Category: Uncategorized

Oh, How I Love Jesus | Violin, Piano Duet

Published on by Amanda Tero2 Comments
I have enjoyed teaching violin the last couple of years. Before we moved, I had about four violin students. But at the time being, I have thirteen violin students (one video student in Nigeria!). One of my favorite things to do is to arrange hymns for them to play in church. I love that most of my students strongly desire to share their music for God’s glory. 
Here is one that I recently arranged for a student to play (recorded by myself).
Sheet music available at WAJN

If a Picture’s Worth 1,000 Words…

Published on by Amanda Tero3 Comments
Well, then, I shall fill this post of pictures. 😉 Because last week was not one of the word-heavy type. Now, before I complain too loudly, the Lord blessed me with an excellent start of the week. Last Monday, I loaded myself up and trekked out under the magnolia tree to do some writing.

In the nice, cool, quietness of Monday, I was able to add about 2,000 words to Nat.

I had to pull out my 18th Missouri book to get some details straight before I progressed in the story. Thanks to all who prayed last week. The ending is looking a little clearer. What do you think… cliff-hanger or sorts?? Not like a huge one, but… just a wee one? Do you like cliff-hangers for the end of a book?

Oh, oh, oh!!! Guess what I got in???

Yeah, no… it’s not going to be for me. 😉 Doesn’t quite fit. But! I’m working on getting things moving for a cover picture!! I can’t believe I’m actually thinking about this aspect of my book!
And one last thing: I’m really considering changing the series titles. You see, I have “Orphan Journeys” as the title under which I published “Journey to Love.” I have that convenient “Orphan Journeys novellas” and had considered that Nat’s story would be the first of the novel series. However, as it’s looking now, it looks like Nat (or people associated with him) will have a trilogy. And then I’ll have a completely different, disconnected series of individual novellas. Yeah. Just a little confusing. So… I’m considering changing the series title. Which, in turn, will mean that I’m changing the title from Journey of Choice to… well, that will have to wait. After all, I just have ideas. Nothing concrete yet. I’d really appreciate your honest thoughts on the series title change. Do you think it would be a world less confusing to have two different series entirely, even though they’re both about orphans?

Scripture Graphics #57

Published on by Amanda Tero2 Comments

This is a daily commitment I need to make. Today…do I choose to delight in His Word, or does something temporal steal my delight? Today…do I choose to remember His Word, or do I do my devotions to get it checked off my list and then forget everything I’ve read?

We all face those days when our soul is heavy—but do we solve it with a temporal “band-aid” or ignore it and try to live through it? There is amazing help in God’s Word, yet so often that is the last place we go to for help and strength.

Is this true for me? Do I value God’s Word as much as money? We say, “If we only had $$$” but do we ever say, “If I only apply God’s Word more?” We put effort into saving up for things, but does our effort to hide God’s Word in our heart at all compare?


If we don’t keep God’s testimonies, it’s the same as saying, “Your words really don’t mean much to me.”

What is your favorite verse in Psalm 119?

Roses for Mama | First Line Fridays

Published on by Amanda Tero12 Comments
In doing the #septembercoverlove on Instagram this month, I used Roses for Mama as one of the covers, and in doing so, remembered how very much I loved it the first time I read it. So, I decided to re-read it. It is one of those lovely Christian classics! Have you read it? What do you consider as one of the best Christian classics?

Be sure to hop along to all of these other blogs and see what First Lines they have to share!
Please note that I may not fully endorse all of the books that these bloggers read or the content in these blogs.
Rachel – Bookworm Mama
Andi – Radiant Light
Robin – Robin’s Nest
Kathleen – Kathleen Denly
Trisha – Joy of Reading
Jeanette – CJane Read
Iola – Iola Golton
Anna – Cross Romance
Alicia – A Brighter Destiny

Just as I Am | Two Piano Solos

Published on by Amanda Tero2 Comments

Last week, I wanted to arrange “Just as I Am” for a student. So, I compiled a couple of verses and went to save… “This file already exists.” Oh wait! I already *had* an arrangement of the song! However, it was a slightly higher level. 😉 But, since it was in the archives, I brushed it up a little and decided to give you two variations of the favorite invitation hymn–two different levels.

Sheet music available at WAJN

And then the slightly more advanced version:

Sheet music available at WAJN

I Want to be Writing…

Published on by Amanda Tero2 Comments
This has been my thought almost every day the last week. Truth be told, I’ve only had one day in which I even had time to write, between company for four days, teaching two days, a homeschool craft day at our house, and a bridal shower at our house (yep, all in a week’s time). So this post will be short, and not much of an update. 
In that time I was able to write, though, the Lord allowed me to finish editing the chapter I spliced in from rough draft, and I was able to get some brain-work done toward the ending (is it just me, or is half the battle figuring out in the brain what one must do?). I’m really praying that next week, Lord willing, I’ll be able to sit down and do some active writing.
As a side-note, on Instagram, I’m doing a “book cover” challenge (even if you’re not on Instagram, my account is public, so you can still see what covers I’ve had so far this month). One of the days, the word was “soldier.” Oh that got me all excited!! I pulled out just a few of my Civil War books because I couldn’t settle on just one cover. 😉

I haven’t read all of these yet (actually, I’ve read most of the non-fiction, but none of the fiction). My CW collection is currently my biggest era on my bookshelf. What about you? What era do you have the most books on (fiction or non-fiction)?

Just because this week was another not-so-great writing week for me (which, so far, this week looks better!), doesn’t mean you all were in the same boat. So comment and share! What were you able to work on in the past week? Any major breakthroughs in your writing?

Before I sign off, a quote from Journey of Choice WIP:

Quick question: how many of you know the gist of what Journey of Choice is about? I keep talking about it, but have I shared enough to where you know the general “back cover blurb” idea? I’m considering sharing that soon!

Scripture Graphics #56

Published on by Amanda Tero3 Comments

In Israel’s eyes, Egypt’s animosity was a terrible thing. Yet, it was orchestrated by God to ultimately bring freedom to His people. What may appear to be bad just may be something that God, in His wisdom, has allowed for our ultimate good.

No matter what we’re going through, He is good, His mercy endures forever. This is cause enough for us to give thanks in any circumstance.

This verse got me to thinking: how is making His wonderful works remembered an act of graciousness and compassion? One way I’ve thought about is that having a record of God’s faithfulness in the past gives us hope for what lies ahead—for we are serving the God Who never changes!

Bringing Maggie Home | First Line Fridays

Published on by Amanda Tero9 Comments
Today’s book…
*happy sigh*
*like really happy sigh*

I have liked every book that I’ve read by Kim Vogel Sawyer and this one was no different. I wasn’t sure that I would like it, seeing as I’d only read her historical fiction, and this one is modern. That, and THEN it flips back and forth from present-day to past…and I’m not a huge fan of backstory. But this book…It was so beautifully written! I really like it. I really do. I’m so keeping this book on my shelf!!
Oh yeah.
First line.
Sorry guys. I had to endorse it first. 😉

The first line isn’t one of those “gripping” and “what happens next” lines, but this story… yeah… you just need to read it. 😉 It’s super sweet and etc. (I have a review at the end of the post)

Do you like back-story? Books that flip from present-day to past?

~*~*~
Be sure to hop along to all of these other blogs and see what First Lines they have to share!
Please note that I may not fully endorse all of the books that these bloggers read or the content in these blogs.
Rachel – Bookworm Mama
Andi – Radiant Light
Robin – Robin’s Nest
Kathleen – Kathleen Denly
Trisha – Joy of Reading
Jeanette – CJane Read
Rebecca – It’s Storytime with Van Danniker!
Iola – Iola Golton
Nicole – Christian Fiction Girl
Anna – Cross Romance
Alicia – A Brighter Destiny

My Review

A hint of mystery. A hint of intrigue. A hint of bitterness. A hint of romance. This seemed to be the perfect balance of all of that. What is best is that there was way more than a hint of faith and Christianity. From the first few chapters, characters with strong faith in God crossed the pages. It was truly a blessing to have it unashamedly crossing the pages. Sean. Hazel. Oh my, those characters were amazing! There was no doubt about how they viewed God and the Bible.

Now for the actual story. The whole relationship between Hazel, her daughter, and granddaughter, was amazingly real and a study of human nature and how one’s past, left unresolved, will affect their decisions—even when they do not realize it.

As I mentioned, the faith content was five-star. The Gospel was clearly presented, living by the Spirit clearly shown—yet there were also portions that were true such as a church being judgmental and turning people away from the church. So many things were covered in this book and were Biblically sound.

The romance was truly just a hint, and not at all emotionally driven. There was one scene of past events that I wouldn’t recommend younger readers reading (one of the characters had gotten pregnant out of wedlock and it highlights that a little yet doesn’t become explicit).

In conclusion, I enjoyed this read and happily place another Kim Vogel Sawyer book on my shelf.

*I received this book from Blogging for Books and happily provided my honest review*

When We Don’t Know What to Pray

Published on by Amanda Tero3 Comments
I was recently talking with a friend about prayer, how God answers prayer, and how we should pray. A few days later, I was reading through Ephesians 1 and found yet again the beautiful prayer that Paul prayed for the believers at Ephesus.

Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,(Ephesians 1:15-20)

In this prayer, is a beautiful example of how we can grow—and what we can access by prayer.
  • The spirit of wisdom
  • Revelation in the knowledge of God
  • The eyes of understanding enlightened
  • Knowledge of the hope of His calling
  • Knowledge of the riches of His glory
  • Knowledge of the inheritance of His saints
  • What is the exceeding greatness of His power to believers (which is compared to His power in raising Christ from the dead!)

Knowing that we have access to ALL of this should great affect how we pray!

As I reflected on this, I then thought about how I pray for others. Sometimes, I just don’t know what to pray–there may be times when I sense a need in their lives (which, by the way, we should pray just as fervently for those whose lives look “put together” as those who seem to be falling apart–Paul often prayed that the churches would continue in what they believed), but other times, I want to pray, but may not know how.

Ephesians 1 and 3 and Philippians 1 all have passages of Paul’s prayers for others. This gives me a good idea of how to pray Biblically for someone else. I started making a list from the prayer passages in the New Testament:

I plan on adding to this list as I come across other passages that demonstrate ways for us to pray for others.

Do you have a specific passage you’ve used before to pray for others?
What verse has God used in your life recently about prayer?

Standing on the Promises | Music Video

Published on by Amanda Tero6 Comments
A few years ago, I began arranging an advanced piano solo. It actually began when my family and I were singing at a church. Before service, I was playing around on the church piano just for fun. It’s interesting, but sometimes playing on a different piano will inspire different ideas. As I played, I threw in a descending scale-type progression where I went down, retraced a note up then went down further, etc. It was a keeper-idea, and before long, the Lord allowed me to piece it together with “Standing on the Promises” (you’ll hear that progression throughout the arrangement). 
However, after about halfway into the song, I hit a brick wall. I put the piece down for about nine months (in that time, we actually moved states–so yeah, a lot went on between measure one and the final bar line in this piece!). I loved the beginning and it was such fun to play, but I didn’t have an ending. As I thought about it, I’d pray for ideas, pull it out, toy with it, and let it set again. Finally, there was a breakthrough and God gave me just the ideas I needed to finish the arrangement.
Now, about two years later, I’ve finally gotten around to recording it to share with you all!
The sheet music for this is available at WAJN (but I’ll give warning, it is advanced–there are a lot of notes in the ten pages!).