Book Review: Bonhoeffer Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy

By Eric Metaxas

 Back of the Book
As Adolf Hitler and the Nazi's seduced a nation, bullied a continent, and attempted the extermination of European Jews, a small number of dissidents and saboteurs worked to dismantle the Third Reich from the inside. One of these was pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Widely known as the author of the classic works, The Cost of Discipleship, Life Together and, arguably, some of the most important theological works of the 20th century including Act & Being, Sanctorum Communio and Ethics. Bonhoeffer is also widely known for his 1945 execution in Flossenberg concentration camp for attempting to assassinate Hitler.

Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy is the first fully comprehensive biography of Bonhoeffer in more than 40 years. Written by best-selling NY Times author Eric Metaxes, he presents both sides of Bonhoeffer's life, as theologian and as conspirator drawing them together to tell a searing story of incredible moral courage in the face of monstrous evil.

Presenting a deeply moving narrative, using previously unavailable documents-including personal letters, detailed journal entries, and first-hand personal accounts, Metaxas reveals dimensions of Bonhoeffer's life and theology never before seen. Furthermore, Metaxas presents the fullest accounting of Bonhoeffer's heart-wrenching 1939 decision to leave the safety of America for the lion's den of Hitler's Germany, and using extended excerpts from love letters and coded messages written to and from Bonhoeffer's Cell 92, we are allowed to see for the first time the full story of Bonhoeffer's passionate and tragic romance.

Finally, Bonhoeffer gives witness to the extraordinary faith of an incredible human being, while also illuminating the tortured fate of a nation he sought to deliver from the evil tyranny of National Socialism, and its political party, the Nazi party. The reader will come face to face with a man determined to do the will of God radically, courageously, and even to the point of death.
Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.
-Dietrich Bonhoeffer

This is what I think: 

I thought this was one of the best biographies that I have ever read. It is exhustive and complete. 

Eric Metaxas gave such depth and personalty to Dietrich Bonhoeffer.I ended the book and was sad that it was over.Pastor Bonhoeffer sets a Christian standard that  that anyone would admire without being stodgy and judgmental. His story is really true, living, inspiration.Oh! And by the way... Tons of great in sites into WW11 history. Stuff they just don't tell you in school.

I'll be joining Ricki Jill for Literary Friday

Color of the Week #6

Ulta brand... LimeLite. 

Free with my Ulta beauty points. Gotta love that!

A fun funky color that seems to wear pretty well. I kind of like it.

Honestly, I did have somebody tell me that they really hated this color. 

But I have also had several ladies tell me they LOVED it. 

I know, for the over 50 set it is risky. 

Would you rock a crazy color like this?

Old Fashioned Bread Pudding

 SO! 

Yes! You are right... it has been almost a week since I last posted. 

So sorry. 

We are in a crazy busy season here in our little corner of the world. I still miss being involved more in the blog-is-phere, but I'm having to make decisions and sometimes the here and now is more important. Some things are fun and good. Others well .... 

Lets just say... "We're building character these days." 

With that said....

Last Friday I was able to help with a Dinner and A Movie Event for the ladies of my church. I was in charge of the dessert bar which means that I did not have time to make anything home made. And I really hate that... but oh well! What I ended up doing was purchasing several Cinnamon Strusel Quick Breads from my local Safeway. They were okay.  I did have some left over though. So what do you do with that left over bread? 

YOU MAKE BREAD PUDDING! 

I went to my mom's old cook book and found this simple recipe.

5 slices day-old bread                                 1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons butter or margarine               3 eggs

1/2 cup moist raisins                                   3 cups milk scalded

1/4 teaspoon salt                                         1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Toast bread and spread with all the butter while hot. Arrange toast in a buttered baking pan. Sprinkle
with raisins. Stir the salt and all but 2 tablespoons of the sugar into the eggs. Add milk and stir to mix well. Pour over the toast and allow to stand for 10 minutes. Press toast lightly down into milk occasionally so that the toast soaks up most of the milk mixture. Mix cinnamon with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and sprinkle over top. Place dish directly on oven rack. Bake in a moderate oven (350° F)  for about 25 minutes until a pointed knife inserted in center comes our clean and top is an appetizing brown. Serve warm or cold. 5 to 6 servings.

As usual, I did change a few things.

I set aside some of the toasted bread and cubed it, then sprinkled it across the top. Also, because there was already a lot of cinnamon in the bread I just sprinkled sugar across the top.

 Look at all that nubby goodness!

 Crusty on the outside and moist on the inside!

 Simple ingredients combined to make some wonderful comfort food.

I was thinking... what if you did this with pumpkin bread or zucchini bread... 

Oh My!

I'll be sharing this yummy recipe for Foodie Friday!

Oh! P.S. I almost forgot to share... the movie was....

 The Inheritance
A 1997 Hallmark movie based on the Novel by Louisa May Alcott

Summary Provided IMDb
At the lush Evenswood estate in Concord, Massachusetts, Edith Adelon, a beautiful orphan, lives as the paid companion to the daughter of the wealthy Hamilton family, although they regard her as one of their own. Years ago, Henry Hamilton saved Edith from an Italian orphanage at the request of his long-deceased brother. Now, Edith is his daughter Amy's prized friend and confidante. As the Hamiltons await a trio of visitors for the annual Greens Cup horse race, Beatrice Hamilton asks for Edith's help in finding a suitable husband for a cousin, Ida Glenshaw, with one of two visiting eligible bachelors. But when it becomes clear that both the young men have affection for Edith and not Ida, jealousy soon develops, leading to malicious conniving and brutal backstabbing. Despite the growing love between Edith and one of the young suitors, because of their conflicting social classes, the couple is reminded time and again that their love can never be. The Inheritance is a story that centers on an innocent young woman's struggle to make sense of her position within the Hamilton household and in society, and the love she feels for her patrons, as well as for a young man she can never marry.

Ladies! This was sooooo good. Just what I needed to sweep me away from the hectic week that I had just spent. It is such a nice clean movie. The home and costumes are so well done. You will love it...
Let me know if you do watch it.

Color Of The Week #5

Hey Everyone!

It's Hump DAY!!

This week's color of the week is a bit of a Monster Mash. 

I used 2 colors. The base color is Orange Fizz from last year's spring Chanel line

 and one coat of Significant Other Color from OPI.

Let me add here... this is the one and only color that I have from the Chanel line. It was WAY over priced and I got it with a gift card. I would never buy it again. The polish just does not last on my nails and it isn't worth the price. That is just my 2 cents worth!

Hope you lovelies are having a great week!

Sunday Morning Coffee!

"Good coffee is like friendship: rich, warm and strong." 

~Pan-American Coffee Bureau

Book Review: A Voice in the Wind

by Francine Rivers

 Back of the Book:


“The city was silently bloating in the hot sun, rotting like the thousands of bodies that lay where they had fallen in street battles.”  With this opening sentence, A Voice in the Wind transports readers back to Jerusalem during the first Jewish-Roman War, some seventy years after the death of Christ. Following the prides and passions of a group of Jews, Romans and Barbarians living at the time of the siege, the narrative is centered on an ill-fated romance between a steadfast slave girl, Hadassah, and Marcus, the brother of her owner and a handsome aristocrat. After surviving the massacre of her family and the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, Hadassah is captured and sold to a well-to-do merchant’s family. Brought to Rome, she is pressed into service as a personal slave to hedonistic Julia Valerian.  Hadassah struggles to walk in the footsteps of Jesus and to treat her masters in a manner in keeping with His teachings, but she is forced to keep her religious identity a secret in order to survive.  Confused and alone, she has only her faith to cling to as she tries to subtly bring God into the lives of her captors.  Reckless, impulsive, and villainous, Julia tries to undermine Hadassah at every turn.  But Julia’s brother, Marcus, is a different sort altogether.  Is it possible for a love between Hadassah and Marcus to flourish considering not only their differing stations in life, but also the gap between Hadassah’s unrelenting faith and Marcus’ lack of belief in anything?  Simultaneously, Atretes, a captured soldier from Germania, is forced to become a gladiator. This is the time of Rome's decline and the decadence of a civilization on the verge of self-destruction serves as a powerful backdrop to the Barbarian’s struggle for survival in the arena.

This is what I think... 

If you think that Christian literature is boring or predictable (as I did) then you need to pick this series up. Oh My Gosh!!! EVERYONE in the book club LOVED it! Romance, intrigue, fighting gladiators... This story has something for everyone. 

If you read it let me know .... 

I would love to know what you thought.

I'll be joining Ricki Jill for Literary Friday

Make one for me MAAAAAAAAM!

And make it Coral and Mint! 

PLEEEEEEEZ!  ......she said

 Ok! Let me get right on that! :)  .... I said

 Here you go.... I said

Perfect Fit!!! Thank you!!! .... she texted

I'm joining Jann at Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson

Color of the Week #4

Gouda Gouda Two Shoes

OPI

Great color! Right?

OPI is the best nail polish on the market. I have tried so many different brands

and I always come back. The formula and coverage are always consistant. 

Did you know that nail color is one of the hottest beauty trends going right now? 

Something Great Several People Said

You probably already know this, but it just dawned on me to look...

Downton Abby Season 3 is now available on DVD on Amazon, 

and for free rental on Amazon Prime!

I'm sorry... but you know how I feel about my Downton Abby.
I just had to share!

Hope you are enjoying your Sunday evening!

Teacup Exchange

 Sometimes the best way to start a friendship is over a cup of tea.

Don't you think?

That's what Stephani from the Enchanting Rose thinks. 

She is hosting a teacup exchange.

My lovely exchange gift arrived early this week from 

Anne at Stuff and Nonsense

 

  It included some beautiful mix media artwork. The flower on the card is made of hearts

folded in have.  So clever and cute!

The 23rd Psalm (one of my personal favorites)

I love it. Thank you Anne!

To see the rest of the beautiful exchange teacups join 

Stephani at The Enchanted Rose. 

Color Of The Week #3

Essie, Bouncer, It's Me. :)  Funny name. Pretty color! 

Thanks for joining me today!

August's Fresh-Cut Friday

Welcome!

I'm so glad you are here for Fresh-Cut Friday! 

It is a busy time of year and I know the gardens are drying up. 

But those of you that persevere ... or go to the flower shop... 

have flowers to share.

So lets get to it.

 I really was in a pinch this week. I literally went to the back yard and 

picked lantana!

 Short of cactus or Purple Desert Sage, it is the only thing still thriving.

 If you are going to use it in an arrangement please keep in mind that it 

needs to get in water right away. It wilts very quickly once it is cut.

 You might also want to keep in mind that they are made of little tiny flowers and are 

a little fragile.  But other than that... They made a lovely little arrangement.

 i used my mom's Verde Green Imperial Glass Candelsticks.

Purchased in the late 60's or early 70's the green dye for this glassware was actually

made from Arizona Verde Trees. They are now protected by 

environmental laws and the fact that they are our state tree.

 Who would have thought that when she bought them way back in the day, 

while we lived in the heart of the Midwest, that we would eventually end up 

in Arizona. 

Ironic! 

Right? :)

 Nothing pops or is quite as classic as Blue, White and Yellow.

 I hope you enjoyed my little impromptu arrangement. 

Now I can wait to see your pretty displays.

I'm joining:
Kathryn from The Dedicated House
Diann from The Thrifty Groove
Sherry from The Charm of Home
Cindy from My Romantic Home