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Jenny Simmons, author and Christian musician, shares a period of terrible struggles in her life. During one point, it seemed like one bad day might only lead to a worse day. Without the help of hospitable strangers, Jenny and family, would not have had clothes to put on their backs or a place to stay. In one incident, their RV explodes. At another time, Jenny finds her baby, Annie, bleeding from the ears and mouth. I often gasped over these disturbing events and felt for Ryan and Jenny and the team of musicians. Then, through the simple but inspiring way Jenny Simmons references scripture in The Road To Becoming I felt myself fill up with hope and faith and the knowledge that God never leaves us, and His love for us is complete. I liked the chapter names. Each chapter title is a step in the process of making our dreams come alive. For example, there is: The Burying and the waiting . I felt especially interested in the chapter about desert life. Thought I would flip out if I did

Add caption http://rosecityreader.blogspot.com Prologue 1926 They keep saying "the body" and Flora thinks this might make her scream and never stop. Speaking in whispers that are not quiet enough, as men do, they say it over and over. "We can't have the body simply lying in a room here." "If we put the body in the bathing pool, then it might appear to be a drowning." "But when they examine the body they'll find no water in the lungs." And so on.

Did I Do That?

"When I was a little girl, I had my own magnolia tree. No one else in the world was invited underneath her canopy of waxy citrus leaves. She was all mine. My fortress, my empire." bibliophilebythesea.blogspot.com "When Madge arrived in Chicago, it was an unusually windless summer day, and she could not take her eyes off the bluest water she had ever seen. She believed she was seeing the ocean for the first time, but she had heard from a woman who had heard from another woman that the ocean stirred waves as tall as trees, and this broad..."

When life becomes too difficult for the younger generation, they form a group named The Gathering and Inner Circle. In these groups are young people who have been abused by family members or church clergy. Soon, there is a plan chosen to save themselves and other young people from abuse.This plan entails thirty letters being sent out to different states. On a set date a revolt will occur. This revolution will deeply involve a huge church which has congregations all over the world. Gavriel and Josh are the ones really in charge of this move to make a change in the world. Amanda and Jake Bannon are a married couple. They are ideal at thwarting disasters. To help stop catastrophes, Amanda Bannon uses her psychic abilities. In this instance, all of these desperate and bloody take place between Rome and Chicago. I wasn't prepared for the violence in The Congregation by Desiree Bombenon. The violence perpetrated in this terrorist situation is mind boggling. I had to put the novel

"They arrived forty-five minutes later at the Hotel Hassler, located at the top of the Spanish Steps of the Piazza della Trinita dei Monti...Amanda found it exhilarating and awe-inspiring when she thought of Rome's role in history and its importance in shaping so much of the current world."(Wikepedia)

Days of Awe have become a part of Izzy's life. Her life, at this time, definitely fits the Holy time of remorse and sorrow celebrated by the Jewish population. She and everyone in her family are deeply stirred by the death of Josie, a close friend of the family. Josie dies on an icy road in her car. She is a young and vibrant woman. I could feel her loss jump from the pages of the novel. In Days Of Awe by Lauren Fox, Josie's death seems to cause a compound of calamities in each characters life. Everything seems to go through rapid change. With this one person's death, it seems like the world has begun to spin out of control. Not only does Izzy deal with the death of Josie she also goes through a separation from her husband. Izzy had no idea her marriage was headed for disaster. It's just another shock to her system. I had to wonder. What must it feel like to not have known your husband was falling out of love with you? There is also the fact that your close friend