Life in limbo

It has been a long while since I've posted something other than a book review on my blog.

I've been intentionally waiting to write.

Hoping that the next post would be announcing Ed's new counseling practice.

Hoping that the next day we could celebrate this new phase in life.

Days passed into weeks.

Weeks into months.

We thought the process to get his license would take mere weeks, but has actually turned into an on-going, letter writing, phone calling process with the state government.

To wrap it up in a tiny nutshell, the state denied Ed a license because they don't recognize the agency that accredited the graduate school he went to.

So the past months have been a roller-coaster. Do we move again? Do we stay? What in the world do we do? It hasn't been easy in the least. Confusion, fear, little slices of hope, tears, frustration, hopes dashed, and clinging to each other and what little faith there is right now.

We're hoping and praying for an answer this coming Friday, March 2nd. Ed is traveling to Lansing to sit in a meeting being held by the Counseling Board of Directors (which only meet every three months) and hopes to speak and defend his case. He has diligently researched the accreditation process, wrote all his findings in a letter, mailed that letter (more than once) to the Counseling Chair and Vice-Chair, the Governor, State Senator's and Representatives, and has a copy for each of the eleven Board of Directors.

Prayers would be greatly appreciated as our life and family have been in limbo the past seven months. Knowing that God wanted us back in MI makes the wonderment of why this is happening even greater.

Review of When The Smoke Clears by Lynette Eason

After a brush with death due to equipment failure, smokejumper Alexia Allen is ordered to take time off while the incident is under investigation. She makes a last-minute decision to recuperate at her mother's home and attend her high school reunion. Yet trouble seems to be following her, and within hours of arriving home she is confronted with murder, arson--and a handsome detective.
But the conflicts ahead are nothing compared to the ghosts of her past. As she struggles to accept and forgive her family's past, she must also decide if the secret she's been guarding for the last ten years must finally come to light.

Chalked full of suspense from the opening page. This book has you flipping pages faster than you ever thought, to find out what in the world is going to happen next! Such a great plot, great characters and great writing. You will wonder what is going to happen until the very last sentence.

The one thing I didn't like about this book was the end! Talk about a cliff hanger! Can't wait for the next one to come out!! Great writing Lynette!

Available February 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
Revell Books sent me this complimentary copy to review for them. All opinions are my own.

Review of The Crossing by Serita Jakes

On the way home from a football game, a decade earlier, a masked gunman opened fire on a Texas school bus. Cheerleading coach B.J. Remington was killed, but her murderer was never found. Claudia, who had a close friendship with the young, spirited teacher, constantly relives the anguish of that day, caught in one moment in time. When her husband, the assistant district attorney, becomes determined to uncover the mystery of that tragedy, the secrets buried over the years threaten to tear their family apart.

Officer Casio Hightower will never forget the day his dreams were destroyed. A star quarterback with a promising future, Casio was on top of the world—until one bullet changed everything. He is eager to help Victor Campbell find B.J.’s killer, the man who shot him. Maybe solving the case will help silence the demons driving Casio to hurt the woman he loves.

As the Campbells and Casio teeter on the brink of losing everything, will they be able to discover that what begins at the crossing ends at the cross?

Such a great book. A bit twisted in parts, but so well written that you feel like you're experiencing life with these people. The heartache and glimpses of joy. The sorrow and despair along with closure and deep love. I must say though that certain parts were violent, which was unexpected.

The author did a great job creating the characters and storyline. She creatively jumped back and forth between the coach's thoughts at the time of the shooting to those involved ten years later. It was well done and flowed seamlessly.

*WaterBrook Multnomah sent this complimentary copy for me to review for them. The opinions expressed here are solely mine.