And it rained for how many days?

I woke up to this beautiful Sunday to rain. Rain pounding on my window, drenching my poor pugs outside, rain flooding the streets outside, rain, rain, rain. Yet, I praise God for the rain. When it rains it makes me think of God even more. It's a constant reminder of God and his love. Some people make dread or loath the rain but I love it. I love what it does; it helps the crops and the outcome is a beautiful rainbow (maybe sometimes a double one!). Yes, sometimes rain can not have as nice attributes, like leaks in a home but maybe it's God trying to get a hold of us? Really get our attention. Reminding us that He is always there. I guess I can't really speak for God because He can do that all by himself, but that's how I see it sometimes.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful winter season! Hope you haven't had to experience some crazy shopper madness! At the mall yesterday some dude jumped in front of a car and had to go to the  hospital. Is that deal that important people?!?!?!??! Your life means so much more!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh yea! If you are a dedicated reader who is craving some great deals to help your bank account. Gospelebooks.net is a great site! They update everyday with great free ebooks and yes they are all christian fiction/nonfiction), but it's really great and I totally recommend it. [If anyone out there wants to pass on another website of free ebooks (mainly kindle) that I do not know of and want to tell me leave a comment I would love to check it out!]

Have a great Sunday!

In His Loving Name,
Taylor

Christmas Lights!!!

I helped with putting the Christmas lights up at my house. It was simple and I thought it was a lot of work. It got me to thinking of those houses that are so decked out and are synced to music! Have you seen those? So crazy! On YouTube I saw this one house that goes to "Gangnam Style", now you might have already seen this since anything related to that song is put out into the media like crazy but I wanted to put it up anyways. I commend these people that takes some skill!

 

I got my very first Christmas card a few days ago! A card  just for me! So cool! I definitely want to start doing my own as well. Now I have a year to get this brain to start ticking and thinking of some great, unique and  creative ideas! It must stand apart from all other Christmas cards! Maybe my face on a cookie? Hey, I've got a year my ideas don't have to be awesome yet. 

I would recommend a book today but there are soooo many. I know that basically all the Christian publishers are putting a lot of their books on super sale for the Kindle. I'm about to pass out because I think of all these books I want, but I really need to get a hold of this. Wish me luck to resist the temptation! Just remember Philippians 4:13 Taylor, Philippians 4:13...4:13...

I pray that your Christmas is amazing! Praise you Jesus!

In His Loving Name, 

Taylor

I read books faster than they can print them

I always wonder what my fad with reading books all the time looks like from the outside. Like how people have crazy addictions like eating parts of their couch or drinking nail polish, etc, etc and as the viewer you're thinking, "How do those people do that?" The same goes for me and reading. It has great aspects and then there is a dark side.

The great aspect is that who doesn't love to get away from the outside world and escape into another person's life!? I really love books for this. I love getting to meet new "people" and maybe learning history facts  (some authors are really good at using a real part of history with their story). Well anyways my addiction with books has been shadowing me for quite some time and I see the bad affects is has. One: Money. Shesh books are expensive. But I think of how cool it is to promote authors especially Indie authors. Yet, if I were to tally the X amount of dollars I have spent the past maybe three years I think I would vomit. Thank you  Jesus with all my heart for finally placing me in a job.

Another bad part is once I start a book there is no going back from stopping. Let's see for example I bought a book last night (it was really, really, really, really, goooood) at around 10pm. Then I started to read......then I looked at the clock and it was 4 AM! whoa.....Then I woke up this morning and just finished it. I almost feel bad that I read them so fast. I mean this author poured their life into it for who knows how long and then I read their book in less then two days. Eh, maybe it's a compliment to them?

Hm....I don't know if there is a recovery plan for Book Addicts but I think I need to limit for sure....That will be my New Year's Resolution.

It's raining today and I shivering under three blankets. What's the weather like for you?

Recommendation of the Day: "A Distant Melody" by Sarah Sundin. (If you are wondering, yes, this is the book that I started last night.)

It's Sunday and I really itching to read some great passages from the Bible. I'm in the middle of Isaiah, pretty powerful stuff. I really loved the verse 26:4 

"Trust in the Lord forever, 

for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal." (NIV)

It's simple and when I'm having a tough day it's great to just say to myself to remind me of the greatness of God. That He is my Rock eternal-forever-he's never gonna let me down. Hope you're having a great Sunday~ 

In His Loving Name, 

Taylor

The Weather is so DELIGHTFULLY FREEZING

It's winter folks! 

Man is it COLD! It doesn't even snow where I live! I feel like such a wimp. Don't get me wrong I love winter! I love the rain! It's the weather where I drink diet hot coco (p.s. for only 25 calories it is delicious and you don't have to sacrafice flavor) and curl under the blankets reading books on my kindle app on my ipod touch that has seen better days.

My sister asked me what books I read when I was her age and I was stumped. What was I reading back nine years ago? All I could come up with was the Unfortunate Series and The Chronicles of Narnia. I didn't get this passion-maybe obsession- for reading until about the end of junior high. Do you remember what you were reading nine years ago?

Then this got me to thinking about my most favorite book. This also stumped me. I don't have a favorite. I have multiples and I could re-read them. I really loved books that challenged me and made me have to think, but a good book that just passes the time is always a joy.

As I am writing this the heater finally kicked on and I am praising God that He had the heater created! If I don't warm up even with the heater's help I will just have to accept the fact that I will never be warm until it is summer time. Let the countdown for summer begin!  I guess there is a plus for winter though, and is that it gives everyone a craving for baked goods! Yummy~ My family bought a cake mix box when I was at work and when I got home and saw the box it was begging me to bake it! I mean how could I not? So I MADE IT! Then I had the first bite, then the second, then the third........I will just do a workout video from Youtube and it will be all worth it! Everyone should have a little sweetness of baked goods in their life everyone now and then.

It's raining right now and I just about now feeling the sugar rush from that generously layered chocolate cake. So I best be going now before I forget to the whole purpose of writing today!

Oh, I have a question to anyone who might read this: What is your favorite book(s) to read under the covers with a cup of hot coco/tea? Leave you comments in the box below and let me know! Reeaders have to stick together and recommend some books!

My Recommendation of the Day: "Cool Beans: A Maya Davis Novel" by Erynn Mangum
[MAJOR PLUS:  This book is free for the Kindle. I don't know for how long but I mean who can turn down a free book? And a good one at that?] I enjoyed this book. It was fast, easy, fun and clean. Can't ask for more. :) If you love this book and need to finish Maya's story-which consists of two more books- I know they are on sale on paperback right now and also on the Kindle. Go read em'!

Here is a picture of some coffee to set the reading mood!

Have a great rest of your Saturday night~!


In His Loving Name,
Taylor

Light a Candle

Such tragedy today. My heart weeps for the people of Newtown, Connecticut.  I have been praying for them all day.

Light a candle in remembrance. There is a website called CLARO that sells candles and gives 50 percent of their profits to organizations. After they heard what happened they immediately made it that 100 percent of every candle bought will go towards the families affected helping with medical bills and funeral costs. The website is here: http://clarocandles.com/#candles

*Note* These people at CLARO have no idea that I wrote about them on my blog. I just really wanted to share this because it moved my heart and I believe it's an amazing thing they are doing to help in this tough time.

Again, I pray for the families and I pray that the Lord gives them comfort.


In His Loving Name,
Taylor

Finals, Winter Break, and the Birth of Jesus (Christmas)

These past couple of weeks I have had a hectic couple of weeks. Along with school finals and studying (I tried I really did!) and going to work which means working later hours for the Christmas season AND trying to maintain having at the top of my list God I have forgotten about this blog. I've only reviewed two books and that's sad because I have read of lot of books! A lot of them and I haven't written a sentence if I liked them or not. I kind of read books like how some people binge eat, I read so much that I don't even take time to let that book digest in my head. So I really want to buckle down and limit my free time book reading to one a week-and this is going to be a huge struggle.

I am officially on winter break for the next six weeks! So long! I am so pumped! I also have a lot of reading to do just for my classes so I know I have a lot of time to get those done. I was going to post something last Sunday but my computer had a meltdown. It wouldn't turn on and I was devastated and just frustrated because finals was the next WEEK! I mean how am I suppose to write essays? By hand?!?!?!? God really taught my patience that day. I went into church real frustrated but at the end I was totally calm I told God, "Ok God, I know this was all apart of your plan. So I'm going to do my best to go along with it and take it as a blessing. Bare with me here." Yet, the moment I left church I was a crabby mc.crabster to my family. I mean gross who likes being rude to their own family? Not me for sure! So I apologized and I had my quite time with God and guess what my computer came back to life! It was a miracle. Praise God and His greatness!

It's beginning to look and feel a lot like Christmas~!

Yay the holidays! This is my  most fav holiday ever! I mean it's the birth of our Savior Jesus! This holiday shows the great love that God has for us. The story of Jesus' birth starts Luke 2 and it's amazing. The whole story. Jesus came down from Heaven to be born a child, Jesus could have came down just as he was, be the most richest man in the world, but he didn't and that gets me choked up. Christmas is basically God saying, "I love you", "I am for you", and "I am for you" and John 3:16 says exactly that, but I also want to add in the next verse John 3:17 which says,

"God did not send His son to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."

 So if you're reading this and don't believe in Jesus as the Son of God who died for our sins. That he was just another man I just want to challenge you with one thing. Imagine the greatest love you have ever felt, was it amazing? Well that love pales in comparison to God's. The feeling you experienced that was the most loved you ever felt might not last forever but God's will. Christmas is God also saying that He is always there for us so there is no need to feel alone. Matthew 1:23 says, "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel-which means, "God with us." 

God is everywhere. I really like how C.S.Lewis described God's presence.

“We may ignore, but we can nowhere evade the presence of God. The world is crowded with Him."

I hope this was somewhat fun to read. I'm always learning something new when it comes to God. I pray that you have a wonderful and safe Christmas and New Year's!

In His Loving Name, 
Taylor