An Amish Christmas

This is the first Amish living novel I have read. This particular book is divided into four novellas by different authors. After reading these stories, I am going to do some research about the Amish and the way they celebrate Christmas. It sounds a bit different from our traditional celebration. I love that they include a glossary at the front of the book that describes different words they use in their vocabulary. Each novella tells a little about December in Lancaster County which is a grand month for everyone!

In the first story one of the characters tells her son (Seth), "A mother's love isn't earned. It's freely given. Don't ever forget that". The story tells about a once-prodigal son who has returned to his family and is searching for someone to start his own family with. You will have to read the book to find out if Seth finds his happy ending!

Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball

I am so excited when I find a new author I like. This is the first book I have read by author Donita K. Paul, and I am so excited to share it with you. She is from Colorado which is always a bonus in my eyes.

This is a magical tale of two people who are meant to be together. They have to go through a lot of stuff to find their fairy-tale ending. I love the metaphor of a Christian's relationship to Christ that the author portrays in this story.

"sometimes God gives us things we don't need. And the best of the gifts He gives us is someone to share all the silly and grand, frivolous and spectacular, sad and heartbreaking, joyous and exquisite moments of our lives" is my favorite quote from this book. I am reminded of all the gifts God has given me that I don't need or deserve. This is a great reminder at CHRISTmas for us all!

31 DAYS

I love the season of Advent. I love preparing for Christmas. I love getting excited with my kids about Christmas. I want my kids to remember that Christmas is really about Christ and not all about them. My boys are nine and five (twins), so I try to make it simple when it comes to advent. We light a candle and read a passage of scripture every night. When my boys get a little older, I will share this awesome book with them. This book is all about taking time out our busy lives to prepare room for Him. There is a simple passage to read every day in December, questions to discuss after reading, and Bible verses to emphasize each day's point.

In the words of the author, "The busyness of December can easily crowd out contemplation of the amazing reality of God's coming to live among us as one of us. I hope your family will overcome the empty busyness of this season and that in your home, every heart will prepare room for Jesus." Amen!

Have You Ever?

Have you ever....

::Had a really bad day?

::Been made fun of?

::Heard people whispering and knew they were whispering about you?

::Felt like giving up?

::Felt like your life really stinks?

::Come up with the short end of the stick?

::Felt hopeless?

If you answer "yes" to any of the above, I strongly urge you to get Nick Vujicic's book Life Without Limits and begin reading it right away. This book is a strong encouragement for people (like me) who think they have it really bad. When in fact, everyday is a miracle and a gift from God. It is a message full of hope and inspiration, something I need a daily dose of.

The thing I like best about this book is the way there are short passages that I can read a little at a time. Each passage is a lesson Nick has learned himself or from others he has met traveling across the world. This is an excellent life lesson in how we cannot control our circumstances, but we can control our reaction. That is what Nick has chosen to do with beauty and grace. An amazing man and an amazing book!

*I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review*

THE QUESTIONS CHRISTIANS HOPE NO ONE WILL ASK

If you are looking for a no-holds barred approach to topics that Christians like to dodge, this is the book for you. In this ten chapter book, areas are addressed and backed up with scripture, not just the author's opinion. The book can be a little preachy at times, but if you are reading this book for a reason, I believe it will help. Each chapter ends with a brief summary and discussion group questions. This would make an excellent small group study; I think the conversation could potentially be very interesting. The final chapter sums up the entire book, then gives ways to start asking other people questions to make them think!

The closing verse is Romans 1:16. I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes. This is the premise of the answers to all the questions addressed in the book.

A YEAR WITH GOD

The best of all is, God is with us.

~John Wesley

If you are looking for an excellent devotional book, look no further. This is a top notch way to spend a year with God (like the title suggests). This book is jam packed with 365 days of devotions which includes a scripture passage to read and a small story to go with the reading. This would take maybe five minutes to read through each day, then you can spend the other 23 hours and 55 minutes reflecting on what you have read.

The main catagories are:

*Hope and Fear

*Love and Hate

*Perseverance and Quitting

*Faith and Doubt

*Loyalty and Betrayal

*Companionship and Isolation

*Mercy and Judgment

*Forgiveness and Anger

*Joy and Sadness

*Peace and Conflict

The best thing about this book is you can start anywhere and pick and choose from the topics in each category. I am excited about spending A Year With God!

BoogaBooga Land

My kids and I were given the opportunity to watch Adventures In BoogaBooga Land the other evening. I have a nine year old son and twin five year old sons, so getting all of them to sit down and watch a show is no little feat by any means. But this show did manage to capture their attention the entire time. And we all sang the catchy theme song for days after watching the show. The premise of the show is to show several Biblical parables in the life of Marty and Gerard. My five year olds enjoyed some of the silly scenes and in general enjoyed the shows. My nine year old watched the show with us and said, "okay....what does this have to do with God?!?" So the Biblical lesson is a bit on the subliminal side. After I explained it, he got it. All in all, we give this movie 3 thumbs up and 1 thumb down.

Now back to the song......new adventures in boogabooga land.......

Chex Mix Game Day Snacks!

I was a lucky recipient of a My GetTogether Chex Mix package from General Mills. I call this a party in a box. Seriously, they think of everything from plates and napkins to snacks and a serving bowl. My guests were very excited to sample the 3 different types of chex mix, and I was able to give out money saving coupons to my friends. I think the Honey Nut flavor turned out to be the favorite; it is just the right mix of sweet and salty. Yum Yum!!

We definitely give Chex mix two thumbs up at our party!

The King's Christmas List

I was given the opportunity to review this new children's book by Eldon Johnson. I read it last night to my twin 5 year old sons. Here's what we thought of the book.

LIKES

*it teaches kids about giving

*it is a modern-day good samaritan story

*it's okay to give stuff you really like away

*the book has a greater cause

*Jesus' gift was the best gift ever

DISLIKES

*this is geared towards little girls (I wish it was more gender neutral)

That being said, the main idea is a great lesson for kids of all ages. I hope to read this book again closer to Christmas time and put into practice some of the suggestions.

*This review is for BookSneeze*

Your Money God's Way Review

I was so excited to read a book by a Christian female about finances, and there is a Dave Ramsey endorsement on the front cover to boot! I am a big Dave Ramsey fan and have read his book multiple times. This book, "Your Money God's Way" is an excellent resource to add to my ever-growing financial help library. I am a saver married to a spender (which Amie addresses in her book), so my husband and I don't always see eye-to-eye on financial decisions. That being said, I am going to apply several principles in this book to my life.

One of my favorite things Amie says in her book is, "There are 3 things you can do in life that will invite trouble every time: flirting when married; developing an affinity for any food that is fried, cheesy, or creamy; and spending money you don't have". She give several real life examples of people she has met in her ministry and ways she helped their financial troubles. This is an easy read for anyone who needs help with their money. We are blessed to be debt-free except for our mortgage which is a huge blessing to us right now. Now we just need to be more intentional about saving and putting extra money into paying off our mortgage. One day at a time.....

This review is for BookSneeze who provided me a copy of this book in exchange for my review.

NO GIRLS ALLOWED

I've waited for a book like this to come on the market for a long time. As a mom to three boys, I am constantly looking for gender specific books for my sons. This book will be great for my nine year old. I cannot wait to read these at night and then talk about the issues with him. The stories are only about two pages long (perfect for my son's attention span) and are followed by a game or activity. It also gives life application principles to put into practice. This is a great addition to our kid's library!

*Update* Last night before bed, my son and I read the first devotion together (yes, he allowed a girl to look at the book!). I am very impressed with the writing style and it kept my son's attention. We read the two pages, discussed what we read, answered the questions, then went over the scripture verse from the story. It took about 7 minutes....well worth my time!!

*I was provided with a copy of this book by Tyndale in exchange for my honest review*

One Hand, Two Hands

The boys and I read this book last night. It is all about the hands that God gave us. We can use our hands to do lots of great things to help serve others. This is a concept I want my boys to learn and never forget. At the end of the book there are practical ways to teach children to help, to show kindness, and to love. We are going to start working on this now!! I would say this book is geared more towards little girls, but my boys enjoyed it nonetheless.

*This review is for BookSneeze*

Searching for God Knows What Review

I had the honor of hearing Donald Miller speak (the first time for me) at MOPS convention at the beginning of the month. I have tried to read his book Blue Like Jazz in the past, but was not able to "get into" it. After hearing him speak (which was amazing, by the way), I was excited to dive into Searching for God Knows What. I believe this is a great book which answers questions many people have about Christianity. Donald Miller is a funny guy and this book highlights his personality very well. I could spend hours listening to him talk and reading this book makes you feel like he's talking to you!

The boy who came back from heaven

I am a Christian and a nurse. I have worked in neurosurgery for five years in a large trauma hospital. Alex Malarkey should not be alive (this book will tell you that). Alex had hesitations about writing his story; he did not want it to be about him. He wanted his story to be about God. I truly feel that they succeeded in doing this. It is a miracle that Alex survived and I am grateful I was able to read his story. I plan to pass it on and on and on.

Beth Malarkey (Alex’s mom) said this powerful message, “If you ever doubt God is there remember this: He knew the pain we’d be assaulted with. He supplied His hands, His body, His love, and His compassion in the way He knew He could minister to us and sustain us.” She later said “I wish I could take credit for some of this, but I can’t. I can only explain it as Him. I recognize His supernatural strength, wisdom, knowledge, and understanding all the time. I have learned to cling to the Savior.” I have learned much from Alex and his parents. They are an inspiration to many.

If you ever start feeling sorry for yourself, read this book.

If your perfectly healthy kids are driving you crazy, read this book.

If you think your life is hard, read this book.

If you think you can’t handle one more thing, read this book.

If you think God is punishing you, read this book.

If you need to be encouraged, read this book.

In other words…..read this book!

BIBLE JUMBLE FOR KIDS

I am so excited to be sharing this book with someone. This is a great fun book for kids of all ages. (It is recommended for kids 8 and older) This is a great way to learn Bible stories, and each puzzle has a scripture passage to go along with it. I think this would be a great resource for Sunday School teachers, homeschoolers, or anyone who enjoys learning more about the Bible.

There are 200 puzzles in the book, and there is an answer key in the back. So no puzzle will go unsolved! One lucky commenter will win a copy of this book. I can only ship to the US (sorry, I'm cheap!). So leave any comment before midnight June 14th and stay tuned for the winner.

*I was provided a free copy of this book to review by Tyndale House Publishers* I am choosing to pass it on...

CoverGirl Review and Giveaway!!

Welcome to my very first giveaway! I am so excited to be doing this. In case you don't know, I am a bzzz agent. This means from time to time I can sign up to sample a product and then spread the word about the particular product. I often get free product, coupons, and cool stuff to share with friends.

In this giveaway I am sharing a covergirl smoky shadow blast in citrus flair color and a $2.00 off any covergirl product coupon. I have hazel eyes, so I love this color, but I think it would work for any eye color. You can check out the full line of smoky blast shadows here.

To enter this giveaway, just leave a comment with your eye color. Open to US residents only (because I'm cheap & I pay the shipping) I will randomly pick a winner and notify you. If you don't have a blogger profile, make sure to leave a way to email you.
Contest ends at midnight Monday June 7th.

Welcome to my new blog!

I have decided to dedicate a separate blog to fun reviews and give-aways! I am very excited to be doing this. I know when I first started reading blogs, I entered all sorts of giveaways. And I was so excited when I won a prize. There is nothing better than getting a prize in the mail. It reminds me of the good old days of a prize in the cereal box. I would LOVE it when a prize fell into my bowl as I was pouring cereal. So welcome to my grown up cereal box! Enjoy!!