Author: Amanda Tero

Music has always been a part of Amanda Tero’s life–from her mom singing Steve Green specials to her dad honking out the rhythm of “Jingle Bells” in the driveway. She began teaching in 2007 and fell in love with sharing music. Amanda started arranging hymns for herself in her teens, with fast and furious advanced hymn settings. Then, as her students began requesting hymns at their levels, she branched out to hymn arranging for pedagogical reasons. Because of Amanda’s interest in various genres, in her shop, you will find hymn arrangements of various levels embracing classical elements, light jazz style, Southern Gospel flair, and more.

4 Years!!!! (and a giveaway)

Published on by Amanda Tero14 Comments

I was idly scrolling through some of my first posts on this blog when I realized that I was closing in on a “blogoversary!” Today marks four years since my first post. Now, over 400 posts and hundreds of thousands of words later, here we are!

And as I like any excuse for a giveaway…let’s celebrate!!!

I’m super excited as a few author friends have joined me for an eBook giveaway! Four years…four eBooks in the giveaway!

Faith Blum has offered to give the winner one eBook of his/her choice. If you happen to be the winner, you can look up my review on them all (click on the title to view my review):
Hymns of the West novels
1. A Mighty Fortress – 2. Be Thou My Vision – 3. Amazing Grace – 4. Lily of the Valley

Hymns of the West novellas
1. I Love Thee – 2. Pass Me Not – 3. Redeemed

Sarah Holman agreed to give away an e-copy of Adventures and Adversities (see my review here).

Kelsey Bryant has donated an e-copy of Family Reunion (see my review here)

Alicia Ruggieri will give a Kindle copy of The Fragrance of Geraniums (my review here)

GIVEAWAY
Now for the fun part: enter the giveaway!!! 🙂

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Word Wednesday #80 | Link-up

Published on by Amanda Tero2 Comments

“The Lord is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment: hear, I pray you, all people, and behold my sorrow: my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity…Behold, O Lord; for I am in distress: my bowels are troubled; mine heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled: abroad the sword bereaveth, at home there is as death.” Lamentations 1:18,20

The repentant heart acknowledges that the difficulty is because of rebellion, that God is righteous to judge. Unrepentance grieves over the troubles, but doesn’t acknowledge their rebellion which caused it.

Share a verse that God has given you today or copy the button if you’d like to join in Word Wednesdays with your blog!

 
 

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Biblically Speaking – Sodomy

Published on by Amanda Tero4 Comments
I’ll take a break from the Psalm 119 study to share a little in another study the Lord led me to do this past summer. At camp this year, one of the preachers challenged us to do a word study and see what (Biblically) is abomination to God. We had been discussing sodomy and the recent turn of our nation. It is easy to look at sodomy and say “this is an abomination to God.” However, that is not the only abomination in the sight of God (though it is true that sodomy was the only Biblical account of God destroying an entire city for abomination). Many believers have fallen into accepting that which is abomination in the sight of God. Unless we study God’s Word to learn His Mind on what is abominable, how will we know to purge ourselves from abomination? Lord willing, I will be posting the fruits of my study on the word “abomination,” but feel free to leap ahead of me and study it for yourself. What is an abomination to God?

Sodomy
The first abomination to God that I detected is sodomy:
Leviticus 18:22 – Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.
Leviticus 20:13 – If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
The lifestyle that God finds abominable is clearly spelled out here. For more study, Romans 1 marks the progression of a people who adopt this lifestyle.
More on this subject:

1 Kings 14:24 – And there were also sodomites in the land: and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the Lord cast out before the children of Israel.

Kayla | Photoshoot (senior pictures)

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A couple of weeks ago, I received a text message to the extent of, “Someone asked me to do their senior pictures and I can’t do it–will you?” Wouldn’t I? Of course!!

I was so, so grateful when the Lord “dropped” this senior photoshoot in my lap! A friend was unable to take the pictures so asked me to step in for her. Kayla and I met downtown and around just a couple of blocks and an hour, we had over 100 fantastic pictures!! It is so enjoyable to photograph photogenic people. I know that I had a blast walking downtown and snapping pictures!

Top Favorites
I am usually more of a close-up fan, but I love these two pictures!

Other Favorites
It was really, really hard to choose “just a couple” of favorites from Kayla’s photoshoot. So…here are some other favorites. 🙂 Enjoy!

Forgiven | Book Review

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 ABOUT
Cover ArtAfter a son does the unthinkable, how can a mother go on?

On October 2, 2006, a gunman entered an Amish one-room schoolhouse, shooting ten girls, killing five, then finally taking his own life. This is his mother’s story. Not only did she lose her precious son through suicide, but she also lost her understanding of him as an honorable man. It was a trauma that none should ever have to face.

But the biggest headlines came when her Amish neighbors did the unimaginable, reaching out to the family of the shooter with comfort and forgiveness. Today Terri lives in harmony with the Amish and has built lasting relationships beyond what anyone could have thought possible. From the grace that the Amish showed Terri’s family from day one, to the visits and ongoing care Terri has given to the victims and their families, no one could have foreseen the love and friendship that have been forged from the fires of tragedy.

MY REVIEW

This is an amazingly heart-wrenching story! While I heartily agree with the message of forgiveness, I realize not everyone would be able to read this book because of the difficulty of the situation. I did not find any details to be too descriptive, but (me not being a crier), I fought tears for most of the book.

“Forgiven” takes you not only to the journey of Mrs. Roberts after “The Happening,” but she reflects back to life how it was. It goes back and forth between past and present events. In no way does she try to diminish the choice of her son but makes it very clear his choices were a result of his bitterness towards God. Wow.

It was amazing to read how the Amish and Roberts families reached out to each other and bonded together through the love of Christ. Though I do not agree with the doctrine of their churches, what stood out was Christ and His forgiveness–His enabling to forgive. I loved her reminiscence of visiting the Amish the year after “The Happening.” No words can describe how awesome it was!

You cannot read the stories of these Amish children without being touched. As I linked the Amish girls’ ages to those of my younger sisters, this story took on a deeper meaning for me. And Roseanna…wow! You just have to read the book to get acquainted with her and her family.

~~~
*I received this book from Bethany House Blogger Reviewers for my honest review*

QUOTES

“His losses were no greater than those countless human beings have experienced…But according to his letters, he’d allowed bitterness and hatred against God to build up inside him.”


“‘The journey begins with you making the choice to do that [forgive].’ He wasn’t suggesting that forgiveness is easy. It’s still a process.”


“Yes, I was a survivor. But I learned that day that it is not enough simply to survive the storms. It is in surrender that true peace and healing are found.”

A Moment of Weakness | Book Review

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Honestly, this is a tough book to review because…I didn’t read it. I received it for my honest review (from Blogging for Books) and then Mom got around to reading it before I did, and told me that I wouldn’t want to read it based on the very descriptive bedroom scene (or the thoughts and temptations they had). And based off that review, I decided that nope, I wouldn’t try it. For which I was somewhat disappointed, because I really enjoyed the first book in this series, in which there was practically no romance and no romantic thoughts and feelings described.

ABOUT

Had they found each other again after all these years, only to lose everything that matters most?

As children, Jade Conner and Tanner Eastman were best friends—until scandal drove them apart. Then, one golden summer, they find each other again. Through endless days they share their hearts and souls and dreams of forever. Then, in a moment of weakness, they make a decision that will tear them apart for nearly a decade.

In their own separate corners of the country, Jade and Tanner have become fighters for religious freedom. Now Jade’s unfaithful husband is determined to destroy her in a custody battle that will rock the nation and shake people’s understanding of faith and freedom. Could Jade lose her only child because of her faith? Only one man can help her in her darkest hour. And only one old woman knows the secret about that summer and the truth that can set them all free.

ABOUT KAREN KINGSBURY

KAREN KINGSBURY is a USA Today and New York Times best-selling author, with nearly twenty million books in print. Dubbed the “Queen of Christian Fiction” by Time magazine, Karen has written more than forty Life-Changing Drama, which encompasses the Redemption, Firstborn, and Sunrise series, as well… More about Karen Kingsbury

Word Wednesday #79 | Link-up

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“For the Lord your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.” Deuteronomy 20:4

Such is true in the spiritual world–“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood.” And in these battles, we must arm ourselves with God’s armor. Our flesh cannot fight spiritual battles; we must rely on the Lord.

Share a verse that God has given you today or copy the button if you’d like to join in Word Wednesdays with your blog!

 
 

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Psalm 119:77-81

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Psalm 119:77-81
(77)  Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live: for thy law is my delight.
Oh how we need the Lord’s mercies to live! “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”(Lamentations 3:22-23)
We never deserve God’s mercies – but we especially do not deserve them when we refuse His law.
(78)  Let the proud be ashamed; for they dealt perversely with me without a cause: but I will meditate in thy precepts.
Towards those who dealt “perversely” (wrest), the Psalmist committed them to God. Instead of meditating on how to “get even” or “get back,” his thoughts were on God’s precepts. How much better would my reactions be if I focused on God’s Word instead of the problems others cause me?
(79)  Let those that fear thee turn unto me, and those that have known thy testimonies.
Seems to go along with Psalm 119:63, “I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts.” If our heart fears the Lord and we know God’s testimonies, then we’ll attract friends who also fear God and know His testimonies.
(80)  Let my heart be sound in thy statutes; that I be not ashamed.
Sound – OT:8549 tamiym (taw-meem’); from OT:8552; entire (literally, figuratively or morally); also (as noun) integrity, truth:
Is my heart sound in God’s Word? That will never cause shame before the Lord.