It's about time I do another book review and this is one of my very Favorites! I first read this book when a friend loaned it to me and oh! I've read it...maybe three times so far? I don't often have time to reread a book, so...yeah, this is a good one!

Book Review//Iron Scouts of Confederacy by Lee McGiffin
(A gift from my parents following a trip to the homeschool book fair 2016)

My Review
This is a gem! I absolutely love this book! It’s probably my favorite Civil War book ever! And the best part is that it’s a novelization of a true story! The book follows the war years of young Ben Fane, a boy who is self-conscious about his short stature, but in the Confederate Army, he finds his height isn’t a curse! Along with his brother Gant and good friend Shelby Harris from Texas, Ben does his part to make a difference! We also meet many interesting Southern heroes, among them, Major John Mosby, Gen. Wade Hampton and Major Heroes Von Borcke. Through the many adventures (and misadventures!) of the Iron Scouts, their faith in God is tested and strengthened.

Genre-Historical/Civil War

Historical Accuracy – Five stars here! I’m not an expert on the War Between the States, but I have researched this era quite a bit, and I found nothing amiss in McGiffin’s text.

Content – Amazing! Very descriptive and interesting. The Author is very good at keeping your attention. No romance, but I do think there were a couple of words I marked out in my copy, but I can’t remember so it must not have been anything major 😊 I do recommend a parent reading it before little ones since it is a war book and you are the best judge of what may be upsetting to them.

Favorite Scene – The scene where Ben and Heroes Von Borcke have to hide from the yankees in a widow’s house. Very entertaining 😉

Overall – Like I said, this is one of my all-time favorites. If you are studying the War Between the States, you need this in your library. Great for Homeschoolers too! In fact, I originally heard about it in a Homeschool catalog, and a friend had it in her history and let me borrow it. After reading it, I knew I needed to get my own copy! It is available through Amazon, Rainbow Resources, and Christian Liberty Press.

Something to think about: Do you reread books? What is your favorite book to reread? If you have a blog, write a post about your reread favorite! If you don't have one, tell a friend!

No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
2 Timothy 2:4
(King James Bible)

Have a Lovely Day!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

Hello, friends. This will be a short post, but I thought today, it is important to remember all our service members who spent time as a Prisoner of War or Missing in Action…or still are. There are hundreds from the Vietnam war that are still considered Missing in Action…presumed dead.

I thank God that my family has never had to go through the sleepless nights, wondering and worrying about a loved one, at least not in this century.

In 1862, Joshua Bowman joined the Confederate army. He was one of over a dozen children in his family and one of 8 boys from his family to enlist in the service. During his time in the Confederate Army, he was wounded twice and capture once, being sent to David’s Island Prison Hospital following the Battle of Gettysburg.

Joshua wasn’t the only one who suffered injury and imprisonment from his family; practically every one of his brothers and brothers-in-law suffered at least one or both circumstances. Only three of the eight boys came home from the war. Joshua was not one of them. Joshua is my great-great-great-great-grandfather.

Even though I never met him, the knowledge of how he died for his country still hurts. I can only imagine what it is like for those who knew their loved one going through the loss of a family member, temporarily or permanently.  😢  If you are one such person, my prayers are with you. If you are the one who at some point in your life was a POW or MIA, thank you for your service, and praise God you are home now!

May we never forget…All gave some…some gave more than others…and some gave all.
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22
*Emoji art supplied by Emoji One

Hello! Popping in with a quick post this week to wish you a Happy Constitution day!

231 years ago in 1787, our forefathers signed a document that guaranteed the rights of all Americans as a free people. Sadly, our Nation has strayed from following, but we can still celebrate the rights that our forefathers intended for us to have!

To celebrate, I’m posting the preamble to this great document here on the blog. (Anybody else have to memorize this in school?)

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
 
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.
Psalm 33:12

Have a blessed day!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22
*Emoji art supplied by Emoji One

I am honored to be taking part of this lovely little tag here, nominated by Miss Abby G.! Thank you so much! I've always loved reading other's tags and when I received the email that I had been tagged, it made my heart so happy! 💚
So without further ado, let’s jump in!

-Please copy the questions below, answer them, and then write out your new questions (or you can even copy these) for the people you nominate below your answered questions.
-Please nominate at least three bloggers, but try to avoid ones that you know have already been tagged.
-Lastly, include these guidelines in your post, and use the tag picture!

Favorite Fall food? Probably my sister’s homemade Pumpkin Rolls. They are soooooo good!
Favorite thing about Fall weather? I love wearing sweaters and going on a walk, looking at all the pretty leaves! Autumn is my favorite season of all! 🍁
Do you like doughnuts (what kinds)? Oh, Yes! I’m from North Carolina, so it’s a given that Krispy Kreme is my favorite doughnut shop 😆 My favorite has got to be the Sour Cream Doughnut. It’s so rich and delicious🍩
Favorite things to do outside? I love biking 🚲, walking and swinging on our homemade swing in the woods, but what I do the most outside is walk around plotting out story ideas in my head
Favorite color of Fall leaves do you like best? Red 🍁
What are some Fall traditions you or your family participate in? Hmm…we don’t really have any traditions…we eat a lot of pumpkin recipes during the fall, also we have our FBN Share-a-thon every October, so that could be a tradition 😉
Do you like any kind of soup in autumn? What's one of your favorites? I love pretty much any soup but vegetable 😊 I’m just not big on mixing my veggies. But I love Broccoli Cheddar Soup the best! 🍲🧀
Favorite kind of candle? Oh, this is so hard! I love any kind of fall scented candles…I’m not big on cinnamon though. Oh, coffee scented ones are great too! ☕
Windy or rainy autumn? Both, but not at the same time…I guess I’d have to go with windy. 🍃
Tea or coffee? I love sweet tea, but it’s more of a summer beverage…I’ll go with Coffee☕
If you could go to one state in the U.S.A. just for the autumn scenery, where would you go? I would go to Tennessee! I love the mountains and the breathtaking autumn colors. They are stunning!⛰

I’m tagging Jesseca @ Whimsical Writings for His Glory
Victoria @ victoriaminks.com
Lauren @ Novels That Encourage
 
And your questions are…
What animal makes you think of fall?
What is your favorite fall drink? Coffee, Hot Chocolate, Apple Cider?
Where is a place you would like to visit for the fall that you have never been to before?
What books do you like to read during the fall?
Describe the perfect Autumn sweater.
What scent screams fall to you?
What is a special goal you have set for yourself this fall?
What is one fall activity you would like to try out this year?
Do you find yourself wanting to write about Autumn during the season?
Apple Pie or Pumpkin Pie?
Favorite Fall Memory?
Have fun!

Hope you enjoyed this post as much as I did. And I’m gonna answer one of the questions I’m posting. The animal that makes me think of fall is also one of my favorite animals…FOXES! 🦊I liked foxes before it was popular 😉
 
Something to think about: Do you have a blog? Whether you get tagged for this tag or not, feel free to answer the questions on your blog!

Have a blessed day!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22
*Emoji art supplied by Emoji One

Hello everyone. Today marks the 17th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks that claimed so many lives and left millions reeling in the shock of such evil. I was five years old when my family watched live as the towers collapsed via my grandmother’s television. Let this sink in: the 18-year-olds serving in our military today were only a year old. Those who get parental consent to join at age 17 were only a few months, weeks or days old.
 
In memory of the poor souls whose lives were mercilessly ended that day, I share with you a devotion I wrote back in 2016. While not solely about 9/11, it’s about America. It’s about us.

Enough was enough when the French and Indians attacked helpless settlers. Our men went to war with the British as our allies.
 
Enough was enough in 1776 when the American Patriots took up arms over a 2% tax on tea (And multiple more important issues! Read The Declaration of Independence.)
 
Enough was enough in 1812 when the British began kidnapping our sailors for their own use. (And during this time, we were fighting the Muslims who were capturing our passenger ships and taking our people for slaves. Enter the United States Marine Corps!)
 
Enough was enough in 1861 when 11 states decided to take up arms to protect their God given and Constitutional rights. Sadly, they lost and the whole country has now lost these rights...and much more.
 
Enough was enough when we were bombed by Japanese invaders in 1941, launching us into the Second World War.
 
Enough was enough when South Vietnam requested our aide against Communism. My thanks to every American Veteran of that war for your unsung heroism! You are loved and appreciated!
 
Enough was enough when in 2001, four of our planes were hijacked by Muslim terrorists and thousands of people were killed.
 
Enough was enough!
 
But…
 
What about the 9/11 proportion tragedy that happens daily...through the abortions committed in the United States? Why isn’t this looked at for what it is? Let me spell it out for you.
It’s MURDER!
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
 
What about our school systems, teaching our children that we come from monkeys, that unborn babies have “gill slits” (Thus they aren’t human until birth), that our Founding Fathers weren’t Christians and that we aren’t even a Christian nation?
LIES! DECEPTION!
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
 
How about this attitude of toleration? We most tolerate Muslim Terrorism, lest we offend our dire enemies. We must tolerate open sin, give them special rights and steal rights from others.
 
But at the same time, we Christians are refused tolerance. We are labeled haters for believing what the Bible says. A Harvard Professor has said that pro-life Christians should be treated like Nazis. When have we opened any concentration camps and murdered innocent people? They are the guilty ones, only they go under the guise of hospitals and abortion clinics…
 
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
 
It’s time for Americans to fall on their knees before God and beg His forgiveness and mercy. We must speak the truth in love, hating the sin and not the sinner. Christ is the only answer. He is the only One who can save America from destroying herself from the inside.

Every great revival started with a prayer. Every great victory was a result of prayer. And every Righteous Cause was bathed in prayer.
 
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
 
It’s time for us, not to physically fight back, but to fight the spiritual battle God has seen fit to give us.
 
George Washington had his day. Stonewall Jackson had his day.
This is our day! Pray for the salvation of this Nation!
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
 
 
My thanks to every serviceman who enlisted to defend our nation following the 9/11 attacks. May God Bless you are keep you safe. And not to be forgotten are our First Responders, those who took part in the 9/11 rescues and elsewhere. You are heroes! There are no words to properly thank you all for the risks you are willing to take to keep America safe and free. God Bless!

Something to think about: Where were you when 9/11 happened? Where you born at the time? How has this event effected you?
 
In the coming days, don’t forget to thank a Veteran or a First Responder.

Never Forget,
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22
*Emoji art supplied by Emoji One