My Book Review of Hadley Beckett's Next Dish, a novel by Bethany Turner

What happens when a much-loved Southern chef and an arrogant, handsome, tantrum-throwing chef get together? Hadley Beckett's Next Dish, a novel by Bethany Turner dishes it out in a captivating story. It's something like Southern Comfort meeting the Playboy Gourmet. 


Early on we were introduced to Hadley’s tried-and-true trick of calming herself down by alphabetically listing items found in the kitchen. A very unique way to get your mind off Chef Cavanaugh…. Anise. Broiler. Colander. Dough. Egg timer, etc. She seemed to need this system often when confronted with a man like Chef Cavanaugh. Besides this she seemed to use cooking, as one might suspect, to relieve anxiety also. 


The turnabout of events as Chef Cavanaugh tries to change his lifestyle and Chef Hadley changes her address makes for a charming story. Warning, though, you might get hungry while reading this book!



Hadley Beckett's Next Dish, a novel by Bethany Turner was a book that I received free of charge from Revell Reads in exchange for my honest review.

LIVE READY!

Every day that we live, we are one day closer to meeting our Maker. Let us live in a way that brings glory to Your name Lord and above all let us live ready. I always feel like I need to get my house in order in more than one way, to be ready to go. Sometimes I wonder if that’s why I don’t work harder to do just that? Because although to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, if we’ve personally accepted Him, there’s always a part that wants to live to see Shiloh’s baby, to see Mathis grow, to see the great way the Lord is going to take the disasters and chaos of our lives and use it to HIS GREAT GLORY! When I wrote this on this date in 2019 Jude wasn’t even in Shiloh’s womb yet, but I did live to see Shiloh have a baby, so this is surely one of those speaking forth things that the Lord wants us to do.


Many times the way is troubling and wearisome and dreams that have died seem hard to revive. That’s when He gives the new dream. In pulling up this blog today, and seeing it is talking about dreams I’m amazed that Pastor Cathy’s sermon is on CHASING DREAMS. It seems like confirmation of this little talk. She stirred us up to follow our dreams.


Some new dreams are happening right now though with eyes of the earth we may not be able to truly see that He is at work, sending journeymates, sending angels to surround and hedge in our loved ones.


Oh to see with new eyes, eyes that look on with love.

The Word of the Lord that He brought to mind as I was writing:


Things never discovered or heard of before,

    things beyond our ability to imagine— these are the many things God has in store for all his lovers. 1 Corinthians 2 :9 The Passion Translation 


Yesterday I found a quote that I think is really going to help me press on in life: “Do not get discouraged; it may be the last key in the bunch that opens the door.” STANSIFER. I think this was the right time for this quote to stand out for me, as there are so many situations with prayers going up for healings and help for families and it seems like we may have tried every key in our pocket. None seem to be working! 


We are earnest in our prayers, our love and even our faith in the Lord, but we may come away discouraged. Discouraged about that meeting with that wayward child, discouraged about family members being sick and discouraged about perhaps even how we are living our lives. But the Lord is not discouraged. HE IS ENCOURAGED! 

 And the Lord says, “Keep trying, keep seeking, keep turning that next key. I have the answer. It is going to bless your socks off. Don’t give up. Look back to the memories of places I have brought you from, sicknesses’ that I’ve healed you of, and blessings that abounded in your family. And for that one who experienced loss beyond any pain you thought you could endure, I’ve got this. I’ve got your loved one and I’ve got YOU. The Lord, the great Father and comforter am I. I am and will always be with you, I will never, no never leave you comfortless. You are loved.


Bonus Scripture:


Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God?  But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” And he comforted them and spoke ^[d]kindly to them. Genesis 50: 19-21

Do you need to cry? HE LOVES US DEARLY EVEN THOUGH WE MIGHT FEEL LIKE WE CAN’T DO IT ANYMORE.

"It's not what you go through that makes you strong: it is how you handle the situation that gives you strength." — Tanya R. Liverman
"My best testimonies are from the times I thought I couldn't survive." — Tanya R. Liverman

At times we all need a reminder that HE SEES us and uses us in ways we can't imagine. (Me)

HE LOVES US DEARLY EVEN THOUGH WE MIGHT FEEL LIKE WE CAN’T DO IT ANYMORE.

Sometimes you just need a good cry and when you have to be strong for so many other things, using a movie as an excuse works well. Many of you don’t know that our granddaughter, Aubrey, (27) went into the hospital on April 24^th. She has endocarditis and some other things that are very frightening. I always loved Advent Hospitals but the care Aubrey got at the one at Deland was not up to their normal level. They sent her to the one in Daytona saying she needed an operation on her heart valve, but then she was not well enough for it. Then they sent her back to Deland and said they were just going to continue with antibiotic treatments. With the COVID19  the visitation rules are changed. I finally got to see her for the first time this last Monday. While I was there, she got the chills then I felt her forehead and it seemed warm. All the time I was there no one came in to check on her unless I went out to get them or she called and waited. So, before I left, I mentioned they should probably take her temperature, but the nurse said she’d check on her later.

That night they released her to just get out-patient infusion treatments. By Friday, they said she had a fever when she went for her infusion and also now Pulmonary aneurysms.  Last night they sent her to Shands and it seems the same. They say she needs an operation then say maybe not. It is very frustrating. The sad thing is they say she can only see one visitor for the duration of her stay; it must be the same visitor. I was ready to go today, even just to sit in the waiting room, but they are not allowing people in hospitals. Ashley and I helped by watching baby Mathis, she more than me, as since he’s a busy toddler and I’m old, it just works out that way. I try to tag team with her. I just pray for Aubrey and for baby Mathis who misses his mom and is confused.

So Bill and I watched a movie tonight, The Art of Racing in the Rain. You will smile, you will cry and if life seems hard, a good cry can be cleansing. I know I needed to.

If you haven’t seen the movie, watch it. Tame by today’s standards, but precious as a family movie. https://movieweb.com/the-art-of-racing-in-the-rain-trailer/

“Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, His mother, for the fall and rising of many in Israel and for a sign which shall be spoken against (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also) that the hearts of many may be revealed.” Luke 2:34-35

Do you feel broken, today?

Ann Voscamp says, “You can be too broken to be.” She also talks about grief here:

 “There is no fear in letting tears come. Sadness is a gift to avoid the nothingness of numbness, and all hard places need water. Grief is a gift, and after a rain of tears, there is always more of you than before. Rain always brings growth.”

It’s Saturday and the day we focus on those families who’ve lost loved ones, maybe recently, maybe it’s been a while but grief has its own timetable. We pray for strength for the journey, comfort from the Lord and His people and for love to surround you through the numbness of coping with what must be dealt with. Jesus, lover of my soul, bind our wounds and make us whole.

Show us how to live, one day at a time, giving You glory. Your love never fails, though sometime our faith does.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37wV6D49iEY