Kathleen Friesen

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A Time to Mourn

11/12/2021

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Photo by Davide Cantelli on Unsplash
The year 2019 was our annus horribilis. In the space of three months, a long-time friend, my husband’s mother, my dad, and my youngest brother died. Stress took its toll, and illness kept me weak and barely functioning for months.

Slowly, I recovered physically, but nothing felt right. A cloud had descended on my soul. I hoped it would disappear as swiftly as the morning fog. Instead, it lingered, deepened.

As that year of misery finally drew to a close, my husband and I forced smiles and agreed, “Next year will be better.” Enter covid-19 and isolation, more broken plans and massive loneliness. This year began with the death of my best friend.

I don’t share this to depress you or ask for sympathy but simply to offer some background. I’d been more than halfway through writing a novel when my words disappeared. You know the saying, “Words fail me”? Yeah, that. The more I tried to create the next scene or even a line, the more frustrated I became. The words I tried to grasp seemed to flit close by and then flutter away like a butterfly.

Again and again, I asked God, “What is wrong with me? Why can’t I accomplish anything? Why am I so tired all the time? Am I just lazy?” After a couple of tweaks to my physical heart, I do have more energy. However, words still played hide-and-seek, taunting me as they stayed out of reach. Perhaps writing was no longer God’s plan for me. Maybe I’d been attempting something for pride’s sake when He had something else designed. So I kept asking Him to show me – and to make it obvious to my fuzzy mind.

One bit of writing remained possible, my posts of Biblical memes on Facebook. As I shared pieces of my heart, I was the one blessed with courage to continue. Then last week, a meme lifted off my screen and into my heart. This verse portion from Ecclesiastes shone a bright light into my darkness: A time to mourn, and a time to dance.

Like a ray of sunshine piercing dark clouds, I realized my burden had a name: Grief. Pieces fell into place, and I felt rather silly for not recognizing it before. Sure, I’d mourned those losses, but shouldn’t it be completed by now? Apparently not. Those wiser than I already knew that grief requires its own timeline, but somehow the recognition of it eased the heaviness in my soul.

Then, as I considered the verse, I sensed my heavenly Father extending His hand to me, whispering, “Come, my child, it’s time. Dance with me.”

“I don’t think I can.” I shook my head. “I don’t know the steps.”

He smiled. “Take My hand, and let Me lead you in the unforced rhythms of grace.” (Matthew 11:29 The Message.)

If you’ve wandered aimlessly in the valley of the shadow as well, I hope you will give yourself grace to mourn. And when the Father extends His hand, grasp it and follow His lead.
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I still don’t know what direction God will lead me regarding writing, but I do know His hand is warm and steady and His steps smooth and purposeful. He will lead me through this valley and into the His glorious future.
 
 
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Book Review: Deadly Target

11/10/2021

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TITLE:  Deadly Target (Rocky Mountain Courage #2)
AUTHOR:  Elizabeth Goddard
DATE:  2021
PUBLISHER: Revell
STARS: ****

From the back cover:
Criminal psychologist Erin Larson's dreams of a successful career come to a screeching halt when she nearly loses her own life in a boating accident on Puget Sound and then learns that her mother tried to commit suicide. She leaves her job as a criminal psychologist to care for her mother in Montana. At least she is able to produce her podcast, which focuses on solving missing persons cold cases.

Nathan Campbell's father was investigating such a case when he was shot, and now Nathan needs to enlist Erin's help to solve the case. She's good at what she does. The only problem? She's his ex.

As the two dig deeper, it becomes clear that they, too, are being targeted--and that the answers to their questions are buried deep within the past Erin struggles to explain and longs to forget.

My review:
If you enjoy twists and turns, deadly secrets and a powerful romance, Deadly Target is a good choice. The first few paragraphs paint a lovely scene, with Erin kayaking with her friend, but not for long. She barely escapes the first incident when a voice from her voice beckons her home to Montana to help her mother. Nathan was the man she fell in love with and hoped to never see again, but Erin can’t refuse his request for help, an agreement that puts them both into grave danger.

Sparks fly between Erin and Nathan, adding heat to the story, and their faith in God comes through in their prayers. The supporting cast added to the mysteries, and the pace kept the pages turning.
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I received a copy of Deadly Intent from the publisher and award it four stars.
 

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November 10th, 2021

11/10/2021

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Book Review: Crosshairs

11/8/2021

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TITLE:  Crosshairs (Natchez Trace Park Rangers #3)
AUTHOR:  Patricia Bradley
DATE:  2021
PUBLISHER: Revell
STARS: ****1/2

From the back cover:
Investigative Services Branch (ISB) ranger Ainsley Beaumont arrives in her hometown of Natchez, Mississippi, to investigate the murder of a three-month-pregnant teenager. While she wishes the visit was under better circumstances, she never imagined that she would become the killer's next target--nor that she'd have to work alongside an old flame.

After he almost killed a child, former FBI sniper Lincoln Steele couldn't bring himself to fire a gun, which had deadly and unforeseen consequences for his best friend. Crushed beneath a load of guilt, Linc is working at Melrose Estate as an interpretive ranger. But as danger closes in on Ainsley during her murder investigation, Linc will have to find the courage to protect her. The only question is, will it be too little, too late?

My review:
Like every Patricia Bradley book I’ve read, Crosshairs starts with a bang and keeps the tension tight to the end. Before I continue, let me say I found two tiny things that kept this review from being five stars: the front cover shows a woman who is obviously heroine Ainsley Beaumont, but unlike in the story, the cover model’s eyes are brown instead of blue. Small detail, but still… The second “less-than” is the ending itself. It felt abrupt and not quite complete.

Other than those two small details, Crosshairs did not disappoint. Scars and secrets from the past – far past in one case – and complex characters in a tangled plot meant I couldn’t put the book down.

Ainsley’s relationship with her father and Linc’s with his best friend’s sister add to the realism of the story as well as the level of tension. Faith plays a minor but important role with Ainsley and Linc, a crucial aspect, as far as I’m concerned.
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Crosshairs is another winner from Patricia Bradley and earns four and a half stars. I was given a copy of this book by the publisher.  

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    I’ve always loved music, even before the writing bug hit. Grace notes are little extras, not the actual melody. Just something that adds to the feel of the music. My desire for this blog is to encourage and bless readers, to share a little grace.

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