Book Review: A Fortress of Mist by Sigmund Brouwer

Fortress of Mist by Sigmund Brouwer continues the story of Thomas that was started in The Orphan King.  Now the ruler of Magnus, an impregnable fortress, Thomas still has more questions than answers about who he is and what the "secret of Magnus" is.  Confusing matters even more, a friend turns out to be a foe, and another friend has disappeared.  And Thomas is caught between two sides, two sides which refuse even to identify who they are.  Will Thomas ever get answers to his growing number of questions?

This story takes place during the Middle Ages and it pits the druids against the Christians.  It seems that Thomas has to choose a side, but all of the information he needs to make a decision is kept from him.

The reader wonders the same thing, "Will I ever get answers to all of my questions?"  Thomas isn't the only one kept in the dark, and I had hoped that this novel would have answered more questions than it did.  I find it frustrating to be ignorant of so much while reading a book.  I don't know if I will continue this series because of the lack of information, but I also can't help but wonder who Hawkwood and Katherine are, and more so, who the Immortals are.

I want to thank WaterBrook Multnomah for my review copy of this book, but my opinions are my own.

Monday's Quote: Who Does Your Time Really Belong To?

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Last week, I gave you a quote from The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis about how easily domestic hatred can be caused by family members just by the tone of voice or timing of a simple question.

In this one, Screwtape advises his nephew to encourage his "patient" to think of time as belonging to him -- that when someone wastes his time, he should be affronted.  "It is the unexpected visitor (when he looked forward to a quiet evening), or the friend's talkative wife (turning up when he looked forward to a tete-a-tete with the friend), that throws him out of gear."

And all the time the joke is that the word "mine" in its fully possessive sense cannot be uttered by a human being about anything.  In the long run either Our Father or the Enemy will say "mine" of each thing that exists, and specially of each man.  They will find out in the end, never fear, to whom their time, their souls, and their bodies really belong -- certainly not to them, whatever happens.  

I know that I am guilty of feeling like things, especially time, belong to me.  I get upset when someone, usually one of my children, wastes my time with frivolous requests.  I need to remember to treat this time as a gift from God, one that He wants me to use for His Kingdom not my desires.  When my children ask me to read them a book, listen to a story, or play a game, it is as if the request comes from Him since that is the job He has give me right now.  Oh, how I need this reminder daily!

More than that, everything that I have comes from my gracious, heavenly Father.  I need to treasure His gifts and use them for His glory.

What do you think?

Finished Object Friday: A Doily and a Blanket

When I told you a while ago that I hadn't done anything except unpack boxes as my home improvement project, I wasn't quite being honest.  I didn't mean to be deceptive, but I hadn't finished this flowery doily yet, so I didn't think it counted.  But it's done now, and I plan to get it framed.  I've seen things like this framed, and I like the way it looks.  Hopefully, I'll be able to take it tomorrow; it's what I told John that I wanted for Mother's Day.

I also finished this blanket last week after the doily.  I plan to donate it to the local pregnancy center.  The variegation is prettier in real life than the picture shows.

What have you been working on lately?

3 in 30: A Successful, Homebound Week

Trying on Daddy's shoe.

This week was a little quieter than I meant it to be, or even than I wanted it.  Daniel came down with a fever, which was his only symptom, on Tuesday.  He still had it Wednesday so we couldn't go to story time at the library.  That's okay; there's another story time at a different library on Thursday (where I really wanted to go anyway because the other mothers were friendlier there).  But Daniel still had that pesky fever yesterday.  So we were home all week instead of getting out at least once.  Believe it or not, my car hasn't been driven since Sunday when we went to church.  I must admit that we're getting a little stir crazy.  Hopefully, Daniel is better today so we can get out and do something.  Except that the termite people are coming this morning.  *Sigh*

Anyway, Wednesday was National Chocolate Chip Day, and we had to celebrate.  With Daniel being sick, we couldn't do everything I had planned.  I didn't think it would be good to make cookies and not let Daniel help.  And I really didn't want him to help, with him being sick and everything.  But we did have chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast.  Yum!

Since we were home so much, I was able to get a bunch unpacked and put away.  One of the things we found was a combination game that includes checkers and Chinese checkers.  I taught Sarah Beth and Daniel how to play, and we've had great fun with those games.

And we received a fun package from my mother.  She made Sarah Beth and Rachel new dresses that are adorable!  They love them and were so excited to wear them yesterday.

Here's how I did with my goals this week:

• Continue unpacking, sorting, and putting away.  As I said above, I got a bunch done.  I got five boxes unpacked, sorted, and put away.  Writing it like that, it doesn't sound like that much, but it certainly felt like it!  I think I have less than five boxes left to go.  Whoohoo!  Then I will need to go back through the house, looking for places for everything that got unpacked without being put away.  
• Work on my laziness when it comes to getting out of bed and getting the laundry folded.  I've done pretty well with this goal this week.  I'm pleased.
• Bake something new every week, trying them out at the lunches after church.  I tried this Cookie Stuffed Brownie recipe, and it was okay.  John and I agreed that we prefer our chocolate chip cookies, Oreos, and brownies separate.  I also tried this recipe for Crescent Chicken but not for the church potluck.  It was really good, a keeper for sure!  Thanks, Tracey, for finding and sharing the recipe!

How did you do this week?

This post is linked with Aurie at Welcome to Our Good Life 3in30.

Happy National Chocolate Chip Day!

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Today is National Chocolate Chip Day, and it's a day that I just can't let slip by us without celebrating.  I thought it could be one of our "Fun School Days."  I tried to think of ways to incorporate chocolate chips into every meal, but I'm just not sure if I can.  Here are my thoughts:

• chocolate chip oatmeal for breakfast:  The kids didn't want chocolate chip pancakes.
• peanut butter and chocolate chip sandwiches for lunch:  Why not?
• chocolate chip cookies for snack:  We'll have to make some first.
• supper?  I can't think of anything, but the kids think chocolate chip pancakes would be good.  John doesn't, though, and I have to agree.

I sure am glad that I bought a big bag of chocolate chips last week at the grocery store.  Maybe we'll even find some books about chocolate chips on our trip to the library later today.

How are you celebrating National Chocolate Chip Day?

Monday's Quote: Domestic Hatred

I'm currently reading The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis, and I thought I would share with you a little of it.  If you haven't read it, this book is a series of letters supposedly written by a senior devil to his nephew giving him advice on how best to tempt his "patient," the man he is assigned to.  Of course, everything is reversed:  the Enemy is Jesus Christ, vices are good things, and virtues are bad.

In this quote, Screwtape tells Wormwood how to take advantage of our natural proclivities to take offense at meaningless trifles, specifically comments between two people who live together such as a man and his mother, in this case.

In civilised life domestic hatred usually expresses itself by saying things which would appear quite harmless on paper (the words are not offensive) but in such a voice, or at such a moment, that they are not far short of a blow in the face.  To keep this game up you and Glubose [the devil assigned to the "patient's" mother] must see to it that each of these two fools has a sort of double standard.  Your patient must demand that all his own utterances are to be taken at their face value and judged simply on the actual words, while at the same time judging all his mother's utterances with the fullest and most oversensitive interpretation of the tone and the context and the suspected intention.  She must be encouraged to do the same to him.  Hence from every quarrel they can both go away convinced, or very nearly convinced, that they are quite innocent.  You know the kind of thing:  "I simply ask her what time dinner will be and she flies into a temper."  Once this habit is well established you have the delightful situation of a human saying things with the express purpose of offending and yet having a grievance when offence is taken.

Have you ever had a fight or "discussion" like this one?  I know that I have with John, where he said something that I immediately took offense at, even though he didn't mean it that way.  Reading this passage reminds me to be careful even with little comments because the little things can turn into big ones.  May we turn this passage around and strive to take the other's words at face value while judging our own tones and contexts.

3 in 30: Some Progress

After dispatching the baby, Mary is looking for her next victim.

We spent another quiet week at home, for the most part.  Sarah Beth and Rachel ran a low grade fever early in the week, but we were able to go to the library yesterday for story time.  Priorities!

And she spots her next target.

Another foe appeared to steal Mary's attention!

But here's how I did with my goals:

• Continue unpacking, sorting, and putting away.  I did fairly well with unpacking this week.  There's still a good bit left to do, but most of it is done.  The big thing I did was go through the boxes in the girls' room.  I have a bunch of stuff to take to the pregnancy center.
• Work on my laziness when it comes to getting out of bed and getting the laundry folded.  I'm getting better about getting out of bed when my alarm goes off, although it's still taking longer than it should.  I guess I could say the same thing about the laundry:  I'm getting better, but it's still taking longer than it should.
• Bake something new every week, trying them out at the lunches after church.  When I really went through my untried recipes, I discovered why I haven't tried them yet.  They're too involved or take too long or are just too difficult.  So I didn't take anything new to church last week.  However, I pinned this recipe today, and I plan to try it this weekend.  What could be better than a chocolate chip cookie topped by an Oreo topped by a brownie?  Unless you put ice cream on top.  Yum!
  

Now she's coming for you!

How did you do this week?

This post is linked up with Aurie at Welcome to Our Good Life 3in30.