Amelia McNeilly

Pink Patriot - My desire is to share with you the journey God has me on. Whether in joy hardship, I hope that my blog offers a place of respite, and bring joy to your heart!

Articles, Christian Living, Disability, Family, Friendship

Update from Amelia 💛

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Hi friends! Thank you all so much for your prayers over the past few weeks.

My surgery went well. My intestines were kinked together and pressing against my abdominal wall, but Dr. Dobson was able to fix the problem without complications — Praise the Lord!

I am currently home and recovering. I saw Dr. Dobson again this past week and he is hopeful that things will continue to improve. However, I am still extremely weak so prayers for strength, energy, and stamina would be greatly appreciated. I have therapy exercises that I am doing, and am now able to get in the pool so that is helpful. Also, I have a wonderful home health nurse visiting me weekly which is super helpful and encouraging, and I also receive palliative care services. I recently received a hospital bed from palliative which has helped me rest so much better at home. I am deeply grateful for all of these healthcare professionals who make my recovery easier, and who help to ease my pain. They are such a huge blessing to me and my family. The Lord has been so good to me and I’m thankful for the strength He gives me daily to press on!

Thank you all for your continued prayers and support. It means so much to me. I am daily inspired by your calls, notes, and visits. I am still home bound and unable to be out and about but I love having phone calls and company for those who live nearby. Give me a call sometime or stop by for a visit. I would love to hear from you and know how you are doing. I am so thankful for all of you! Please let me know how I can pray for you as well!

I hope you all are enjoying the weekend and this warm weather! Summer is here! 😊

Articles, Christian Living, Disability, Family, Friendship

Leave it in the Hands of the Healer

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On Friday (tomorrow), I go in for another surgery on my small bowel. Because of my previous surgeries, there could be a lot of risks involved with this. However, I am praying that all goes well and this will improve my quality of life. The past few months and especially the last few weeks have been extremely hard health-wise. I have spent a lot of time in bed with a lot of pain, but in the midst of all of the hard God has been incredibly gracious. He has blessed me with two wonderful parents who love and care for me so well. I know it is not always easy for them but they show Jesus to me everyday in their care of me. God has also blessed me with an amazing group of friends who daily encourage me in different ways, and are continually praying for me.

It is so much easier going through the hard seasons when you have a solid group of people alongside you. I thank God daily for the community He has given me. Most importantly though, I thank God for the relationship I have with Jesus Christ.

Without Jesus, I would be living as a lady with no hope. Without Jesus, I would be scared out of my mind right now (I am nervous, but I would be even more so without the Lord), and without Jesus, I would be bitter.  But Jesus still gives me LIFE and HOPE even on the most dreary days.

When my body is tired and overwhelmed, and I am not knowing how to pray the Lord knows. He understands, and is giving me the nudge I need to carry on. At times it may seem that the Lord is completely absent but He is not. He is always there loving and leading. The Lord knows me better than anybody and loves me more than anyone ever could so why do I doubt Him? Why do I fear? He has proven faithful over the course of my 31 years, and He will continue to do so.

Over the weekend, I let thoughts of fear and worry creep in my mind. They brought along misery, sadness, anger, and doubt. During those moments the Lord  gently reminded me that since I have Him, I should have no fear. This verse came to mind from Isaiah 41:10 –

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

This truth from Scripture reminded me that I have no reason to worry. God wants to know that I trust Him and will surrender my everything to Him even if I don’t know what the future holds.

My act of obedience during this season is trusting the Lord and fearing Him instead of fearing my circumstances.

As Friday nears I am focusing on fearing God and trusting Him to carry me through.  As one of my favorite songs says, “leave it in the hands of the Healer and walk away.”

Surrender your fears to Him today and His peace will rule in your heart more than you could ever imagine.

Thank you to all who have prayed for me. Your prayers are being felt, and are greatly encouraging. My friend Erin will be updating via email. If you would like to receive these updates join the Google Group here, or send me a message.

 

Articles, Books, Reading

Sister Dear Book Review

About the book: 
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Sister Dear (Thomas Nelson, April 2016)

All Allie Marshall wants is a fresh start. But when dark secrets refuse to stay buried, will her chance at a new life be shattered forever?

Convicted of a crime she didn’t commit, Allie watched a decade of her life vanish — time that can never be recovered. Now, out on parole, Allie is determined to clear her name, rebuild her life, and reconnect with the daughter she barely knows.

But Allie’s return home shatters the quaint, coastal community of Brunswick, Georgia. Even her own daughter Caroline, now a teenager, bristles at Allie’s claims of innocence. Refusing defeat, a stronger, smarter Allie launches a battle for the truth, digging deeply into the past even if it threatens her parole status, personal safety, and the already-fragile bond with family.

As her commitment to finding the truth intensifies, what Allie ultimately uncovers is far worse than she imagined. Her own sister has been hiding a dark secret—one that holds the key to Allie’s freedom.

My Thoughts:

“Sister Dear” is a page-turning suspense from Laura McNeill. The book begins with the main character Allie being released from prison for a murder she did not commit. While in prison her daughter Caroline becomes a teenager, her dreams of a successful career dies, and she loses the love of her life. Following her release, she enters back into a world where everyone doubts her and no one believes she is innocent including her own family. As the story unfolds the reader is taken back to what really happened, and is told the backstory and the point of view of each character. As Allie tries to discover the truth the reader is in suspense until the very end. This book will keep you up at night because you won’t be able to put it down, and is a must read. I cannot wait for Laura’s next book.

I was given this book from Litfuse Publicity in exchange for my review.

Purchase a copy: https://bit.ly/24TOGXK

To see what other reviewers are saying visit: https://litfusegroup.com/author/lmcneill

About the Author:

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Laura McNeill is a writer, web geek, travel enthusiast, and coffee drinker. In her former life, she was a television news anchor for CBS News affiliates in New York and Alabama. Laura holds a master’s degree in journalism from The Ohio State University and is completing a graduate program in interactive technology at the University of Alabama. When she’s not writing and doing homework, she enjoys running, yoga, and spending time at the beach. She lives in Mobile, AL with her family.

Articles, Books, Reading

Sins of the Past Book Review

About the Book:

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Secrets and Lies. Danger That Will Never Go Away.
Join Three Beloved Masters of Romantic Suspense for Novellas Where the Past Will Not Stay Buried.

Dee Henderson – “Missing”
A Wyoming sheriff is called to Chicago when his elderly mother goes missing from her retirement community. Paired with a savvy Chicago cop, the two soon launch into a race against the clock when they realize something dark may lie at the heart of the disappearance.

Dani Pettrey – “Shadowed”
Adventure, romance, and danger collide when a young Alaskan fisherman nets the body of a Russian open water swimming competitor. Another swimmer, who’d been the dead woman’s roommate years ago, is pulled into the search for answers as it grows more and more clear that something sinister is at play.

Lynette Eason – “Blackout”
A young woman once implicated in a robbery gone wrong finds herself at risk years later when the real culprit is up for parole. The loot taken that night has never been found and he believes she knows where it’s hidden–only her memory of that night has always been unreliable. Can she remember enough to find her way to safety?

My Thoughts: 

Sins of the Past is a book of stories by some of my favorite authors. When I first saw this book I was immediately intrigued even before I knew what it was about.  The book consists of three novellas . The first one is titled “Missing” by Dee Henderson and is the perfect opener for the book. Dee’s story is a page turner as always .The second one is called “Shadowed” by a Dani Pettrey. If you have read Dani’s other books you will recognize the main characters of this one being from the well-known McKenna family. Just like all of her other books, Pettrey has the reader hooked from the beginning. The last book in the series is called “Blackout” by Lynette Eason and takes the reader on a journey of Macy’s past and what she experience when she was a teenager.

This book is a must read for those who enjoy romantic suspense.

I was given this book by Bethany House and Netgalley in exchange for my review.

About the Authors:

Dee Henderson is the New York Times bestselling author of more than a dozen novels including Full Disclosure and Taken. She is a lifelong resident of Illinois. Visit her online at www.deehenderson.com.

Dani Pettrey is the award-winning author of the acclaimed Alaskan Courage series as well as Cold Shot, the first in her Chesapeake Valor series. She lives with her family in Maryland. Find her online at www.danipettrey.com.

Lynette Eason is the bestselling author of the Women of Justice series and Always Watching from her new Elite Guardians series. She resides in South Carolina and can be found online at www.lynetteeason.com.

Articles, Books, Family, Reading

The Mother Letters Book Review

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My Thoughts:

The Mother Letters by Amber and Seth Haines is a must read for moms out there. I am not even a mom and they encouraged me. The idea for this book started out as a gift that Seth gave his wife Amber one year for Christmas. He contacted several women who were her mentors, and  ladies whose blogs encouraged her and asked them to write letters to her uplifting and giving her advice on motherhood. They agreed, and many of those letters is what formed this book. Each one of these letters offers an inspiring word of faith, a breath of fresh air, a respite, and a laugh for the mom who needs a break. If you are friends with a new mom this would make a great gift for her.  I look forward to reading more from this couple!

I was given this book by Netgalley in exchange for a review.

Purchase a copy of the book here.

 

About the Authors: 

Amber C. Haines, author of Wild in the Hollow, is a soulful writer and blogger at TheRunaMuck.com and a regular contributor to DaySpring’s (in)courage. She loves the church and finds community among the broken.

Seth Haines, author of Coming Clean, writes at SethHaines.com and is a regular contributor to various publications.

Together, Seth and Amber make their home in the Arkansas Ozarks with their four boys.

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