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That's right everyone! To Save a Life is now available in ebook format! It all came together so fast, and we've had so much going on, I've just now gotten the chance to tell you all about it! But I have time now! First off, here's your link to purchase! To Save a Life is available on Kindle Unlimited as well, so take advantage of that too! For those who are new here, here's a little information about my book baby! |
After EMT Roman Carter is called to a failed abortion, he's forced to battle both his own scars and his inability to stop the evil system that holds so many in its grasp. But could the tiny baby cupped in his hands prove a powerful ally in the fight?
When Amber Gray gets her first glimpse of the baby, she can't believe her eyes. It wasn't supposed to be like this. He wasn't supposed to be whole, or a fighter, or in such obvious pain. With help from Roman and his wife, Amber works to turn her life around and atone for her terrible error. But how could God possibly use her after such an unspeakable act?
As one little life struggles for survival, countless others hang in the balance. Just how far can a tiny miracle reach?
If you have any questions, leave them in the comments or contact me!
Have a blessed day and let me know what you think!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22
I knew that would catch your attention, lol! Honestly, there are few things about the Christian community that I find annoying. Thinks we act like are the be all end all of Christianity when actually there is this thing called personal convictions. And there is nothing wrong with that! But that is neither here nor there. So, let’s dive into what annoys me most and what we can do to fix it! |
We Give Up Too Easily
We LOVE reading circle. It gets us out of the house and it has given me more and more ideas for activities and story engagement type things to do with Dixie. We don’t 100% agree with EVERYTHING they do or don’t do, but it’s a nice opportunity to get out of the house and most of the content is totally fine.
However.
The other day, we went in and they were reading Glad, Glad Bear.
A story about a little bear going to his first dance class.
Wearing a pink tutu.
I don’t know about you, but that didn’t set right with me, so I quietly took Dixie out. I didn’t make a huge scene and I didn’t get all in a huff. I was honestly heart broken.
So I went to the front desk, requested a complaint form and submitted it.
We haven’t heard back and after praying about it, we are continuing to attend. Second strike, they’re out.
Why Don’t We Replace Things?
Bad music in a program? Gone. Wrong version of the Bible (which is important!)? Gone. Magic? Bad language? Sinful lifestyles portrayed? Gone.
And we don’t replace it with anything! Sorry we can’t do this fun thing anymore, kids, let’s get back to our school work and chores.
I’m sorry but having fun is still important and I will always stand by that.
So what do we need to do?
Replace it with something wholesome! If you find out a program you let your children watch/listen to has questionable content? Replace it with a clean program or film! Library circle not working out? Borrow books and invite another mom and her brood over for a reading circle! Decided Barbie dolls aren’t good for your family to have around? Find another toy/activity to replace it with!
But What Can We Replace it With?
- Patch the Pirate (age range: 8-12, but all ages can enjoy them!) There are 40+ adventures for the family to enjoy! Some of my favorites are Afraidika Fever, Once Upon a Stary Night, Coldheartica, Ocean Commotion and Operation Arctic!
- Jonathan Park (Age range: 8-12, but again, great for all ages!) I have listened to the first 5 seasons and these are so good! Although I have heard they change after season 9, just fyi.
- Coral Island Adventures (Age range: 8-12) I would recommend this as a group listen as it does cover hard/controversial topics. While I personally enjoyed it, a few things can be confusing (feel free to reach out to me about it!) and it would be helpful f0r parents to be aware so they can answer questions!
- The Well-Read Coffee Addict (Age Range: Teens-Young Adults) This podcast is great for young people who love books and bookish opinions! While I do disagree with her on a few theological points, she doesn’t dig deep into the theology side and stays with more general Christian points, which I appreciate!
- The Gibson Girl Review (Age Range: Teens-Elderly) Honestly, I think this would be a good listen for all ages, because it’s a deep dive into books from the Gilded Age (Think Isabella Alden!) and why you should be reading old books today, both well known and little known! They share history, fun music and read short portions of the books!
- Books for Christian Girls (Age Range: All, but mostly teen and up) This booktube channel also has a blog where they share detailed content reviews on Middle Grade, Young Adult and Adult Christian books! Her vlogs, tags and book hauls are so fun and I love them so much!
- Miriam Elizabeth Reads (Age Range: All, but mostly 12 and up) Another great, clean bookish channel where she shares reviews of books she’s reading, both Christian and clean!
- Studio C (Age Range: All) I have to give a caveat here: there are always going to be topics you want to avoid (Harry Potter for one) and I do NOT recommend anything beyond the first five or so seasons. But if you enjoy clean comedy, the oldies are the goodies!
- The Chosen (Age Range: Young Adult and up) There are a couple things here and there that I don’t agree with (reach out for details!) but so far, we have enjoyed this show! The first two seasons are amazing and we haven’t finished season 3. But it’s a fun show about the life 0f Christ and one that is finally following closely to the Biblical account and is actually high quality!
- Flywheel and Facing the Giant (Age Range: All) Theses are great Christian films that I highly recommend! There are other films by the company, but each needs a content warning of varying degrees.
- Sheffey (Age Range: All) This is an excellent story about the life of Robert Sheffey, the praying circuit rider. It is such a powerful story! (There is one scene that may be disturbing for some viewers and one that mentions an unwed mother. Message me for details!)
- Mr. Fix-It (Age Range: Toddler-8) These are great Bible story films for children! We loved them growing up!
- Story Keepers (Age Range: 6-12) Excellent cartoon for kiddos set during the days of the early church! A minor issue here and there, but nothing too major that I remember!
- Bluey (Age Range: 0-6) What I’ve seen of this show, it’s super clean! Just two sister puppies living their life and learning life together! Also, if you are a mom, watch Baby Race. You’re welcome😇
- Redwall (Age Range: 8-12) There is some violence and yes, its set in a monastery, but for the most part, I love this little show and if you just want some clean adventure for your non-violent sensitive kiddos, let them watch these little forest friends become knights for the good! (There is a couple things about it I would caution about, but again, message me for details!)
- Little Women (2019) (Age Range: Teen and Up) I adore this movie. I really do. It made me cry it was so beautiful! So yeah, give it a watch!
- Pollyana (Disney Classic) (Age Range: All) This movie, y’all! It’s set in the turn of the 20th century and I love it so much! Definitely recommend to all ages, male and female! (The opening scene is boys skinny dipping in a pond, so just skip forward several seconds and its fine after that 😋)
- Miracle Worker (2000) (Age Range: All) This is the best version of the story of Helen Keller! Told in an engaging way with an excellent cast, it’s easy to immerse yourself in the story! It’s also easy to reenact scenes with your family!
- The Ester Reid Series by Isabella Alden
- The Chautauqua Girls by Isabella Alden
- Tales of Faith Series by Amanda Tero
- The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy by Kellyn Roth (Mature Readers)
- O To Be Like Thee by Kassie Angle
- Tattered Wings by Kassie Angle
- Stop the Rain by Kassie Angle
- Sisters in Time by Various Authors
- The Accidental Cases of Emily Abbott by Perry Elizabeth Kirkpatrick
- Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene
- The Hardy Boys by Franklin Dixon
- We are the Gardeners by Joanna Gaines and Kids
- Mammoth and Titan by Brian McBride (Mature Readers, message for content)
Question of the Day: what titles would you add to this list? Would you like to see more suggestions like this in the future?
Blog Posts I've Been Enjoying
A Letter to Pontius Pilate || Katja L., Little Blossoms for Jesus
Natural Attributes of God || Sophia D., Glorious Daughters
Have a Blessed Day!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22
I love to read. Like, I really like to read! And in the past few years, I haven’t read near as much as I like to, so, this year one of my RESET goals was to read more; make time for it, intentionally. And while its been a shaky start for me, I have definitely made progress! Today, I’m going to share the 19 books I read from January to March, my thoughts on them and links to my Goodreads Reviews*! I will note that I am listing which books I finished or DNF’d in the given month. There were probably other books I read in that month but didn’t finish, but I won’t be talking about them. Also, I got the idea for this post from Joanne at The Well Read Coffee Addict! I will link her post at the end of this post! *I will not be including reviews for my comic reads, because I don’t do detailed reviews for these. |
January
I didn’t finish many books in January. I was getting in the swing of things again only to get sick/deal with a teething baby 😅 But I was able to finish listening to An Army at Dawn by Rick Atkinson, an audiobook me and Jacob had been working through for probably about a year! We were quite happy with ourselves for co-reading a whole book together and this was a long one! It was well written and quite interesting, covering the Africa Campaign of WWII, which is often overlooked! The author is engaging, and the narrator did a stellar job! Age Recommendation: 18+ Content: Language, some sensual content Goodreads Review |
The next book I finished was Marine Morgan by Marie Chandler, a cute children’s book about a little girl who wants to be a Marine when she grows up! The illustrations are adorable and she included so much good information about the profession in a way that children can easily understand! Age Recommendation: 5-8 Content: N/A Goodreads Review |
I was also able to reread Deal by Tricia Mingerink! If you love the Blades of Acktar, you will absolutely love this prequel! I had read it several years ago when I first discovered the author! It’s a quick, heart-wrenching origin for our hero, Leith Torren! You can get it by subscribing to the author’s mailing list here! Age Recommendation: 16+ Content: mild mentions of bodily functions, gambling and drinking, mild violence Goodreads Review |
ReReads: 1
Genres: Non-Fiction || Childrens || Fantasy
Stars Given : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐- 1 ⭐⭐⭐⭐- 2 ⭐⭐⭐- 0 ⭐⭐- 0⭐- 0
DNF: 0
February
I went on to finish The Coronation by Olivia Jarmusch from December! I loved this book so much and I definitely recommend it for us gals that grew up with some old-school Disney and Barbie films! Although I have been told girls who liked the Disney TV series would enjoy it too. Is it 100% realistic? No. Do I care? Also no! It’s a good “I need a break from heavy topics,” book and the spiritual lessons were excellent! Age Recommendation: 12+ Content: Crushes, pop music, mild violence, computer addictions (gaming) Goodreads Review |
I loved No Place Like Home by Jess Mastorakos and I read it in five days, which anymore is really good for me 😁 The story was sweet, romantic, and there was a guilt goat, y’all, how could I not love it? Age Recommendation: 18+ Content: Mild sensual content (touching, kissing, nothing overtly dirty), some thoughts about each other being “Smoking hot,” and references to alcohol. Goodreads Review |
ReReads: 0
Genres: Comic/Manga || Fantasy || Romance
Stars Given : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐- 6 ⭐⭐⭐⭐- 1 ⭐⭐⭐- 0 ⭐⭐- 0 ⭐- 0
DNF: 1
March
I DNF’d The Count of Monte Christo by Alexandre Dumas because it was so everlastingly boring and the movie explained the two hours I listened to in under ten minutes. Not a fan.
My Reread of the month was The Dressmaker’s Secret by Kellyn Roth! I’m doing her six month read-a-thon and I am so enjoying listening to the audio books! She’s easily one of my favorite authors! If you haven’t read her Chronicles of Alice and Ivy, I highly recommend you give them a try! Age Recommendation: 16+ Content: allusions to rape but nothing explicit, a couple dealing with annulment and confusion caused by the parents. Goodreads Review |
ReReads: 1
Genres: Comic/Manga || Historical Fiction
Stars Given : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐- 8 ⭐⭐⭐⭐- 1 ⭐⭐⭐- 0 ⭐⭐- 0 ⭐- 0
DNF: 1
Here’s the two posts I mentioned earlier!
Post Inspiration: January-March Rereads || Joanne, The Well Read Coffee Addict
The 2023 Alice and Ivy Read-Along || Kellyn Roth, Lilacs & Revelries
Question of the Day: What books have you been reading? Read any I mentioned? What’s a genre you never thought you would like, but now love?
Have a wonderful day!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22
Hello There! It’s been nearly six months since I sat down to write a blog post for all of you! I would say I’m sorry, because I do hate that it’s been so long. But things were out of my control and honestly, I just needed to slow down and enjoy my husband and my baby and my life in general. So, I’m half sorry then 😆! Today’s post will be a bit of a life update and a what to expect moving forward kind of post! Including some upcoming post topics and an opportunity to help me with posts moving forward! |
Life Update
I’ve been struggling some with baby blues, but in October I was able to make huge progress in accepting changes in my life, Physically and Emotionally, that come with motherhood. I had another breakthrough just recently and praise the Lord, I’m starting to feel more like myself, just different 😉
The Lord has blessed me with many more singing opportunities at my church, Hunt Valley Baptist Church, and more opportunities for service! I help with our junior church, nursery and have been tapped to head up a couple small projects which has been a blessing to help with! I’ve missed being more involved and my energy levels have finally enabled me to take more part in ministry!
Which leads us to the update I know you all actually want…
Dixie's Corner
Dixie keeps me on my toes! She is walking now and prefers to be barefoot and in nothing but a diaper; I indulge her in the former, but not the latter 😁 She talks constantly: Da-da, Ma-ma, Pa-Pa (Pop-Pop), no, ba-ba and, “thertle” (no idea what that means) are her most used ones, but she’s constantly learning new sounds! “I ya ya,” is “I Love you,” and “Psh,” is “please.” “Da-Do,” is “Thank You.”
She loves books, and will often look through her stack on her own, babbling words to herself! She loves balls (we got her a mini ball pit and Pop-Pop and Ema (Jacob’s parents) got her a big bouncy ball to play with!), stuffed animals of all kinds, and literally anything soft, she claims for her own! She got her need for soft, cozy things from me and Jacob!
She turns one April 11th, and honestly, I’m not sure if I’m ready! She’s already so ahead for her age… But no turning back now, right? At this rate, she’ll be ready for pre-school next year 😜
Writing
I am working on drafting The Battlefield is Silent now that I know what direction I want to go with it! I needed to start it from someone else’s point of view and I think you’re all gonna love it 😇
To Save a Life is almost ready to publish! Just one more revision and the eBook will be ready and I can get with my cover designer to complete the wrap around! Please pray for me that I will have the time to get it all wrapped up!
Reading
Word of the Year
What to Expect
Each time I post, I am hoping to share some blog posts from friends that I have been enjoying. I hope to find ones that match my post, but some may just be posts I loved the past week! Like today!
Our next post will be a look at the books I’ve been reading! It won’t be complete reviews this time (those are coming!) but I will include age recommendations, what I liked and an abbreviated content list. After that, I’ll be sharing a post from my Instagram, but expanding on it a little…Something about Christians that annoys me!
I will no longer be doing recap posts, those will be reserved for my newsletter! So again, don’t forget to sign up for that!
Blog Round-Up
Saintly, Sweet, Sensual and Smutty: A Treatise on the Four Types of Romance Novels & How to Navigate them as a Christian || Kellyn Roth, Lilacs & Revelries
Book Rules, Book Myths || Katja L., Little Blossoms for Jesus
I think that just about covers everything! Sorry this post was so long! It’s been a while!
Question of the Day: How have you been? What have you been writing/reading? Did you miss me?? What content would you like to see moving forward?
Have a beautiful day and may God bless you as you follow Him!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22
Ryana Lynn
Christian. American. Southern. Author.
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