I will be taking a blog break tomorrow, hopefully eating homemade ice cream (hint to the family) and anything else that a Chinette heavy duty plate will hold.

Again, thanks for the humorous book recommendations. Keep ‘em coming.

This past Sunday night my church had their first annual fireworks show for the community. Honestly, I was expecting this puny little performance, but it was AWESOME. It lasted like 20 loud minutes! I stole a picture from someone’s Facebook.

(picture courtesy of J. Judd’s Facebook page. Sorry I ripped you off!)

It might be hard to tell, but those crosses are HUGE. Very tall. Statuesque. (Reminds me of myself.) Anyway, it was cool to see the fireworks against the backdrop of the crosses. And the youth group was there selling ice cream, so even though I TOTALLY did not want to eat any ice cream, I figured it was my Christian duty to support them and their fundraiser. So I bought one or two (or three) things of ice cream. And I couldn’t just throw it away. That would be rude. So I HAD to eat it. Oh, the things we do for the Lord.

Thanks to Sheila and Erin for sending me this link.

You can see the outtakes HERE. They are more charming than they are funny. And the Rwandan kids are my FAVORITE. I love how in one version the Laotians are looking at him like, “Dude. You are NUTS. You call THOSE dancing skills?” I wouldn’t say Matt is really doing a dance. I think when it looks like that it comes closer to falling under the header of “jig.” And not everyone can pull off a jig.

I have some friends who keep up with the Bachelorette. I watched a two minute video on YouTube and saw all I needed to see.

In honor of the Fourth of July, I leave you with one final YouTube clip. This is a piece of a long series of clips of wedding singers who will customize their gig according to themes. This is the Patriotic Redneck Country Singer Bad Dresser Save Some Buffalo Wings For Me wedding theme.

Finally, Kelli Standish and crew at PulsePoint Design fixed up my sickly “About Me” page on my website. They did a great job. Take a look HERE!

Have a great three day weekend. Don’t poke anyone’s eye out with a sparkler.

JEN

P.S. See below for a bonus book review! I read a book. . . and I actually liked it.

My review:

So I liked this book. I know I’m kind of a book snob. Usually it has to be really funny or a blazing page turner for me to like it. This book is just a great romance read. Takes place in a small town (which I like), and even though it’s apparently the second book in a series, you don’t have to have read book no. 1 (which I haven’t). Honestly romance in Christian fiction is often a little hard for me to get through, but this one was different. Good different. It was a quick read, and even though I am supposed to be totally busting out some pages on a looming deadline, I kept finding excuses to pick up the book. I can’t wait to put this on my classroom shelf and share it with my teenage students. (With the admonition that they should NEVER get engaged after two months, of course.) Read it and tell me you don’t like it! See below for a rundown on the author, the book, and a link to the first chapter.

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Love Starts With Elle

(Thomas Nelson - July 8, 2008)

by

Rachel Hauck

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Rachel Hauck is a forty-something, a child of the ’60’s, ’70’s, ’80’s, ’90’s and ’00’s, who roller skated through the ’70’s into the ’80’s with Farrah Fawcet hair and a three-speed orange Camero. She graduated from Ohio State University (Go Buckeyes!) with a degree in Journalism.

After graduation, she hired on at Harris Publishing as a software trainer, determined to see the world. But, she’s traveled to Ireland, Spain, Venezuela, Mexico, Australia, Canada and the U.S. from California to Maine.

Rachel met Tony, her husband, in ‘87, at church, of all places. They married in ‘92.
They don’t have any children of their own, just lots of kids-in-the-Lord and they love them all. However, they do have two very spoiled dogs, and a very demanding cat.

With a little help from my friends, my first book was published in ‘ 04, Lambert’s Pride, a romance novel. My current release is Sweet Caroline from Thomas Nelson. Romantic Times Book Club gave both books their highest rank of 4.5 stars, with Love Starts With Elle being honored as Top Pick!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Elle’s living the dream-but is it her dream or his?

Elle loves life in Beaufort, South Carolina-lazy summer days on the sand bar, coastal bonfires, and dinners with friends sharing a lifetime of memories. And she’s found her niche as the owner of a successful art gallery too. Life is good.

Then the dynamic pastor of her small town church sweeps her off her feet. She’s never known a man like Jeremiah-one who breathes in confidence and exhales all doubt. When he proposes in the setting sunlight, Elle hands him her heart on a silver platter.

But Jeremiah’s just accepted a large pastorate in a different state. If she’s serious about their relationship, Elle will take “the call,” too, leaving behind the people and place she loves so dearly. Elle’s friendship with her new tenant, widower Heath McCord, and his young daughter make things even more complicated.

Is love transferrable across the miles? And can you take it with you when you go?

If you would like to read the first chapter, go HERE