by Summer D Clemenson | Apr 26, 2024 | Book & Product Reviews, Opinions
I just finished a biography about a woman scientist and I loved it. I was never good at science. But Finding the Mother Tree Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest by Suzanne Simard kept me engaged. I think it is because she loves the trees so much. She was taught to love nature by her people, her family, that love the trees. I love trees too and I can feel a connection with them when I am with them and I could feel that she knows what I feel when I am with the forest.
You don’t have to have a degree in biology to understand this book and I love that Simard explains the science part well enough that anyone could follow. She shares about her family lineage while she tells about her studies in both Canada and the United States, learning about ecology and the environment and different ways to help the trees grow stronger and healthier. Her activism and feminism comes naturally because she comes from strong and capable women and she wants to portray that to her two daughters she is raising in this nonfiction book.
In the end of the book, she has proven that we are all connected. We are connected with each other, with the animals and the plants; something the Native people, that are very prominent in Canada have been trying to teach for years. This is something that I have been learning a lot about too. I can feel this as my beloved cat is coming to the end of his path and I can feel him separating from me. What timing to finish this book. I wonder if I would have read this book a few years ago if I would have felt different.
I have really enjoyed this book. Simard has a very wonderful way of being open in her writing and it was easy to connect. I highly recommend this book.
I got this book from my sister, Jamie Holloway. You can get your own copy of Finding the Mother Tree Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest by Suzanne Simard on Amazon.
Read My Review on GoodReads:
Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest by Suzanne Simard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Finding the Mother Tree Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest by Suzanne Simard is an amazing biography by a woman that shares her family, her belief in activism, science, feminism, her love for the environment and nature and science. Simard studied biology in both Canada and the United States, but did most of her work in Canada, where she has lived most of her life. This nonfiction book teaches that ecology as well as spirituality proves that we are all connected and Simard’s life’s work has proved with science that this is so. I highly recommend this book.
View all my reviews
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Feel free to leave your comments below!
My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Christian, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Christian…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this: Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world. I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me. I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
by Summer D Clemenson | Apr 25, 2024 | About Summer, Cancer, Opinions
I am so tired and I know God is carrying me. Most of the time my prayers are: God please help. Not only for myself but when I see what is going on in the world. I am not the only one that is overwhelmed. It is hard to think about the wars in the world and the children being killed or kidnapped and the families being hurt and people who are sick when you, yourself are so overwhelmed. But God is good and He knows our struggles. He is good at answering: God please help.
In November when Karen G Clemenson got sick, I was in shock. She doesn’t get sick. I am the sick one. But we ended up at the hospital twice and found out she had a baseball sized tumor behind her right ovary. She didn’t have health insurance. Her state insurance had just been canceled and she hadn’t had time to start the process of signing up through her work. The process to get all the coverage took much longer than the few days we were promised and 6 months later we are still working on the dental plan. But besides the $15,000 bill from the ER, she is covered for her medical and we area grateful.
My dental insurance only covers cleanings and diagnostics and I had a bad dentist that told me my impacted wisdom teeth were no big deal. My new dentist has said other things. Like one of my molars was dead and had to be removed and I have to have the impacted wisdom teeth out and I have another 2 teeth that need fillings, one specifically because of another impacted wisdom tooth. Karen’s dental insurance, if we could get it to settle, would cover these things but it has taken so long that my bad molar broke. So we went in to have it removed two weeks ago and gave them the insurance and are waiting to see if they will cover any of it. Of course my mouth is still healing and it is hard to get used to my new mouth.
Meanwhile Xavier got really sick and needed a lot of care and finally I knew this wasn’t just a flare and we took him to see Dr Katie, who confirmed that it was best to help him go to Jesus, which I wrote about in RIP Xavier. I never really had time to even mourn because the next day we had to prepare for Karen’s surgery.
Yesterday, we were so thankful that our friend,Jho, picked us up at 4 am to take us to PeaceHealth Southwest Washington for Karen’s robotic hysterectomy. I was so thankful when Dr Rushing called me to tell me that she did really well in the surgery and he was confident that her tumor was benign. He felt that she would be able to leave in 4 hours, once she had had another blood test. When you have a surgery like this you have to have another blood test 4 hours after the surgery to make sure you aren’t losing blood. Her test turned out well.
The other thing that can happen after this type of procedure is that you have trouble urinating. The trauma in that area can cause things to freeze up for some women and Karen is one of them. Karen did not get to go home 4 hour later. In fact she ended up staying all night and finally being sent home with a catheter. We are hoping her primary can remove it tomorrow so she doesn’t have to go back to Vancouver tomorrow.
As I am writing this I heard a soft voice of my wife, saying she misses our boy. I do too.
I am flaring up. My body does not handle stress well at all. Since I have an IUD as part of my cancer treatment, I don’t have periods but when I am totally on tilt, I spot. I have been spotting. I have sores in my mouth. My body hurts more than usual. My appetite is scarce. I feel defensive.
But I know that God hears: God please help.
One little blessing is this plant start. On the day that Xavier (pronounced like Javier) went to Jesus, one of Karen’s coworkers gave us a start to a praying hands plant. I had been thinking I should get a plant. I have named her Xavier (pronounced the traditional way) Elizabeth.
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Feel free to leave your comments below!
My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Christian, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Christian…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this: Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world. I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me. I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
by Summer D Clemenson | Apr 23, 2024 | About Summer, Opinions
I knew Xavier was sick and would probably need to go to Jesus when we took him to see Dr Katie yesterday. I had known it was different this time. His IBS flares usually only lasted a week but no more. He never stopped eating longer than a day or two. I heard myself saying to myself that I needed to hold him as long as he would let me because there would come a day I could not hold him anymore. I didn’t usually take pictures of him and me but I felt like I needed a picture with him because our time was coming to an end. When Karen G Clemenson got this flood of hope, yesterday morning, that it was only another mouth infection and we would just get some antibiotics and he would get better, I wanted to agree with her, but I knew it was not so.
I had cried so many tears already. Xavier was fastidious with his grooming and he was a compulsive eater and he had quit both of these things 2 weeks ago. He was drinking a lot of water and still using his litter box but he wouldn’t touch his food or take his probiotic, which he used to love. He still had loose stools and dry heaves. But he was trying to be positive for us.
He would purr when I came into the room or when I read out loud. He loved to hear me read my bible out loud. Even though he wasn’t jumping up to lick the ink on my notebook pages anymore, I could hear him purring from under the bed, yesterday morning. If he was in the bathtub, his other favorite spot, he would always say hello to us when we came in.
Xavier was born on September 10, 2008. I met him 8 weeks later while visiting a church. He was a different kind of cat. He was stimulated very easily and more anxious than most cats. I knew if I didn’t get him a companion while he was a kitten, I would not be able to have another animal but it just didn’t work out, and he proved me right. Xavier did not understand how to play with other animals. He was terrified of most people and animals. He was a biter and it took a toll on me. I prayed a lot about how to handle this high strung ball of fluff and God told me how to give him his space and pay attention to his very small cues. Xavier helped me understand things about myself and he became the perfect emotional support animal for me.
It took at least 2 months for Xavier to accept Karen but they build the cutest relationship. He had very little patience for her constant movements and noises but eventually he learned to dance with her (literally). He never let Karen hold him. That is something only I was allowed to do. But Karen was the only one allowed to give him kisses. When he was well, he would make sure she got up with her alarms for work and walk her to the door when she left. If she was late he would pace and worry until she came home. I was the nurturer so I got out of the way and let Karen be the fun mom and it was great.
Xavier was very opinionated like me. In fact, Karen often said he was just like me. She thought it was hilarious to watch us fight; we both have very bad tempers, although it usually takes a lot to get us angry. He had learned my facial expressions which was so odd to see in a cat’s face. He loved jazz and piano music. His favorite essential oils were doTERRA’s On Guard and Frankincense. He refused to drink standing water and was often found in the bathtub; he could even get water out of a faucet that wasn’t turned on. He would not eat any other food other than his hard prescription food, although as he got older he learned to like to share a few licks of my tapioca pudding. He hated when we sang; he even slapped Karen for singing when she was too close to him once…we both laughed at that one!
Xavier was not an easy animal. He made me work but he also helped me a lot. While I was going through the toughest time of my mental illness and chronic illness he reminded me to take my meds, he encouraged me to do my workouts, sometimes he was the reason I got out of bed because he demanded that things were done a certain way. Now that my brain is more healed and I have established some good habits I know I couldn’t have done it without him because he learned to do what Karen did, while she was at work and he did it.
This weekend I told him that I knew he was sick. I told him that I wanted him to get better but that if he needed to go, I understood. Every time he saw me he would purr. I know he was telling me he loved me. Yesterday when it was time to go to see Dr Katie, he wouldn’t come out from under the bed so I had to move the bed to get him and he purred when he saw me. I had told him the night before that we were going to see Dr Katie and she was going to help him. I scooped him up and we went to the bathroom to get a drink before we went. I wanted to believe Karen that it was just a mouth infection but the pain I had been feeling for days was too real. I brought him out and let Karen love on him a bit before he went into his carrier and unlike usual, he purred the entire way to the vet.
After she examined him, Dr Katie explained that Xavier had signs of kidney or liver issues or possibly cancer. He was 15 and a 1/2 years old and it was the right thing to do to let him go. He was agreeable the entire time. He knew we were helping him. He went to sleep peacefully in my arms before Dr Katie gave him the injection that put him to sleep forever. His heart stopped right after I said: I love you Xavier. You are my good boy kitty…Like I always told him…
Xavier Rock’On Clemenson died on Monday April 22, 2024 but he lives in our hearts forever. RIP Xavier.
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Feel free to leave your comments below!
My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Christian, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Christian…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this: Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world. I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me. I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
by Summer D Clemenson | Apr 22, 2024 | Book & Product Reviews, Opinions
Happy April! I have been enjoying working on rebuilding my children’s book collection so for the next few months we will be exploring some of my own books. I have really loved going through my favorite books and remembering reading them to the children I have loved.
Do you have any favorite books you have read your little ones? Or any books you remember someone reading to you? Please feel free to share them with me.
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Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Harold is an inquisitive child with bright eyes and a big purple crayon. While we read Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson we are taken on an adventure of art in the moonlight in this fiction storybook.
As Harold guides us along, he draws what he imagines in this endearing children’s picture book. We are taken over land and sea and even in a hot air balloon while Harold envisions his fantasy, until he gets tired and wants to go home to bed and he draws that too. Since 1955, Harold has been entertaining children, and I am positive this classic will continue for years to come.
I got this book from my personal collection. You can get your own copy of Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson on Amazon.
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Corduroy by Don Freeman
Corduroy by Don Freeman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Although Corduroy is just a teddy bear in a fantasy, he sure seems like a real creature that anyone could relate to. I guess that is why this classic, Corduroy by Don Freeman, has been a storybook enjoyed by families since 1968.
Corduroy is a sweet little bear that lives in a toy store with other animals and has the ability to find himself on adventures. In the end he gets a new friend, Lisa, a new home, and his overalls are mended. This children’s fiction picture book is a must read for any family collection.
I got this book from my personal collection. You can get your own copy of Corduroy by Don Freeman on Amazon.
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Curious George Gets a Medal by H.A. Rey
Curious George Gets a Medal by H.A. Rey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
In the classic book, Curious George Gets a Medal by H.A. Rey we meet a very precocious monkey named George. All the schemes in this storybook start out innocently enough, but become outrageous and humorous and since he is so lovable, everyone cheers. Even though George floods the house, steels a cow and destroys an art exhibit, George also saves the day by becoming the first space monkey and receives a medal of honor and the whole town celebrates with him, including the animals!
This children’s fiction picture book is a riot and sure to keep a smile on your face while you enjoy George and his fantasy adventures. This book has been entertaining families since 1957, but I am sure George will be a family favorite for years to come.
I got this book from my own personal collection. You can get your own copy of Curious George Gets a Medal by H.A. Rey on Amazon.
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Rough Weather Ahead for Walter the Farting Dog by William Kotzwinkie, Glenn Murray and Elizabeth Gundy
Rough Weather Ahead for Walter the Farting Dog by William Kotzwinkle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I have to admit, I have heard about Walter the Farting Dog, but I am not sure I have read any of the books before. I bought this book with my great-nephews in mind and I am hooked! Rough Weather Ahead for Walter the Farting Dog by William Kotzwinkle, Glenn Murray and Elizabeth Gundy is a wonderful family storybook. Walter’s family is amazing! They love their dog even though he can clear a room and even melt the ice on butterfly wings!
The illustrations by Audry Colman really adds to the enjoyment and humor of this fiction children’s picture book! I think you really should grab a copy for yourself and have a good heart-warming laugh. Humor and animals sometimes go hand in hand and why not during story time?
I got this book from my personal collection. You can get your own copy of Rough Weather Ahead for Walter the Farting Dog by William Kotzwinkle, Glenn Murray and Elizabeth Gundy on Amazon.
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Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin
Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin is a very cute children’s fiction storybook. If you want to learn about Dragons and how much they love tacos and how they like to eat them, this is the book for you! The illustrations by Daniel Salmieri are colorful and really add to this picture book.
I think this book would be a great conversation starter with children about different kinds of animals, foods and colors. Who doesn’t like to dream about fantasy characters eating their favorite foods while making it humorous? What a great story time opportunity!
View all my reviews
I got this book out of my personal collection. You can get your own copy of Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin on Amazon.
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Thank you for enjoying my book reviews
I hope you take the time to check these books out for yourself.
Reading to children is such a treat! They are so easily amused and they are so inquisitive. It is fun to watch them get curious and laugh at the funniest things. I encourage you to read to the little ones in your life. You won’t regret it.
Be blessed.
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Feel free to leave your comments below!
My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Christian, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Christian…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this: Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world. I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me. I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
by Summer D Clemenson | Apr 18, 2024 | Local Interests, Opinions, Thanksgiving
Most of you know my sister,Jamie Holloway. I mention her all the time. She is my best friend and my adopted sister. She is a huge inspiration to me and so many other people because of her strength and her drive to live as well as she can with some pretty scary chronic illnesses. If it wasn’t for her I would be miserable and not know what to do about it. But she chooses joy as much as she can. She chooses wellness and pro-activity as often as possible. She educates herself and those around her, every chance she gets.
When you are chronically ill and can’t work, it is hard to make ends meet. I am lucky that I have a hard working wife. I am lucky that we are able to make Jamie part of our monthly budget because she doesn’t have much left after her rent is paid. Jamie is lucky that there are a few of us that make up her team that keep things going but it is hard when things like her laptop or cell phone die. We are all managing our budgets.
Jamie is needing some help with her electronics. If you can help with a few dollars, towards these things it would bring so much happiness to her, just in time for her birthday May 21st. We are asking for $1000 to cover the cost of her communication devices and maybe a shelf for her bedroom wall. If we all pitch in, she will be one happy 50 year old!
Please click to learn more about the GoFundMe we set up for her.
When she gets her new laptop, I might have to give her blog at JamieChasesButterflies.com a facelift…she looks a lot different now. 🙂
Thank you for loving Jamie!
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Feel free to leave your comments below!
My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Christian, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Christian…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this: Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world. I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me. I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
by Summer D Clemenson | Apr 3, 2024 | Book & Product Reviews, Opinions
Hungry Ghosts by Kevin Jared Hosein is a literary fiction book that takes place in Trinidad in the 1940’s. Hosein takes the first few chapters of this novel to help you realize the vast difference between the classes of people, especially our main characters. Hans and Shweta Saroop and their son, Krishna, who live in a barrack, made of wood and tin, with several other families. The walls are thin, there is little privacy and they all share one latrine. And on what can seem like, the other end of the world, are Dalton and Marlee Changoor that own a large farm in Bell Village.
This historical fiction story is filled with mystery, spirituality and all kinds of adventure as Krishna and his friends deal with the bullies at school and growing up. Hosein successfully paints a picture of generational trauma and linked histories. He also reminds us that sometimes it is better to want what we have.
This thriller has taken me everywhere emotionally and was rich with information about a place I will probably never visit.
I got this book from my sister, Jamie Holloway. You can get your own copy of Hungry Ghosts by Kevin Jared Hosein on Amazon.
Read My Review on GoodReads:
Hungry Ghosts by Kevin Jared Hosein
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Hungry Ghosts by Kevin Jared Hosein is about people that work hard but enjoy their life. That is, until Hans, the head of the Saroop family gets the chance to work as night watchman at the Changoor farm while Dalton Changoor is away. Hans doesn’t know that Dalton is probably dead. He also doesn’t know that Marlee Changoor has been admiring him while he works on her property during the day.
Hans looks at this this opportunity as the one his family needs to get the money they need to buy land in Bell Village and get away from the barracks they have been living in and have a better life. But soon he is lured inside the big house. He enjoys the fancy food, the nice music, the beautiful furniture and most sadly, Mrs. Changoor.
This break in the Saroop family causes a domino effect in the rest of the novel based in 1940’s Trinidad.
View all my reviews
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Feel free to leave your comments below!
My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Christian, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Christian…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this: Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world. I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me. I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
by Summer D Clemenson | Apr 2, 2024 | Book & Product Reviews, Opinions
I do know that I am at least 3 days late with this article but I do believe that wonderful things can happen in only 3 days…which is why so many people celebrate Resurrection Sunday. In reality my family was really busy in the month of March which is why I am late but the books I chose for this month were really great and worth the wait.
I am wondering, did you ever get a chance to check out any of the other books I have reviewed? Let me know!
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Just You and Me by Jennifer Ward
Just You and Me: Remarkable Relationships in the Wild by Jennifer Ward
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Just You and Me by Jennifer Ward is a nonfiction book about symbiotic relationships in nature, on land and in the sea. These relationships have been created by what seems to be unlikely animal friends but they have learned to work together to take care of each other.
For instance a Nile crocodile can’t clean their own teeth so they allow an Egyptian plover bird to hop, safely into their mouth to eat the leftover food in their teeth and gums. The crocodile gets a clean mouth and the bird gets a full belly.
The colorful illustrations by Alexander Vidal add great interest in this picture book and help showcase the relationships of these unlikely friends. I think they also make for great conversations starters for children and grownups alike.
I got this book from the Longview Public Library. You can get your own copy of Just You and Me by Jennifer Ward on Amazon.
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Homeless by Bernard Wolf
Homeless by Bernard Wolf
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Homeless by Bernard Wolf is a very touching nonfiction story told in the voice of Mikey, an 8-year-old boy. Mikey and his family are homeless and are living in a very hard and real scenario. This book was published in 1995, but there are still a lot of similar stories like Mikey’s
I don’t think this book is meant for very young children because they just won’t have the attention span, but for children 7 and older, I think this would be a powerful way to help children learn to empathize with people experiencing homelessness.
Wolf didn’t just write this biography, he also showcased the story with powerful photography that illustrated the family’s life. Both the writing and photography help to illustrate the difficulties of families that need help.
I got this book from the Longview Public Library. You can get your own copy of Homeless by Bernard Wolf on Amazon.
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Rabbit and Squirrel A Tale of War and Peas by Kara LaReau
Rabbit & Squirrel: A Tale of War and Peas by Kara LaReau
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
The illustrations by Scott Magoon are adorable. This is my favorite thing about the picture book Rabbit and Squirrel A Tale of War and Peas by Kara LaReau. I really wanted to love this book but the animal characters: Rabbit and Squirrel loved gardening but never tried to share their produce. They were quick to judge each other and when the farmer kicked them out of their garden, they continued to blame each other.
The thought of them getting sick of blaming each other and growing a garden together is not enough for me. I realize this is a fiction book but I want a better moral to the story, not just for me but for the children that would be inspired by this book. I will be choosing a different book for storytime at my house.
I got this book from the Longview Public Library. You can get your own copy of Rabbit and Squirrel A Tale of War and Peas by Kara LaReau on Amazon.
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Corduroy Takes a Bow by Viola Davis
Corduroy Takes a Bow by Viola Davis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I haven’t read about Corduroy for years but I have already ordered Corduroy and A Pocket for Corduroy by Don Freeman, the original creator of this fiction series, for my personal children’s book collection. These books will be in my next review. I so enjoyed Corduroy Takes a Bow by Viola Davis and it is in my shopping cart right now!
Lisa and her mother have gone to the theater for the first time. They are excited to see Mother Goose and of course Lisa has brought along her teddy bear, Corduroy. In true form, Corduroy has found a way to have an animal adventure while at the theater but still make it back into Lisa’s arms.
I love the illustrations by Jody Wheeler for this picture book. I love that both Davis and Wheeler stayed faithful to the original character of Corduroy, who is always lovable and heartwarming.
I got this book from the Longview Public Library. You can get your own copy of Corduroy Takes a Bow by Viola Davis on Amazon.
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Fred’s Big Feelings The Life and Legacy of Mister Rogers by Laura Renauld
Fred’s Big Feelings: The Life and Legacy of Mister Rogers by Laura Renauld
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I loved Mr. Rogers Neighborhood all my life. I would still watch reruns if I could find them. Mr. Rogers knew how to talk so I could understand my emotions and good ways to express them. Fred’s Big Feelings The Life and Legacy of Mister Rogers by Laura Renauld is a very children’s-sized version of another nonfiction biography I have read and reviewed: The Good Neighbor The Life and Work of Fred Rogers by Maxwell King.
I am not sure a young child would have the attention span for this book because of the amount of history in it, but a child of 7 and up would appreciate this book. Especially the parts that talk about Mr. Rogers as a child. Parents will appreciate knowing how much time Mr. Rogers studied mental health as part of his spirituality journey so that he could project honesty and care into all of his programming. The illustrations by Brigitte Barrager add a lot to this picture book as well.
View all my reviews
I got this book from the Longview Public Library. You can get your own copy of Fred’s Big Feelings The Life and Legacy of Mister Rogers by Laura Renauld on Amazon.
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I really enjoyed the books I found for March. Reading children’s books has become something I am really enjoying and collecting them for the children in my life is become a small hobby that makes me happy as well.
What are some things that bring you joy?
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Feel free to leave your comments below!
My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Christian, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Christian…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this: Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world. I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me. I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
by Summer D Clemenson | Mar 22, 2024 | Book & Product Reviews, Opinions
I had seen previews for the movie Killers of the Flower Moon and meant to see it and then forgot about it. Then one night I saw Martin Scorsese on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and really enjoyed his interview and I was reminded that I wanted to make time to see this movie and then forgot about it again. Then one day I was at the library with my wife, Karen G Clemenson, looking for books and I found Killers of the Flower Moon in the juvenile section while picking out books for my 5 Books for February 2024 article and I decided to grab it.
When I went up to check out my books I told the librarian I was surprised to find this book in the children’s section and she pointed out that this was a book edited for children and wanted to know if I still wanted it. Since the book my wife wanted, was not available and she was going to place a hold on it for us, I asked her to do the same for the adult version of Killers of the Flower Moon The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann.
First off my impression of the book, based on what I had not really paid attention to in the previews for the movie needed to be thrown out the window. This is not a love story between a white man and an Osage woman. This is a true crime nonfiction story that really happened. This book is about how crooked White officials took advantage of Osage Natives, that had head rights to a lot of oil, in any way they could. Many times that meant murdering them and not investigating anything. Eventually a group out of Virginia, with the largest fingerprint database, and a little bit of training got wind of things and took over to finally find some justice for some of the lost people in Gray Horse, Oklahoma. This group became the FBI.
The story, itself is a little choppy. The details are a bit overwhelming. But the memories must not be lost. We must honor the victims and celebrate where we have gotten better.
I got this book from the Longview Public Library. You can get your own copy of Killers of the Flower Moon The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann on Amazon.
Read My Review on GoodReads:
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Killers of the Flower Moon The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann was an important read. It was a hard read for someone that doesn’t read true crime stories. But this nonfiction book tells an compelling story in history that is vital, not only to Native American and United States history, but the creation of a policing organization that was necessary when all others were uneducated, corrupt and unable to bring justice to families that had lost so much. You should read this book.
View all my reviews
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Feel free to leave your comments below!
My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Christian, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Christian…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this: Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world. I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me. I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
by Summer D Clemenson | Mar 15, 2024 | Opinions, Prayers
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, the word, transactional, is an adjective that describes something that is related to buying and selling. For instance, transactional charges are fees that are associated with their purchase. Transactional can also be associated with relationships and this happens when each person in the relationship does things for the other person, expecting something done for them in return. As long as they get something in return, they are willing to give their time and resources at some point in the future. Transactional relationships are very beneficial at work, where you are earning your pay, but in more personal relationships, often times, if this is the main type of dynamic in your relationship, there is little room for meaningful connection. I want my life to be less transactional.
Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by doing so some have unwittingly entertained angels.
Hebrews 13:2
I was doing my bible study and this verse made me think of a time I was in Seattle with my father. We were on the pier. There were lots of vendors and we were on our way to somewhere, I don’t remember. There was a homeless man that wanted my father to say hello to him, but he ignored him. This made him angry. As my entire family followed my father and walked by him, I could feel his shame and anger get bigger. I could feel that so big. I was one of the last in the line of my extended family and as I came closer to him, I smiled at him and said hello. Immediately, he calmed down and smiled back.
When we were closer to the car, my father began berating me for speaking to the man. But I wouldn’t be put in my place. I put my father in his place. I was firm. I told him, he was wrong. All that man wanted was easy to give. He wanted to be seen, and I saw him.
I understand that my father was afraid of what the man could have done. But I was not. I knew Jesus was with me. I have come to understand that there were many things in my life that my extended family was not strong enough to walk through with me and it was better to let them go. Their fears only made it harder for me to be brave.
But there was more. The love I was raised with was more transactional than natural. If I was the good girl that served them, I was allowed some grace. But their grace only lasted as long as they wanted. My parents needed their needs met more than they knew how to take care of mine and they expected me to take care of them first.
The disadvantages of transactional relationships are:
- Shallow interaction
- Feeling undervalued
- Short-sighted with little loyalty and commitment
- Lack of safety
When I tried to talk about these things with my father, I was told that I was the only one with the problem so I was the problem. When I tried to talk to my mother, I was told that it wasn’t true and I was making this up. I had seen my aunt do this to my mother, while I was growing up too. Because I had been the one to have to care for my sisters, starting at 9 years old, I did not have a regular relationship with them. They had been taught by my parents to emotionally abuse me. I didn’t have any support and so they got the absolute worst of me. Now I know I had mental illness, neurodivergence, untreated chronic migraines, unbalanced hormones, insulin resistance and maybe even the beginning of fibromyalgia at a young age, I was a mess and I was trying to be a good girl with no help. I don’t blame my family for this. We didn’t have the words for these conditions back when I was growing up but compassion would have been nice, even when I started getting diagnosed and that never happened.
The most joy I ever experienced was when my siblings had children. In some ways things got easier because many of the stresses of a blended family got quieter as we decided to let some of the old things go. It wasn’t easier for me. I was still ignored and left out but when I showed up, I loved my nephews and nieces. I loved to play with them, listen to them and talk to them. They enjoyed me too. I let the other stuff go because it was easy to ignore everything else and just fall in love with these amazing people that just loved me.
But then in 2014 I got really sick and ended up in the hospital. It changed me. It broke something in me that kept me strong enough to be the good girl and take whatever they expected me to take. I needed to be myself and I didn’t know who I was. I didn’t want any of the disadvantages of transactional relationships anymore. I married Karen G Clemenson and she was seeing what I had been talking about and couldn’t understand why these people were so dismissive and blatantly abusive towards me. They would call and terrorize me over the phone and after visits I would be in bed for days and she would beg me to eat and take my meds. My therapists had told me I needed to separate them from my life. These people were hurting me.
Finally I made the choice to take a break. I know it is close to the anniversary of this first choice because I have been having lots of nightmares lately. I had never intended it to become permanent but it has become obvious to me that it must be. When you don’t believe there is anything wrong with your behavior, you aren’t going to change, even if you think you love someone. My extended family doesn’t believe there is anything wrong with their behavior. So I am taking my father’s advice. If I am the problem then I must go away. I have asked him to let me go and I mean it. I don’t want anything from him. My mother says she doesn’t understand why I don’t want her in my life but I have told her if she will go to therapy I will consider a relationship with her, she is just in denial.
I didn’t remove them from my life to hurt them. I removed them from my life to protect myself.
What I want more than anything is for them to see what it would take for us to grow. Years ago I realized that I was abusing a dear friend because we were both abused as children. My friend needed to be abused and I needed to abuse someone. As much as I loved them, I would hear myself say terrible things to them when I was visiting them. By the time I would be driving home, I would hate myself. We were both in therapy and I realized that we were fulfilling a role that was unhealthy and we separated for a few years while we dealt with ourselves and now we have an honest and loving relationship. We give freely to each other out of love and not because we need to fill some gross need that was taught to us by someone that was wrong.
And the reason this has all come up? The last few weeks I have started a new Facebook account. It doesn’t have all the blocked pages that make me feel safe and Facebook knows who I should be connected to. I didn’t mind Facebook suggesting my youngest sibling to me. Or my oldest. The profile picture of my father’s wife’s Facebook account bothers me because that is what they looked like when things were the worst but I let it go…it was the profile of my first niece. She is gorgeous. I had to look at her pictures. She is engaged to be married. I am so happy for her. My heart bursts with joy for her and I wish I could hug her and tell her this in person but she is collateral damage. These beautiful children are not children anymore and I hoped that when they were adults they could make their own choices and reach out to me but they have been told, what they have been told. I know not to interfere.
So the only transaction I will make regarding this beautiful woman and her cousins is with Jesus in my prayers.
But in my current relationships, I don’t hold on like I used to. I love in the moment, expecting nothing in return. It works better for me. I was raised, keeping a ledger and that has only made me tired. I was taught that I had to talk to everyone about Jesus, but I have watched people become afraid at the sight of a cross on my neck so I stopped wearing them. When people ask me about the beads on my wrists, I tell them that God is in His creation and then I tell them what my intentions are for these beads. Its a good conversation starter. I don’t believe that the beads themselves do anything, but God, in HIs wisdom, does what He plans…and I think the beads are pretty. I have learned to listen for when people aren’t interested or when Jesus wants me to say less or something else. This seems to work better for me. Sometimes I am really surprised at what comes out of my mouth.
One of the points that Bob made in the bible study I was reading was that Jesus gave freely. He didn’t feed people and then ask them to pray with Him. Jesus didn’t heal people and then ask them to do anything in return. Jesus just loved because that is His nature. That is the way I want to live. I want to love because I have the energy and desire to love and when I am tired or I don’t have resources, I want to go home and reload. When Jesus got tired, He spent time with God in prayer. That is what we are supposed to do. That is how you give freely. You give what you have. It doesn’t have to be transactional if you give from your abundance and then go home.
Giving what you have to give works for all kinds of relationships because many of us have scars and hurts that are in their own timing of healing. I have a friend that wants to call me friend but they don’t return my messages. They want me to come to their shows. Even though I have explained that my wife works 3 jobs and I don’t want to go out alone and I would prefer to do other things, they need the validation other ways. They have been hurt really bad by personal relationships and like the shining lights and protection of the stage. I understand this but I can’t give it to them. So I give them what I can. Maybe one day they will be ready for more personal time or I will be ready for the bright lights and large groups but for now, I pray for them. The love is still there. It is still very real. It is what I have. It doesn’t deny them their needs and freedom, but I am not feeling some of the feelings I might have felt that they couldn’t give me what I needed, because I have learned to get what I need from Jesus.
Another relationship I had to let go because they were abusive to me. We would come together and at some point they would dump me. Because I loved them, I would forgive them and re-engage. It was a similar pattern I had learned from my extended family. But at some point I came to a realization that I didn’t want to be abused anymore. Even though I loved them, and sometimes they acted like they loved me, I realized that more than not, our relationship was always on their terms. I decided that I wanted more than that and when I talked to them about that, I also realized that they were always comparing me to them, even about things I could do nothing about. I gave them a wide berth because they were dealing with their mental illness and I was proud of them but I was aware that I needed to take care of myself too. In our last communication they told me they didn’t want to know me. So I listened to their words and let them go. I still pray for them when I think about them. I want them to have happiness, health and goodness in their life, but when they send me messages, I don’t reply because I have made the decision to not be abused anymore. I have learned to place people that I can’t have in my life in the hands of Jesus.
In my last conversations with my siblings I told them I had nothing for them. I was done. I still love them but I have given all I have for them. When I think of them I hope they have what they want in life, hope, love and joy. I am sometimes sad because I wish I had loving relationships with them and I mourn the few times that were joyful but the trust is gone and relationship has been comatose for many years. I am sure they have their own pain. We were all raised the same way. So many transactions. All I can do is place them in Jesus’ arms.
Jesus is not transactional. He loves everyone. He doesn’t get tired. He doesn’t run out of resources. He knows what to do always. I am supposed to give freely, not out of my lack. I don’t stop loving, I have stopped giving when I have nothing more to give. I have learned when to let people stay in the rear view mirror so I can move forward to new opportunities that were created by Jesus for each new day. This is how to live without transactions but to live freely. When we let people abuse us, it is too easy to allow our relationships to become transactional. I want my life to be less transactional. I want my life to be free.
You don’t get what you want by waiting for it to come to you most of the time. Most of life is about making choices. This has been a hard and very important lesson.
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Feel free to leave your comments below!
My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Christian, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Christian…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this: Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world. I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me. I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
by Summer D Clemenson | Mar 6, 2024 | Opinions, Prayers
A couple of weeks ago I was inspired to write my editorial article: I Do Not Believe The United States Should Label Itself a Christian Nation. After sharing it with my wife, who has similar, but different beliefs than I do, I realized that maybe I should go deeper to explain why I feel this way, so strongly. It is not just a feeling for me, but a core belief, fueled by my regard for Christ. I believe that Christ’s name should be revered much more than it usually is. I believe the word Christian should be revered much more than it usually is. When Christ’s name is on something, it should mean something. If you are not a Christian or if you have been hurt by people who have been misled or are using that name of Jesus in the wrong way, this title can do more harm than good.
Wikipedia says that Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus. It is the world’s largest and most widespread religion, with roughly 2.4 billion followers, comprising around 31.2% of the world population. Of course there is a ton if variation beyond this statement because cultures and denominations create differences of beliefs and traditions. The Greek word Christianos, meaning, “follower of Christ” comes from Christos, meaning “anointed one,” with an adjective ending borrowed from Latin to mean belonging to. So a Christian is a a follower of Christ or someone that belongs to Christ.
But being a Christian means something different to so many people. In fact some people have such a skewed view of what being a Christian is that I don’t think they are actually Christians and those people make many of us look bad. I don’t want to gossip or backbite here because that makes God sad and it makes me feel uncomfortable. I often feel uncomfortable because I hear those things happen so much. In fact that is what I hated the most about the churches I have spent the most time in. We should be sharing information to pray for and edify each other but often, that is not what we are doing when we are talking to each other at church and it makes me sad and angry.
I could say that the politics around religion has gotten bad all of the sudden but I read through the gospel of John this last week and I realized that Jesus’ crucifixion was completely a political thing, so politics in church is not a new thing, I just didn’t realize it has always been there until now. Of course Christ’s death was also part of His divine plan to save believers and Jesus blatantly gave His life in every way He could. Time and time again, every chance He had to save Himself, He gave Himself to us and for that I am thankful. But just because we aren’t good at separating church and state, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try harder in order to recognize the foundation of our country’s origin: religious freedom. I believe that religious freedom means that we are all free to practice our choice of religion without persecution, which means that I need to give you room to disagree with me and have your own religion and not force my beliefs on you. Hopefully we can talk freely about our beliefs because that is how we might get to know each other without the stress of trying to “save” each other, but with the goal of understanding each other.
I spent a lot of time alone when I was growing up and even now. When I was 5 years old, I was in my backyard, under the apple trees and Jesus came to me and introduced Himself to me. From that moment on, I was never alone. Even when I didn’t know I was not alone, He was with me. Even when I forgot about Him, the Holy Spirit was with me. I have always enjoyed reading my bible and learning from people more wise than myself. There have always been times that I couldn’t hear certain messages and now I know that was God, hedging me in, so that I wouldn’t get confused by bad messages. God chose me and He has taught me many things. I have learned to hear His voice and to obey. When I was 25 years old, something in me thought I wasn’t as mature as I should be. I told God I was a 20 year old Christian but I felt like a toddler. So I challenged Him. My car had broke down and I had no way to get to church. No one missed me until it was my turn to dress the communion table. So I told God to prove His promises. I stayed away from church and waited for Him to teach me. He proved His promises and I grew faster than ever. It was so much easier to hear Him without the distractions of other people.
It has been 23 years and I haven’t been a able to find a church that I fit in. The humanity is too much for me. The showcasing or dogma or need for attention or the Pharisees stop me from wanting to return.
What I expect from churches is growth. I expect the people in the church to be better but when I visit them they are the same. I don’t need to be fed. I only need fellowship and worship. God will lead me to tithe if this is my home. He will lead me to serve when He has created the opportunity. I don’t need to be asked by church leaders. When I come to church I expect to see homeless in the congregation and people being ministered to randomly and the body moving but instead I find the same white, cookie cutter services with people that mean well but are held down by dogma or the need to perform for their ego’s sake and it makes me want to stay home and study by myself and pray by myself and give and act on the moments that God creates for me. It doesn’t make church valuable to me because no one has ever followed me home or even called until I missed my turn to serve them. This is why so many people are turned off by church; the lack of authenticity.
I am reminded by a quote by Brennan Manning that I heard on the DCTALK album Jesus Freak: The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.
I saw an article the other day that explained some of the beliefs of Christian nationalists and it made me so sad that a group of people that supposedly believe in Jesus, think they should be treated special because of their beliefs; that they should have say in our government, economics, culture, education, media, arts and entertainment with the goal of power and conquest. These same people will vote in a person like Donald Trump, who does not embody any of the characteristics the bible tells us to look for in leadership but they want him because he will punish the people that are bad, he supports conspiracy theories and ideas that distract United States citizens from what is really important. They aren’t looking for a leader, they are looking for a bully that will break the United States so they can rebuild it the way they want it.
I know I am just one person. I am a woman that loves Jesus. Jesus did not like politicians when He was with us. He did not like the Pharisees. He loved them but He did not speak to them in words they could understand. He was not here for them. The rules and regulations had become of more importance to the Pharisees than the people, and that was why Jesus was here. He was here to tell the people about the love of God. He was here to show us mercy and forgiveness and healing. He was here to leave the Holy Spirit here for us to teach us God’s truth that our humanity, that seeks after lust, pride and greed was going to lead us nowhere but His love, mercy and truth would lead us to life.
Jesus was humble and He told us to serve others. He said specifically that those who wanted to be first, would be last. So I know that the beliefs of the Christian nationalists are based on confusion. The bible says that where there is confusion, that is not where God is and we must pray for these people. As true believers we can not place ourselves above anyone else. We are here to serve freely, not until we are angry and tired, but with the abundance that God gives us, so if it is too much for you, it is not your time, you need to rest. But if you have energy for this, please join me in praying for clarity in the hearts of the chosen and peace and joy to abound through Jesus Christ in His believers so that we can share it with everyone.
As believers Jesus’ name is written on us. We are important to Him. Each one of us is His church. We mean something. We don’t need a building or a body of believers to edify us. We need a relationship with Jesus. We need time in the word to learn His ways and how to hear the Holy Spirit guiding us toward truth and life. If we are able to find that in a group of believers that meets in a building, we are truly blessed, but you are also able to do this alone, or with a friend over coffee, or with a stranger on the street, or the librarian as you check out a book or with anyone that God puts in your path. You mean something. You make a difference. Be the church wherever you are. Don’t let the rules get in the way. Let God speak to you and through you. Learn His voice and obey. You can inspire the world.
Jesus changed the world and He said we would do greater than He. Let Him shine through you.
Be blessed!
Read More:
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Feel free to leave your comments below!
My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Christian, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Christian…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this: Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world. I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me. I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
by Summer D Clemenson | Mar 4, 2024 | Cancer, Opinions, Prayers
February was a hard month but it wasn’t without blessings and I feel so blessed!
As many of you know since October 2021 I have been dealing with the fact that I Have Cancer. It has been a long road with much self-searching, changes in diet and lifestyle and even in who I allow into my life. The cancer I have is endometrial cancer and it is slow growing. It is level one and hasn’t grown. I am thankful for this. The treatments have not killed the cancer but the cancer has not metastasized or gotten worse in any way. During this 2 1/2 year period, I am not sure how many D&Cs I have had to gather biopsies to check how we are doing. I need a hysterectomy but my weight is an issue. It has taken a while to figure out how to help my body lose weight. With all the other medications I take, including the treatment for the cancer I have, that causes weight gain, this has been hard, but we are finally having success.
I had my latest D&C early in February and my post-op meeting with my oncologist last week. She was so happy to tell me that my cancer has shrunk. I have been thinking about this and letting it sink in. I have been resigned to the idea that most of my illnesses are chronic and won’t go away and it is odd to me that there is a reality that one of my diagnosis’s will go away. That there will be medications that I won’t take forever. That we are getting closer to the finish line for cancer. That I can begin planning for other things to come in my wellness plan. I am so thankful!
Also I wrote that I Was Locked Out of My Facebook Account. This was very hard for me emotionally. But also financially. I have worked very hard to rebuild my family’s credit history and scores. We have come so far and I was so frustrated. But through diligence, I got the police report filed online and it was accepted, my bank disputed the charges and reversed them so I don’t have to pay for the charges and I feel so relieved. I was so worried about how to pay that bill. We never charge more than we can afford to pay off each month. We have never paid interest on that card and I didn’t want to start now. I can’t tell you how much weight this took off my shoulders.
I know that I shouldn’t have let this bother me. I was under medications I don’t usually take. People make mistakes. God is always taking care of me. But I felt shame. I felt guilt. Under normal circumstances I would have never engaged with these thieves but in reality I had been for some time. I trusted too easily and I now I know more. So there are many blessings to be celebrated here.
God took good care of me and guided me to His blessings. I am so grateful!
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Feel free to leave your comments below!
My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Christian, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Christian…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this: Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world. I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me. I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
by Summer D Clemenson | Feb 29, 2024 | Book & Product Reviews, Opinions
At 3 years old, the main character, Pik-Shuen, immigrated from China to Canada. She was with her mother and grandparents; her father stayed back in Hong Kong to keep working. They were very poor and they adults worked a lot but the short stories shared talk about closeness even the though the family does not talk about or show a lot of emotion. Throughout her life, Pik and her sister study art and live. Sometimes in China and mostly in Canada. As they become adults they spend more time with their father, because he became sick. This gives the family a chance to get to know each other and talk about how they felt about each other.
I found this book to be sad and sweet and somewhat healing. I loved the honesty and patience in the writing. The layout of the book is different and I enjoyed the short stories being each chapter with the implied space to think between each story.
I got this book from my sister, Jamie Holloway. You can get your own copy of Ghost Forest by Pik-Shuen Fung on Amazon.
Read My Review on GoodReads:
Ghost Forest by Pik-Shuen Fung
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Ghost Forest by Pik-Shuen Fung was a beautiful story about a family living on different continents trying to get to know each other. In short stories we get to see in the lives of these dynamic people and their culture. It was beautiful.
View all my reviews
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Feel free to leave your comments below!
My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Christian, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Christian…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this: Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world. I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me. I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
by Summer D Clemenson | Feb 28, 2024 | Book & Product Reviews, Opinions
I have been working through a bag of books that I am supposed to pass onto Jamie’s sister, Joy, and I am almost through them all. In fact, now that I have finished The Invasion of Heaven by Michael B. Koep, I only have one more book to go. I was really surprised that Jamie would give me a book like this to read. I do not read sci-fi books and I don’t read suspense/thrillers. But I decided that the person that knows me best, besides my wife, might know something I don’t, I should give it a shot. She was right.
The main character, Loche Newith, a psychologist, has had a quiet and controlled life until now and that is how he likes it but he can’t seem to make things line up anymore. Between the apparent suicide of one client and the constant appearance in his life of another client, the finding of a long lost brother and art that seems to change people’s lives forever, either in good or bad ways, this book has every kind of element that might keep you turning pages until you run out.
I am glad I gave this book a chance. I really enjoyed it.
I got this book from my sister, Jamie Holloway. You can get your own copy of The Invasion of The Invasion of Heaven by Michael B. Koep on Amazon.
Read My Review on GoodReads:
The Invasion of Heaven by Michael B. Koep
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
As someone that does not read science fiction or thrillers I was surprised that I was caught by this book. Loche Newith, the main character, was complex and perfect for carrying this story. The fact that he was a psychologist is what kept me turning pages in the beginning but as the story matured, his stead-fastness is what endured and then the plot turned. Wow!
View all my reviews
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Feel free to leave your comments below!
My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Christian, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Christian…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this: Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world. I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me. I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
by Summer D Clemenson | Feb 27, 2024 | Book & Product Reviews, Opinions
I was really blessed to come from a family that loved books. My mother, my aunt and mostly my nana really instilled my love for books into me. Nana could tell the best stories, whether she was telling me about my ancestors or she was reading a story from a book or she was telling me about the latest book she was reading. I know it was Nana that encouraged my love for words, quotes and writing. Who inspired you?
This month my wife and I chose different books. We didn’t pick cute stories but stores about real events that happened in the world. Hopefully these stories will inspire as well.
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Covered in Color: Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s Fabrics of Freedom by Eliza Boxer
Covered in Color: Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s Fabrics of Freedom by Elisa Boxer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Cristo lived in Bulgaria as a boy during World War II. The Nazis came and burned all his colorful books that inspired him. After the war he enrolled in art school, but his communist country still controlled even his creativity and only encouraged propaganda art that made their government look good. When Cristo was 21 years old, he hid in a boxcar so he could travel to France, where he could be honest with his art.
While in France he made money painting portraits of people and practicing his art on his free time. Soon he met Jeanne-Claude with flame-colored hair and they fell in love. Then they decided to start their new life in the United States, in Manhattan, where they continued to try out new mediums.
Eventually they were able to talk some officials in Switzerland to allow them to wrap the museum Hamberger Kunsthalle in 26 thousand square feet of fabric and 2 miles of rope. They have wrapped buildings in Chicago, Berlin, the shoreline in Australia, 11 islands east of Miami, they placed 3,000 yellow and blue umbrellas in California and Japan, and 23 miles of orange flags in Central Park in New York. Their art was not the kind of art that lasts long but it made a huge impact while it was there and that is why it was so important to Cristo and Jeanne-Claude.
Covered in Color: Cristo and Jeanne-Claude’s Fabrics of Freedom by Eliza Boxer is a beautiful book to look at while it shares a real story in history. The honest writing style is easy to understand and the colorful illustrations by Susanna Chapman are engaging, yet not intimidating, even with some difficult topics. I really enjoyed this book.
I got this book from the Longview Public Library. You can get your own copy of Covered in Color: Cristo and Jeanne-Claude’s Fabrics of Freedom by Eliza Boxer on Amazon.
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Ashley Bryan’s Puppets by Ashley Bryan
Ashley Bryan’s Puppets: Making Something from Everything by Ashley Bryan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Ashley Bryan began making puppets out of things found lying around when he was only 9 years old. His puppets are not conventional but more like works of art and he uses poetry to convey their personalities which are rich in culture and vision. The artistry is outstanding and beautiful but this is not a story you would read before bed, but may be a good book you would use to have a conversation. I imagine an older child looking for inspiration would enjoy this book. The photos by Ken Hannon and edited by Rich Entel are stunning.
I got this book from the Longview Public Library. You can get your own copy of Ashley Bryan’s Puppets by Ashley Bryan on Amazon.
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The Adventure of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat
The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I am so torn. I am sitting here with a warm feeling inside and a smile on my face after reading The Adventure of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat, but I want more. I am glad that Beekle and Alice found each other. I love the illustrations that almost tell more than the story, but I feel like just as the story was getting good, it just ended.
I can tell that it must get checked out a lot because it has more wear and tear than the other books I checked out and it boasts The Caldecott Medallion on it’s cover, but I still want more. I guess I don’t always get what I want.
I got this book from the Longview Public Library. You can get your own copy of The Adventure of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat on Amazon.
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Standing in the Need of Prayer A Modern Retelling of the Classic Spiritual by Carole Boston Weatherford
Standing in the Need of Prayer: A Modern Retelling of the Classic Spiritual by Carole Boston Weatherford
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I just read an important book. I plan to add Standing in the Need of Prayer by Carole Boston Weatherford to my personal collection. Not only is it poetic and true but it honestly shares important parts of the history of the United States of America as we have chosen to more fair Civil Rights for Black Americans.
The Illustrations by Frank Morrison are beautiful and I look forward to sharing them with the children that come to my home. I also appreciate the resources in the back of the book. I highly recommend this book to families.
I got this book from the Longview Public Library. You can get your own copy of In Standing in the Need of Prayer by Carole Boston Weatherford on Amazon.
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Zonia’s Rain Forest by Juana Martinez-Neal
Zonia’s Rain Forest by Juana Martinez-Neal
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Zonia lives in Peru, in the rain forest. Every day she visits all her friends that live in the rain forest. One day as Zonia is heading home, she sees a large area of trees that has been cut down. She runs to her mother in fear. Zonia agrees with her mother that she must answer the call of the rain forest for help!
Zonia’s Rain First by Juana Martinez-Neal is a story about a very real problem that Indigenous people and wildlife in the Peruvian Amazon are facing. This book is a good way to educate and hopefully inspire change. There are helpful resources in the back of the book. I hope you read this book.
I got this book from the Longview Public Library. You can get your own copy of Is Zonia’s Rain First by Juana Martinez-Neal on Amazon.
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I was talking with a friend about the books she read this month. She said for Black History Month she had read some pretty heavy books. She described a book about the last slave ship in South Carolina. I wasn’t surprised about what she had learned. I have been reading about Black culture for over 30 years. We had a quiet moment to acknowledge our pain of this knowledge. Then I told her that we don’t celebrate Black History Month in our house. She asked me why and I told her that Black history happens every day and we don’t need to only celebrate it one time a year; it is just our philosophy, however we do sometimes watch a movie that doesn’t make it on TV frequently. It took her a moment and then she smiled. Then I bombarded her with the list of books I bought about mainly Black folks that I hadn’t read about before that I had just ordered and added that maybe that was my way of celebrating.
I hope you have your ways of celebrating people all the time and not just one time a year because people are amazing!
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Feel free to leave your comments below!
My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Christian, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Christian…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this: Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world. I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me. I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
by Summer D Clemenson | Feb 26, 2024 | About Summer, Opinions
On the day after I had surgery I got an email from PayPal that my transaction with Facebook had gone through. I was on pain killers and supposed to be resting but I did not purchase any ads subscriptions with Facebook or Meta and I was angry. I had been having trouble with my Facebook for a while and had been locked out of my account, supposedly by Facebook. So I contacted PayPal and let them know that I did not authorize any purchases through Facebook or Meta and since I was locked out of my Facebook account and could not cancel any other purchases I was unable to do anything about any other subscriptions and I wanted them to help me. They would not refund my money but they did cancel the future subscriptions and give me an email address I could contact Facebook / Meta to try to recover my money.
I told my sister, Jamie Holloway, about it and she googled and found a number online that said you could contact it if you didn’t have a Facebook account, which essentially I don’t.
So I didn’t call right away. I waited until I cooled off a bit. I was pretty angry and I try not to call people when I am angry. Now I realize I should have waited a few days because I would have more able to make better choices. I was there enough to recognize things that didn’t make sense, just not enough to realize I should be on the phone with this person.
When I called 1-888-317-4150, which I don’t recommend you ever call, the man that answered the phone said, “Good afternoon,” but he didn’t say he was Facebook or Meta. As someone who used to work at an answering service, I know that mistakes can be made but normally you are reading from the screen how to answer the phone for your client and your client wants the name of their business used. I asked him about this and he agreed that he was Facebook, I figured he just made a mistake.
He asked me a few questions and told me that my Facebook account had been hacked by people in Indiana and Ohio. He also mentioned a specific man’s name, which I didn’t write down. I don’t know anyone in those states that would hurt me and I didn’t know that man.
He told me that he needed to be able to differentiate between me and the hackers so he could clean up my account. He said the hackers had attached my PayPal, Venmo, Cashapp, Walmart, Amazon and Target accounts to my Facebook account. I told him that I don’t have a Cashapp account and that I don’t shop at Target and I don’t have a Target app. He actually argued with me about that. I thought that was odd. I also told him I have never used my Venmo account with Facebook and and he said we had to check anyway.
He had me download the Any Desk Remote Desktop App on my phone. He also asked what kind of computer and phone I used. I also had to download Facebook again. He asked me why I deleted the app and I told him that after 20 years on the platform I was angry that someone could post something in my name and I could be locked out my account and there was no one to talk to about it. He also had me go into Settings on my phone, click on General and then look at Legal and Regulatory. He asked me if I had been to any of the countries listed there, but I am sure he was looking at the model number of my phone.
Next he had me go into every other account and try to send money or make purchases. I kept telling they wouldn’t go through. I am poor. I don’t keep money in my debit account. They didn’t go through. In Amazon, although I told him the gift card he wanted me to purchase would not go through because my wife’s debit card had been lost and I hadn’t updated her information he told me to do it anyway. We got the email. He told me to throw it away and dump the trash. When we got to Walmart, it was the last stop and he told me to use my credit card to buy an eGift card. I was under duress and I wasn’t sure the purchase would go through because I keep a small limit on my credit card on purpose. When it did go through, he told me to throw away the email telling me it went through and dump the trash.
Soon after I got off the phone with him, I began to realize what had just happened. I called Amazon and they were glad to cancel the eGift card. Although we had got the email, it had not gone through and they were waiting for an updated payment method and I didn’t have one to give them. Walmart, however would not cancel my purchase. I spoke with two people on their website chat and one person at customer service at 1-800-925-6278 that day. I tried to add the eGift card as a payment option in my Walmart account because my pharmacy is at Walmart and my wife had an upcoming vision appointment and I thought we could just use the $200 that way and pay the credit card with the money we would have spent on my prescriptions and her doctor appointment, but each time I tried to add the card I was told the card number and pin number didn’t match and customer service had no answer for me other than to call Walmart Card Services in a few days.
On Feb. 20 I did email the email address PayPal gave for Facebook / Meta but I haven’t heard back yet.
Since that time, I have changed all my passwords and some of my email addresses on all accounts and replaced my debit and credit card. Talk about a hassle. On Feb 21, I called Walmart Gift Card Services at 1-888-537-5503 and was finally told the reason my card can’t be used or added to my account was because it was used almost immediately. I was advised to call the police and let my bank know.
I was not able to call the police on the 21st because by the time I put all my thoughts together it was too late to talk to anyone about non-emergency issues. On the 22nd I chickened out and the Longview Police Department is not open Friday through Sunday. I called today to find out that I could have reported my issue online, which is what I did. I am now waiting to hear if they will accept my police report.
This whole situation has been very painful for me. I have given it a lot of thought and realized that since the middle of January, I have been under the impression of people that wanted to hurt me. I had several business accounts that we did little with and they were trying to reach us through those pages. I got messages threatening to take those pages down if I didn’t prove who I was, so I was giving them information that I might not have shared with them otherwise. That is how they gained access to my account and locked me out of my account. I don’t click on surveys, fill out questionnaires or ever click on those memes that say click on this to find out such and such about yourself because I know they could be a phishing plot, but I love to read and I remember they got me once because there was an interesting looking article that one of my friends didn’t post…they caught me because I love to read. The minute I was on a weird site, I knew I had made a mistake. I have been so careful and that one mistake cost me.
I don’t blame Facebook / Meta. It is my job to be careful online but I am hurting. I am responsible for my safety everywhere. I am a person with trauma experience and this feels so much like past experiences, except with people that don’t know me. I am working through my pain. I miss Facebook. I have been trying to engage on X and Instagram but they are not the same as Facebook. I am a reader and a writer and people don’t give their opinions on X and Instagram. Even when I didn’t agree with people’s opinions on Facebook, I either kept scrolling or it gave me something to think about. I miss the people on Facebook. I can’t seem to find some of my favorite people and even when I do, they don’t interact the same way on X and Instagram. I told that to Jamie and she asked me if I was ready to get a new Facebook. I told her I wasn’t ready yet. But I am working on it.
I have learned a lot though. I thought I knew these things, but I only knew them in my head. Now I know them in my heart. It is one thing to know about online safety measures. It is another thing to understand how vulnerable and victimized you can feel when someone takes advantage of you, just because they can. I told that man I was an honorable person and I know there are other people that are honorable online and I hope that somewhere that resounds with him. I hope he finds a new job.
Why am I sharing this with you? Because this can happen to anyone and if this helps anyone then my pain is not without merit. Be blessed.
~
Feel free to leave your comments below!
My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Christian, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Christian…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this: Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world. I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me. I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
by Summer D Clemenson | Feb 23, 2024 | Opinions, Prayers
I started a new notebook yesterday. I don’t use anything fancy, just a composition book that I can get for about $.50. I don’t keep them. I don’t re-read them or go through them once I have finished them. But I use them to write down my thoughts with my bible studies. I also take notes for the books I am reading and the random thoughts I have while I am reading. When I am done, I put the information in better places. I rarely keep my writing around on paper. I have lost so many things, I just don’t see a reason to keep it. I like things to be easy.
When I get into the word, I use a format from the last church I attended. They called it SOAP. Each day they have a list of readings. Yesterday I read Jeremiah 18-20, Psalm 93 and John 17. The idea is to read all the parts of the bible on the list and then the scriptures that stand out to you, you are supposed to write down the Scripture, make and Observation, Apply it to your life and and Pray about it.
Yesterday the verses that stood out to me were: John 17:7-9
“Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. For I have given to them the words which You have given Me and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me. I pray for them, I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours.”
This scripture is Jesus talking to God. It is coming close to the His time to be captured and crucified and He is becoming more intense. It is scary to follow through with our plans sometimes, especially when it is to die for the world. What caught my attention was that Jesus said He did not pray for the world because they were not given to Him, but only for the ones that were given to Him and were God’s.
This concept that many are called but few are chosen has tripped me up before. I have questioned God before and since I am not going to church right now and I don’t have an elder to question, I only have the Holy Spirit to ask.
I tend to skip scrutinizing scripture before I pray and just jump in with Jesus in prayer. I have seen other people break apart scripture beforehand but I don’t see any reason to leave Him out of the process:
Jesus if You do not pray for the world than do You not help everyone, even though You created them all? How does this affect how I am to love my neighbor if they are not chosen? I believe You are the Son of God and I am Yours and I thank You. Please help me understand.
Now the second part of my bible study is whatever devotional I am carrying around at the time. Right now I am using Live in Grace Walk in Love a 365 Day Journey by Bob Goff.
The scripture for yesterday was Luke 9:17
So they all ate and were filled, and twelve baskets of leftovers were taken up by them.
When I read the devotional I tend to read the scripture and treat it the same as the SOAP scripture. I ponder it and let it sink in and pray through it, and then I read what the author has to say about the scripture but I was stumped this time. I found myself saying, “Now what are you talking about Bob?”
When I am this situation I just read what the author was trying to lead me to. Of course that scripture is taking about when Jesus fed the 5,000 with just a few fish and a few loaves of bread and then took up tons of leftovers. Jesus didn’t take a second to differentiate between chosen and unchosen people. He loved and fed everyone that was there. That was the point of the message. And that was the answer to my question about my neighbor.
It is not my job to worry about if my neighbor is chosen or not. It is my job to love them.
Thank You Jesus for making it easy for me to understand.
~
Feel free to leave your comments below!
My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Christian, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Christian…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this: Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world. I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me. I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
by Summer D Clemenson | Feb 20, 2024 | Book & Product Reviews, Opinions
Signal Fires by Dani Shapiro begins on August 27, 1985, when three teenagers get into a car and make choices that change all their lives and the lives of their families forever. Sarah and Theo Wilf live but their parents never really talk about what happened and it eats at all of them. Misty Zimmerman, an only child, will not survive but her memory will haunt everyone on Division Street. Jump to 2010 when Benjamin Wilf, Sarah and Theo’s father meets, 11 year old Waldo Shenkman under the same tree that his car collided with, that night so long ago, to listen to Waldo explain his love for the constellations.
Signal Fires makes many jumps and connections throughout the book as we watch these characters develop and change. In three generations so much happens in these families. I really had a hard time putting this book down and I think you might enjoy it too.
I got this book from my sister, Jamie Holloway. You can get your own copy of Signal Fires by Dani Shapiro on Amazon.
Read My Review on GoodReads:
Signal Fires by Dani Shapiro
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a powerful book about how three families interconnect with each other over 3 generations. There is a lot of sadness in this book but also much to rejoice over. Over and over this book shows us how we are all connected. Dani Shapiro did a wonderful job developing her characters and story line. This book was hard to put down.
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My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Christian, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Christian…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this: Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world. I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me. I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
by Summer D Clemenson | Feb 19, 2024 | Opinions, Prayers
I love God and I am thankful that He chose me and I can call myself a Christian. I am also thankful that I was born in The United States because I have freedoms that I would not have in other countries. I appreciate that I live in a country founded on the belief of religious freedom. I believe in the separation of church and state. I think it is a powerful dividing line that is being forgotten as some believers politicize religion more and more for their personal gain. I do not believe that The United States of America should label itself a Christian nation.
Labels can be just a sticker. Anyone that has gone shopping can see that sometimes the sticker can be put on the wrong item. This has happened in a lot of cases. There are many people that do not, or have not read their bibles enough to know what it actually says. They have depended too heavily on people that either have been misguided or have purposefully led them in the wrong direction. The bible has told us many times that the spirit of the antichrist is among us and we must be careful. There is not just one antichrist; there are many and they are willing to take us anywhere they want us to go as long it is far away from the truth of a loving Father that believes and honors our right to choose Him or not. God has told us to love our neighbor. He did not differentiate any neighbor from another, whether they are from another country, from another religion, another political belief, whether their skin is a different color or they can read or not or any other difference between ourself and them. Illegal aliens, immigrants, people who believe in abortion, people that are queer, people that collect guns or not, democrats, republicans, independents or disenfranchised, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Satanists, Atheists, law-abiding citizens and criminals are all our neighbors.
By labeling The United States as a Christian nation we are leaving out some of our best people. That doesn’t mean we can’t be Christians. The bible says we are only responsible for ourselves. We are not going to stand before God on Judgement Day and be responsible for anyone but our self. There are actual passages that say mind your own business and work hard with your hands so you will be happy. So read your bible. Learn about God and work on your relationship with Him and you know what? As a nation we will probably start to look more like a Christian nation. Why? Because when each one of us that loves God, we will be loving our neighbor, feeding our neighbor, clothing our neighbor, just as we would have done for Jesus and all that love will pour over to the next person and as we minister to each other, maybe the love of God will inspire others to love people and maybe show people that loving God is safe and not scary and not a waste of time.
We have spent a lot of time in this country teaching each other to not trust each other. White people have been terrible to Native Americans, Black Folks, Asian people and any other person of color. We have treated immigrants terribly, whether they came from Mexico, Italy, Ireland or any other country because humans tend to believe in the survival of the fittest, but that is not in the bible. The bible tells us to love and care for those who need it. We can’t go back and do anything differently but we can start each day new and love the people in front of us.
There are people that have taken some of the words of the bible and used them to teach us to divide and conquer but that is not what Jesus meant when He said He came to bring division. He was describing what humanity will cause, not what He wanted. The law of humanity is lust, pride and greed. The law of Christ is love, peace and mercy. Without Jesus, I don’t deserve the law of Christ but I am so thankful for it because the law of humanity is not worth the price of damnation in the end or the emotional cost before I get there.
So how do you know if you are following the right advise? Easy. If you see the fruits of the spirit, you are in the right place: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. If you don’t see these things, you are not seeing the law of Christ. You are seeing an antichrist. If you don’t see this in your life, ask God to help you to produce them. He is a good God and wants to give these things to you. He will honor this request. You don’t need fancy words to ask Him. You just ask Him. He knows what you are going to ask Him anyway so you don’t have to put a lot of thought into it.
I recently read a book called How We Love Matters: A Call to Practice Relentless Racial Reconciliation by Albert Tate and he was saying that while we can participate in political parties, we can’t give our allegiance to anyone but Jesus because only Jesus was willing to give His life for us. Political parties have their agendas and they will bend over backwards to make sure you believe them, even lie so you will agree with their perspective. This really resounded in my spirit. It totally helped me understand why I feel about politics the way I do. They have their place, but they can’t be number one in my heart because I gave that place to Jesus. This also makes my feelings about church and state being separate to stay strong. Words are so important. If we as a country try to label ourselves one way when most of us don’t understand those words the same way, or maybe don’t even agree them, we are setting ourselves up for failure.
Can The United States be a country that tries to get better everyday? I can get behind that.
Can The US be a country that understands that we are younger than many countries and we are still defining success? I like that.
Can The United States of America be a country that is imperfect but wants to be a helping hand when it can? Yes. That is a powerful statement.
Can the United States be a melting pot of beautiful people trying their best? That we are!
This article was inspired by:
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Feel free to leave your comments below!
My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Christian, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Christian…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this: Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world. I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me. I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
by Summer D Clemenson | Feb 16, 2024 | About Summer, Opinions
There are lots of kinds of pain. At the beginning of my last therapy session I had told my therapist that I was having a pain day and he asked me how I handled that. I told him that I responded differently, based on the kind of pain it was. If it is arthritis pain, it is kind of constant or sharp and if I push through with movement and exercise I might be able to loosen up and move beyond the pain and have a productive day. If it is a fibromyalgia pain day, it feels like more of a metallic or battery like pain and you really can’t do anything about it. You must be careful and do little movements, rest and try not to instigate more pain for the next day. Naps are important. If it is emotional pain you have to decide if it is suicidal pain or just blue pain. I haven’t been suicidal in several years and I am very thankful. Suicidal pain means you need to get help now. Depression pain means you might need to pamper yourself a bit; take a nap, give yourself a treat, find someone that loves you and talk with them or do something fun.
I am of the mind that we should do something pampering every day so I always have a good cup of coffee and try to read things that make my brain feel good. I am a naturally ambitious person that lives in a body that can’t do as much as I want it to so I have to find balance. But I have a 15 minute workout I do every day. I have missed my 1/2 mile walk for a few days because I had a D&C on Tuesday and I am letting my body heal from that but I plan to go shopping tomorrow so I will be back to walking tomorrow. Prayer makes me feel more connected to my Savior and I do that any time I want. There are so many things you can bring into your life that helps you feel pampered and that you love yourself. I also text or talk to my sister, Jamie Holloway, every day, She always enlightens or stretches me.
For that last couple of weeks I have been dealing with being kicked off of Facebook. This is stressful to me. I miss the people I am used to interacting with. They are not on the other platforms I am on. But bigger than that, I was kicked off because my account was hacked and then I was locked out of my account by the hackers. Because of this I have been on the phone with several financial institutions, destroyed all my cards and had to get new ones and changed all my passwords and most of my email addresses on my accounts. I feel violated. I feel stupid. I need to forgive myself and I think I have but I still feel raw. No one has the right to take advantage of people like this, yet with the ease that people have assured me that this happens all the time, it makes me feel more angry that it is so common.
But this is not how I want to live my life. I have spent a lot of my life being angry. It didn’t make my life better. Instead, I like to think about how to be more positive and how I can see the blessings in situations.
When I was at the library Saturday, the librarian was mentioning how hard it was to get old. I told her I thought it was a blessing because so many people don’t get the opportunity to get old. She paused and told me that she was going to start thinking about that because her son had died a few years ago at the age of 38. I told her I was so sorry for her loss. And then I told her that I saw on TV how much people lament getting old but in reality being older is a blessing. As I have gotten older, there is a peace about things I know I don’t have to worry about anymore that when I was younger, I wasted so much time on. I am so much comfortable with myself now. Yes, there are aches and pains and I look different now than when I was younger, but that is just vanity. She seemed to be really touched by our conversation.
When I came out of surgery on Tuesday, I was anxious, which is normal for me but I had a really great nurse that helped me focus on what I needed to focus on to be able to go home. While we were talking I was sharing about my life and as she listened to me talk about my perspective of pain, sickness and being well and she was thankful for me. When she had to pass me off to the next hands that took me back to my room she told the nurse, she wished she could keep me all day or have patients like me all day; I really inspired her. I wasn’t doing anything but talk about my family and the choices I have learned to make to have a better life.
I ask God to help me be a blessing to the people He puts in my life so that He can have the glory as often as I can remember. I think He did that on both these occasions.
I have prayed for the hackers that have attacked me. I want them to stop hurting people. I want them to find Jesus and a more honorable job. I want them to understand that no one deserves to be treated with such disregard. I am not any more special than anyone else but I know what my family is going through and what we have worked hard to obtain and I wouldn’t want anyone else to go through this added stress. But this too is pain. It is getting smaller. But it is ok to acknowledge that this hurts too.
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Feel free to leave your comments below!
My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Christian, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Christian…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this: Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world. I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me. I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
by Summer D Clemenson | Feb 12, 2024 | Book & Product Reviews, Opinions
The Manhattan Girls by Gill Paul takes place in New York City in 1921 where men are in charge and the liquor is illegal. 4 women create a bridge club which turns into a great friendship. Dorothy (Dottie) Parker renowned author, known for her great wit. Was very emotionally fragile. Jane Grant was the first female reporter for the New York Times. She and her husband started The New Yorker. Winifred Lenihan was a talented Broadway actress. Peggy Leach was a magazine assistant, turned novelist.
At first I had trouble getting into this book. It seemed a little like a soap opera, but I eventually engaged with this dynamic women and had to see where their lives took them. I recommend this book to anyone that wants to see where strong women can encourage each other, even in times where strong women are not encouraged.
I got this book from my sister, Jamie Holloway. You can get your own copy of The Manhattan Girls by Gill Paul on Amazon.
Read My Review on GoodReads:
The Manhattan Girls by Gill Paul
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I have read a few poems by Dorothy Parker before but it did not occur to me that this novel was based on Parker and her friends until I had reached the end. I think I just jumped in and started absorbing. This book was different for me. I don’t tend to read a lot of novels and I don’t usually read a lot of books based on a mostly female cast. There were times that this book felt like a soap opera but the characters grew on me and I appreciated how well Gill Paul developed the characters. In the end I appreciated this book more than I expected and even the details included after the story was complete.
View all my reviews
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Feel free to leave your comments below!
My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Christian, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Christian…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this: Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world. I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me. I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
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