Cornelia W > Recent Status Updates

This book is so enjoyable! I still dislike Prince Layton and am not a fan of Brielle.

Prince Layton- ugh. I dislike this man so much.
Madeleine- I have come to adore her. Didn't like her at first.
Trap- d.e.l.i.g.h.t.f.u.l.
Abramm- my hero

John!
I just love reading the gospel through Fara's point of view and her interactions with John in prison. I am also delighted in how the author took creative liberties with Fara being the one who asked Jesus if he truly is the son of God, the long awaited one. I know it's not the gospel truth, but it's so fun to read it this way!

God doesn't clean us up all at once. Freedom is not a destination; it is a journey.

The only thing we can give God besides our praise is our brokenness - that which holds us back from being fully identified in Him.

Sometimes we define freedom by what we're not doing. We say "I don't do this or that" & then look down on others who do those things.This can lead to what some call the gospel of sin management, which is about behavioral change & making sure we are all just good people. In the gospel of sin management, we measure ourselves by ourselves & compare ourselves with ourselves to assure ourselves that we are behaving well.

"You can't go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending." C.S Lewis

Bad things happen, but might have been the victim, but you do not remain a victim.

The kingdom of God is not a throw-away culture. Jesus makes all things new. He takes broken people and puts us back together again so that we can live as God intends. The covenant blessing of God for his people is his promise of shalom - of wholeness and every area of our lives.

I enjoy Sally's character.

NOT a fan of Galen, I feel like things will not end well for him. 🫣

2 little children, a boy of 6 & a girl of 4, had run up the slope & seated themselves on either side of the fatigued Carpenter. Perhaps he had beckoned to them. But no—for now their mothers were hurrying forward to bring them back. The Carpenter was shaking his head, apparently insisting that they let the children remain with him.

🥰🥰🥰

The Carpenter. 🥰

Oh Tom! You are a rascal!

Ah! Justus!
I love that we get to read more about this man and his grandson!

As for Andrew, his idea of keeping the 5th commandment had required his regular attendance at the services of the Synagogue & a strict observance of the stated fasts, but it had laid no such burden on Simon, whose conception of honouring his parents did not go any further than being kind & respectful to them & seeing to it that they were well fed & clothed.

That's interesting! Same upbringing, different convictions.

"Simon the brawler.
Simon the scoffer.
But to the neighbours and relatives who had known him since childhood he was Simon the son of Jonas; and—they were likely to add—not much of a credit to the good old man; for nobody was more fanatically devoted to the Synagogue than Jonas, and nobody had less use for it than his tough and burly son Simon."

Ohhhhh here we goooooooo!!!!

"Forgiveness, and that which goes with it, destroys victimhood. It makes you the opposite of a victim. Forgiveness makes you an overcomer who is in control of every situation that comes your way."

" I'll say this: Hedgehog for really burns."

Yup. We are off to a good start!

Disclaimer: the above was a stuffed hedgehog.

"PTSD is not a mental illness; it is a psychological injury."

I have never heard PTSD being described this way.

"For—except you repent, you shall perish! It is so decreed. God has again spoken. There is One near at hand to rid the world of its iniquities! Indeed—He is now here!"

Ohhh, I love that John the Baptist is in this story. Only fitting as he was the one who publicly called out Fara's father of his sin!

Noooooo... I understand death comes to us all, but how sad that it came so early for one so dear.

"It is hard work to win back love. But don’t give up. Those who persevere find more happiness in earning love than they do in gaining it.
If you spend your time putting the for those who are not your friends, and discouraged. But if you keep happiness in loving, whether you are loved strange that I who live alone to you, but I believe it all the same.”

Ahhh, so much sorrow. Death, betrayal, and unknown future. Poor Arnon.

Arnon chose to marry Antipas—ugh. My heart went out to her, sacrificing her dream of marrying for love for the sake of her country. One life given to spare so many others.
I’m so glad she has Mariamne.
Antipas: imbecile, fool—desperately in need of a swift kick in the honey buns.

Very educational but heart-wrenching. You know that things are going to go very wrong for Judith.

The Jews, well aware that this uniquely attractive camel-market was responsible for bringing desirable patrons from afar, tried to forget—for this one day of the year—that the coveted camels were Arabian. And the Arabs who owned the camels pretended they didn't realize—on this one day of the year— that they were doing business in the land of Israel. They growled and scowled and spat—but they bought the camels.

Lol

It is both amusing and interesting to read the complicated history between the Jews and the Arabs. Fascinating!

The importance to question what you believe in and to sit with what makes you deeply uncomfortable is very prevalent so far.