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Truest is a story of a group of high-schoolers in a small town in Green Lake, Minnesota. The Hart twins move to Green Lake at the start of summer, and it changes West’s world. The story follows this group of teens as they navigate romances, mental health issues, family dynamics, and small town life. While this book is considered Young Adult Literature, I think this book will appeal to people of all ages, as the characters wrestle with “big life questions and issues”.
Sommers does a fantastic job in her descriptions of people and places, and I felt very quickly that I had completely entered into the story, that these people were my friends (I do very much wish I could be friends with West!). This story made me feel deeply, and I found myself smiling through most of the book. I read the last 50 pages while on my bike trainer, and I sat there biking, reading, and sobbing (a sign of a great book!). In fact, I don’t think a book has made me feel so deeply since reading The Fault In Our Stars in June 2014. So often in reviews I say that I wish the book had been a bit shorter, that details felt unnecessary. Not true with this story though! I just want more!! 🙂 The romance that’s woven through the book is moving as well.
Truest comes out on September 1st, and I’ll be talking about it a bit more between now and then, but I wanted to share a favorite quote, as I often do on reviews:
He smiled a little and squeezed my hand. “Writers know that the climax comes before the resolution.” He was quiet for a second, then said, “Not just in fiction, either, West, but in real life too. How many times has the worst thing turned out to be necessary? Or even the best? Rescue wears masks, you know. It’s why people say it’s darkest before the dawn. Sometimes things take a long time to make sense. Could be years and years- or only a weekend. Or they might never make sense. But that doesn’t mean you stop trusting that the world is being rescued.”
It was a lot to take in. “I can’t decide if I feel happy or sad,” I finally said.
“Feel both,” Silas replied. “But remember that rescue stories are the best kind. If you look around at the world, it seems pretty clear that God favors redemption over perfection”.
-Truest (p. 206-207)
If you’re interested in more reviews of Truest, check out goodreads.
To follow the author, you can follow Jackie Lea Sommers on Twitter @jackieleawrites and Jackie Lea Sommers on Facebook. You can also check out her blog here. <-If you’re interested in pre-ordering it, she has the links for ordering at the top of the blog page.
This creamy, beautiful coral color is so ideal for spring and summer. Some pictures I’ve seen make it look more red than coral, so keep that in mind when you see pictures of it!
Throwback Post: On the Boston Marathon <-A post I wrote last year on Boston Marathon day.
Here are some random facts for the week:
1. I am officially in taper for my next half marathon, which I’ll talk a bit more about next week. Mexico accidentally put in taper far too early, and there’s no real way to have avoided that… which makes me nervous for race day. I’ll talk a bit more about running lately next week.
2. I received an advance copy of the book Truest by Jackie Lea Sommers, and I haven’t been able to put it down. I’ll be reviewing it soon for you all (I finished last weekend and sobbed through the last few pages!), and I can’t wait for you to hear more about it.
3. I want to preface the following story by saying that I am extremely thankful that I have food… and I don’t ever want to take that for granted. But when I spend money on something, I also expect to get what I paid for. So this past weekend I ordered a sandwich from Dominos (Italian sausage with peppers, onion, etc…). I opened my box and saw one of the most sad looking sandwiches I’ve ever seen (and it was the WRONG sandwich):
Pathetic looking, right? Even if this was the correct sandwich I had ordered, I would’ve been disappointed by the quality of it (it’s so dry looking with almost no sauce. Yikes!). They gave me some free parm bites, and 50% off my next order, so I guess that’s something…
4. I laid out at the pool for the first time this season, not counting the little bit I did at the end of my trip in Mexico, and it was so wonderful that I wanted to cry! I’m so happy to finally be in warm weather and sunshine again, and am looking forward to months of great weather!
5. Have you ever eaten these marshmallow candies before (they are very much like circus peanuts in consistency)? They are one of the candies I remember my mom putting in easter eggs when I was little, so I like to eat a bag or two every Easter. This year I took a bag of them with me to Mexico 🙂
Now it’s your turn to share! Tell me one random fact from your week!
I’m thankful for the sounds of birds chirping. That noise along brings so much hope and joy to my life! I love listening to their sweet little songs, and it reminds me of the new life around me. Spring is here!
I’m thankful for delicious cookies at work meetings. This semester I’ve been at a work meeting once a week where we are given two of the most delicious, soft cookies ever. I love those cookies, and am thankful for that little mid-week treat!
I’m thankful for the time I’ve had with my Mexico team! We had two debriefing meetings/class sessions when we returned from our trip, but a few days ago we had our last one. Now all that’s left for me is grading the last of the course work and doing my own processing of the trip. I’m thankful that when we got off the plane in the US it wasn’t our last time together as a team.
I’m thankful for beautiful magnolia flowers. For most of my life I lived in an area where magnolias didn’t exist, so when I moved to the area that I live now, I was so excited to see the magnolias bloom again! I’m thankful for how beautiful they are and the extra color they add to life.
I’m thankful for music. I can’t imagine music in life. Whether we’re happy, sad, stressed, grieving, in need of inspiration, celebrating… there are songs out there for every emotion, season, and situation. I’m thankful for the presence of music in my life and in each of those emotions and situations.
Now it’s your turn to share! What are you feeling thankful for today?
When we take time out to comment on something we are stating what we feel is important to say. Worth is put in our words. I never want someone to think they are valued for their size. Because size doesn’t define worth. Size doesn’t define beauty. Size doesn’t define health. May you know you are beautiful for millions of things but your size should never dictate your beauty. And may we work together to stop using words like skinny or fat or commenting on size in general.
If you’d like to connect further with Martha, you can follow her on the following social media platforms:
“Two years ago, I was afraid of wanting anything. I figured wanting would lead to trying and trying would lead to failure. But now I find I can’t stop wanting. I want to fly somewhere on first class. I want to travel to Europe on a business trip. I want to get invited to the White House. I want to learn about the world. I want to surprise myself. I want to be important. I want to be the best person I can be. I want to define myself instead of having others define me. I want to win and have people be happy for me. I want to lose and get over it. I want to not be afraid of the unknown. I want to grow up and be generous and big hearted, the way people have been with me. I want an interesting and surprising life. It’s not that I think I’m going to get all these things, I just want the possibility of getting them. College represents possibility. The possibility that things are going to change. I can’t wait.”
Isn’t it beautiful? It’s full of hopes, dreams, and possibilities. It’s full of goals and passion, and I absolutely love it.
In life, it’s easy to be fearful of failure. It can feel embarrassing, perhaps we feel guilty, or maybe we’re even ashamed of ourselves. Perhaps we’re worried about the judgments of others. Whatever the reason for our fear, that fear of failing can hold us back from so many dreams and “wants” for our life.
If you had to sit down and write this college essay, what would your “I want…” statements be? I challenge you to figure out those wants, and then tenaciously pursue them, without letting the fear of failure be the thing that dictates your actions.
There have been so many wants in life that I’ve actually been able to accomplish, but I don’t stop wanting either. Perhaps my a few of my wants might go something like this “I want to finish what I started and get my PhD. I want to publish a book. I want to travel. I want to love others deeply. I want to cheer loudly as my children graduate from college….” No matter what your wants are, though, there’s no way to achieve those wants while clinging tightly to fear.
“I want an interesting and surprising life…”
Now it’s your turn to share! What’s one of your “I want…” statements for the future?
The real beach day was Sunday:
On Easter Sunday (the day after our trip to Chichen Itza), while in Mexico, my co-leader and I decided to take our group to Playa Delfines, which is a public beach we heard great things about.
We ended up taking two public buses to get from our hotel to the beach, but they dropped us off right near the entrance, which was convenient. We’d bought a 2L bottle of water for everyone to stay hydrated, and bought some food to make lunch on the beach as well.
When we got there we did “church on the beach” (it was Easter after all!) which was fun, before heading out into the water. I ended up going on an hour walk with one of the students on my trip, but enjoyed how refreshing the water felt hitting my legs as I walked. Plus, these views are amazing, right?
After lunch, I decided to get into the water. Swimming in the ocean isn’t my favorite thing, because I honestly hate sea creatures (or fear them perhaps more than hate). But, the water was crystal clear (standing with water up to my waist I could easily see my toes), and I couldn’t see any sea life, so it felt like a glorified pool with waves (which is my absolute ideal). We spent about half an hour body surfing and bobbing in the waves; it was amazing. Then I looked up and realized that the waves were getting much bigger (3ish feet tall) and coming in much faster. I yelled at the rest of my group (5 college students) that we needed to head in closer to shore (we were only up to our waists but with the waves being what they were, it felt much deeper). Right after that I heard a man start screaming in Spanish “ayudame! ayudame! ” (help me, help me). I was a life guard growing up, so I immediately turned to swim out to him (he was over to the left of us and just a bit further out, and I assumed he was distressed by the strength of the waves). My group followed me, and all at once we realized why he was screaming for help- he was stuck in a rip current and so were we!
In the morning before the waves picked up
While we weren’t close to over our heads, with how quickly we were being sucked away from shore, along with the waves, it was impossible for me to get my footing on the sand, and I honestly thought there was a good chance I was going to drown. Then I realized that my poor co-leader was going to have to deal with this whole thing on her own if we did drown, and there were so many thoughts like that flying through my head. I knew I couldn’t save anyone in that moment, because I was struggling myself to keep myself breathing and my head above water. Then my lifeguard training really kicked in, and I remembered that to get out of a rip current, you need to swim parallel to shore. I couldn’t even yell that to the students in my group, so I turned and swam harder than I ever have before, and I was able to get out of the current.
I finally got to a group of Mexican men who were calling for the lifeguards, and I grabbed onto them for dear life, shaking horribly. I have no idea what they even look like, I don’t know their names, but I’m thankful for their steadiness and calming voices as I dragged myself closer to shore. I started waving for the lifeguards to, who helped rush out and grab others (there were several others beyond my group in the current). I turned and stood and watched my group, those students who were primarily my responsibility, get pulled under waves with a look of terror on their faces, and it was an utterly helpless feeling. I wasn’t strong enough to help them, but did what I could. Needless to say we were all shaking pretty badly, and I flipped right into counselor mode in dealing with a traumatic situation.
We all ended up going for a long walk on the beach, which definitely helped a bit. It was one of the scariest moments of my life.
But that moment doesn’t define the day. The beauty of the day, the celebration of Easter, and the laughter and fun that our group had defines the day. Plus- this is absolutely gorgeous. Me getting sucked up in a rip current doesn’t define the day. The beauty and life around me does… and what a great life lesson that was.
But I also just love the beautiful aqua color:
(in this picture it looks more blue than it does in person)
It’s beautiful, right? I have a feeling I’ll be seeing lots of this color over the next five or six months!
Throwback Post: Choosing To Be Active In Health
Here are a few random Friday Facts:
1. I’ve known Melissa for a year now, and I can’t really believe it’s been that long! We met at mile 1 of the Carmel Half Marathon last year, and have been friends and running buddies since!
April 2014
2. To go with the tropical theme I’m still choosing to live around since returning from Mexico, I pulled out my Coconut scented candle last Sunday, and have been burning that in the evening. It smells amazing, and instantly reminds me of the beach!
3. I took 16 days off from exercising due to being in Mexico, which is crazy for being at the end of a training cycle! Even though I was taking a break (there really was no time to exercise), I still walked 2-3 miles every day, and lifted bags of cement, sand, etc… so I still came back sore and tired. I ran 8.2 miles this past weekend, and to say I’m sore is an understatement. I guess I still used different muscles…
4. The last meal I ate in Mexico was Monday dinner, and this past Saturday I couldn’t take it anymore. I got a big meal at a nearby Mexican restaurant when I was with some friends, and I practically cried with excitement. It had only been 5 days. I miss Mexican food more than I thought I would!
5. This past Saturday was “International TableTop Day”, which basically means it’s an international game day. I went out with some friends on Saturday morning/afternoon and we played all sorts of board games, which was a blast! I love playing board games, and don’t do it nearly enough. My favorite from the day was Ticket To Ride.
Now it’s your turn to share! Tell me one random fact from your week! What’s one of your favorite board games?
Happy Thursday! April feels like it’s rushing by, probably especially because I was in Mexico for the first part, and I can’t believe we’re already half way through the month! Here’s what I’m thankful for today:
I’m thankful for green grass. The grass was still pretty brown when I left for Mexico, but is beautiful and green now, and I love it! Honestly, each spring I’m almost shocked by just how vibrant it is (it’s much brighter each year than I remember it being). I’m thankful we’ve made it to the time of the year where green grass exists again!
I’m thankful for a fun weekend with friends. It was my friend “L”‘s birthday, so we had a surprise party for her on Friday, and then spent a few hours on Saturday playing games. It was SO much fun, and I enjoyed getting to see so many people I care about after being gone for the past few weeks!
I’m thankful for warmer weather. I haven’t even had to wear a coat to work the past week, and I’m LOVING it! I appreciate not shivering every time I walk out of a building, and I appreciate not having to run the heat most of the time in order to stay warm.
I’m really thankful for the things that I learned in Mexico. The wrestling with things that happens in life can be tough and uncomfortable, but I’m thankful for a chance to leave my comfort zone and process life in a totally different place and situation.
I’m thankful for aloe lotion. My last day in Mexico I got pretty burnt (not intentionally- I put 50 spf on 3 times in 5.5 hours and still got roasted 🙁 ), so I’ve been using aloe lotion multiple times every day since that time. I’m so thankful for how cooling, soothing, and good it feels!
Now it’s your turn to share! What’re you feeling thankful for today?
“When you know that something is wrong in your body, you want to go to somebody who knows anatomy…you want an expert on the human body to deal with the situation…Where will you go when your soul begins to malfunction?” Iain D. Campbell
I came across that line in Campbell’s 30 page booklet on Psalm 73. Before I even considered his question, God had been answering it. The short answer is this: Go to God. He is the one who created your soul, sustains your soul, and knows your soul. It only follows that you should go to Him.
The matter of how you are to go to God is equally important. You must go to Him by His Word, which is, the Bible. As we know, the Bible holds everything we need. It is through this living Word that we meet with God. There is nothing mystical or strange about it. This Word was breathed out by God and, like everything around us, it does what He wills.
You cannot know the health that this Word will bring to your soul until you devote yourself to come to it consistently as one of God’s people. I challenge you to begin today! If you’ve never done it, you’ll have to trust me. Make it a priority and be prepared to marvel as the God over all ministers to your soul.
I leave you with these words from Matthew which were spoken by Jesus Christ as He relied upon this principle even as He was tempted in the desert by Satan after having fasted for 40 days and 40 nights:
He [Jesus Christ] answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4
If your soul is healthy, praise God! If your soul feels like it is rotting away inside of you, seek God and take yourself to His Word! There’s only one way to truly tend to the health of your soul and that is to stay close to the One who made it yours.
Victoria blogs over at Through * For * By where she hopes that her readers will find something that will brighten their day, encourage their soul, and give them a reason to praise God.
INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/
We were picked up in Cancun by our tour guide, and took a 2 hour bus ride to the ruins. He gave us a bit of a history lesson on the way, and even taught us some Mayan words. He had a cooler filled with ice cold water bottles, which was also fantastic as he told us it was nearly 100 degrees in the ruins!
We got there and started our walk through the ruins, as he told us about the various trees and ruins around the area. There are iguanas that run around the whole area (and in Cancun as well), and they aren’t nervous with humans being around since the humans feed them. As our group of 20 was standing taking pictures of it, it charged towards us, and it was funny to watch everyone run screaming. Our tour guide laughed pretty hard, and made sure to point out every one he saw for the rest of the tour.
The first large structure we saw was Osario, which is similar to the main structure that you might recognize, but is much smaller.
As we popped out from the woods, we saw the main structure, El Castillo, which is a 98 foot tall pyramid-like structure. It was incredibly impressive, and we spent a good amount of time talking about the structure and taking pictures.
tattoo and Chichen Itza
After spending awhile there, we went over to the Great Ball Court, where the tour guide explained the ball game that was played there, and had us play a few rounds to get a good idea of what it was like. He truly made the ruins come to life, and paying the extra for a guide was well worth it.
We continued to walk around the ruins before heading to lunch, which was very needed. As I said, it was 100 degrees and we hadn’t been in shade for quite some time, so sitting down was great. The had dancers as entertainment for our lunch, and then we had a chance to sit around at the pool for awhile as well.
This little peacock was sitting right behind me in the pool area, which made me a little nervous. I don’t love birds on the loose in general, but it sure was pretty.
This is obviously a super short summary of the hours I spent in the ruins, and I wish I could share more. The day was REALLY fun and informative, and I would say that taking a day trip to Chichen Itza if you’re anywhere in the area (like I said- it’s 2 hours from Cancun) is well worth it!
Now it’s your turn to share! Do you enjoy exploring ruins? What’s one of your favorite archeological site that you’ve been to?
