope of the highest order.

For the boldest warriors and the faint-hearted alike, Clarion Hope is a battle cry to live in the light of the coming Kingdom.

Clarion Hope officially releases on April 4th, 2023, but you can preorder it now and have it shipped just before release day so you can hold it in your hands (and read it!) on April 4th.

Preorder it on Amazon

Preorder it on Barnes & Noble

Mark Clarion Hope as “to-read” on Good r eads

Ahh, I’m so excited.:) Who’s with me??

❤ Laurel

writing updates

Want to join my street team?

January 12, 2023January 12, 2023by Laurel Luehmann7 Comments

Hello friends!

The date for Clarion Hope’s cover reveal and preorders opening is less than two weeks away, and I’d like to invite you to join The Couriers of Triumph (my super fancy name for my street team) and help me spread the glad tidings!

Please and thank you.

🙂

What will this involve?

Basically as a street team member, your job is to spread the word as far as it will go and get everyone excited about the release! All of my marketing is through word of mouth, so this is super important.

If you fill out the application form, you’ll get an email next week with some graphics and sample social media posts to get you started. (Yes, this does mean you’ll get a peek at the cover before the rest of the world does!) I’ll send all of the extra details you’ll need in that email, as well.

You can share through blog posts, Facebook, or Instagram!

Sound like fun? Sign up through this form!

Also: if you’ve already joined my street team in the past, you don’t have to sign up again! To opt out, just let me know and I’ll remove you from the email list.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask them!✨

❤ Laurel

Journaling, Personal, reading

December memories – 2022

January 2, 2023by Laurel Luehmann12 Comments

The first post of 2023 and the last review of a month in 2022!

The one who pursues righteousness and faithful love will find life, righteousness, and honor.
Proverbs 21:21

Things worth remembering

cohosting a 12 days of Christmas poetry challenge on Instagram with my friend Alexandria
family time and baby snuggles
visiting Chicago for the first time
Christmas shopping with Brother #1
surviving the blizzard-y weather and re-learning how to navigate ice with a tractor and mixer
getting my car stuck for the first time
seeing some gorgeous sundogs on Christmas Eve morning
not hitting the unsuspecting man at the bottom of the sledding hill (I knew my habit of screaming would come in handy sometime)
highly competitive games of floor hockey and Spoons
jumping on the junk journal wagon with a LITERAL junk journal

We meet no ordinary people in our lives.
c.S. Lewis

What I’ve been reading

A Thousand Gifts – Ann Voskamp

The Eucharist invites us to give thanks for dying. To participate in His death with our own daily dying and give thanks for it.

I love the raw honesty and poetic beauty of this book.

Between Two Worlds – Cheyenne van Langevelde

“Sharing thy concerns with someone is never a burden. It is only a burden upon thyself and other people when thou holdest it all in.”

It had been a while since I’d read a book set in the Roman empire, so it was fun to switch things up again!

Life is so urgent, it necessitates living slow.
Ann Voskamp

From the journal

You have asked me to stick out like a sore thumb in Your name!

Oh, Lord, give me the fortitude of mind to heed the homing call in my heart that screams for eternity.

My attitude towards dealing with my shortcomings and blatant sins has been to roll in the shame, instead of saying “in which we also once walked” and filling my mind with what God loves.

Now for the question you’re probably tired of hearing by now…what are you looking forward to in 2023?

Photo by Elisa H on Unsplash