The Beekeeper's Son - Book Review

Sometimes it takes a barren landscape

to see the beauty of God's creation.

Phineas King knows better than to expect anything but shock and pity

wherever he shows his face.

Horribly scarred from the tragic accident that claimed his mother's life,

he chooses to keep his distance from everyone,

focusing his time and energy on the bees his family raises.

If no one sees him, no one can judge him.

So why does he start finding excuses to seek out Deborah Lantz,

the beautiful new arrival in town?

Deborah can't get out of Bee County, Texas, soon enough.

Once her mother and younger siblings are settled,

she is on the first bus out of this dusty town.

She is only waiting on the letter from Aaron,

asking her to return to lush Tennessee to be his fraa.

But that letter never comes.

As she spends time getting to know Phineas - hoping to uncover the man beneath the scars-

she begins to realize that she no longer minds that Aaron hasn't sent for her.

As both Deborah and Phineas try to come to terms 

with lives that haven't turned out the way they imagined,

they discover that perhaps Gott's plans for them are more extraordinary

than they could have dreamed.

But they need to let go of their own past sorrows and disappointments

to find the joy and beauty that lies just ahead for them both.

My Thoughts

The Beekeeper's Son is a beautiful and inspiring journey you won't want to miss.

The precious picture of God's love and His desire to give us the best in life

is clearly presented in this book written by Kelly Irvin.

The author takes Phineas, a man that has been scarred and disfigured by a car wreck,

and transforms him into a man that shines with God's sweet holiness.

Phineas is someone I think many can relate with - myself included.

We may not have scars on the outside, but there are scars inside on the heart 

and often we think it's easier to hold back from something God has for us because of fear and hurt.

Phineas must walk the path God has laid out before him,

but his fear of rejection causes him to stumble and hold back.

Throughout the book he slowly lets his guard down and allows the Lord to guide him.

We can't see the future, but we can trust God - He loves us and wants only the best for His children -

Phineas simply needs to trust and as he learns He sees that God truly is full of blessings.

Deborah is hurting because of the move to another state and home.

She left behind her best friend and the man she thought was going to be her husband.

She often questions why God would first take her dad

and then take her away from the one place where she felt safe and comfortable.

She begins her own journey of learning to trust God with the plans and future for her life,

but sometimes it's not easy and the outcome isn't always what she wants. . .

Can God draw two hurting people together and create something precious and beautiful?

"Her daughters were not shallow.

They understood that physical beauty meant nothing.

Only the heart counted.

Phineas's heart and soul seemed damaged,

but there was no damage that couldn't be mended by God Himself."

{ The Beekeeper's Son - pg 69 }

The Beekeeper's Son is truly a beautiful story of love. . .

love from the Heavenly Father that can heal and mend the broken-hearted,

and love between a man and woman that can soften the hardest heart

and give hope to the hopeless.

** I was given a complimentary copy of this book from BookLook Bloggers

for an honest review. All thoughts are my own and no other compensation was received. **

About the Author

Kelly Irvin is the author of the Bliss Creek Amish series 

and the New Hope Amish series.

She has also penned two romantic suspense novels,

A Deadly Wilderness and No Child of Mine.

Kelly has been married to photographer Tim Irvin for twenty-six years.

They have two young adult children, two cats, and a tank full of fish.

In her spare time, she likes to write short stories and read books by her favorite authors.

A Thing Of Beauty - Book Review

It's a wonder to behold what happens

when love moves in. . .

Former child star Fiona Hume deserted the movie biz a decade ago-

right after she left rehab.

She landed in Baltimore, bought a dilapidated old mansion downtown,

and hatched dreams of restoring it into a masterpiece,

complete with a studio for herself.

She would disappear from public view and live an artist's life.

That was the plan.

Ten years later, Fiona's huge house is filled with junk purchased at thrift stores,

haggled over at yard sales, or picked up from the side of the road.

Each piece was destined for an art project. . .

but all she's got so far is a piece of twine with some antique buttons 

threaded down its length.

She's thirty-two years old and still recognizable,

but Fiona's money has finally run out.

She's gotten pretty desperate, too,

and in her desperation she's willing to do almost anything for money.

Almost.

So it is that she comes to rent out the maid's quarters 

to a local blacksmith named Josia Yeu.

Josia is everything Fiona isn't:

gregarious, peaceful, in control without controlling. . .

in short, happy.

As the light from the maid's quarters begins to permeate the dank rooms of Fiona's world,

something else begins to transform as well - something inside Fiona.

Something even she can see is beautiful.

My Thoughts

This review is going to be short and to the point. . .

I did not appreciate nor enjoy this book

and in fact did not even finish reading it which is a first for me.

A Thing of Beauty is labeled as Christian fiction

yet there were several swear words within the first few chapters.

If this book was not labeled as Christian than I would not be surprised by the cussing,

but since it is Christian I expected a higher standard.

I do not appreciate the use of swear words 

and had no desire to fill my mind with such language so I did not complete the book.

I have always trusted Christian fiction books,

but lately it seems the standards have dropped and they are no different than non-Christian.
When I pick up a Christian book to read I have high hopes that it will be a "clean" read-
a read that will encourage my walk with the Lord and strengthen my faith in Him.
My biggest disappointment is the fact that these newer Christian books are labeled as Christian;
therefore, giving the reader the idea and hope that the material will be decent. 
I am sad that Christian authors feel the need to use fowl language 
and other such things to make their book "more appealing," 
but in reality it has the opposite effect on me. 
When I pick up a Christian book I put my trust in the author 
that it's going to be a book that agrees with God's Word. 
I truly struggle with the fact that many so called "Christian" books 
are not different than non-Christian. . .
We, believers of Jesus Christ, are different and desire the things that honor and glorify God. 
I simply believe cussing and other unsavory things go against our Heavenly Father.

Frankly, I was very disappointed with A Thing of Beauty.

I would not recommend this book to anyone.

** I was given a complimentary copy of this book from BookLook Bloggers

for an honest review. All thoughts are my own and no other compensation was received. **

Festive Burlap And Lace Hanging Pillows

First of all,
I want to warmly welcome the new friends and followers of my blog.
Thank you so much for taking an interest in The Enchanting Rose
and for following along on the journey.
I hope you are blessed and inspired :)

If you are visiting from the Grow Your Blog party
please click on the link below to read my post.
Grow Your Blog and a Giveaway

* * * * * * * * * *

Need a pretty Valentine decoration or even a sweet little gift?

This burlap hanging pillow will add some delightful Valentine's Day charm
to your home or to a friends home.

"Sew" easy to make and here's how. . .

Items needed:

wide burlap lace ribbon

lace

cut out doily pieces

buttons

sewing needle

thread

batting

Out of this strip of burlap ribbon I was able to make two hanging pillows.

One pillow was 5 3/4-inches in size 

and the other one was 4 3/4-inches wide by 5 3/4-inches long.

Cut out two squares of burlap and on the inside bottom edge sew on the lace.

I also did a green crocheted lace {to match my living room} 

so I sewed it on top of this cream lace.

On the top piece of the burlap I sewed on a flower from an old doily.

This is what I have so far. . .

On the top piece of the burlap I sewed on some dainty cream lace.

Next came the buttons.

The lace for hanging the pillow was pinned onto the inside back piece of burlap.

The top burlap piece was pinned onto the back piece and sewn along the edges.

Leave a small opening for filling with batting.

 Once the pillow is filled, sew up the opening.

You are probably wondering why the pillow pictured below looks different 

from the one I used for the how-to pictures. . .

The photo below has a metal heart and the other one I made has a metal gingerbread man-

I didn't think he was too "Valentiney" so I didn't share his picture when he was done :)

As I said earlier, the heart is a metal piece that has been glued one.

And the center flower was cut out of a larger doily.

This pillow is pretty hanging from doorknobs, coat racks, shelves, etc.

And it makes a lovely gift for a special someone :)

May your day be extra sweet, friends!

The Eye Doctor Said I Need Reading Glasses......

So I have been told I need reading glasses.

I know, I know, it's nothing serious,

but for a girl that never needed glasses it came as a surprise.

My dad just started wearing reading glasses and he's....well, he's older than me :)

Anyway. . .grab a cup of coffee, tea, water, juice, or whatever you like
and enjoy while I tell you my tale. . .

{ I am having coffee with milk and sugar. . .lots of sugar }

My eyes have been a little fuzzy for a while now

 and when I try to focus on something quickly it takes me a few moments.

So my sweetie pie husband told made me go to the eye doctor.

Friends, I had not been to the eye doctor in about 8 years - I guess it was time.

A few months ago I made the visit and was told my eyesight was fine,

but reading glasses would help with the fuzziness.

The kind eye doctor told me my eyes were simply tired 

from staring at a computer screen so much {good ol' blogging} 

and then spending hours late at night reading.
I am a book lover - always have been, always will be.

So instead of breaking my bad habits I shall simply aid them

by wearing my handy dandy new eyeglasses :)

{ My hubby got me this book by Julie Klassen for Christmas 

and I am just now getting to it - so far it's great!

What are you reading at the moment? }

Okay, there is more to the story. . .don't worry, I'm almost done.

Shortly after I was told I needed reading glasses I was contacted by Firmoo.

Firmoo is an online global optical store 

and they wanted to know if I would like to try a pair of their glasses.

What perfect timing! 

Of course I said yes! :)

Here are my new glasses, friends. . .

The frames are. . .

Sturdy

Comfortable

Stylish

Lovely

The eye glasses fit me perfectly.

And now I can see "every letter in plain sight."

Firmoo also sent me a cute hard case.

Of course having a cutie patootie case to carry my reading glasses around in 

makes wearing them all the more better, right? :)

Plus, I received a nifty cleaning rag, 

a small tool for repairing my glasses,

and a nice bag for carrying my reading glasses in.

I am quite happy with Firmoo and the quality of their glasses is superb.

They offer prescription glasses at an affordable price

and they have beautiful classic and fashion frames galore.

Trust me, they have a lot to choose from.

They not only have eye glasses, but also sunglasses.

And if you don't need to wear reading or prescription eyeglasses

than you can simply buy the frames for a fun and "fashionable" look :)

Firmoo offered me a free pair of eyeglasses 
in exchange for an honest review.

All thoughts and opinions are my own.

You can check out the eyeglasses and sunglasses available at Firmoo 
by visiting their website:
Firmoo.com

Do you wear glasses?
Hugs and blessings to you, dear friends!

* * * * * * * * *

Don't forget to link up at Roses of  Inspiration.

Roses Of Inspiration Linkup #4

Welcome, sweet friends, to another Roses of Inspiration linkup!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for visiting

and sharing your beautiful posts of inspiration - it means a great deal to me.

Shall we get the party started?

Oh, before I forget, I am hosting a little giveaway

and you can check it out by clicking here.

Roses of Inspiration Features. . .

{You made it very hard to choose because all of your posts were fabulous!}

If you were featured than please feel free to take the "I was featured" button.

Simply copy the HTML code and paste it onto your blog.

<div align="center">
<a href="http://theenchantingrose.blogspot.com" title="The Enchanting Rose"><img src="http://i1056.photobucket.com/albums/t377/peaches525/6d8b180b-b3b8-4065-9986-dcccb5a9f70e_zpsc65070e5.jpg" alt="The Enchanting Rose" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

The most viewed post last Tuesday was Debbie-Dabble.

Her beautiful Winter outdoor decorations were not only a hit,

but were extremely charming.

Preferably Prim 

shared some pretty and clever ideas for using doilies.

You know me, I love doilies :)

Couldn't you see this lovely burlap bag hanging up 

with some primitive flowers tucked inside?

The Blessed Hearth

showed us how to make these stunning vintage napkin rings.

These are certainly on my "To Make" list.

Beautiful Girlhood

shared a beautiful post about the joy of serving our families.

It is not a long post, but it is rich with encouragement and blessing-

I would encourage you to stop by and read it :)

Simply Fresh Dinners
shared a delicious AND healthy flatbread pizza recipe.
Who doesn't love their pizza?

Simple Life Mom

shared a fabulous list of homemade beauty recipes.

I am definitely for all-natural products.

If you are new to our party than here are the basics. . .

{ 1 }

You can link up anything that your heart desires. . .

crafting - recipes - encouragement

Scripture - devotionals - photography

healthy living - gardening - home living

sewing - crochet/knitting - fashion

beauty - tea time - home decor - etc

{ 2 }

You can linkup as many posts as you want

and they can be posts you have written today, last week, last month, or last year.
*** Please do not linkup posts you have already shared at Roses of Inspiration ***

{ 3 }
There will be fun giveaways throughout the year.

I will simply add up the amount of people who participated in one of the link-ups,
write the numbers down on paper and draw the number of the winner.
So if you link-up more than one post you will have a greater chance of winning.
These giveaways will be random
so you never know which link-up I will choose for a giveaway.

* * * * *

Below is a button available for your sidebar to let others know about

Roses of Inspiration.

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If you are new to linkup parties than please click here

to see how to share your blog post.

Have fun, my friends!

I am very excited to see what you share 

and will be around to visit each one of your blogs throughout the week.
And speaking of visiting,
please take a few moments to visit at least two of the posts shared-
everyone loves visits and comments.
Have a lovely day!

Grow Your Blog And A Giveaway

Hello, sweet friends!

I am joining Vicki at 2 Bags Full for the Grow Your Blog Party.

I am thrilled to be a part of the event this year 

and am quite excited to meet new friends from around the world.
Thank you, Vicki, for hosting and putting everything together - your hard work is appreciated.
{ Giveaway at the end of the post }

For those of you who are new to my blog and don't know me

than please let me share a teensy bit about myself and my blog.

I'm Stephanie. . .

I have had the privilege of sharing my joys and delights 

for almost three years here at The Enchanting Rose.

I began my blogging journey in July of 2012 

in honor of my precious Grandma Betty.

This dear, sweet woman inspired me with her 

sewing, crafting, and baking skills.

She was always creating lovely items for the next craft fair

and her hands were always busy making delicious desserts.

She was an extraordinary woman - a woman I will always love and admire.

{ Grandma Betty }

* * * * *

If you were to visit my home, my Enchanting Rose home that is, on a daily basis 

than you would find me nestled away in my craft room creating to my hearts content. . .

I like to keep myself occupied whether it's with a fun sewing project 

such as this Upcycled Shabby Apron,

an organizing project like this DIY Wall Hanging Organizer,

or a festive vintage holiday wreath made out of wrapping paper.

You'll also find me baking sweet treats in my vintage-inspired kitchen

and sharing them with friends

such as this banana cake which is a recipe from my dear Grandma Betty.

You will more than likely find me curled up in a quilt with a good book 

while enjoying a cup of tea or coffee.

I am a book lover and enjoy writing reviews on the weekend.

You may even come across me walking in the garden while the dew is still on the roses.

And you will definitely find me sharing my love for music and old hymns.

I adore - okay, let's be honest. . .

I am obsessed with tea cups and twice a year I host a Tea Cup and Mug Exchange

for ladies all around the world.

It has been a very beautiful and rewarding experience.

I also host a linkup party called Roses of Inspiration, which is held every Tuesday.

The party is called Roses of Inspiration because the things you share on your blog

are inspiring to others and this is the perfect place to share them.

But aside from the things I love to share in my corner of the blogging community,

I soon realized there was more to blogging than just sharing my ideas. . .

there was the beautiful side that has come to mean the most to me,

the side of sweet friendships being formed and nurtured.

I am truly amazed at the kind, generous, and thoughtful women

that I have had the honor of meeting through blogging. . .

this has been the greatest part during this journey.

The women I have met and call "Friends" are a precious bunch

and they are ladies that I admire and appreciate.

If you are new to The Enchanting Rose 

than let me just say welcome and thank you for visiting! 

I would consider it a blessing for you to visit again- 

one visit can turn into a lifetime of friendship.

* * * * *

I am also having a giveaway and will announce the winner on February 15th.
This giveaway is open to everyone. 
No blog? No problem.
Live overseas? No big deal.
Like I said, everyone is included :)
Simply leave me a comment below telling me what your favorite thing about blogging is
or why you enjoy visiting blogs and your lovely name will be entered.

The winner will receive. . .

This sweet tea cup pin cushion that is adorned with lace and pearls

and made with vintage fabric.

Five handmade gift tags.

And a sweet tote bag with plenty of lace and extra prettiness.

Hugs and blessings!

* * * * *

There will be no Sunday hymn post 
since I am participating in the Grow Your Blog Party.