She loves to take us back,
To a simpler time,
Before television,
Crowded many lives,
When books were friends,
To be treasrued dear.
And the fear of God,
Was real.
(C) Michelle R Kidwell
Dec.11.02
Month: July 2015
I’ll Always Be There For You (Poem)
The roads may get rocky,
Life may have some obstacles
You must learn to overcome,
There are bound to be good times,
As well as bad,
But remember no matter what
You are going through,
Whatever tears you must cry,
Reach out,
And I’ll be there for you,
In any way I can,
Because you truly have a friend
In me.
By Michelle Kidwell
Written July.19.02
For Melissa Williams!
Book Review: What Keeps You Up At Night
What Keeps You Up at Night?
How to Find Peace While Chasing Your Dreams
by Pete Wilson
Thomas Nelson
Pub Date May 5, 2015
What Keeps You Up at Night is a book that reminds that it is okay to dream, that infact the Lord gives us dreams, and we do not have to be afraid of
them. But sadly we so often are. Not only does he speak about dreams but he also speaks about fears which is something we all face.
The author reminds us that some of the greatest names of today, went through failures, before they made a name for themselves, before they found sucess.
In a day and age that is often full of discouragemet and disheartening news, it is importatnt to read a book like What Keeps You Up At Night, because we are reminded that even in the midst of stuggles, and even fears there is Hope, and that it is indeed okay to dream.
I give What Keeps You Up At Night: How to Find Peace While Chasing Your Dreams Five out of five stars.
Happy Reading
Book Review: The Write Crowd
The Write Crowd
by Lori A. May
Pub Date Apr 27, 2015
The Write Crowd, is a wonderful resource for authors. It includes great advise on how to get yourself known suh as getting involved in Authors interviews on well known blogs, as well as a comprehensive link to writing resources. The links to well known artist and author orginizations are included, making this a must have book for new authors especially, trying to find more ways in which to get involved in the writing scene.
I give the Write Crowd, five out of five stars, and would definitely recommend it to my author friends.
Happy reading
Book Review:Made With Love
Made with Love
by Tricia Goyer and Sherry Gore
Pub Date Aug 1, 2015
I was given an arc copy of Made With Love by Tricia Goyer and Sherry Gore through Harvest House Publishers partnership with Netgalley for my honest review, so here it is….
Lovina Miller has a passion for pies. Lovina moves from her home in Ohio, to an Amish/Mennonite community in Florida in hopes of opening a pie shop but while her heart is set on a pie shop Lovina’s parents are concerned with her finding a man to court because they want her to be provided for.
When Lovina begins working with Noah Yoder on remodels for what will soon become her pie shop, she starts to have feelings for him despite his colored passed, the only problem is Thomas Cupp has feelings for her, and her Mother approves of him, can she make her Mother understand her feelings for Noah Yoder and start to accept him?
If you are looking for a wonderful Christian read, that will take you away from the troubles of today then Made With Love, by Tricia Goyer, and Sherry Gore is the ticket.
I give this book Five out of Five Stars
Happy Reading Friends…
Book Review: Drawing Fire
Drawing Fire
by Janice Cantore
Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Christian, Mystery & Thrillers
Pub Date Jun 1, 2015
I was given a ARC copy of Janice Cantore’s book Drawing Fire through Tyndale House Publisher’s partnership with Netgalley for my honest review so here it is…
Abby is a Homicide detective, she made her way up to Homicide detective after eight years on the police force. The Twenty seven year old unsolved double murder of her own parents, has haunted her throughout her life, and career. Some fear that she is dangerously obsessed with her parents cold case to the point that all of her spare time is being eaten up by the case?
Will Abby solve her parent’s murder case, or will she discover things are not always what they seem?
If you are looking for an action packed book that will leave you guessing, then Drawing Fire is the book for you.
I give this book five out of five stars…
Happy Reading Friends
I Can Still See You
I can still feel you with me. It is more than our mirror images, I see you in your daughters smile.
We entered this world together, thirty two years ago, and you left before me. I still feel as if half of myself is missing, you went down with so many others on that horrible September day.
I pray for you daily, but I think you hear those prayers, I know you made it to Heaven, you were a born again Christian, and it is because of you I gave my heart to the Lord. It may not have happened when you were alive, but your death in a strange way made me realize that I needed the Lord.
No one knows what tomorrow will bring I learned that the day I lost you, and yet you are still with me in so many important ways, you will always be a part of me.
Your daughter has lived half of her lifetime without her Mother or father I have raised her as I can, but I know there are times she missses you, just as I miss you.
I tell her as much about you as I can, but it is hard, it is hard you not being here, and now five years have past, and the world is once again reminded of that horrible day, but how many can really forget? I know I can’t, the scars of your loss are with me everyday. We shared the womb together for nine months and lived on this earth together for twenty six years, and suddenly you are taken from me, murdered by some terroists, but I have to let go of my anger and give it to God, but that is hard, oh so hard.
Copyright Michelle R Kidwell
September 10-11 06
Authors Note: This is a fictional story, but it came to me so vividly last nite and tonite
The Initiation
Written With Sarah Tagert
This city needs God not more gangs! Grandma had screamed to him in her thick Russian voice before he had left. She had found out about the Initiation and was at home on her knees praying.
The gun felt heavy in his hand, and he got a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.
Don’t forget why you are doing this, they took Collin away from you, now it’s their turn to pay. That’s the only reason you joined this gang, blood for blood.His finger lay on the trigger, he never shot a person, he had been hunting with his Dad, and those Rifles of his, but this was different. Blood for blood. The words echoed in his mind.
I’m not cut out for this. He thought again. But his brother, his best friend had been the victim of a drive by, now it was time for payback.
Revenge. What an ugly word, his Grandma had spoke of God’s love and forgiveness and now he was welding a gun, taking a life.
The park, why had they chosen the park to do this? Why did the Initiation have to be in such a public place, the cheerleaders from school came here after practice. The place was so public little children played on swings at one end of the park, while girls from the high school sat on benches, drinking bottled water and diet Snapples.
The shot rang out followed by the thud of a body hitting the pavement but the person laying on the ground, was Melinda, her auburn hair spread out above her head and a pool of crimson rushed from her side. A soft gurgling sound came from her back as she arched her back in pain.
It was sadly strange, how no one around him really reacted. A testament to the fact that he lived in a violent world, and he was going to become another statistic of the ghetto.
The other gang members, the one wearing the green bandana’s on their head, with 7th Street tattoos covering their arms, like ugly blank ink spots fled. No way were they going to be caught, he felt one pull at them, but he couldn’t leave. Had he just killed the most beautiful girl in school?
What did I do Lord? He asked crying out to the God, he thought had forsaken him the night he had heard about Collin, three years ago, he was only thirteen then, now at sixteen, he was heading in the direction everyone prayed he wouldn’t.
Jacob I have so many dreams for you, you are going to go to college, you’re going to marry a nice Christian Woman, you are going to have a beautiful family. He remembered the words his Grandma had spoken, not that long ago, and now here he was throwing his life away, he had just shot someone, just shot Melinda, the most beautiful girl in school, that wasn’t supposed to happen.
He saw his Grandma when he closed his eyes, that thick accent that told of her birth place in Moscow, she had come to America, to search out a better life for her children and grandchildren, when she was a young woman, now one grandson was buried and another was about to get killed himself or he was going to become a prisoner.
Jacob should have ran, but he had to stay by her, he dug the cell phone out of his pocket, the one his Grandma had saved so long to get him for his sixteenth birthday and called for help. The paramedics knew the park, they knew it all too well, the 7thStreet gang hang out here, and he had almost become one of them.
Lord don’t let her die. Jacob had fallen to his knees, and watched as crimson blood, feel to the ground, in an ugly and angry puddle.
Lord forgive me, I repent, I am an evil and ugly sinner, wash me clean Lord. Jacob cried out, while on his knees, Melinda’s blood coloring his jeans.
He waited by Melinda, everyone around them oblivious to what had just happened, or perhaps, they were only pretending to be oblivious. It was sad thing when people became so used to violence, that it became a natural thing.
This city needs God not more gangs! Grandma had screamed to him in her thick Russian voice before he had left. She had found out about the Initiation and was at home on her knees praying.
He knelt down beside Melinda, praying she wasn’t dead. He was no better than the gang banger who had shot his brother now he thought momentarily, then his focus became that of Melinda. She was alive he was relieved when he heard her whisper “help” her violet eyes, full of pain, pain he knew he had caused.
Jacob looked down at his blood soaked pants, and felt sick, he had done this, if Melinda died it would be his fault, all because he was stupid enough to believe that joining a gang would be payback for his brother, but this was not the answer Grandma had been right, and he was an idiot, he was a homicidal idiot.
Lord don’t let her die.“Why?” Melinda asked and that one word question was a lot for her to get out, she was suffering, the blood was pouring from a wound in her back and from a gash on her head she had got from falling.
“I’m sorry it wasn’t meant for you.” Jacob said stupidly. “I am just an idiot.”
“I forgive you.” Melinda managed and Jacob sat there wide mouthed. He shot her and she was forgiving him, and yet he was after blood from his brother, his brother who had been at the wrong place at the wrong time, the big brother that had been such a role model, he would be sick if he knew what Jacob was doing, because that just was never Collin he did not believe in the violence. Violence was just a waste of time a waste of life. Jacob should have listened to what he said more often, and to his Grandma who was probably still at home praying.
“How can you forgive me I did this to you?”
“Because Jesus wants us to forgive.” She said weakly and then fell silent, the sirens coming closer made Jacob feel as if he could breathe again, he was more than grateful for that, more than grateful for the fact that someone was coming to help, he was praying harder and more fervently than he had ever prayed, Melinda had to be okay, he did not want to be a murderer.
Lord I know you gave me a brain and I haven’t been using it, I have been letting myself be filled with hate, and now a young innocent girl, a school mate is laying in a pool of her own blood, because I was stupid, because I thought joining a gang would be payback for loosing Collin, it was just stupid Lord and I know that, so forgive me.Jacob decided he had to stay with Melinda and he had to be honest with the authorities he would no doubt face time in Juvie if not worse, but it was what he deserved. He had pulled that trigger and now an innocent person could very well die. If she died he would not be able to live with himself. Melinda had never hurt him, it wasn’t her fault that his brother had been in the wrong place at the wrong time, he would never stop kicking himself for falling into the violence that had taken his brother.
Collin you would be so ashamed of me right now, I can’t believe I sunk this low. I don’t know what got into me, you and I made a promise a long time ago that we would not be part of that violence, but after you were shot, after I watched what that gun did to you, you may not be dead physically, but your mind is not the same, you depend on everyone for everything, it makes me angry.His parents, His grandmother could not handle the constant care of Collin after he died, so he was put into a nursing home, where he still was, his brain function was very low, and the brother that used to help him with his Math homework, now Collin couldn’t even go the restroom on his own, it was hard just to see his brother. The Collin he knew was dead, and it was because of a gang bangers bullet. They didn’t care who he was, just that they felt like they needed to shoot someone that night.
I am no better than they are, I shot Melinda.“I don’t hate you.” Melinda said, before they loaded her onto the stretcher. “I knew Collin, I know what made you do this.”
Jacob didn’t know where Melinda was getting the strength to talk, nor did he understand why she felt the need to comfort him, but that is exactly what she was doing. She was the one shot, laying on a gurney now she wasn’t angry with him, she was offering him comfort when it should be the other way around
“I don’t understand why you don’t hate me.” Jacob said.
“Because I know you did this out of anger.” Melinda managed as they loaded her into the ambulance. “Jacob I forgive you.”
Before long the police came, as Jacob sat there staring at his blood soaked pants. He felt sick at what he had done.
How could I shoot anyone? He asked himself over and over again. It wasn’t supposed to be Melinda.Jacob knew it didn’t matter who it was supposed to be, the second he pulled that trigger he was no better than the monsters that killed his brother.
I forgive you Jacob.Why couldn’t he just have learned to forgive instead of letting the hatred eat him up. He’d sunk to a level he had never wanted to sink.
I thought things would be different in America, I thought my children and grandchildren would be safe. I did not think I would ever have to bury my sixteen year old grandson, and then watch my other grandson turn to violence for his brothers death.As Jacob remembered those things he found himself thinking on how he wished he had listened to his Grandmother. She was older and wiser, and he had been taught to respect her, but right now he was going against everything she had taught her.
Jacob you are only going to bring more blood down on this house. “Forgive me Grandma.” He whispered.
As the Police officers handcuffed him and put him in the squad car, he felt like a monster. He had just shot someone he was no better than the monsters who had shot his brother.
“I don’t understand but Melinda Jensen doesn’t want to press charges against you. I don’t understand how you could have shot her.” The officer said.
“It wasn’t supposed to be her.” Jacob said, even to his own ears it sounded stupid.
“I remember when your brother was killed, I know what you are doing, but he would not want you to do this.”
“I know, I was just being stupid. I can’t believe I did this.”
“I’m a monster, I nearly killed her.”
“You aren’t a monster, just a confused kid, who needs help. In my line of work I’ve seen plenty of monsters, and I would not use that word to describe you.”
“Thank you for saying that.”
“You’re welcome, but Jacob you do need help, when you get out of here you need to talk to someone, I know loosing your brother had to be hard.”
Why is everyone being so nice to me? I deserve everyones hate after what I did.Sitting in a jail cell, wondering what was coming next gave Jacob a lot of time to think.
You can let hate eat you up, or you can learn to forgive, they choose to forgive.
What made me so stupid, what made me ever come up with the stupid idea to get into a gang?
~
CopyrightMichelle R Kidwell,Sarah. L.Tagert
2008
He Shouldn’t Have Been There (Fictional Poem)
A place is missing,
At the table again,
Again this Christmas,
He should have been there,
Nothings been the same,
Since the towers fell,
And Christmases have turned,
Into a hellish affair,
He should have been here.
The call came,
Early that morning,
Someone called in sick,
Bill would take their place.
She turned on the television,
As the towers fell,
That morning,
He shouldn’t have been there…
Copyright Michelle R Kidwell
13, December,2003
Strong In the Face of Tragedy (Poem)
It’s still with us
The images forever
Etched in our memories
The hero’s faces
Still on our minds.
The sorrow
Forever scarring our heart.
We lost a lot that day
When those planes crashed
Those towers fell
And so many died.
The very core of our nation
Was shook
But they could not
Bring us down.
Instead
We showed
Just how strong
We could be
In the face of tragedy
Copyright Michelle R Kidwell
June.11.04
In memory of the victims of 9-11 and their loved one’s may we never forget these brave men and women…
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