A Tribute to the Libraries of My Life

I know National Library Week isn’t until next month. But I recently received my author copies of my May Love Inspired, Winning the Teacher’s Heart, and that made me think of libraries. I generally donate a large print copy of my books to my local library.

Libraries have played a large part in my lifelong love of reading.  I struggled with reading in first and grades. Since I had a September birthday, I was one of the youngest kids in my class, and I had trouble sounding out the words. The summer after second grade, when my next youngest brother was big enough to make the walk, my mom put my youngest brother in the stroller and took my three brothers and me to the LaSalle Public Library in Niagara Falls every week to get our own books. That fall, a couple of weeks into third grade, I moved from the lowest reading group, not to the middle group, but right to the top one.

My next library was the Stephens Memorial Library in Attica, NY, where we moved the summer before I started sixth grade. At first, it seemed like a come down from the Niagara Falls library. The library was in a house on Main Street. But, it was here that I discovered wonderful books like The Secret Garden, still one of my favorite books. And I did research for my high school papers, with another discovery, inter-library loan. The library “house” was painted white when I used it. The addition with the more library look was added when I was in high school.

The Nassau Free Library in the Village of Nassau, NY, was our first family library. It, too, was in a renovated house. Don’t you love the rendering from the library’s Facebook page? Like, my mother, I took my kids there from the time they were toddlers. And the year my husband went back to college to pick up a drafting certificate and had time home during the day, he gained the distinction of being the only father who regularly attended the daytime weekly story hour.

My current library is the RCS (Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk) Community Library. It recently moved to more spacious quarters in the old American Legion building in town. My big discovery at the RCS library is borrowing eBooks, which sadly means I don’t visit the actual library building as often as I did with my other libraries.

What are the libraries of your life?

Promises

Merrillee here, wondering whether there is anything quite so lovely as a rainbow. On a recent trip to Niagara Falls, I took this photo. A rainbow had formed in the mist that rises from the falls. Every time I see a rainbow, I remember the story of Noah and how God placed a rainbow in the sky to signify His promise that we read about in Genesis 9:13-16. "¹³ I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. ¹⁴ Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, ¹⁵ I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. ¹⁶ Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth."

What a beautiful reminder of God's covenant. So every time we see a rainbow, we have a reminder that God is faithful. He will keep his promises. I like these two verses found in 2 Peter.

2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

2 Peter 3:13 "But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness."

Please share some of your favorite rainbows and God's promises.
Merrillee