The Talens' Tales

Evie Blackwell's reputation as a top investigator for the Illinois State Police has landed her an appointment to the governor's Missing Persons Task Force. With so much public fanfare surrounding the launch of this elite investigative team, the political stakes are high, and the team will have to produce results--and quickly. Evie and her new partner, David Marshal, are assigned to a pair of unrelated cases in suburban Chicago, and while both involve persons now missing for several years, the cases couldn't be more different. As Evie opens old wounds in a close-knit neighborhood over the disappearance of a college student, David searches for a private investigator whose last case involved a high-powered client. With a deep conviction that "justice for all" truly matters, Evie and David are unrelenting in their search for the truth. But the questions that lie just beneath the surface in Evie's personal life are also begging for answers. Dee Henderson ha...

Most of us know what it’s like to wait for God to change our circumstances. But, whether we’re waiting for physical healing, emotional breakthrough, or better relationships, waiting is something we usually try to avoid. Why? Because waiting is painful and hard. The truth is, it’s also inevitable. In  Still Waiting , Ann Swindell explores the depths of why God wants us to wait by chronicling her own compelling story of waiting for healing from an incurable condition. She offers a vibrant retelling of the biblical account of the Bleeding Woman that parallels her story—and yours, too. This was a lovely book. I enjoyed Swindell imagining of what life must have been like for the Bleeding Woman. It was also interesting to hear he own personal story of waiting. I think this is a great book because everyone has something they are waiting for. And it is important to not turn the waiting into a bitter time, but a time to grow and dwell in the presence of God. A great book that everyone...

 M(om): Gideon! Happy 1st Birthday! You are one year old today! Can you believe it? G(ideon): I like the decorations and that you woke me up with singing this morning. And thanks for my new car seat. I like having more room in the van and the box is super fun too! M: What have you been up too this month? G: I have been growing teeth. Lots of teeth. How many do I have now, Mom? M: You have 4 that are all the way through, and two more are on the way.  What else it new? G: I love to crawl around and climb in and over things. There are so many different places to explore. M: You have certainly found yourself in some interesting places. What things do you like to eat, lately? G: I love to eat anything. I really like carrots, roasted potatoes, any fruit and yogurt, anything really. I just like to eat. Especially when I  can feed myself. Dad has also introduced me to some sweet things like yummy squares which are so good. M: I know you really like those thi...

What happened to Brigitte Berthold? That question has haunted Daniel Knight since he was thirteen, when he and ten-year-old Brigitte escaped the Gestapo agents who arrested both their parents. They survived a harrowing journey from Germany to England, only to be separated upon their arrival. Daniel vowed to find Brigitte after the war, a promise he has fought to fulfill for more than seventy years. Now a wealthy old man, Daniel’s final hope in finding Brigitte rests with Quenby Vaughn, an American journalist working in London. He believes Quenby’s tenacity to find missing people and her personal investment in a related WWII espionage story will help her succeed where previous investigators have failed. Though Quenby is wrestling her own demons—and wary at the idea of teaming up with Daniel’s lawyer, Lucas Hough—the lure of Brigitte’s story is too much to resist. Together, Quenby and Lucas delve deep into the past, following a trail of deception, sacrifice, and healing that could chan...

The Resurrection of Gavin Stone  is an inspirational comedy rated PG about faith and forgiveness. Gavin Stone, a washed-up former child star is forced to do community service at a local mega-church and pretends to be a Christian so he can land the part of Jesus in their annual Passion Play only to discover that the most important role of his life is far from Hollywood. I had fun watching this movie the other day. It makes a great family movie that will open the door for some great discussion about what is means to be the church. While it was a bit beyond my young kids, I wasn't afraid to have it on while they were in the room. I especially enjoyed the scenes of the performance of the Passion Play. So well done and so fitting for this Easter weekend. As a Christian we have to able to laugh at ourselves sometimes and this movie can certainly help you do that. It was also an interesting look at what some people may find difficult or challenging if it is their first ti...

This was a big reading month for me. I was very surprised when I looked back at my GoodReads to see what I had actually read last month. Here are the highlights. The Broken Way by Ann Voskamp - Voskamp's second book does not disappoint. A great look at the Christian life and how we must be broken to be made whole and we must share that brokenness with others. When we are honest with ourselves and others, then God can do great things! Grace for the Good Girl by Emily P. Freeman - A lovely look and reminder that we all need grace, even the good girl, rule follower like myself. Refreshing, relatable and real. I like this one a lot because it fit me and where I am at. For the Love by Jen Hatmaker - A serious, yet fun look at life and what it means to live with the love of God. I enjoy Hatmakers writing and honesty. Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist - In a world that demands more and more of us, it is hard to be present. This a great book about Niequist taking the t...

Do we dare say it? Is spring here? We have been having a few lovely days the last few days. Yesterday Mataya and I found the first crocus blooms  Gideon loved being outside! He got to take a walk around the yard in the stroller.  And later, after sitting on a blanket for a bit, he took off exploring the yard. I was impressed with how crawling on the dry, prickly grass bother him.  We are all looking forward to the warmer days of spring and summer to come.

Over our March Break a few weeks ago, we needed to make a quick trip to Halifax. We had an appointment at the US Consulate to take care of getting everyone's passports, so we decided to make a little over night family vacation out of it. We stayed at hotel with a family room that a nice little alcove with bunk beds for the big kids. We drove down in the afternoon and then went swimming and had supper before we all went to bed.  Our appointment was the following morning and after it was finished we went for a quick lunch and then visited the Discovery Center in their new location. It a great place, though a bit challenging to find. I hope their signage improves for the summer. Right now the only sign faces the wrong way on a one way street. Joash had to get on the tractor, of course.  We enjoyed playing with the air station.  And I think the big hit was the electric circuit experiments in the innovation lab. Overall, it was a good, but quick trip. While...