Alaina, Author at Essentially EmmaMarie

End Of Summer Round Up 2023

by Alaina | Aug 24, 2023 | Book Nook

So even though we technically have until the third week in September before summer is officially over, we have reached the end of summer as we traditionally think of it. Looking back over my reading this summer I am pleased with my reading. I hit upon several 5 star reads (check out my post 5 star reads of 2023), but there were a few that while good, weren’t quite 5 star reads, and several other books that I have read since then. So here is my end of summer round up for 2023 of some of the books that I slipped in around the edges!

River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer

I saw this one was one of the most anticipated books of 2023 and since I’m always down for a good historical fiction title I couldn’t wait to read it! This is the story of a woman named Rachel, an enslaved person living on a plantation in Barbados in 1834. In this year all enslaved people are emancipated- except not really. They are all to serve 6 more years as indentured servants to pay for their freedom, meaning that nothing will change. For Rachel, who has had every child born to her ripped away and sold into slavery elsewhere, this is the last straw and she decides to run.

But what to do with her new freedom? What does freedom mean to her? What does freedom mean at all? Rachel decides freedom means finding her beloved children and she sets off to find them, a journey filled with heartbreak, and joy, and a journey that takes her into the depths of the Caribbean jungles, and to the door of white people who could return her back into slavery.

The Secrets of Mary Bowser by Lois Leveen

This is not a new book but I read it this summer and really enjoyed it! There’s nothing particularly summer-y about this book- it would make a great start for your fall reading! The Secrets of Mary Bowser is based off the true events in the life of Mary Bowser, the daughter of an enslaved father and a free mother, who was able to gain an education and a woman who helped in the underground railroad, and who acted as a spy for the Union during the civil war- in President Jerrerson Davis’s own home! This book kept my attention for its entirety!

Brave the Wild River by Melissa L. Sevigny

This book is a new release and is the true story of two women botanists who were the first to woman botanists to make it down the Colorado river in the Grand Canyon, collecting samples as they went. Though this book reads as more of a history book than affliction (it is based on fact, and is only fleshed out with the facts we have from these women’s writings) it is still a very good read, full of unexpected setbacks, and dangerous turns that happened along the way!

Midnight at Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webb

This is not a new title, and not historical fiction but this was a delicious summer read, set in the south. Anna Kate’s grandmother has just passed away and has left Anna Kate her cafe- Blackbird Cafe. Anna Kate plans only to stay to finish out the busy summer season so she can return to Boston to finish becoming a doctor; something she promised her dying mother she would do several years earlier.

Natalie has returned to her parents home and is trying to carve out a path of her own for herself and her daughter after her husband’s death. This is a heartwarming book about loss, love, and forgiveness- filled with vivid descriptions of pies cooling in the kitchen and small town life in the American south. I loved this book!

The Glass Ocean

As 3 passengers set out on the Lusitania there is a lot more going on beneath the surface for 3 of the passengers. Caroline can’t figure out why her husband seems so distant. Robert knows his father doesn’t want him to come home, but is going anyway, and Tess is done with her life as a con artist. She has one last heist to pull off and then she will be free from this life of crime for forever, but the stakes are higher this time than they have been before and – isn’t sure she can go through with this one last deal…

It’s modern day New York and Sarah Blake had runaway success with her first book but is now scrambling to try to come up with a story for her second book, something she desperately needs to do to provide for her ailing mother. When She opens a box from her great grandfather that has been kept locked for all her life she thinks she has discovered just the fodder for her next story. She travels to England to try to learn more about her family’s past and ends up having to gain the trust of a handsome, but reticent politician who is recovering from a scandal of his own…

This book was a page turner that will suck you right in as it tells you some of the hidden past around the circumstance of World War 1, but readers should be warned there are a few instances of harsh language.

Lady of the Eternal City by Kate Quinn

Kate Quinn wrote several books before the Alice Network hit the best seller lists. Lady of the Eternal City is one of her earlier works but it is just as gripping as her latest books have been! Against the backdrop of the Roman Empire circa AD 130 we see the story of an empire at its apex, and the cut throat nature of being a member of the imperial household. Told from the point of view of 4 revolving characters you will be pulled into ancient times. Sabina, empress of Rome is hiding a deadly secret from her dearest friend and her husband. Annia, niece of the Emperor, doesn’t know her world is a lie. Vix doesn’t know his son’s secret. Antinous just wants to love, and be loved- what does he have to do to earn the love of his step father?

Readers should be warned there are a few instances of harsh language in this title also.

Disclosure

Please remember that this post contains affiliate links; that means if you click on the link, I will make a small commission at no extra cost to you. It’s a way to support my blog! I will only ever share an affiliate link if I love the product and think that you just might love it too!

If you are looking for just a few more books to savor the last bits of summer I hope these titles help to inspire your reading life and serve to lengthen out your summer- even if just a little bit!

The Hiding Place

by Alaina | Aug 20, 2023 | Sunday Scripture

Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against Thee.

Psalm 119:11

I have a hard time killing ants. Yes, those pesky little black insects, I feel bad killing them. While my soft spot for them might not be quite as big as it is for those goofy-looking little stink bugs that get flipped over on their back, and then flop around helplessly until someone flips them over, I shudder every time I kill one of those hard working little ants that can move 10-50 times its body weight. What in the world would make me hesitate to kill an ant? To answer I would ask: Have you ever heard of Corrie Ten Boom?

The Ten Boom family were watchmakers and repairers living in Amsterdam in the early 20th century. Corrie Ten Boom helped her father in his watch shop and had won some acclaim for her work. But then life started to change. Hitler took over the country of Germany and, while the Ten Booms were not Jewish, they noticed the mistreatment happening to their Jewish friends and family.

Corrie started getting involved in the underground movement to save the Jews by getting them out of German-controlled territory. Seeing an even greater need, the Ten Booms were approached by members of the underground asking if they would be willing to hide some Jews in their home. It just so happened that the pieced together construction of their home leant itself perfectly to a secret room being constructed behind the wall in Corrie’s bedroom. The Ten Booms found themselves hiding six Jews.

Then, in the middle of the night, their home was raided by the Gestapo. Even though the Jews were safely hidden, the Germans took the Ten Booms to the concentration camps. For a while Corrie was held in solitary confinement. She had no one to talk to and no one for comfort… no one that is, except for one little ant. This ant would come crawling into Corrie’s cramped cell, and instead of killing it, Corrie watched the little ant and made friends with it. During her time of solitary confinement, the ant was her one reminder of life outside her cell.

Corrie was eventually released from her cell and allowed to join the other women being held, including her beloved sister Besty, who was also taken captive. Corrie was lucky in that while being searched upon entrance to the concentration camp, she was roughly shoved forward and wasn’t searched. She was therefore able to keep the little Bible she had concealed beneath her dress.

Corrie and her sister were able to covertly share the word, and even have a Bible study of sorts while in the concentration camp. But even more than that, Corrie was able to share the gospel with other people, not only because of the Bible she held in her hands, but also because of the knowledge of the Bible that she held in her head and heart.

Psalms 119:11 tells us to, “Hide thy word in our hearts that we might not sin against thee.” Memorization and Bible study are important, not just so that we don’t sin against God, but so that we also can knowledgeably share His word with others. I pray we never find ourselves thrown into a concentration camp or prison, but are you prepared if that should ever happen? Do you have enough of His word hidden in your heart that you could knowledgeably share the gospel with someone on the spot, even if you didn’t have a phone or Bible in your hand?

There you have it–the very long explanation for why I struggle to squash an ant, as the ant reminds me of Corrie Ten Boom. She helps to remind me to always have His word hidden in my heart.

Disclosure

Please remember that this post contains affiliate links; that means if you click on the link, I will make a small commission at no extra cost to you. It’s a way to support my blog! I will only ever share an affiliate link if I love the product and think that you just might love it too!

How to Make Your Home Look Uncluttered- Without Decluttering!

by Alaina | Aug 20, 2023 | Homemaking

I have talked before about decluttering your home and different ways to approach decluttering (see my posts) but I’m today’s post I am talking about several areas which, by tidying up, can make your home look less cluttered!

Entryway:

First impressions are lasting impressions! Be sure that the entryway that guests use to enter your house isn’t messy!

Shoes:

Whether or not you insist on guests taking their shoes off when they enter the house, I know very few houses that don’t have shoes by the front door. There are many nice benches that have pull out storage, or try having a tray or a basket for shoes is also a way to corral your shoes if your entry is tight on space!

Mail:

I am always shocked at how many people complain about mail piling up in their entryway- who have a cute little tray labeled “Mail” sitting in their entry. If you don’t want to collect mail in your entryway- don’t put a spot for mail there!

Counters:

Your kitchen counter – is one area people notice when they walk into your home. Even if you have stuff in the rest of your home if you clear your kitchen counter it will give your home an open airy feel!

How to do this?

Do you have canisters on your counter? Try only keeping out one or two (like the flour and sugar), try keeping canisters in the cupboard, or even eliminating them all together!

By keeping only the things you actually use out on your counter. For us this looks like; our coffee maker, coffee canister and a small thing of sugar, (insert affiliate link for coffee maker), and a tray corralling a cutting board, a hot plate and salt and pepper- ok I have a few extras on here but not too many! 😉

Paperwork and Mail:

The main thing is with mail- do not bring it in and set it on the counter!! Go over to your trash or better yet, your recycling bin, and immediately sort through your mail upon entering the house. Any mail for any other member of the family place in locations where they will see it!!

Having piles of paper, and mail is a definite way to make your house look cluttered. In your living room you could place a magazine rack to neatly hold any current magazines- just purge periodically so it doesn’t become a dumping ground!

Squirrel it Away:

There are some things that are hard to eliminate completely; so if you can’t beat it- hide it! Having a beautiful box on your desk is also a good place to get mail out of sight.

You can also sneak twist ties, rubber bands and other such items in a cute pitcher in your kitchen. This keeps your area looking clean- and keeps your item within easy reach!

This can make your home look less cluttered without decluttering!

Books:

I can’t talk too much in this area- books are one area where I seem to be blind to clutter! I can even admit that no, I am not in fact reading all 8 of those books, 4 magazines, and the book on my tablet at the same time. Look around your surfaces and see if you have several books that need to be reshelved for a different time!

Wires and Cords:

Having a mess of wires instantly junks up your home- not listen cords are a part of modern life- I get that! But that huge tangle by your tv? Ugg. one idea is to place a command hook behind your tv stand and hook your cords on there. If you have wires from lights, try to tuck them under or behind furniture, and if nothing else, use a tie and loop up the extra length of wire you then at least you don’t have an extra 4 feet of cord lying around!

Bathrooms

Counter:

Bathrooms are notorious for being dumping grounds for more bottles, sprays and lotions than I can count. Try keeping as much of these as possible in storage under the sink. If you don’t have room in under sink storage- try decluttering for real- but if you are still short on space then coral loose items on a tray- a tray really does help the space to look neater!

Other Storage:

I’m sure you wouldn’t do this but please- don’t just sit extra rolls of toilet paper on the back of your toilet! Get a cute basket and sit the rolls in the basket on the back of your toilet, or if space allows, install some shelving above your toilet.

Open shelving is the most updated look, but you can also try hanging a cabinet above your toilet as well.

You can then use this storage for toilet paper, towels, tissues, and whatever else you are needing to store!

I hope these tips give you some ideas of ways you can quickly and easily make your home feel more curated, and help you feel less stressed! Know anyone else who might enjoy these tips? Please share this post with a friend- that is how this blog grows and helps me to keep bringing you posts like this one! Thanks!

Just In Time

by Alaina | Aug 13, 2023 | Sunday Scripture

“Let us all say grace,” George Mueller said, but the 300 orphaned children sitting around the table were not convinced. They had heard the housemother whisper that there was no food in the orphanage. Why say grace when there was no breakfast to be had?

George Mueller had founded and ran the orphanage in 19th century England. George insisted on living by faith–the orphanage relied on God’s provision in the form of whatever spontaneous donations came; they did not accept regular donors or sponsors. Because of this, they were forced to rely solely on God for any and all provision. God had always come through, but now here they sat–saying grace for a breakfast that had not yet appeared.

As they bowed their heads for grace, there was a knock at the door and Mr. Mueller went to answer it. It was the baker; he had been awakened in the middle of the night and prompted to bake three batches of bread for the orphanage. They started rejoicing. Just then another knock came–the milkman’s cart had broken down in front of the orphanage and he had to do something with all the milk or it would spoil–could they use a cart full of milk? There was just enough milk to satiate 300 thirsty children.

Just like God provided for the Israelites in the middle of the wilderness wanderings, so He still provides for us today. God gave the Israelites just enough manna to get them through the day, and once a week just enough to get them through two days. If they gathered more, it would spoil. God always provides in His time. Not always in the way we want but always in His time, and often just in time.

This kind of reliance on God takes faith. It can be scary, but in these times it’s important to ask ourselves if we truly believe in God’s provision? Do we trust Him to take care of all our needs? I am not saying that we shouldn’t work and do what we were put on this earth to do–we most certainly should, but when our plans have failed and we have fallen short of what we need, do we trust God to close the distance?

So many times we see the need coming and we panic. Before the need has even arrived, we look down the pipeline, and we do everything we can to close the gap. When these plans work, we congratulate ourselves for solving our problem. We take God out of the equation. We neglect to realize that God is the one who allows the circumstances to come together.

Have you ever been in the middle of a scary situation that you were itching to jump in and try to solve and you felt God urging you to wait and to trust him? Have you listened? Or have you rushed ahead with your plan of how to solve things? How did that work out for you?

The next time things aren’t going the way you want and you feel like you’re trying to fix everything, and nothing, absolutely nothing, is working, pray that you will remember the faith of George Mueller, and then stop and ask God what His plan is, and then allow Him to show you. It could be that He wants you to work harder; it could be that He wants you to work differently; it could be that He wants to you to just wait and trust that He will come through for you—just in time.

The Impossible

by Alaina | Aug 6, 2023 | Sunday Scripture

Darlene Rose was stuck in a Japanese concentration camp. The conditions were rough, they were fed meal-wormy food, and she was beaten and bruised, close to giving up.

Darlene Rose had been serving as a missionary to the native people of Papua New Guinea in the early 1940s when war broke out. Soon the Japanese invaded the village and not long thereafter all the foreign personnel and missionaries were rounded up and taken to a Japanese run concentration camp where they were forced to do back breaking labor.

As an American living in the south Pacific at this time, Darlene was subsequently accused of spying on the Japanese for the Americans. This led to an even harsher internment as she was soon taken to a higher security camp and thrown into a solitary cell. Darlene read the sign above the door as she entered- she was on death row.

During her confinement Darlene suffered from malaria. Darlene was able to grasp the bars on her little window in their cell and pull/crawl up just enough to get a little air to help soothe her fever. One day she looked out the window to see someone eating a banana. A banana! It looked so good! Her months of watery porridge had worn on her and suddenly all she wanted in the world was one banana.

Darlene decided to pray about it. She asked the Lord to send her just one banana, please, just one! Having completed her prayer, she set about thinking how the Lord could get her a banana. There was an older guard who was somewhat nice to her, maybe he would give her a banana–but no. If he was caught he would be beaten or killed. After thinking about it a while longer, she finally concluded that there was just no way that God could get a banana into her cell.

Shortly after she finished praying, there was a knock at her cell door and the door opened to reveal one of the guards from the camp she had been interned at first. She was glad to see him, and she shared the gospel message with him. He left and Darlene was grateful she had had the opportunity to share the gospel with him.

A while later a knock came at her cell door, the door opened, and a man stood there holding an armload of bananas for her. The guard from the first camp had unknowingly been the one sent to help answer Darlene’s prayer and he managed to send her 92 bananas!

Do you believe God can do the impossible in your life?

In Ezekiel 37 God takes Ezekiel up to the valley of dry bones. These bones were old, bleached out and very dry. The Lord then asks Ezekiel, “Son of man, can these bones become living people again?”

“O Sovereign Lord,” I replied, “You alone know the answer to that.”

God wasn’t asking a technical or hypothetical question, He was asking Ezekiel if he believed these bones could live again. God then gives Ezekiel a vision in which Ezekiel sees all the bones in the valley coming to life again. The bones could come back to life if God worked a miracle.

What is the valley of the bones in your life?

Ezekiel was asked if he believed the bones could come to life. Darlene Rose had her mind blown by someone delivering her an armload of bananas in a concentration camp. What situation are you telling yourself is too dead for God to breathe new life into?

Remember God doesn’t just deliver bananas to people in concentration camps, he doesn’t just bring dead bones back to life, He doesn’t just deliver envelopes of money to people in their mailboxes (That God’s Power May Be Seen). He also delivers you from the struggles in your life too.

Sometimes we start to give up on God because He hasn’t yet worked the miracle we want in our lives. Many times we think that there is something special about these other people, or other times, that somehow matter more to God than our present circumstances–but that isn’t the case.

I don’t know what season you are finding yourself in right now but I do know this–no matter how bleak the outlook, no matter how impossible the circumstances are, God is still able to do the impossible in your life too.

Disclosure

Please remember that this post contains affiliate links; that means if you click on the link, I will make a small commission at no extra cost to you. It’s a way to support my blog! I will only ever share an affiliate link if I love the product and think that you just might love it too!

End Of Summer Round Up 2023

River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer

The Secrets of Mary Bowser by Lois Leveen

Brave the Wild River by Melissa L. Sevigny

Midnight at Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webb

The Glass Ocean

Lady of the Eternal City by Kate Quinn

Disclosure

Other Posts You May Enjoy:

Hey! May I Send You Something?

You have Successfully Subscribed!

The Hiding Place

Other Posts You May Enjoy:

Hey! May I Send You Something?

You have Successfully Subscribed!

How to Make Your Home Look Uncluttered- Without Decluttering!

Entryway:

Shoes:

Mail:

Counters:

How to do this?

Paperwork and Mail:

Squirrel it Away:

Books:

Wires and Cords:

Bathrooms

Counter:

Other Storage:

Other Posts You May Enjoy:

Hey! May I Send You Something?

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Just In Time

Other Posts You May Enjoy:

Hey! May I Send You Something?

You have Successfully Subscribed!

The Impossible

Disclosure

Other Posts You May Enjoy:

Hey! May I Send You Something?

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Recent Posts

Categories