Of Fire and Lions by Mesu Andrews

Of Fire and Lions, by Mesu Andrews, is a fictional depiction of what some of the Israelites could have experienced from the time of Babylon's first invasion of Jerusalem in 597 B.C. under King Nebuchadnezzar all the way to King Darius' allowance for a group to go rebuild the temple 70 years later.

But before we explore the book, can we talk about this GORGEOUS cover? #coverlove

Andrews chose a really interesting time period to explore in this book, focusing it around Daniel and his contemporaries, best known by their non-Jewish names, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Told through the alternating view points of Daniel and a female character named Abigail/Belili, the reader travels with the first wave of Jewish captives from Jerusalem all the way to Babylon and beyond. 

For me, the best part is seeing the most well known stories of Daniel put into a narrative, from his friends being thrown into the fiery furnace, King Nebuchadnezzar's transformation into a beast, the lions' den, and the hand writing on the wall. Because this is the first novel I've read dealing specifically with this part of Israel's history, it was so fun to explore it all in story form. I found myself captivated by the story, looking forward to the events still to come as I turned each page. 

If you love Biblical fiction, I definitely recommend this book. Click here to find it on Amazon!

Merry Christmas!

This week's post will be short and sweet. I just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and to let you know that there won't be any new posts until next year.

I hope that wherever you are, your celebration is beautiful, full of laughter and joy. Have a wonderful Christmas - and new year!

Important Pupdate!

We interrupt your normally scheduled post for this BIG (teeny) announcement: 

My family got a puppy! I'm so excited! We were so heartbroken over losing our precious Mitsi in June, and then God led my parents and I to this little red girl from Talladega, Alabama. 

Introducing Annie Reba Fancypants! She’ll go by Annie and her initials spell “ARF”. She is 9 weeks old, as sweet as a dewdrop on a peach tree, and has already stolen our hearts with her bright eyes, puppy prance, and southern accent. 🐩💖💃🏽 👢

Needless to say, the past few days (and the next few weeks) are going to be very full of puppydom. It's already been an adventure re-entering this world. Annie is so precious and as sweet as can be! We've only had her 36 hours and she already knows where her bowls are and is pottying outside like a pro. Now to just get her to used to the crate at night. Prayers appreciated! 

We know nothing can replace Mitsi, and we aren't trying to. But it's so wonderful to have a buddy again! You can see more pictures and videos of her at Instagram: annie.reba.fancypants and FB: annierebafancypants.

Taking a break...

Hey! I'm going to take a break from posting this week, as this week I had to say good-bye to my best friend, my precious poodle, Mitsi. I might end up extending this break, as it's been really hard to focus on anything but how much I miss her. If you're a dog person, I know you understand.