Lots of Helpers

Our family's life in New Zealand

Travel, First Few Days in Ohio

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We’re home from our trip to America! I’ll share a few of the pictures we took while there, but I can’t share most of them because they include people who aren’t in our immediate family.

We had a beautiful trip over the mountains to get to Christchurch to the airport. The morning was frosty and clear, which promises a gorgeous day. We made a brief stop at an overlook with a view of the Otira Viaduct, built about 25 years ago to get the highway off a very dangerous part of the mountainside. We also stopped in Moana where Simon works, to say goodbye to him and to see the workshop.

Our first flight, from Christchurch to Auckland, was only about an hour long. Miss Joy had never flown before, and she was delighted to have a window seat. I let her borrow my phone, and she took a lot of pictures out the window. The Kaikoura Peninsula is visible in this one.

Both the long flight, from Auckland to Houston, and the last one, from Houston to Cincinnati, went smoothly. We won’t talk about the shock to our systems to land in 94*F Houston, with high humidity, or the three very long lines we had to wait in there to get to our gate. We were relieved to reach the end of our journey in the wee hours of the morning!

Mr. Imagination loved trapping kittens for his grandfather. These kittens are fed daily, but are quite wild. They like to get into the garage and make a mess, though.

The girls enjoyed playing with a tea set their aunt had for them.

A bat was discovered inside a house we spent a lot of time in. The owner of the house was aghast, but Mr. Imagination said he thought it was cute and wanted one for a pet! He enjoyed helping get it out of the house at dusk, though.

He also enjoyed riding the pedal cart his grandfather built years ago.

The children all loved playing in their aunt’s creek. They were fascinated with the raccoon tracks, since we don’t have coons.

They also found these structures by the creek, and Mr. Imagination caught a minnow.

Book Review–With Mercy’s Eyes

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About the Book:

Book: With Mercy’s Eyes

Author: D.T. Powell

Genre: FICTION/ Christian / Contemporary

Release Date: June 16, 2025

He turned his back on God a long time ago. But God never forgot him.

Six months after struggling actor Lane Harris lost his husband in a tragic accident, he lands a movie role guaranteed to put him on the Hollywood map. But one producer holds the power to shut down his shot at stardom—and she’s a Christian. If she finds out he’s gay, it’s over. Lane is careful not to say too much around her.

When an alcohol-fueled tryst with his co-star ends in humiliation, and his landlord hands him an eviction notice, Lane looks for someone to talk to. He finds a confidant in the Christian producer. After a night of too little sleep and not enough coffee, he lets slip his sexual orientation. Instead of a verbal flogging, the woman recounts recently losing her own husband.

The only Christians Lane knows condemn him upon learning he’s gay. But this one is different. She doesn’t embrace his sexuality, but instead of treating him with disdain, she offers compassion. Christians are supposed to hate people like him. So, why doesn’t she?

– – – – – – –

With Mercy’s Eyes by D. T. Powell is an issue-facing Contemporary novel for adult churched Christians. It addresses homosexuality and same-sex attraction from a Biblical perspective without falling into the trap of the extreme responses we too often see from modern churches. It holds similar views to Jackie Hill Perry, Becket Cook, Rosaria Butterfield, and Christopher Yuan.

My Thoughts:

When the offer of review copies of With Mercy’s Eyes came up, I glanced at the description and decided it was not my style. A few weeks later, the request was sent again, because more reviewers were needed. That time, I read the description more closely and decided I could read and review this one.

What a story. As soon as I started With Mercy’s Eyes, I had a hard time putting it down. I was quickly drawn in to the story of Lane as he floundered in his grief, and faced one blow after another. We lost a son a number of years ago, and since then I have said that I can’t fathom how people can survive such a loss without knowing God—this author has given me a glimpse into that. My heart hurt for Lane as he headed into a downward spiral, and I had to keep reading to see how he would snap out of it (because the book is fiction I knew he had to, although in real life the story could easily have ended any other way). 

There are so many minor themes in this story, besides the main one. My mom has mentioned some in the email I quoted from below. One I really loved was the contrast between a Christian’s view of death versus someone who has no faith in God. That was encouraging! I loved the simple faith of a child, and how a child can reach people where an adult can’t. While I cringed all the way through the book at the frequent mentions of Lane’s husband, it was good to see how a Christian should respond. There was a conversation about that at one point in the book that I want to find again and read a few more times. 

In short, I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to minister to people who are caught up in the “alphabet community,” with the caveat that the author’s warnings, printed in the front of the book and repeated below here, are headed.

From my mom who received the physical copy of the book before I read it: When I read the back of the book, red flags started shooting up. The first paragraph was a zinger when I realized that it was a man talking about his “husband”! I really wondered what you had gotten into, but felt compelled to read and find out whether the “Biblical” thinking was the way we see it—and it was! This turned out to be quite a read, and I really appreciated it!

If you have the e-copy, you probably have the disclaimer page at the beginning that lists all the probably objectionable scenes and the suggestion that minimum age of the reader ought to be 25. I appreciated that! The author was reasonably discreet in those passages, but even so there had to be enough there to make the scenario clear. I also appreciated the discussion of her interpretation of gifts of the Spirit at the end, though I am not sure I altogether agree. She does make the point, though, that we need to heed what the Lord/Bible says about how to legitimately use our gifts, and I appreciated that.

The main character’s downward spiral and the way Vic told her story and used her writing to draw him to Christ are entirely believable! The contrast is also right there about legalistic or hypocritical Christianity and the real thing.

WARNINGS: Mostly from the author’s note in the beginning of the book: Homosexuality, suicide and suicidal thoughts (chapters 28, 34, 39, 42, 46, 60, 70, 74, 85, 85, 127), sexual assault (chapters 7, 10, 14), infant loss (chapters 28, 42), terminal illness, death (chapter 1, 137), domestic violence (chapter 6), depression, mentions of abortion (chapter 9), violence (chapters 56, 124). Not recommended for people under 25.

I received a review copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it. Links may be affiliate links, which will benefit Esther’s website if purchases are made through them.

About the Author:

D. T. Powell has loved stories since before she can remember, and it was one of those stories that God used to change her life and prompt her to start writing. In addition to writing book reviews for a magazine as well as original contemporary and speculative fiction, she has actively contributed to the fanfiction community since 2013. Her original work has been published by Writers Digest, Clean Fiction Magazine, Twenty Hills Publishing, The Order of the Pen Press, Worldsmyths, and Cadence Writing. She enjoys reading, playing pickleball, and playing an occasional video game. You can find her online as dtill359.

Her favorite verse is Psalm 126:5, “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.”

More from D. T.:

Driving through a deserted intersection at 3:30 AM isn’t an ideal time for much of anything. But I remember the moment clearly, because in that instant, I chose to accept God’s prompting to do something I thought was impossible (or, at the very least, inadvisable)—write a Christian fiction book with a main character who’d just lost his husband.

Being a Christian in traditional circles, I believe that any intimate relationship outside of a Biblical marriage is not pleasing to God and goes against His will and plan. So, for at least a year before that moment of acceptance, I wrestled with God’s prompting to write such a (to me) non-sequitur.

But God kept bringing this story to mind—sometimes quietly during time spent with Him, and sometimes more loudly through people I got to talk and interact with. He wouldn’t let me forget what He’d asked of me.

Once I’d accepted God’s prompting to write this story, I reluctantly began drafting, but, in fear, I put a pseudonym on it. I was terrified that strangers and family members alike would see this premise and lay down immediate judgment of both me and this story.

However, there is one true antidote to fear. Perfect (mature) love. And as I continued to take steps of faith—albeit haltingly at times—God fostered in me a love, not just for this story, but for Him, and for a group of people Christians far too often label and then push aside because of their specific, chosen sin.

With Mercy’s Eyes is a glimpse of how God draws people to Himself. It’s an unapologetic statement that salvation is for all of humanity, no matter how we sin. It’s a look into the life and heart of someone too many Christians might never have given a second thought.

This book takes a non-explicit look at homosexuality and same-sex attraction from the perspective of someone who has lived that life and thought it would bring them happiness, only to wind up empty and no better off than when they began. Often, it’s only when we come to the end of ourselves that we understand just how much we need the Saviour.

God has seen this book through from beginning to end. To honor what He has done, both in me and within these pages, and celebrate His saving grace, I now gladly give my name to this story. I pray God brings With Mercy’s Eyes to the people who need it, just as He brought it to me when I needed it.

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New in the Library! August 2025

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We got home from our trip to America a few days ago. The bulk of our luggage was books–see the pile we had to add to the library?

Not all of them are going directly on the shelves, but over half are. I’ll highlight part of them here, and save the rest for next month.

First up: the books that will go on the Junior Fiction shelf. A number of families around here have been eagerly waiting for these last two books in The Brady Street Boys series. We thoroughly enjoyed the whole series, and the ending was satisfying. See my reviews of the series here and here.

I also acquired the fifth and sixth books in the Tree Street Kids series. We listened to the first few books in this series and I decided that we needed all of them in our library. I’m looking forward to reading these! The Goldtown Adventures series by Susan K. Marlow, for 10-12-year-olds follow the Goldtown Beginnings series for 6-8-year-olds. This series is about the same person, a few years older. I was in a discount grocery store in Michigan that has a book corner (they actually bought out my bookstore 18 years ago), and saw this series. Since I had been thinking about getting the series anyway, I bought it then.

We listened to several of the Clementine books a few months ago, so when I found a couple of copies to buy, I snatched them up. My mom read one of them while we were still at her house, and loved it.

I also brought home a lot of picture books. We love the Frances books, and books by Ezra Jack Keats, and books by Patricia Polacco…

I was tickled to find a hardcover of In the Small, Small Pond at a secondhand shop I went to with my mom. This book has been a favorite of our family since it was given to us by one of my aunts who worked in a school library for many years. She sent us a boxful of books a few weeks before my third baby was born, and it was great to have new stories to read my two older toddlers while I was feeding the new baby. That copy, though, is nearly worn out, so now we have one that will keep going for many years.

I also brought home some more easy readers. We now have all the Frog and Toad books, and two Henry and Mudge books–both quite popular with my youngest!

I found a lot of books to add to the Junior Biography section, too. The two about Ben Franklin are easy readers, and very fun stories. I got the one about Teddy Roosevelt because I love that author’s style of presenting history. I also like Jean Fritz’s books, and the Scholastic biographies. The Childhood of Famous Americans books are good for children who need books just above the level of the books we have on the Independent Readers shelf. Wangari’s Trees of Peace is a beautiful picture book about a woman in Africa.

Then there are some miscellaneous books that I’ll add to this post. I got What Am I Feeling? because it is part of a level of Sonlight Curriculum that I am doing with one of the girls. The Search and Rescue Files is a review book, and I really enjoyed it. I had Elijah read it, too, and he reported that it is pretty accurate. It goes on the Young Adult Fiction shelf. I got When God Writes Your Love Story because there has been some interest in it among our young people. It’s a book I had many years ago, but when someone borrowed it, someone else burned it. Treasures of the Wise and The Bible Companion Book were both review copies. I used both as daily devotionals and liked them. I got The Constitution of the United States to go with another level of Sonlight Curriculum. I actually ordered it well over a year ago for Esther and the boys to bring back from the States, and it didn’t arrive at my mom’s house till about 9 months after I ordered it.

That’s all for now! I’ll write another post about the rest, sometime in the next month. I have a lot to catch up on after being away from home for over five weeks.

July 2025 Photos

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Here are the rest of the pictures I have from before we left home for our visit to the United States.

A new house is being built in front of us. The man for whom James and Joe work was hired to do the job. One day when they ran out of other work, they started building wall frames. It was pouring that morning, so James threw up a roof to shelter the saw.

By evening of the second day, they had all the frames built and stacked up–and then the boss dropped his nail gun down the stack! Joe was the only one small enough to climb down and get it; the other option was to unscrew the frames and dismantle the stack!

I went out and offered to take a picture of them with their pile.

Simon went hunting one night and got a pig. We turned all of it into sausage meat, and while I was mincing it, the girls used it for playdough. (Hands washed before and after!)

I loved seeing so many of my children lined up one evening, so tried taking a picture. Well, did you know what happens when a flash is used with hi-vis clothing? Rather startling!

I spent a lot of time sewing for the girls in preparation for our trip. I found simple patterns for both their sizes, and had a lot of fun. It’s satisfying to create something pretty as well as useful.

The girls got the Jenga blocks out to play with.

More work on the new house. This was assembling the forms to pour the pad. It was a different system than they have ever used before, and they aren’t impressed with the price. James is at the right in orange; Joe is in the middle with yellow rain pants.

The day I went to town to buy a washer, I stopped on the way home to take a picture of the cloud flowing across the Brunner Gorge near Dobson.

The chicken house that burned down is being replaced! By the time I left, there were walls and rafters, but I hadn’t gotten a picture.

Apparently, Joe was trying out a remote to take a picture from my phone, and he and a visiting friend were having fun!

This is a Bowie knife that Mr. Imagination made. I told him it must remain hidden!

When the Washer Explodes…

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…we must get a new one. Nine years and one month ago, I bought a 10 kg LG washing machine. While it was still under warranty, both pumps went out, at different times, and were replaced. Otherwise, the only problem I’ve ever had with it (besides the filter needing to be cleaned) was that occasionally it would refuse to turn on till I pushed the power button 20-30 times. It was getting louder and louder, though, and four days before we flew to the United States, I was outside hanging up laundry while my second load finished spinning out. Suddenly I heard a terrific crashing, banging noise, and then silence, other than the washer giving its error code signal. I went inside to find this:

Several sides were dented out,

and a hole had been punched in the wall.

I went to town that afternoon to look for another washer. I knew I wanted a 10 kg one, and I wanted direct drive rather than belt drive. There are three shops in Greymouth that might have what I wanted, within easy walking distance, so I parked behind the one I reckoned I would end up buying from, and walked to the farthest place first. The only large washer they had was a cheap Chinese brand. The salesman really talked it up, but I wasn’t confident, from what he said, that it would hold up to our kind of use, so I asked about the drive. It took most of half an hour to find the information, but he finally worked out that it was belt drive. I thanked him for the information, and said I would keep it in mind.

I had taken Miss Joy with me, and as we walked to the next shop, I prayed that God would make it clear which washer I should get. Well, the second shop, which is the most expensive of the three, didn’t have anything larger than 8 kg. On to the last, which is where I was expecting to find something near what I wanted. They had one 10 kg washer, a name brand. I asked about the drive. The lady (a neighbor of ours, as it turns out!) looked it up and found that it is direct drive. I asked the price, bracing myself to hear that it was $2,000-2,500. She replied, “$1,500, down from $2,399.” I said, “I’ll take it.” The only one of these they had left was the floor model, so I took that home with me. We installed it that afternoon, marvelling at God’s provision, and within two days it had washed six loads of laundry–quietly.

Oh, and the fun part of the day? I stopped to fuel up the ute I was driving, which was Simon’s. (He didn’t have any idea I borrowed it to go to town.) While I was filling up, a car pulled in behind me. I glanced at the driver, registered that it was a handsome, clean-cut young man in a plaid button-up shirt–and then did a double-take. It was Simon! He works about half an hour from town, but had a meeting he needed to go to that afternoon. It’s special to bump into a son when I’m in town.

New in the Library! July 2025

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I was surprised to hear of a book sale only half an hour’s drive from us in the beginning of the month. There is normally one in early October every year, run by the Rotary Club, but this year a different group did one as a fundraiser now. Mr. Sweetie and Little Miss went with me to see what treasures we could find. We spent an hour searching the boxes and tables, and found a lot of books to bring home!

We already had these three books, but I replaced our worn copies of Freedom Train and Buffalo Bill and the Pony Express, and was delighted to find a hardcover of The Great Wheel.

I brought home several picture books, some to go on the Picture Books shelf, and some for the Science shelf. Miss Joy loves Too Much Noise; she went and found our copy of It Could Always Be Worse to compare the similar stories. Fishes and Animal Life in North America are delightful 1960s-style books.

I added four books to the Easy Reader shelf, and was very happy to find a Milly Molly Mandy book and another by the author of the Encyclopedia Brown books. My children all love those mysteries!

Mr. Sweetie found a box full of Companion Volume books, and chose four that he wanted. I am putting them on the Junior Fiction shelf.

One of the children thought about Miss Joy with these books–she loves babies, and she loves Anne Geddes’ books.

I got A Treasury of Little Golden Books and The Bedtime Book of 365 Nursery Rhymes because Miss Joy loves poetry and stories so much. They are going on the Picture Books and Poetry shelves.

We’ve gotten some laughs out of The Big Book of Boy Stuff. First, I noticed that it indicated a reversible cover, so I opened it–to find the Exercise Book cover inside the dust jacket, and the title Science on the book. Mr. Sweetie and Mr. Imagination have been having fun reading this book, which is chock-full of experiments, stories, jokes and recipes. When they lose interest, it will go on the Junior Miscellaneous shelf.

Of course, we also got books in the mail. The one that is going directly onto the shelf is The Return, one of the few Amish Fiction books I have ever enjoyed. Find my review of it here, as well as some of my reasons for disliking Amish fiction in general! An interesting note–I didn’t realize this was a hardcover large print book when I bought it!

I also found time to read some of the books that have been on our shelves for many years without being read, and some of the ones on my massive stack that needs to be read before going on the shelves. First, the ones I have read aloud to the children!

Many years ago, we read the first book in The May Series, No One Went to Town. I decided to read the series again, since we now have four of the five books and a friend has the other. We started with the first one, and enjoyed this account of a family pioneering in the bush of the North Island of New Zealand.

One of the children chose The Lost Prince for me to read aloud. I was surprised by how much they all enjoyed this story! Because of some content concerns, however, I will be putting this book on the Classics shelf out in the container. See my review for details.

I read Night Preacher to the children for our history study. We enjoyed this perspective on Menno Simons and the early Anabaptists in Holland. This book is on the Junior Fiction shelf.

I read the Little Prairie Girl books to my youngest. She loved these stories about a Russian Mennonite girl growing up on the prairies of Manitoba, Canada. She got annoyed with the recipe that is at the end of each chapter–but didn’t want me to stop reading them! These are on the Independent Readers shelf.

My 10-year-old daughter chose Blue Willow. It’s been on the shelf, unread, for many years, and my co-librarian wanted to discard it a year or two ago. I knew it was a gem, so we kept it, but I had forgotten just how special it is. Friendship and family–those are the main themes. It’s a good one! It is on the Junior Fiction shelf.

The Lighted Heart is the best memoir I have read in many years! I bought it because we love the books we have by this author, especially Mountain Born, A Place for Peter, and The Journeyman. What a delightful story this one is, as Elizabeth Yates tells about the year when her husband went blind, how they changed their lives to accomodate him, and the highlights of the next few decades of their life in New England. It is full of humor, and sprinkled with gems of wisdom. This one goes on the Adult Biography shelf.

These next three books have been on our shelves for some time, but we haven’t gotten to them. Children of the Oregon Trail is a retelling of the story of the Sager children; we have a different version on the shelf, as well. This one is harder to read, and graphically describes some of the extreme dangers the children faced. Man-Shy is a story about wild cows in Australia, and what happened to them when the land was fenced. Have you ever come across a book about cows? I haven’t! Not for children who can’t handle sad endings. Walk Two Moons fit into a reading challenge I’m doing, so I finally read it. Wow, this is a good story. It’s actually two stories in one, both with similar themes, and girls who try to work through hard things that have happened to them. The author did a masterful job of keeping me in the dark until the very end, although I should have figured out what really happened near the beginning. This one is on the Young Adult shelf; the other two, on the Junior Fiction shelf.

I have loved David Macaulay’s books about architecture for over 30 years. I collected most of them when I was in the United States about eight years, but hadn’t found one of my favorites, Underground. I was excited when I saw it come up on the Facebook group! I probably paid way too much, but I think the collection is complete now. Bound for Oregon has been on the shelf since that trip eight years ago, and I finally read it. I loved this account of the Oregon Trail! It is based on the recollections of a woman who made the trip with her family as a child. It’s a lot gentler than the one in the last group of pictures.

I picked up a couple of the Who Is?/Where Is? books at the book sale, but held them back until I had read them myself. They are all right–not great, but all right, and very informative. I found them fairly engaging, written on an Independent Readers level. The one about the Brooklyn Bridge tells a story I haven’t come across before, and I enjoyed learning about how it was built. These books are going on the Junior Biography and Junior History shelves. I picked up The Diddakoi a year or two ago at a secondhand shop without knowing anything about it. It turns out to be a very good story about a gypsy girl who had to integrate into English society. A gentle romance runs through the story, along with themes of bullying and friendship. This is a special story! It will be on the Junior Fiction shelf.

I was also able to find some more I Survived books. As with the others I have read, I am impressed with how this author is able to take such a hard topic, with many people dying, and create a story that I feel like I can allow my children to read. These are written on the level of our Independent Readers, but due to the hard content, I am shelving them with the Junior Fiction books.

One day while I was in town with some of the children, Miss Joy spent an hour or two in the garden entertaining Esther while she was digging potatoes. Miss Joy was picking up the earthworms she found and relocating them to a different bed. She was blown away when Esther told her that earthworms are both boys and girls. Because of her interest in them, I offered to read her the book I recently bought about earthworms. It has nine chapters, but kept her interest all the way through. None of the children have yet read The Wild Whale Watch, but now that I have vetted it I expect Little Miss to snatch it up. Both of those will be on the Junior Science shelf. One of my recent purchases was Lyla, the story of the February 22, 2011 Christchurch earthquake from the point of view of a 13-year-old girl. It’s rather weird to read a historical fiction story about an event that I have lived through. Because of where we lived during the Kaikoura earthquake of 2016, I could relate to her feelings, especially to the way she reacted to tremors and even the rumble of trucks afterwards. Despite some language (which I have censored), I found this an engrossing story, and very real.

Book Review–The Bible Companion Book 2 Leviticus-Deuteronomy

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About the Book:

Book: The Bible Companion Book 2 Leviticus-Deuteronomy

Author: Karen Westbrook Moderow

Genre: Bible Study/ Devotional

Release Date: May 5, 2024

Do you struggle to relate to God in the Old Testament?

The Bible Companion Book 2 can help. Its simple one-chapter-a-day format lets you engage with Scripture without the pressure of schedules, homework, or heavy reading loads. Short daily readings and thought-provoking questions help you recognize God’s faithfulness even in your most difficult journey.

Though filled with unfamiliar symbols and rituals, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy hold treasures—the great promises of God. They show us the lengths to which God goes to be in our daily lives. Hard-to-read passages come alive as we travel with Israel to the Promised Land and discover the same God who guided His people in ancient times guides us today. If you want to know what God is like and what matters to Him . . . if you question His love for you . . . if you wonder how believing God can change your life, these books of the Law will speak to you. For personal and group study.

My Thoughts:

I don’t often use any kind of a devotional, but when I saw The Bible Companion Book I was intrigued by the premise of a brief commentary and encouragement about each chapter. I’ve been using it with my personal quiet time, reading the chapter each morning and then reading the 1-2 page commentary that goes with it. 

I really appreciate the thoughts presented about each chapter. These meditations are simple, but practical, and often offer extra insight into the setting or characters of the Bible. Each one ends with a few questions to ask to help to apply the chapter to my own life. I have not quite finished this volume, but have not found anything yet that I disagree with, so I recommend The Bible Companion as an enhancement to reading the Bible.

The entry that stood out the most to me was the one for Numbers 4, where the author talked about order, and how order is one of God’s attributes. I’m not sure altogether why that spoke to me, but I loved the thought.

I received a review copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it. Links may be affiliate links, which will benefit Esther’s website if purchases are made through them.

About the Author:

KAREN WESTBROOK MODEROW is a Bible teacher and author who brings a storyteller’s perspective to Scripture. She holds master’s degrees in theology and creative writing and loves introducing others to Jesus through the stories told in God’s Word.

More from Karen:

Breakfast with Leviticus

My father was a pastor and a man with lofty ambitions. He was known for setting goals others deemed impossible then achieving them. However, there was one that got the best of him. He determined our family would read the Bible through from cover to cover—together. On January first of each year, a morning ritual of Bible and Breakfast began. On cold days, Dad would entice us to the table with his version of a Hot Toddy. We’d sip on hot grapefruit juice and eat while one of us read the day’s Scripture out loud. We read Genesis… Exodus… then came Leviticus. No one had the nerve to say the book was boring and we didn’t understand it, but perhaps Dad felt the same. At some point we gave up. The next year, we’d start anew. Genesis… Exodus… then Leviticus. The next year, same thing. We started the day with images of bloody sacrifices exploding in our heads more mornings than I could count. We never made it past Leviticus.

We teased my father about this epic fail, but he took away something from this experience—the realization that most of us need a little help with some parts of the Bible. He started writing short daily devotionals to help people get through hard-to-understand passages. Years later, I took over where he left off. The Bible Companion series is the fruit of that “failed” venture.

Pastor Floyd’s Grapefruit Toddy

My dad’s version of a teetotaler’s “hot toddy” is easy, delicious, warming, and great for sore throats.

  • Squeeze juice from one half grapefruit into a mug.
  • Fill to the top with boiling water.
  • Sweeten with a half teaspoon of honey, if desired.

To purchase your copy, click here.

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June 2025 Photos

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Here are the rest of June’s pictures! We often see beautiful rainbows toward the south, out our living room window.

One day when we were in town, we ate a picnic lunch at the breakwall. This bird was flying up the river, then swiftly riding the wind back out to sea. I thought at first it was an albatross, but a week or two later we went out to the breakwall on the other side of the Grey River mouth and saw the sign below. I’m guessing that it was a Petrel, instead. It certainly had a different way of flying than the seagulls that flocked around!

This was the view across the river mouth on the second day.

The cows spent a day in the empty section in front of us just before work began on a new house there, and Miss Joy enjoyed watching and photographing them. This won’t happen again; the new owners have moved a caravan in and are living on the section.

Miss Joy

Mr. Imagination has been making a lot of knives; lately, he’s been working on learning how to harden the saw blade steel he uses. He is doing it in the fire in our lounge, and then quenching the blade in oil. The only problem with that? People often kick the oil accidentally.

Through the Mountains

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One weekend in June, we traveled to the other side of the mountains for some church meetings. That Saturday afternoon was beautiful and sunny; we really enjoyed the scenery. The mountains were amazing, and we stopped near the top of Lewis Pass to walk out to a little pond for a few minutes. We tried taking pictures of the girls together, and found out that it is very hard to get Miss Joy to smile for a picture! We got one half decent one. There was hoar frost still in some places, even though it was afternoon–must not be any sunshine in those spots! There was still a tiny bit of snow up there, leftover from a storm nearly a week before. The children managed to scrape together enough for a few snowballs.

After the meetings, we were ready to go home Sunday afternoon and learned that Lewis Pass was closed. Two of our boys had gone over early Sunday morning and had to drive out around a slip on the grass verge; half an hour after they got through, the road closed. When we learned about it, the word was that it would be opened at 6:00 that evening, but we decided not to chance it. Instead, we went around the long way over Arthurs Pass, which takes an extra hour. We were very glad we did that, since Lewis Pass wasn’t opened until Tuesday or Wednesday morning. From Porters Pass to past Castle Hill, there was a lot of snow on the ground still from the previous storm. It was very icy by this time, but there were crowds of people along the road playing in it. It sure was beautiful as the sun set!

More Pictures of Birds!

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Mr. Imagination has been working hard to tame his budgies. Now that the weather is cool and we don’t want the windows open all the time, he lets them fly every morning. Reepicheap has become quite tame, and anyone can put a hand in front of him and pick him up. Jewel is still more timid, but Mr. Imagination has been able to get her to sit on his hand quite often lately. All the children enjoy both birds, and I found a lot of pictures on both my phone and camera!