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Man-ificent Monday: Udi Karni
Manificent Mondays are back! This week's cutie is actually from my side of the world. Udi Karni is an Israeli athlete turned model. Aren't his eyes gorgeous? And I love his lips.
Word(s) to Describe: Cutie pie. Gorgeous.
Inspirational Sunday
"All the believers were united in heart and mind."
Acts 4:32
Rae's Thought: This is a previous post. I'm going to focus on lessons 21st century Christians can learn from 1st century Christians.
Lesson #1: Believers should be united in heart and mind. Somewhere between the first century and now, Christians became divided over the legalities (how to worship God, church laws, what should be worn, etc) of Christianity. Now, we have several groups separated - and sometimes even warring - with each other. But it wasn't always like this. There was a time, in the infant stage of Christianity, when believers were just that...believers.
Christianity was birthed during the first century. At that time, the death/resurrection of Jesus was fresh on believers' minds. Some believed because they witnessed the events first-hand, while others became believers simply because they heard and chose to believe. Either way, the Bible says they were "united in heart and mind." There were no Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, etc. They were just Christians - those who believed in the resurrected Savior, the Son of God. They may have disagreed with each other on certain things, but still they were united.
We, as twenty-first century believers, must become united. Sometimes we get so stuck on whose way is better, on who's the better believer, that we forget that it isn't about us, but about God. When we focus on the differences, not only do we become divided, but we also take the focus off of God and put it on us.
The Bible later tells us that "God's great blessing was upon them all" (Acts 4:33). Do you know how much more God would bless us if we move our focus of off us and put it on Him? Do you know how big of an impact we can have on this world if we were united in heart and mind. We live in a dark world, thirsty and desperate for light. WE can be that light. But first, we need to get over our differences and realize that, under all the legalities, we're all believers who love and believe in Jesus, the Son of God and the resurrected Savior.
Random Thoughts Thursday: I'm Baaaaaack!
I know. I've neglected this blog in the midst of my moving. It's just been...crazy, ya know? But I'm back.
This blog is like the oldest child. Born first, had "mommy's" attention for a while, basked in the awesomeness that is being the only child then BAM! Another child comes along and steals the spotlight. Now, "mommy" is paying more attention to the younger child than she is the 1st one. Yes, my attention was pulled away to my 2nd "baby" (my other blog), but it doesn't mean I love this baby any less.
I'm the oldest
child in my family, by the way. While it may have been cool being the only child for my first four years, I'm so glad my parents had my brother (4 years younger than me) and my sister (6 years younger than me). When they were born, they were my babies. Who needed baby dolls when I had real babies in the house? I love them to death. Even in adulthood, they're my punkins...my babies. :)
So anyway, I'm back. I may not be back at full capacity yet what with school about to start and this being my first year teaching in another country...but I'll be blogging as much as I can.
Ahhhh! It feels so good to be back!
Please be patient...
I arrived in Abu Dhabi last night. It'll take some time to get used to things and get settled in, so please be patient with me. I'll be back posting in no time. Promise. Until then, follow my adventures in Abu Dhabi on my other blog, The International Diva (www.theinternationaldiva.blogspot.com).
See ya soon!
ARC Review: A Silken Thread
Author: Brenda Jackson
Genre: Romance,
Release: April, 2011
Source: Netgalley
Rating: 3/5
Description: For Erica Sanders, finding a soul mate was the easy part. Brian Lawson is the man she wants, and everyone agrees they're the ideal couple. Almost everyone. The one exception is Erica's mother, Karen, who prefers her daughter marry another man. Karen even hires a private detective to investigate Brian, but the truth he uncovers is the last thing she expected—a devastating betrayal that rips both families apart.
Convinced that her relationship can't be salvaged, Erica ends her engagement. Yet she has lingering doubts over her decision, especially once Brian's attractive single neighbor starts pursuing him. A chance meeting proves that the passion between Brian and Erica hasn't dimmed—but neither has the determination of others to keep them apart, or the shocking lengths Karen will go to in order to undermine her daughter's relationship.
As secrets old and new are revealed, Erica and Brian find themselves caught between the bonds of the past and an uncertain future, each making painful discoveries about who to believe and trust. Masterfully told and laced with the sensuality and drama that Brenda Jackson does best, this is an unforgettable story of relationships at their most complex, and how hard it can be to choose between living separate lives—or holding fast when love hangs by a silken thread…
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
- The fact that Erica was so quick to believe the worse in Brian. When something came up against him, she was quick to believe he did it.
- As much as I wanted to care for the relationship between Erica and Brian...I didn't. Well, not much anyway. It lacked spark...kind of boring.
- The story was slow at times, especially in the beginning.
- Despite the fact that their relationship was a bit boring to me, I still liked the fact that they get together despite the obstacles that tried to keep them apart. What's a romance without a happy ending?
- I loved the subplots more than I did the main plot. The relationship between April, Erica's best friend and Griffin, the man Erica's mom really wanted her to marry and the one between Rita, Brian's mom, and Wilson, Erica's still married father were more interesting. I really wanted to see what happened to them.
- The scandal/deceit/unexpected love made the book interesting.
ARC Review: Midnight Caller
Author: Leslie Tentler
Genre: Romance, Suspense, Mystery, Paranormal
Release: February, 2011
Source: Netgalley
Rating: 3.5/5
Description: Late-night radio-show psychologist Rain Sommers is used to the crazies who call in to rage from the back alleys of the French Quarter and the shadows of the bayou. But one caller's chilling obsession with her and her long-ago murdered mother—an iconic singer beloved among the city's Goth community—has even the jaded Rain running scared as a sadistic serial killer known as the Vampire prowls New Orleans.
FBI agent Trevor Rivette is convinced her midnight caller and the killer are one and the same. As it becomes disturbingly clear that the Vampire has a sick bloodlust only Rain can satisfy, she allows Trevor to get closer and closer. But he soon discovers that his secretive past and troubled present are intertwined—and that he may die trying to keep Rain's fate out of a madman's control.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
- The fact that Trevor's dad, who was extremely abusive to his kids (he almost killed Trevor), did all he did and still was able to walk the streets freely. I get that he was a cop and cops protect their own, but I don't know. I think he got off too easily.
- It left me hanging with the paranormal aspect. The serial killer drained the victims' blood and drank it, he looked impossibly young despite being an older guy...but it said nothing about whether or not he was a vamp or just a sick guy blessed with youthful looks.
- Rain annoyed me at times, especially when the serial killer set his sights on her. I get being independent and wanting to take care of yourself, but I mean come on. When the killer stalked her and Trevor stationed an officer to stay at her house, she snook out of the house to meet Trevor's sister. She made a few not-so-smart decisions like that.
- The description is excellent. I love it when the author's writing allows me to visualize the setting and what's going on.
- Trevor Rivette. I mean, yeah he had major issues stemming from his abusive childhood, but I kind of liked him as a hero.
- Trevor's siblings and the fact that they went on with their lives in spite of what their father did to them. They were still hurting and dealing with the issues, but they moved forward instead of stayed stuck. And they loved their big brother so much, that they wanted him to move forward also.
- The twists and turns kept me guessing. The story was very complex, but it worked.
