Once Upon a Sunday

This book touched on things we all go through. That leaves us wondering why me?? We spend our time fighting and being angry instead of believing. It's at that point....when we be still and give it to him, that it all comes together.

This was a really good read. How ironic that Melinda and I share similar situations. Sometimes we try to work out our issues on our own, once we let go and let God everything will work out in our favor. I would highly recommend this read.

I love the stories that Renee writes. This one was a really great story with an ending that gives you hope that no matter what, God is on your side. He is there for you and will never let you down. I wish there was more to read. I can't wait for the next book to come out.

I loved this book. Through a series of life altering experiences, Melinda was broken, her life was in turmoil. She lost her job and son in the same day. Life was no longer worth living, but God had another plan. An encounter with an angel brought about surrender and understanding of God's unconditional love.

I am reading the sample currently. I was really enjoying it until I got to one of the dramatic climaxes of the plot. The way the social worker/hospital scene was written makes it unfortunately obvious that little to no research was done on how a CPS/social work case is initiated or processed in real life.

Somehow—on a Friday *night* no less—within mere minutes this transpires:

1. A nurse who knows nothing about the incident, and has not even spoken to the mother to discover anything, contacts CPS (—CPS, at night?) simply because a child was admitted with an injury

2. With no investigation at all and before even arriving on site, a social worker opens a case (?) and has request to have a child taken from his mom submitted to the courts —the courts, on a Friday *night* during which, realistically, I suspect she'd be at home in reality because these are not real working hours for a SW *initiating* a case, and no court for this type of case is open or processing cases at this time, and this fast!

3. Somehow all the paperwork gets processed by a CPS office I'm sure is closed by this time in reality, and it is then submitted and fully processed by a court to the point of making it so speedily to a judge—A judge. In minutes. On a Friday. After hours. And the judge declares an order to have the child taken away from the mother— mind you, without the SW who submitted the case even knowing what happened to the child yet, which we know is the case because the nurse who reported it knew nothing also. So that means this court also knew nothing. And the judge likewise. Yet s/he decreed that the child be taken already?

4. The SW arrives on site and is treated like a first responder (a cop) waving a badge and being admitted to see the child. She doesn't event stop to introduce herself to and interview the mother so she can get some information. And again, she's initiating a case on a Friday night after 5-6 PM...? SWs are *not* on call!

5. She then— after interviewing the child and still not having spoken to the mother yet—informs the mother that the judge, the one her office submitted incomplete paperwork to, and whose court processed all the paper and had it to him in minutes—at night—when I'm sure neither they nor he were working, this judge had ordered that her kid be taken. ...Though she was not guilty of child abuse...? What? So there was no interview, no on-site touch down, no idea of why a kid had an injury in the first place, n o home visit, no confirmation of abuse, and yet a child is ordered by a judge (in minutes...at night...when I know these offices are closed...and these processes take longer than this even in the day time) to be taken from his mom. ...Sigh.

It made such little sense that it annoyed me. I will continue reading but I really hope it goes back to being enjoyable. Man. I have hope. Aside from this the writing thus far was actually good and enjoyable.