Tammy Is Blessed

Book Review: Chasing Mona Lisa by Tricia Goyer and Mike Yorkey

2012-01-26T08:45:00.000-06:00

About the Book: It is August 1944 and Paris is on the cusp of liberation. As the soldiers of the Third Reich flee the Allied advance, they ravage the country, stealing countless pieces of art. Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring will stop at nothing to claim the most valuable one of all, the Mona Lisa, as a post-war bargaining chip to get him to South America. Can Swiss OSS agents Gabi Mueller and Eric Hofstadler rescue DaVinci's masterpiece before it falls into German hands?

With nonstop action, Chasing Mona Lisa is sure to get readers' adrenaline pumping as they join the chase to save the most famous painting in the world. From war-ravaged Paris to a posh country chateau, the race is on--and the runners are playing for keeps.

Read an excerpt, watch a video and find out more here.

My Thoughts: I have to admit that this was not one of my favourite books by Tricia Goyer. I found the names hard to keep straight (not sure if it was because they were foreign names, too many names, too similar, or a combination of all 3) and found that the storyline got a bit bogged down in the details at times.

That being said, I found the art history fascinating, as I had no idea that these masterpieces, especially the Mona Lisa, had been so at risk - though upon further reflection, that should have been obvious! But I'm not an art aficionado by any stretch of the imagination, and was completely ignorant about this fascinating aspect of wartime reality.

I loved the premise, enjoyed the characters, but thought the overall story was a bit of a letdown to my expectations based on previous novels by Goyer.

Thank you to Stephanie and Amy from Litfuse Publicity for organizing this tour and providing me with my complimentary review copy.

Book Review: The Shadow of Your Smile by Susan May Warren

2012-01-17T02:02:00.000-06:00

About the Book: A beautiful blanket of snow may cover the quaint town of Deep Haven each winter, but it can’t quite hide the wreckage of Noelle and Eli Hueston’s marriage.

After twenty-five years, they’re contemplating divorce . . . just as soon as their youngest son graduates from high school. But then an accident erases part of Noelle's memory. Though her other injuries are minor, she doesn’t remember Eli, their children, or the tragedy that has ripped their family apart. What’s more, Noelle is shocked that her life has turned out nothing like she dreamed it would. As she tries to regain her memory and slowly steps into her role as a wife and mother, Eli helps her readjust to daily life with sometimes-hilarious, sometimes-heartwarming results. But can she fall in love again with a man she can’t remember?

Will their secrets destroy them . . . or has erasing the past given them a chance for a future? Read the story behind the story here.

My Thoughts: Susan May Warren is one of my favourite authors and this book hit the mark once again.

One thing I love about her writing is that her characters are not only complex and well-developed, they are also flawed, which makes them very relatable. This, in turn, draws you emotionally into the story and you actually feel invested into their choices as you watch the story unfold.

For some reason I've always loved storylines that include amnesia as a result of an injury - but this was the best of the ones I've read by far! Warren is simply a great writer.

This book tackles some pretty heavy topics and serious issues, but approaches them in just the right way. Fantastic book - I highly recommend it, along with any of her other work!

Thank you to Stephanie and Amy from Litfuse Publicity for organizing this tour and providing me with my complimentary e-book review copy.

Book Review: The Keeper by Suzanne Woods Fisher

2012-01-15T01:46:00.001-06:00

About the Book: Julia Lapp has planned on marrying Paul Fisher since she was a girl. Now twenty-one, she looks forward to their wedding with giddy anticipation. When Paul tells her he wants to postpone the wedding--again--she knows who is to blame. Perpetual bachelor and spreader of cold feet, Roman Troyer, the Bee Man.

Roamin' Roman travels through the Amish communities of Ohio and Pennsylvania with his hives full of bees, renting them out to farmers in need of pollinators. He relishes his nomadic life, which keeps him from thinking about all he has lost. He especially enjoys bringing his bees to Stoney Ridge each year. But with Julia on a mission to punish him for inspiring Paul's cold feet, the Lapp farm is looking decidedly less pleasant.

Can Julia secure the future she's always dreamed of? Or does God have something else in mind?

My Thoughts: With a few different storylines mixed into the plot, this book was enjoyable from start to finish.

I especially liked the main character, Julia Lapp, who had much more spit-fire than you would expect from a stereotypical Amish woman. In fact, the whole Lapp family was rather quirky and the story was witty and humourous, yet also filled with heartaches and pains along the way.

Another thing I loved is how she explored the background to the characters - digging deeper to find out what has happened to shape the characters into the people they have become. Something that's important to keep in mind when we come across people in real life!

Looking forward to the next book in the series.

Thank you to Stephanie and Amy from Litfuse Publicity for organizing this tour and providing me with my complimentary review copy.

Best Homemade Pizza Ever!

2011-12-15T08:30:00.000-06:00

I've recently found the perfect combination of the best pizza crust recipe and the best pizza sauce recipe to create the best homemade pizza ever - if I do say so myself. ;)

And, in the spirit of Christmas, I'm going to share it with y'all!

Finding the perfect crust recipe to impress my husband was the most difficult part of all. I would think I'd found the winning one, and it just wouldn't quite cut it. But this time, I nailed it! The instructions will be using a KitchenAid mixer, but you can obviously also kneed it by hand.

Premium Pizza Crust - adapted from allrecipes.com

1 1/2 tsp yeast (I use quick rising)

1 1/2 cups warm water

3 1/2 cups flour (approx)

1/2 tsp salt

In your KitchenAid bowl, dissolve yeast in the water and add 3 cups of flour along with the salt. You will likely need about 3 1/2 cups flour in total (this is always different depending on the altitude and humidity of where you live). Basically continue adding flour until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. If kneeding by hand, until it is smooth and barely sticky. If you add too much flour it gets too heavy - I'd rather err on the side of too little, cause you can always add more when rolling it out later.

Allow the dough to rise in a greased bowl, covered with a towel, until doubled in size (about 1 hr).

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, divide into two equal pieces and allow to rest for a couple of minutes.

Put pizza pan in the oven and preheat both to at least 450F.

Meanwhile, prepare pizza toppings and roll out dough into the size and shape of your pizza pan.

When oven and pan has finished preheating, carefully remove the pan, spray it with Pam and sprinkle with cornmeal (in my opinion, the perfect way to get a non-sticky yet non-soggy crust), carefully place dough on top of pan, spread with Exquisite Pizza Sauce and desired toppings and sprinkle with paprika (secret from working at a restaurant the served pizza). Bake at 450 (or higher) for about 15 mins (or less, if you baked it higher). Let pizza cool for a couple minutes before cutting and serving.

Exquisite Pizza Sauce - adapted from allrecipes.com

one 6oz can tomato paste

6 fluid oz warm water

1 tsp minced garlic (or 1/4 tsp garlic powder)

1 tbsp honey

3/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp marjoram

1/4 tsp basil

1/4 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1/8 tsp dried red pepper flakes

salt to taste (optional)

Basically, combine all ingredients and allow to sit for about 30 minutes to blend flavours.

You can substitute one tin of tomato sauce (no salt added) instead of the paste/water if that's what you have onhand.

The original recipe called for 3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese, and though I do like it that way as well, I didn't taste a noticeable difference when I tried it again without it and it's healthier without it, so I just leave it out.

I didn't have cayenne pepper, so I doubled the red pepper flakes instead. I also increased the Italian spices just a bit. I also blended everything with a hand blender because I like it smooth, and to crush up the dried pepper flakes more.

If you love it as much as we do, you can multiply all the dry ingredients by 8 and put in a jar labelled "Pizza Spice" and simply add 2 tsp to the sauce and honey when every time you make it. Easy as pie - pizza pie that is! ;)

Enjoy!

One Drummer Boy's Passion

2011-12-14T14:13:00.002-06:00

I've never really been a huge fan of the Christmas song Little Drummer Boy (I liked the lyrics, but not the tune so much), but that all changed recently when I saw a video one of my friends linked to on Facebook. The song went viral all over the internet and today, almost 2 weeks after originally posting it, it's almost reached one million hits. Amazing! I'm sure most of you have already seen/heard it, but I absolutely love it and had to post it here too.

His name is Sean Quigley and he's a 16 yr old from Winnipeg filled with a passion for Jesus. God has gifted Sean with many amazing abilities - he arranged, composed, mixed and mastered the song, played all the instruments (including bass, guitar, piano and obviously drums!), sang and then also directed and edited the video.

And he did it for Jesus. Because he has a passion for Jesus.

“I guess it comes back to the story of the song – just a drummer boy who goes to find Jesus and has absolutely nothing to give him,” Quigley told the Winnipeg Sun. “He plays the drum for Jesus and that makes him so happy ... That’s me. That’s why I’m doing it.”

“It’s not about me getting recognition,” he affirmed. “This song is about Jesus.”

He's been interviewed or simply written about in numerous articles including the Winnipeg Sun (another Winnipeg Sun article), CTV, Christian Post, CBC and Yahoo. You can hear his radio interview with Larry Updike (CBC) here and see the CTV interview here. With refreshing humility, he always points back to Jesus.

Apparently the song is going to be available on iTunes soon, but you can already get it from CDBaby - I bought and downloaded it yesterday and am loving it!

Truth in the Tinsel discount code - today only!

2011-12-12T21:03:00.003-06:00

You can receive 20% off your purchase of Truth in the Tinsel using promo code 12DAYS today only - until midnight ET tonight! When you download it, you'll get a 12 day alternate schedule since there's 12 days left till Christmas. She also has shorter versions - some only 6 days - so there's still time!

So, if you were wanting to do it and never got around to it, don't put it off till next year. There's still time! Originally $4.99, you get $1 off with promo code 12DAYS today only. Check it out - Truth in the Tinsel.

You can see my review here or, if that just doesn't seem your style, check out a bonanza of other Jesse Tree options here.

forgotten foto friday

2011-12-09T15:04:00.004-06:00

Forgotten Foto Friday was created by my cousin Tammi. It's where you dig through your memory cards and hard drives to find pictures you liked or were significant but somehow got forgotten, and you finally share them with the world in a delightfully random post!

If you'd like to participate, click on the button on the left or this link.

These photos go WAY back, (to the beginning of my digital camera era) almost 8 yrs ago, when there were only two kids in our family - Emma would be 2 (almost 3) and Sophia about 9 months.

Here they are in their cute Christmas dresses that year.

Gazing into each other's eyes! These two have always played well together. Olivia is right in there too nowadays, but these two do have a special bond.

At one of our hotel stays just south of the border.

"Help me, I'm falling!"

They loved playing together in the crib. (Sophia was our only soother baby.)

Book Review: The Mirror of N'De by L.K. Malone

2011-12-06T08:30:00.001-06:00

About the Book: In the mythical city of N’de lives thirteen-year-old Hadlay and her people, the Ramash. Scorned and abused by the unloving and absent Emperor, the Ramash are poor people, placed second to the ruling class of the Oresed. Young but bold, Hadlay rages against the injustice in her city. When she is chosen for the honor of serving the Prince in the Tower, she hopes to find a way to right the wrong... but soon discovers that things are worse than she believed.

While Hadlay works to better her people’s condition, she struggles to abide with the abusive Oresed and understand the meaning of her dreams in which a fantastical white horse appears to her and speaks in riddles. When Hadlay stumbles into one of the Tower’s secret rooms, she discovers a hidden mirror that doesn’t just show her reflection, but reveals much more: the horse’s name is Sirach and he has a plan to save the children of N’de, if only Hadlay can bring them to the mirror. Hiding her knowledge of Sirach from the Prince, Hadlay sets out to do Sirach’s bidding. But when Sirach’s presence is revealed, Hadley’s life is in danger and the only way to save her is for Sirach to give up his own.

Crafting powerful narrative and creative characters, author L. K. Malone spins a compelling tale that combines exciting entertainment and the Christian story. In The Mirror of N’de, readers will empathize with the desires of an oppressed people, will anger at the affliction of a cruel adversary, and ultimately rejoice with the revelation of a Savior.

My Thoughts: I admit to somewhat surprising myself when I signed up for this blog tour as fantasy is not my usual genre of choice. In fact, my exposure to it has been limited to the Chronicles of Narnia and a few books by Ted Dekker. However, I did like what I read in those books and thought this book sounded interesting enough to give it a go.

I'm glad I did! An allegory of the Christian story, it was completely different to any others I had read previously and it was definitely not as predictable as I first thought it would be - in fact, things were often not what they seemed.

Hadlay, though far from perfect, is a very likeable character and her desire to do her part to help rescue her people reminded me a bit of Queen Esther, one of my favourite Bible stories. Hadlay battles her desire for revenge on the Oreseds throughout the book, very realistic for her circumstances.

Anyone interested in the fantasy genre would like this book! It definitely swept me into a whole new world.

Thank you to Stephanie and Amy from Litfuse Publicity for organizing this tour and providing me with my complimentary review copy.

A Bonanza of Jesse Tree Options

2011-11-30T20:05:00.007-06:00

I really love the whole concept of The Jesse Tree.

The Jesse Tree has its roots in the following scripture...

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. Isaiah 1:1

The Jesse Tree represents the family tree of Jesus and tells the entire story of God's salvation plan, beginning with creation and making its way through the Old Testament, showing how it all points to the coming of the Messiah. Reviewing this plan reminds us of how the Israelites waited for the birth of Jesus, and how we wait for His second coming today.

I wanted to post several Jesse Tree options for those of you who are looking to do this with your family. None of them are exactly alike. Some are geared towards adults, some towards kids. Some start on December 1st, some the 1st Sunday of Advent, some November 29th.

Remember, perfection is not what's required here. You can make your own ornaments to hang on a Jesse Tree, you can buy some ready made for you from Etsy, you can make simple print, cut and colour ornaments. Or you don't even have to do the ornaments at all. Obviously the devotions themselves, talking with your kids and focusing on Jesus, is the most important aspect of it all. The ornaments do add that extra dimension, and kids love them - but they are not required. Don't fall for the "if I can't do it perfectly, I'm not doing it all" mentality. Anything is better than nothing!

That being said, here is a list of the ones I've found. I hope you can find something suitable for your family!

1) A Jesus Advent Celebration from Ann Voskamp - this free download contains everything you need for your first Jesse Tree. Each day contains a scripture reading, a devotional, a prayer and an idea of something to do to apply the day's truth to our lives. This download also contains every single ornament you need - just print it out, attach it to card stock, punch holes, glue a ribbon"hook" on and you're all set! Or you could literally just print/cut them out and tape them onto a paper tree. Can't get much simpler than that! I do really love this devotional, but wish it was a bit more child friendly with simpler wording - I'm just not a huge fan of her style of writing. But this is definitely a great all-in-one package, and it's free! This is the one we're currently using - but I'm substituting stories from our Jesus Storybook Bible and The Big Picture Story Bible

2) Truth in the Tinsel is the ebook I reviewed the other day (congratulations again to Pam, Meg and Cynthia on winning the giveaway, and thanks Amanda for your generosity!). It sells for only $4.99 and is a perfect Jesse Tree style devotional to do with the preschool through early elementary set. It focuses more on the actual Christmas story, and not as much on the OT history. But I love that it is so flexible, that it's geared to littles, and that the ornaments are a part of the whole thing, so you don't have to do it ahead of time, but you do it together.

3) Advent Meditations by Grace Bible Church of Hollister: what I love about this free download is that this "book" actually contains 2 sets of Advent readings - one for kids and one for older children (teens) and adults. The adult devotional begins with a short devotional style summary of the day's truth, followed by scripture. Then at the bottom of the page it references which story from the Jesus Storybook Bible you are to read for the children's readings. The cons to this one is that no ornaments are included, and if you don't have the Jesus Storybook Bible you won't be able to do it with your kids.

4) Jesse Tree Family Devotions from the Reformed Church in America: This is a fantastic free resource for younger kids! Each day includes the scripture reference (you need to look it up and read it from your Bible), a devotional reading geared towards young children, a simple question to talk about what was just read, a pray and a black and white image that you can print, colour and turn into an ornament. The images aren't as beautiful as the Ann Voskamp ones, but they'll do!

5) Advent Devotional by Christ the King Presbyterian Church: this free resource is geared more towards a family worship style experience. Each individual devotion contains a scripture passage, a brief reflection style devotional on that passage, both an adult and a child's prayer, as well as hymn to sing together. There are no ornaments provided in this devotional.

6) Advent Jesse Tree Daily Devotions: This includes both an OT and NT scripture reference, a short devotional and a prayer/thanks. No ornaments are included, though ideas are given.

7) Jesse Tree Advent Reading Meditations from This Classical Life: Each day includes the theme, a scripture reference, an ornament idea, a short devotional followed by a couple of questions and a prayer. There are enough readings for the longest advent seasons, so during shorter advent seasons you have to double up or skip some.

8) Jesse Tree Parent Devotions: these online devotions are specifically for parents. They have had ornament sets and child devotional books for sale previously, but they're all sold out. Excellent resource if you're looking for something more in-depth for your own devotions this advent season.

9) Advent Reflections for the Jesse Tree from Faith Magazine: Each day has one main scripture verse followed by a very short description of the symbol and what it represents, followed by a longer scripture reference to look up. They also have the whole set of ornaments available for download, both small ones (3.5") and large ones (7.5").

10) Print Candee is offering a printable Jesse Tree Kit for free for a limited time on their Facebook page! The kit includes 3 sheets of 27 1.5" circle ornaments, 1 Scripture verse guide and 27 corresponding gift boxes to keep the ornaments in underneath the tree. They also have a tutorial on how to make the ornaments. This set is adorable!!

11) Jesus Storybook Bible Jesse Tree. This is a blog post describing how the Rutherfords have used only the Jesus Storybook Bible in order to do their Jesse Tree. Ornaments are not included, and obviously, the Jesus Storybook Bible is required. Because I'm always slightly leery of blog posts becoming unavailable (set as private, or simply removed), I'm going to include the schedule right here (ornament idea in brackets).
Dec 1 - Creation (dove): JSB pg 18-27 based on Genesis 1-2
Dec 2 - The Fall (fruit tree): JSB pg 28-37 based on Genesis 3
Dec 3 - The Flood (rainbow): JSB pg 38-47 based on Genesis 6-9
Dec 4 - Tower of Babel (tower): JSB pg 48-55 based on Genesis 11
Dec 5 - The Promise to Abraham (stars in the sky): JSB pg 56-61 based on Genesis 12-21
Dec 6 - Abraham and Isaac (ram): JSB pg 62-69 based on Genesis 22
Dec 7 - Jacob, Rachel and Leah (stalks of grain): JSB pg 70-75 based on Genesis 29-30
Dec 8 - Joseph (rainbow coat): JSB pg 76-83 based on Genesis 37-46
Dec 9 - Moses and the Burning Bush (burning bush): JSB pg 84-91 based on Exodus 3-13
Dec 10 - Moses and the Red Sea (split waters): JSB pg 92-99 based on Exodus 14-15
Dec 11 - The Law (stone tablets): JSB pg 100-107 based on Exodus 16, 17, 19-40
Dec 12 - Joshua and Jericho (trumpet): JSB pg 108-115 based on Joshua 3 and 6
Dec 13 - David's Anointing (David the shepherd boy): JSB pg 116-121 based on 1 Samuel 16
Dec 14 - David and Goliath (slingshot): JSB pg 122-129 based on 1 Samuel 17
Dec 15 - David the Shepherd (lyre): JSB pg 130-135 based on Psalm 23, 51, 2 Samuel 7
Dec 16 - Naaman (heart): JSB pg 136-143 based on 2 Kings 5
Dec 17 - Isaiah (crown): JSB pg 144-151 based on Isaiah 9, 11, 40, 50, 53, 55, 60
Dec 18 - Daniel in the Lion's Den (Daniel and a lion): JSB pg 152-159 based on Daniel 6
Dec 19 - Jonah (fish): JSB pg 160-169 based on Jonah 1-4
Dec 20 - The Prophets (party hat): JSB pg 170-175 based on Nehemiah 8-10
Dec 21 - John the Baptist (shell): JSB pg 200-203 based on Matthew 3
Dec 22 - Mary and the Angel (angel): JSB pg 176-176 based on Luke 1-2
Dec 23 - Journey to Bethlehem (scroll): JSB pg 180-181 based on Luke 1-2
Dec 24 - The Shepherds and Wise Men (three wise men): JSB pg 184-188 based on Luke 2
Dec 25 - Jesus is Born! (baby Jesus): JSB pg 182, 190, 192-198 based on Luke 2

12) I found another set of printable ornaments here.

13) Focus on the Family also has a free digital download Advent Calendar when you register on the Thriving Family website. It offers daily Scripture readings, parent-child activities and links to JellyTelly video clips, stories, crafts, Christmas carols, recipes, Adventures in Odyssey audio dramas and more! You can also access it online here or get an iPad download here. (Thanks Jessica, for letting me know about this one!)

14) How to Celebrate Advent with a Jesse Tree is a free ebook compiled by Tara from FeelsLikeHome. Each day identifies the central character, the theme, the ornament, the key verse, a song to sing, a scripture reference to read and a prayer.

15) Advent chains are a simplified version of the Jesse Tree. SpellOutLoud has a free printable advent chain - each chain has a theme and scripture reference to look up. She also has a free printable name of Jesus advent chain, with a name of Jesus and scripture reference on each chain, as well as activity idea options.

If I've missed any that you've found, please let me know!

There are also numerous books you can order to compliment your Jesse Tree, or even to do it entirely.

Jesse Tree Devotions: A Family Activity for Advent by Marilyn Breckenridge is a book containing the daily devotionals (Scripture reference, short devotional and prayer) as well as tree leaf shaped symbols that you can photocopy, colour and paste onto a large tree pullout (photocopy as well, or you'll have to reorder this every year).

The Advent Jesse Tree by Dean Smith is a beautiful hardcover book. The devotions for each day have a picture (which you could photocopy to make ornaments), symbol suggestions, a memory verse, a selection of hymns you could sing, followed by two separate devotions for children and adults. The devotional for children has a short scripture reference, a devotional, questions and a prayer. The adult devotional has a longer scriptural passage reference, a short devotion and a prayer.

The Jesse Tree by Geraldine McCaughrean is a telling of the Jesse Tree symbols and biblical tales in storybook form.

Bartholomew's Passage, Jotham's Journey and Tabitha's Travels by Arnold Ytreeide are not Jesse Tree specific, but are fantastic family stories for Advent. The storybook characters travel throughout Israel and encounter the biblical characters, ending their travels in Bethlehem just in time for the Saviour's birth. He also has another book, Amon's Adventure, for Easter-time.

Phew - that's all I got! Whatever your choice, my prayer is that this helps you to put the focus on Christ this Christmas.

Truth in the Tinsel Winners!

2011-11-29T23:45:00.004-06:00

The three winners of the Truth in the Tinsel giveaway are......

#13 - PamJ

#1 - Meg

#18 - Cynthia Crellin

Congratulations!!!

Winners - you need to send me your email addresses (tammyisblessed at gmail dot com) by 12 noon CST tomorrow (November 30) in order to claim your prize! If have not heard from you before then, I will pick new winners (because it starts December 1st already!) Once again, a huge thank you to Amanda for donating these three copies of her ebook, Truth in the Tinsel

If you didn't win, click here to purchase your copy of the Truth in the Tinsel ebook for only $4.99.

Thanks for playing and hope to see you participating in the Facebook group!

Truth in the Tinsel - giveaway!

2011-11-29T00:05:00.006-06:00

In yesterday's blog post I wrote about using Ann Voskamp's Jesse Tree devotional last year and some of the many things I loved about doing that, as well as some of the drawbacks.

If you're looking for something targeted towards a younger audience (preschool through early elementary) - I have just the thing for you!

Truth in the Tinsel is an ebook developed by Amanda White from ImpressYourKids who was looking for a more pre-school friendly way to do a Jesse Tree style advent activity with her kids.

What's awesome about this is that it is soooo flexible! Here's the main gist of it...

Each day there is a clue (something for your kids to listen for), a scripture passage to read together, an ornament craft to make together (craft-challenged moms like me - don't stop reading!!), exploring what the passage means together (talking about it), and some options to do more together if you want to take the time to go deeper into the story (such as additional scripture, songs to sing, fun activities to make the lesson applicable to their lives, etc).

In case you didn't catch it in the previous paragraph, one of the goals is to make this advent journey together with your kids.

Making the perfect Christmas tree ornament crafts is definitely NOT the goal! (Phew - cause I'd be out right there). The goal, of course, is to engage your kids in the Christmas story in a way they can understand so that they grow to love Jesus more. To quote Amanda....

The little Baby is no longer in the manger but alive and sitting on a throne - waiting to have a relationship with you and your children. Help your children get to know Him this Christmas!

Now, what does it all include?

Everything! (Love it when people make things easy for me by doing all the hard work!)

There are two options for your advent calendar. There are 24 picture and word clues that you can print out and use to create your own advent calendar (or use with one you already have). Or, to keep it super simple, there's a printable paper chain style version - can't get any easier than that!

She has a full craft supply list, as well as a daily list (in case you only want to do certain crafts, or gather materials gradually), and templates for some of the ornaments. Most of the supplies are very common and you may, in fact, have most of them at home already. There's also a Facebook group where you can share in the journey with other families.

Keep in mind - there's no rule you have to make the craft the way it's suggested. If it calls for glue, you can use tape. If it calls for embroidery thread, you can use yarn. Shoot - you can just cut it out of construction paper and call it a day! And really, if you skip the craft entirely some days, that's ok too!

Amanda understand all about busy schedules, especially in December. Which is why I love this next feature: she has alternate schedules!! You can do a 6 day version covering all the traditional Christmas passages. Another option is to take several days of one large chunk of scripture at a time (works especially well if you have multiple kids as they can each make a different ornament while you're discussing the passage). You can do a 10 day version focusing on the people of the story - creating an almost full nativity set (of ornaments) for your kids to play with. Or you can do a 7 days version focusing on prophecy. So many options!

This is not a "do all 24 crafts in 24 days or die trying" type of program. Do what you can as you have time, knowing that as you have time, someone else has already figured out what you need to do!

So, Truth in the Tinsel sells for only $4.99 - which is a pretty good deal for this package I'd say. Remember, it's an e-book, so no waiting for it to arrive - instant download and you're off to the races!

But y'all have the chance to get it for free! In fact - 3 of y'all do! Amanda has graciously offered to donate 3 copies of Truth in the Tinsel as a giveaway on my blog. All you have to do is comment on this post and you're in! If you like her Facebook group and come comment again to let me know you did, you get another entry.

Truth in the Tinsel starts on December 1st which means there is going to be a pretty short turnaround between this blog post and the entry deadline - so you only have until 11pm CST tonight (Tuesday, November 29th) to enter this giveaway!

If you're not one of the winners, take heart - it'll only cost you $4.99 to purchase the Truth in the Tinsel ebook and join with us, making meaningful Christmas memories with our kids, impressing the Truth of God's Word on their minds and hearts.

Anticipating Advent - the Jesse Tree

2011-11-28T21:52:00.002-06:00

I love it when people make things easy by doing all the hard work for me. :)

For a couple years now, when thinking about (and googling) ways to make Christmas meaningful to our kids, and distract them from all the presents and Santa hoopla (which is fun and all, but not the true reason we celebrate), I came across the idea of a Jesse Tree.

Each day of Advent focuses on one story in the OT and a handmade ornament is added to the Jesse Tree. A Jesse Tree can be a small Christmas tree, it could be any tree-type plant in your home, it could be branches sticking out of a pot, or it could even simply be a hand-drawn tree shape.

Last year, I came across a beautiful Jesse Tree Advent Devotional Book that was (and still is!) being given away for free, by Ann Voskamp at her blog A Holy Experience. Every day's readings contained the scripture passage, a devotional, and an action point (something to do, relating to the theme of the day's devotional). And the ornaments were so easy to put together (essential for this craft-challenged mother!). All I had to do was print them out, glue them on some green card stock with my pretty red ribbon and voila - done!! Like I said - virtually all the work done for me! :)

However, I found the devotionals a bit of a stretch for our kids, and her writing style wasn't really my style. So I supplemented the material with our Jesus Storybook Bible and The Big Picture Story Bible. The Jesus Storybook Bible is by far and away our favourite children's Bible (and we have more than a few). Seriously, if you don't have it yet, you really really really really really need to. And I'm not exaggerating. (Here's my review of it). Anyway, the girls absolutely loved doing this last year (we did about two per day in order to catch up, because we started late - so no using that as an excuse!!). This was our Jesse Tree last year.....

I love the whole idea of it, but I'm planning to rewrite some of the devotionals and revise things to create our own version of the Jesse Tree using many of our children's Bibles in the process.

I'm not entirely sure when that will get done - I do, technically, only have to have them done one day at a time, so in theory, I could still finish it this year. But it starts tomorrow!! So, we'll see what happens. It'll likely be a combo of last year's and whatever I have time to figure out for this year.

The only other problem is that this is a little over the head of my 3 yr old son.

Fortunately, I've found a solution. That post (including 3 giveaways!!) coming up tomorrow!

We're starting our Jesse Tree tomorrow, but we may be doing a little something more this year too (starting December 1st). Stay tuned!

PS - my cousin, Tammi, is doing this too - check out her Jesse Tree!

Olivia's Hearing Update

2011-11-28T16:34:00.004-06:00

Figured today would be a good day to update you on Olivia's hearing difficulties.

We saw the ENT specialist in May and he confirmed that she had fairly severe fluid build up in both ears, but especially in her right ear. He wanted a full audiological exam done and then a follow-up appointment in November. We were free to call sooner if she developed any continuous ear infection difficulties. At first she was having some trouble with that, and I thought for sure we'd have to bring her in early and get tubes put in her ears, but they ended up going away and she hasn't had any subsequent issues.

The audiological exam was done in June and had less than impressive results. Her right ear had fairly significant hearing loss, including only being able to hear conversationally at 8%. Not good.

We seemed to be noticing some improvement, and with no more ear ache troubles, we remained hopeful that God was healing her, likely through the growth of her body causing the eustachian tube to angle properly (instead of being too horizontal, preventing proper ear drainage, as this was likely the cause of the trouble).

Today was her follow up appointment - she first had an audiological exam followed by an appointment with the ENT specialist. And - her hearing is perfect and the fluid is gone! No surgery needed, not even any follow up appointments needed. Praise the Lord!

PS - forgot one crucial part of this story....

Later this afternoon, after school, Olivia told us that, during the hearing test at school (routine for all kingergarteners and Grade 1ers), she could hear all the beeps, but she didn't raise her hand for all of them cause the hearing tests are fun and she wanted to go to more of them!

Oy vey! Only Olivia.

Don't worry, I made her fess up to her teacher (so she didn't waste any of our educational resources and money) and apologize for the deception. But I gotta say, privately, I totally laughed.

Book Review: House of Hope by Elisabeth Gifford

2011-11-24T22:39:00.003-06:00

About the Book: Robin and Joyce Hill lived in a gated community in Beijing. Their family’s life was marked by luxury and the security of Robin's job as an engineer. Then one day, as members of their church, they had a chance to tour a state-run orphanage. Haunted by the needs of the children they saw there, for the next four years they tried to help the institute in meaningful ways.

In 1998 the Hills planned to leave China, but instead felt a sudden call from God on their lives. They left their gated community--reserved for only non-Chinese residents--moved their family into a small apartment miles outside of Beijing and immediately began to take in foster children.

They took in any child, but especially those that needed extra care—terminally ill children that couldn't receive care elsewhere, and those that needed complicated and expensive surgeries that the Hills soon began to coordinate and sometimes pay for out of their own savings.

What began as Hope Foster Home is now New Hope Foundation. As they continue their work, the Hills enjoy support from major corporations and high-profile philanthropists as well as the trust of the Chinese authorities. The Hills' story is an inspiring example of God's care and provision for those whom society does not value. Learn more about Hope Foster Homes here: http://www.hopefosterhome.com.

"I strongly support Robin and Joyce Hill's New Hope Foundation which is saving so many orphan lives in China. Read this amazing story of God's grace and accept the challenge to make a difference!"
--Steven Curtis Chapman

"I had the privilege of going to China and witnessing the work that God is doing through Robin and Joyce Hill. They are wonderful servants of God who lovingly care for the 'least of these.' I hope that many will read this book and consider their example."
--Francis Chan, author of Crazy Love

My Thoughts: This was an incredible book, infused with the love of God shown by one couple's choice to devote their lives to caring for the least of these.

Story after miraculous story showed how God worked miracles in the lives of these precious children. Each one touched my heart as I was amazed by the tireless efforts of the Hills to put their faith into action and show that every child matters, no matter how hopeless the situation. Indeed that is the driving force behind the Hills efforts - knowing that each orphan is an individual child that has been uniquely formed in the image of God, just as we all are, and that is what makes them worthy to receive the same care, respect and love as those born into more fortunate circumstances.

Simply an amazing and inspirational story! I would recommend this without hesitation to anyone - but be prepared to be changed.

100% of the proceeds of this book go to fund the work at Hope Foster Home.

Giveaway: The publisher is sponsoring a $50 "Get/Give" Giveaway: One winner will receive a $50 Amazon.com gift certificate for themselves AND $50 will be given in the winner's name to Hope Foster Home.

To enter all you have to do is send a tweet using the hashtag #HFH about the House of Hope or share about it on Facebook! If you tweet your entry will be captured when you use #HFH. If you share it on Facebook just email ckrumm@litfusegroup.com and let them know.

Not sure what to tweet/post? Try this:

Twitter: Couple gives all to rescue babies in China! 100% proceeds go to #HopeFosterHome http://ow.ly/7qR3e RT 4 $50 @amazon & $50 to #HFH

Facebook: The House of Hope: One couple abandons a comfortable life to rescue abandoned children. Robin and Joyce Hill have helped over 1300 Chinese orphans with severe medical problems. Purchase a copy for everyone you know - the book is a gift that gives a gift. 100% proceeds to help support the work at Hope Foster Home! Learn more here: http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13438821 Share this for a chance to get a $50 Amazon.com GC and $50 in your name to Hope Foster Home!

Thank you to Stephanie and Amy from Litfuse Publicity for organizing this tour and providing me with my complimentary review copy.

Thankful remembrance

2011-11-11T23:13:00.001-06:00

Reposted from last year

Today, on Remembrance Day (or Veterans Day in the States), I am thankful for the countless soldiers who sacrificed themselves for the sake of freedom.

All sacrificed years of their life; all sacrificed being able to continue their lives as usual, to be with their families, to be there for births, first steps and more; all sacrificed the naivete of not knowing what war is truly like.

And some sacrificed through wounds - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.

And some sacrificed through death.

I am thankful that they fought (and still fight!) for our freedom.

I am thankful when they fight for the freedom of other countries too weak to fight for themselves.

I am thankful they willingly fight so that I am not forced to.

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

Which reminds me of another sacrifice I am thankful for.

Romans 5:7-8 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Jesus sacrificed the glory of heaven .... for us.

Jesus took on the sins of the world and endured the wrath of God and separation from His father - so that we could be free from the punishment of sin.

Jesus sacrificed - physically, mentally, emotionally, physically - for us. For you. For me. While we were sinners, because we were sinners, because He loves us - He offers the gift of eternal life.

I am thankful because we are all incapable of paying the penalty for our sins and needed Him to do it for us.

Today, I am thankful for freedom - in all it's forms!

Book Review: The Baker's Wife by Erin Healy

2011-11-05T15:40:00.005-05:00

About the Book: To save her husband and son, Audrey Bofinger must rescue her enemy.

The Bofinger family has lost their church ministry in a scandal exposed by Officer Jack Mansfield. Hoping to heal and to restore their reputation, Audrey, Geoff, and their son Ed take over a failing bakery in the small community.

Driving to the bakery one morning, blinded by fog, Audrey hits a motor scooter owned by Jack’s wife, Julie. The mangled scooter is crushed and bloody. But Julie is nowhere to be found. Her disappearance coincides with a sudden illness that nearly cripples Audrey.

Jack believes the Bofingers have hurt Julie to take revenge on him, but the evidence dries up and her trail goes cold. At a breaking point, Jack takes the tiny bakery and its patrons hostage, issuing only one demand: Audrey has six hours to return Julie to him, or lose Geoff and Ed forever.

With only an excruciating and intuitive gift, an ex-con, and Julie’s estranged daughter to help search for clues, Audrey starts the search of her life for a woman who has vanished like the fog.

My Thoughts: I had mixed feelings about this book. Overall, I really liked the storyline and how all the different plots intertwined to make a riveting story.

I liked how the scandal is threaded throughout the book, without the details of it having to be revealed too soon.

The mystery of Julie's disappearance, the unknown scandal, the gradually revealed story of Dianne, an ex-convict recently released from prison and the cynical opinions of Jack & Julie's estranged daughter Miralee - all raise the opportunity for deep theological exploration.

The part I didn't like was Audrey's supernatural but unsettling ability to literally feel another's pain. I did like how God led her to help different people, but it was just a bit too weird for my taste.

Thank you to Stephanie and Amy from Litfuse Publicity for organizing this tour and providing me with my complimentary review copy.

Book Review: Love on the Line by Deeanne Gist

2011-11-01T08:30:00.000-05:00

About the Book: It's a Battle of Wills ... and Love Is on the Line!

Rural switchboard operator Georgie Gail is proud of her independence in a man's world . . . which makes it twice as vexing when the telephone company sends a man to look over her shoulder.

Dashing Luke Palmer is more than he appears though. He's a Texas Ranger working undercover to infiltrate a notorious gang of train robbers. Repairing telephones and tangling with this tempestuous woman is the last thing he wants to do. But when his stakeout puts Georgie in peril, he realizes more than his job is on the line.

My Thoughts: Christian historical romantic fiction - yup, love it. I think this is the first book I've read by Deeanne Gist, but it won't be my last!

This was just a really fun book to read. I found the telephone operator thing to be fascinating, and hey, how can a Texas Ranger going undercover not be fun?!

At first I thought the main character was a little off her rocker with somewhat fanatical love of birds. But the farther into the book I got the more I appreciated God's amazing creativity in every aspect of creation, and the more I agreed with her desire to protect these delightful creatures and to stop the killing of birds purely for fashion purposes. (I cannot believe people wore actual dead birds on their hats as a fashion statement!)

I definitely learned a thing or two from reading this novel and it was a refreshing, fast read.

Thank you to Stephanie and Amy from Litfuse Publicity for organizing this tour and providing me with my complimentary review copy.

Book Review: The Wonder of Your Love by Beth Wiseman

2011-10-27T08:30:00.001-05:00

About the Book: Katie Ann lost the love of her life. Then God offers her a new beginning in Colorado.

Katie Ann Stolzfus lives in the small Amish community of Canaan, Colorado. At forty she is widowed and raising her first child. But baby Jonas will never know his father, and Katie Ann wonders if her Heavenly Father hasn't forgotten about her as well. Is it really God's plan for her to be a single parent?

Eli Detweiler has come to Canaan for a wedding and a long vacation. Having raised six children following the death of his young wife, Eli is finally an empty-nester. He's enjoying the slower pace of having no one to care for but himself.

When Katie Ann and Eli meet, there is an instant connection. Yet as strong as the attraction is, they both acknowledge that a romance would never work. He is done parenting, while she has just begun.

But as their friendship slowly blossoms into feelings that are as frightening as they are intoxicating, Katie Ann and Eli question if the plans they made for themselves are in line with God's plans.

Can Katie Ann entrust her heart to another man, and rediscover the wonder of God's love?

My Thoughts: This must be one of my favourite pieces of Amish fiction that has become so popular lately. In fact, it was downright humourous at times - which I love.

These Amish are not quite as conservative as some of the other Amish groups and the Katie Ann's best friend is an Englischer named Martha who is outspoken, set in her ways, devoted to God, and fiercely protective of Katie Ann and her baby Jonas. Martha steals the book for me!

The characters were well-developed and realistic - with foibles and quirks just like everyday people. Their interactions and the growth in their relationships were realistic and the storyline was original and captivating.

For me the biggest lesson to take away from this book was that we can make our plans, and they can be realistic, practical and just what we think we need. But sometimes God has other plans - and they are always far better than the ones we had lined up for ourselves.

This book is part of a series and I'm really looking forward to reading the others!

Thank you to Stephanie and Amy from Litfuse Publicity for organizing this tour and providing me with my complimentary review copy.

Book Review: Baby, It's Cold Outside by Susan May Warren

2011-10-23T22:09:00.003-05:00

About the Book: Hope finds the hopeless when a storm hits.

It's Christmas weekend 1949, and despite the threat of a storm, the townspeople of Frost are determined to continue their holiday traditions, if only as a means to forget the war that they had all just suffered through. But the suffering hasn't ended for Dottie Morgan who lost her only son in the war. She's preparing to wallow in her isolation for the weekend, when Violet, nearly a spinster at age 29, dares to make a request that will force Dottie to publicly revive the memory of her dead son.

When a storm traps the two women at home with a strange young man who has an unbelievable confession and a neighbor with more to do with Violet's past than she would like, no one can predict how this Christmas will give them all a second chance.

My Thoughts: Susan May Warren is definitely one of my favourite Christian fiction authors so I snapped this book up when I saw it offered on a Litfuse blog tour. And I was not disappointed!

Set in rural Minnesota on Christmas Eve, post-World War II, this heartwarming story is perfect for curling up by the fireplace on a snowy winter night. 5 near strangers are snowed in together - an older couple, a younger couple and a young boy who pulls them all together as they all go through differing types of personal renewal, deepening faith and an awakening to the true meaning of Christmas.

From the author's note:

Jesus is the only reason we can celebrate anything. The only reason for Hope. Without Him, life blindsides us, traps us, steals our joy.... Jesus is our Storm House. Our safe place. Inside His arms we find family, comfort and hope, and the courage to face our secrets and discover forgiveness. He gives us that place of peace inside the storm.

Jesus is the answer to everything.

Thank you to Stephanie and Amy from Litfuse Publicity for organizing this tour and providing me with my complimentary review copy.

25 Ways to Wear a Scarf

2011-10-23T16:45:00.006-05:00

For all you scarf lovers out there....

I didn't even know there were 25 ways to wear a scarf! ;)

Book Review: Reclaiming Lily by Patti Lacy

2011-10-20T08:00:00.002-05:00

About the Book: A storm the size of Texas brews when Gloria Powell and Kai Chang meet in a Ft. Worth hotel. They have come to discuss the future of Lily, the daughter Gloria adopted from China and the sister Kai hopes to reclaim. Kai is a doctor who had to give up her little sister during the Cultural Revolution and has since discovered that an inherited genetic defect may be waiting to fatally strike Lily.

Gloria's relationship with her daughter is tattered and strained, and the arrival of Kai, despite the woman's apparent good intentions, makes Gloria fearful. Gloria longs to restore her relationship with Lily, but in the wake of this potentially devastating diagnosis, is Kai an answer to prayer--or will her arrival force Gloria to sacrifice more than she ever imagined?

My Thoughts: I must admit that it took me awhile to get into this book - the lilt of English from a Chinese perspective took some getting used to I think. But am I ever glad I did! As I continued to read I was captivated by the story - in fact, multiple storylines, all masterfully interwoven to create a compelling read.

The characters are both well developed and realistic. Their many flaws, fears and struggles make it easy to empathize with them and the storyline is anything but predictable - with a surprise awaiting even on the last page (though my guess was correct, I was far from certain).

Foreign adoption, Chinese culture, discrimination, guilt, fear, life-threatening medical conditions, sacrificial love, teenage angst, natural disasters - a myriad of subjects dealt with in this book.

Thank you to Stephanie and Amy from Litfuse Publicity for organizing this tour and providing me with my complimentary review copy.

Book Review: Along Wooded Paths by Tricia Goyer

2011-10-11T14:49:00.001-05:00

About the Book: All she wanted was a simple Amish life . . . But now Marianna Sommer finds herself depending on Englisch neighbors. Although proud of living apart from the world, she and her newly relocated Amish family have discovered that life in the remote mountains of Montana requires working together.

As Marianna begins helping those different from herself—and receiving their help—her heart contemplates two directions. She’s torn between the Amish man from Indiana whom she has long planned on marrying and the friendly Englischer who models a closer walk with God than she’s ever seen before.

Who should have young Marianna’s heart? What is God asking her to sacrifice? Her traditions? Her community? The answer is found along the wooded paths.

My Thoughts: I was fortunate enough to review the first book in this series, Beside Still Waters, and looked forward to this one as well.

Many of the things I liked about the first book, I also liked about this one. I love how the author explores the differences between the Amish and "Englisch" faith, highlighting the benefits of the Amish lifestyle and belief system while also acknowledging some of the potential pitfalls of their tendency toward legalism.

The only thing that I did not really like about this book was Marianna's interest in two different men and her inability to choose between them for a long portion of the book. Maybe not so much her hesitancy in choosing, but rather that she seems to be in love with them both at the same time. And obviously, just because that's not something I've experienced, doesn't mean it can't happen, but I truly believe that when you're sincerely praying that God would guide your heart and reveal who you are supposed to be with, that it would be more obvious than this, and I guess the adolescent vibe it gave me just rubbed me the wrong way. So, feel free to take that negativism with a grain of salt.

Overall, I loved seeing Marianna grow in her faith as she was exposed to differing lifestyles and the needs and difficulties that went along with them.

Thank you to Stephanie and Amy from Litfuse Publicity for organizing this tour and providing me with my complimentary review copy.

Storage ideas

2011-10-08T15:33:00.003-05:00

We are beginning construction on our new house. Yes, again! This will be our sixth house in this town. The first was built in summer 1998, the second over the winter of 2001/2002, the third in late fall 2004, the fourth in over the winter of 2006/2007, the fifth the fall of 2007 and now the sixth one will be over the winter of 2011/2012. Which means that the house we're currently living in is a record for us at 4 years - crazy!

Anyway, we will likely put our current house up for sale shortly, at least just on kijiji. If it doesn't sell now, we'll likely put it on the market at the end of winter or early spring. So, in preparation for the sale, I'm in the process of doing some major decluttering! I totally should've taken some before pictures because the changes have been dramatic so far, and I'm not done yet!

The first project was our mudroom. For anyone that's been to our house, you likely remember the shoe store we had going on in there, we had so many shoes! Between flip flops, Sunday sandals, regular sandals, outdoor runners and four kids - well, you can imagine! So, I let each kid keep one pair of flip flops, and their outdoor school runners in the mudroom, everything else had to go in their bedroom closets - and I got rid of one large garbage full of shoes they either no longer wore, no longer fit or were worn out. We can actually close the mudroom doors now!

Then I also decluttered one of our countertops that had paper clutter just multiplying all over the place.

Now I'm working on the office. That's taking a little longer.

In the process, I've also been looking up some pretty neat storage solutions. Here's some of my favourites....

Totally getting Nathan to build me this laundry basket dresser for our new laundry room (which will be complete with flooring and a window!)

Source: ana-white.com via Tammy on Pinterest

Great idea for a mudroom, I think I'd use some prettier baskets (also available at the dollar store).

Source: inmyownstyle.com via Tammy on Pinterest

And check out this charging station - our phone desk needs this in a bad way!!

Source: overcomingbusy.com via Tammy on Pinterest

Innovative use of a spice rack for office or craft room storage...

Source: vanillajoy.com via Tammy on Pinterest

Slipcovers for crates...

Source: lauragunn.typepad.com via Tammy on Pinterest

Turning every day containers into beautiful storage options...

Source: ordinarymeetscleverblog.com via Tammy on Pinterest

Great idea for anything from craft paper to cd's to baby blankets to school projects to games with broken boxes....

Source: orgjunkie.com via Tammy on Pinterest

And, I don't know about you but our puzzle boxes are forever falling apart, so here's an idea for how to store them, and still know which puzzle you're taking out!

Source: orgjunkie.com via Tammy on Pinterest

Feel free to let me in on any of your favourite storage solutions!

Sophia's First Camping Experience

2011-10-07T15:06:00.001-05:00

Literally the day after school was over we drove Sophia to Bible camp for her first ever camping experience. She was super excited to go, and would've loved to have signed up for the longer week (this was only 2 nights), but her friend invited her and she was looking forward to going with her friend.

Here's some of the highlights from camp!

Playing rock, paper, scissors (Sophia's on the left in the multicoloured swimsuit with pink ruffle trim)

Here she is horseback riding for the first time in her life - this was definitely her favourite "skill" at camp.

Decorating their cabin (girl's cabins had air conditioning, boy's did not!)

Sophia and her friend on Sophia's bunkbed when we came to pick her up - pretty sure they had fun :)

Sophia, her friend and their two counsellors in front of their cabin "Mizpah".

"The Discover Wall" where the kids wrote things they learned about God at camp.

Sophia (pink shirt) and the girls in her cabin at closing chapel.

We were sitting in the 2 rows directly behind them, she barely acknowledged us ;)

Playing outside at the camp after closing chapel, nobody in a hurry to leave!

Sophia loved the horseback riding, rifles (!!), and swimming (outdoor pool) the best. She also loved the food - they had spaghetti, pizza, hot dogs, pancakes. She had an absolute blast and can't wait to go for a week next summer! And we're not surprised in the slightest.

Book Review: Heiress by Susan May Warren

2011-10-07T12:43:00.002-05:00

About the Book: They can buy anything they want—fame, power, beauty, even loyalty.

But they can’t buy love.

The beautiful and wealthy heiress daughters of August Price can buy everything their hearts desire. But what if their desire is to be loved, without an enormous price tag attached? When one sister betrays another for the sake of love, will she find happiness? And what happens when the other sets out across the still untamed frontier to find it—will she discover she’s left it behind in the glamorous world of the New York gilded society? What price will each woman pay for being an heiress?

Set in the opulent world of the Gilded Age, two women discover that being an heiress just might cost them everything they love.

My Thoughts: Susan May Warren is definitely one of my favourite authors. I've reviewed several books by her before, but this one is dramatically different than the others I've read.

Warren has a tremendous gift of storytelling. The Gilded Age of corsets, suitors, marriages arranged for wealth or status, fancy ballroom parties - all told through the viewpoints of two very different sisters, neither of whom realize how long term and far reaching the consequences of their actions can be. From the glitter and bustle of New York to the wilds of Montana, betrayal, cheating, lying and pride follow both sisters in a work of historical fiction that will have you turning the pages far into the night!

Absolutely loved this book and cannot wait to read the next books in this series!

Thank you to Stephanie and Amy from Litfuse Publicity for organizing this tour and providing me with my complimentary review copy.

Book Review: A Lancaster County Christmas by Suzanne Woods Fisher

2011-09-27T13:43:00.003-05:00

About the Book: Jaime and C. J. Fitzpatrick began their married life as most couples do--in love and looking forward to a bright future together. But four years later they've drifted apart and are almost ready to call it quits.

Mattie Riehl was hoping to give her husband Sol the Christmas gift they have both longed for--news that a baby was on the way. But as usual, she is disappointed. The holidays bring an acute awareness to Mattie that her dream of a big family isn't likely to become a reality.

Then a winter storm raging outside blows the Fitzpatricks into the Riehl home--and into a much slower pace of life. Can these two couples from different worlds help each other understand the true meaning of love this Christmas?

With her trademark plot twists and attention to detail, Suzanne Woods Fisher offers readers a beautiful Christmas story of love, forgiveness, and what truly matters in life.

My Thoughts: I've enjoyed several works of Amish fiction by Suzanne Woods Fisher and this was no exception.

The setting and writing produced a wonderfully cozy feeling, a perfect book to curl up by the fireside and read on a cold, wintry night.

I love how the Amish and "English" worlds intertwine in this book and how both sides have something to learn from each other. Despite their vastly different backgrounds, both women have similar needs, yearnings and problems and the characters are believable (and likable) as they work through these issues.

A charming, quick read, perfect for Christmastime!

Thank you to Stephanie and Amy from Litfuse Publicity for organizing this tour and providing me with my complimentary review copy.

To celebrate the release of her first Christmas book, Suzanne Woods Fisher has teamed up with her publisher, Revell, to bring you the "Christmas in September" iPad Giveaway! The winner will be announced on 9/27 at the A Lancaster County Christmas Facebook Party! Details below. Tell your friends and join in the fun (9/7-9/27).

Oh and be sure to follow the blog tour here - many of the bloggers have copies of the book to giveaway!

Suzanne and Revell will be presenting one merry winner with a Christmas Prize Pack (valued at over $600):

A Brand New iPad 2 with Wi-Fi
$25 gift certificate to iTunes
A copy of A Lancaster County Christmas

To enter, click here http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13425768. But, hurry the giveaway ends on 9/26.

But, wait! There's more! The winner will be announced at the A Lancaster County Christmas Facebook Party on 9/27 at Suzanne's author page. During the party she'll be revealing something *BIG* - you won't want to miss it. She'll also be hosting a book chat, trivia contest and giving away a few early Christmas presents! Hope to see you there.

Summer Update

2011-09-16T20:57:00.002-05:00

Yeesh, I've been in a blogging slump lately. I guess that's because we've just been so stinkin' busy!

We had an absolutely fanTASTic summer. I can't remember when the weather has last been this amazing, and the bugs so few - unheard of for our neck of the woods that's for sure!

Here's a quick rundown of our summer - more details and photos to come.

Literally, the day after school was over, we drove Sophia to camp for her first camping experience ever! (LOVED it!) She was there for 2 nights.

That Monday we started swimming lessons for 30 mins every morning for 2 weeks straight (not weekends). I somehow managed to find coordinating lessons times for all 4 kids that started within 5 minutes of each other - AND got them all in! An amazing feat, especially since I needed 2 spots for one class as Emma and Sophia were at the same level.

The following week was Emma's turn for camp - she went from Monday morning to Friday evening, also her first camp experience, also LOVED it, as I knew she would.

The next week all 3 girls went to our church's day camp (Olivia was so excited that she was finally old enough to go!). Each girl had at least one friend they were going with and they had an absolute blast.

The next week was nothing officially planned, so we went on a few outings.

The following week we took the kids to the States for swimming, shopping and eating - always good times.

The next two weeks were an amazing celebration time as Nathan's sister Deena and her husband Chris and their boys came out to visit from a few provinces over. Including Baret, whose miracle story I still need to share on this blog.

And that brought us to the last full week without school! Did some babysitting, some splashparking and just had fun enjoying my kids.

What a great summer!

Book Review: Fairer than Morning by Rosslyn Elliott

2011-09-16T20:34:00.004-05:00

About the Book: Ann dreams of a marriage proposal from her poetic suitor, Eli-until Will Hanby shows her that nobility is more than fine words.

On a small farm in 19th-century Ohio, young Ann Miller is pursued by the gallant Eli Bowen, son of a prominent family. Eli is the suitor of Ann's dreams. Like her, he enjoys poetry and beautiful things and soon, he will move to the city to become a doctor.

Ann travels to Pittsburgh, accompanying her father on business. There she meets Will Hanby, a saddle-maker's apprentice. Will has spent years eking out an existence under a cruel master and his spirit is nearly broken. But Ann's compassion lights a long-dark part of his soul. Through his encounters with Ann's father, a master saddler, Will discovers new hope and courage in the midst of tremendous adversity.

When the Millers must return to Ohio and their ministry there, Will resolves to find them, at any cost. If Will can make it back to Ann, will she be waiting?

Read an excerpt here.

My Thoughts: This book dealt with a lot of heavy subject matter (abuse, the Underground Railroad, slavery, forgiveness, etc), but it was handled in a compassionate, yet realistic way. The characters are very well-developed and their reactions, thoughts, words and actions are realistic (iow, they don't always make the right choices)

Excellent drama, incredibly moving storyline, captivating characters and a plot that turns out to be based on a true story and true characters - incredible!

I do love historical drama, and this was no exception.

This was Elliott's debut novel - I look forward to reading a lot more from this author!

Thank you to Stephanie and Amy from Litfuse Publicity for organizing this tour and providing me with my complimentary review copy.

Girls singing "Glorious Day"

2011-09-05T13:14:00.002-05:00

The girls absolutely love singing in church. Here they are singing "Glorious Day" by Casting Crowns. I'm accompanying them on the piano, but the mic doesn't pick it up very well apparently.

Enjoy!

Book Review: Blue Skies Tomorrow by Sarah Sundin

2011-09-04T14:36:00.000-05:00

About the Book: Lt. Raymond Novak prefers the pulpit to the cockpit, but at least his stateside job training B-17 pilots allows him the luxury of a personal life. As he courts Helen Carlisle, a young war widow and mother who conceals her pain under a frenzy of volunteer work, the sparks of their romance set a fire that flings them both into peril. After Ray leaves to fly a combat mission at the peak of the air war over Europe, Helen takes a job in a dangerous munitions yard and confronts an even graver menace in her own home. Will they find the courage to face their challenges? And can their young love survive until blue skies return?

My Thoughts: Blue Skies Tomorrow is Book 3 in the Wings of Glory series. I also reviewed A Distant Melody, the first book of the series. I'm only sorry I didn't get in on the blog tour for the 2nd one!

I definitely enjoyed this book as much as the first. Though part of a series, Blue Skies Tomorrow works as a standalone book as well.

Sundin does not shy away from tackling serious issues in her works of fiction! This book tackles abuse, the effects of fighting in the war, reasons for wanting to fight and not wanting to, expectations, appearances and more.

The characters are well-developed and interesting, the storyline keeps moving and the history is captivating - all in all, two thumbs up!

To celebrate the release of Blue Skies Tomorrow, the final installment of the Wings of Glory series, Sarah is giving one lucky winner A Vintage Kindle Prize Package!

Read what the reviewers are saying here.

One winner will receive:
* Kindle with Wi-Fi
* Handmade vintage apron for you and a friend (see a photo here)
* Blue Skies Tomorrow (for Kindle)

To enter just click one of the icons below. But, hurry, giveaway ends on 9/10. Winner will be announced on 9/12 at Sarah Sundin's blog. Details and official rules can be found when entering the contest.

Thank you to Stephanie and Amy from Litfuse Publicity for organizing this tour and providing me with my complimentary review copy.

Book Review: Mugabe and the White African by Ben Freeth

2011-08-24T13:13:00.003-05:00

About the Book: Ben Freeth has an extraordinary story to tell. Like that of many white farmers, his family's land was "reclaimed" for redistribution by Mugabe's government.

But Ben's family fought back. Appealing to international law, they instigated a suit against Mugabe's government in the SADC, the Southern African equivalent of NATO. The case was deferred time and again while Mugabe's men pulled strings. But after Freeth and his parents-in-law were abducted and beaten within inches of death in 2008, the SADC deemed any further delay to be an obstruction of justice. The case was heard, and was successful on all counts.

But the story doesn't end there. In 2009 the family farm was burned to the ground. The fight for justice in Zimbabwe is far from over--this book is for anyone who wants to see into the heart of one of today's hardest places and how human dignity flourishes even in the most adverse circumstances.

Read the press release for more information.

The PBS debut of Mugabe and the White African, the award-winning documentary of the same name, was on July 26th. Watch now at PBS.

My Thoughts: This book is a must read. I found it almost unbelievable that this true story of evil dictatorship is something that is going on right now.

Right. now.

While I sit in my house with no fear of it being illegally seized by thugs who have the full support of a corrupt police force and government, there are others that do not have the same luxury.

Despite owning their land for decades, investing their energy, time, heart and soul into farming this beautiful land and returning animals to their rightful homes - these dedicated farmers live daily in fear for their homes, possessions and very lives because they are white.

President Mugabe, voted in by the people (under threats of death should they fail to do so), said "The only language that the mabhunu (racist term for white farmer) will understand is the language of the gun. The more you kill the nearer you get to your objective.... I am still the Hitler of our time. This Hitler has only one objective - justice for his own people, sovereignty for his own people, recognition of the independence of his people and their right to their own resources. If that is Hitler, then let me be a Hitler tenfold. Then times Hitler, that is what we stand for."

But this time, Hitler was a black African cleansing his country of white Africans. In a short 4 years, 85% of white farmers fled in fear for their lives or were forcibly removed from the farms they had worked for decades, and in the past 10-15 years, Mugabe has all but succeeded in removing the white man from his country of Zimbabwe.

But a few chose to stay, determined to take a stand against evil. Ben Freeth and his father-in-law Mike Campbell decided to fight the corrupt government head on and took President Mugabe to court. Because, as the tagline for the documentary says "If good men do nothing, evil will prevail." Their courage in the midst of such hopelessness and fear is inspiring. Their willingness to continue to fight, even after enduring vicious beatings themselves, is incredibly moving.

This is a spiritual battle. From the book...

Why are there so many hungry people in a continent where there is the potential, over much of it, to get double the annual grain yields per hectare of the best farms in Europe? A continent that has more agricultural land, more mineral wealth and natural resources than any other? A continent where, only half a century ago, before "liberation", there were food surpluses and almost every country was self-sufficient in grain?

I came to the conclusion that the answer is simple. Every country, every institution, every enterprise is made up of individuals. And it's the individuals within each business, or organization, or government, or country that make them tick - or stop ticking. The problem in Africa lies with individuals and, more specifically, the spiritual forces within or behind those individuals.......

The reason that African is hungry is not because of physical factors; there is absolutely no physical reason why Africa should be hungry. Africa is hungry because of the covenant with death and the web of lies in which it has encased itself. Where there are lies, there is no reason, no logic, no justice, no God, and no goodness. Without faith, it's easy to get ensnared in the tangle of lies. It's also very easy to compromise one's principles out of fear.

And Mugabe rules by fear.

Even after Ben and Mike's landmark victory in the courts, Mugabe and his henchmen continued their reign of terror, as both Mike and Ben's homes were burned, looted and destroyed and Mike eventually succumbed to the injuries he received at the hands of Mugabe's thugs.

There is yet to be a happy ending to this story, but the Freeths have not given up hope.

And it is not an unrealistic hope.

Botswana was the third poorest country in Africa at independence in 1966. But under the servant leadership of President Khama, a dedicated Christian, who was committed to upholding the rule of law, property rights and maintaining sound fiscal policy this country has thrived. Proper leadership created development and wealth in this desert country and Botswana is now the second richest country in Africa in terms of per capita income and is one of the two most competitive nations in Africa.

And so Ben and his family continue to hope.

Only when the miracle occurs and hope is rekindled by people whose hearts are brave enough to face the oppressor and throw off the yoke of oppression will transformation take place.

I found some parts of the book a bit confusing and hard to follow at times, but the majority of it was a compelling, and extremely difficult, book to read.

Thank you to Stephanie and Amy from Litfuse Publicity for organizing this tour and providing me with my complimentary review copy.

Book Review: Cherished by Kim Cash Tate

2011-08-10T00:17:00.003-05:00

About the Book: How can she believe God cherishes her when she can't forgive herself?

Kelli London once dreamed of being a songwriter. As crazy as it seemed, she hoped that God would use the lyrics that came to her while she slept. She dreamed about Brian too, that the love they shared would be a forever kind of love. But choices she'll forever regret upended her hope . . . and turned her dreams to dust. When those dreams come knocking once more, she's forced to deal with the pain of the past.

Heather Anderson's life has spun out of control—first, an affair with a married man, then a one-night stand with the drummer of a popular Christian band that left her devastated. Broken and alone, she cried out to the only One who can save her. And He did. But that's just the beginning, because now she must leave behind the only life she's ever known.

Two women with shame-filled pasts form an unlikely friendship. What does God's forgiveness look like for them? Will they ever believe that He loves them . . . and can still offer them a life where they are cherished?

My Thoughts: This book was a light read even though it dealt with some serious issues. I loved how it explored the practical side of living in the light of God's forgiveness, while never minimizing the seriousness of sin or it's consequences.

I did feel like issues were usually resolved a lot quicker than they would be in real life, and that certain characters instinctively responded much more godly than the "average" Christian would - which perhaps says more about the average Christian (myself included) these days than the book itself.

The book showed the good, the bad and the ugly of Christian circles - from the hypocrites (those professing to believe but who knowingly living the opposite lifestyle with no sign of remorse - IOW not true believers), to those struggling to live out their faith, to those making mistakes (like everyone does) but restoring their relationships with those they've offended and with God by repenting in true humility, to those mature in their faith and discipling those around them, and everything in between.

I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.

Thank you to Booksneeze for providing me with my complimentary e-book review copy of Kim Cash Tate's Cherished.

Book Review: Don't Check Your Brains at the Door by Josh McDowell

2011-08-05T01:19:00.004-05:00

About the Book: “Seven in 10 Protestants ages 18 to 30—both evangelical and mainline—who went to church regularly in high school said they quit attending by age 23, according to the survey by LifeWay Research.” (USA Today)

Don’t Check Your Brains at the Door gives teens answers that make sense, even for the toughest of questions. Internationally known defender of the faith Josh McDowell and co-author Bob Hostetler offer clarity laced with humor to expose common myths about God, the Bible, religion, and life to show how Christianity stands up to the test of fact and reason. Teens will be better equipped to stick with their faith as they begin to understand why they believe and why it’s important to make a lifetime commitment to Christ and the church.

My Thoughts: This book is an apologetics book geared to young teens and presented in a short devotional style format.

The book is divided into different types of myths such as myths about God (such as The Father Christmas Myth), Jesus (The Good Teacher Myth), the Bible (The Holey Bible Myth), the Resurrection (The Swoon Myth), Religion and Christianity (The Unscientific Myth), Life and Happiness (The Conformist Myth).

The authors use current and age focused examples (such as Star Wars) to help illustrate their point, and use Scripture, history and logic to debunk the myths and explain what the truth really is.

Each short chapter ends with a section of "Brain Food" - study questions and scripture for the reader to dig a little deeper on the topic themselves.

Great apologetics book for young teens!

Thank you to Booksneeze for providing me with my complimentary e-book review copy of Josh McDowell and Bob Hostetler's Don't Check Your Brains at the Door.

Book Review: A Reluctant Queen by Joan Wolf

2011-08-04T23:47:00.003-05:00

About the Book: An inspiring re-imagining of the tale of Esther, a young Jewish woman thrust from a life of obscurity into a life of power, wealth, intrigue . . . and tender love.

See the story of Esther in an entirely new way—with all the political intrigue and tension you remember, but told as a passionate and tender love story between a young man and woman. Misunderstood by many, King Xerxes was a powerful but lonely man. Esther’s beauty caught the eye of the young king, but it was her spirit that captured his heart.

Imagine anew the story of Esther, one of our faith’s great heroines, destined to play a key role in the history of Christianity.

My Thoughts: Like many girls/women, Esther has always been one of my favourite books of the Bible. And one of the few that doesn't actually mention the name of God - though His fingerprints are clearly seen throughout the story.

This book is a work of fiction and the author definitely takes liberties with the Biblical narrative, but it is written as a love story and it is a beautiful one at that.

Just as I expected, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was instantly captivated by the Cinderella-esque tale of the little Jewish girl who became Queen of Persia, a strong woman who risked everything to save her people.

Definitely don't use this as a theological commentary on the book of Esther, but enjoy it for what it is - romantic historical Christian fiction.

Absolutely 2 thumbs way up!

Thank you to Booksneeze for providing me with my complimentary review copy of Joan Wolf's A Reluctant Queen.

Homesick

2011-07-31T15:50:00.004-05:00

I posted on my Bible blog today, and I wanted to share some of those same thoughts here today.

Psalm 116:15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.

1 Thessalonians 4:13, 16, 17 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope...For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

Our lives are precious to God. And He knows the moment of our physical death. But our physical death is not the end - not for the Christian. And so, though we grieve at the death of a loved one, we do not grieve without hope. We know that we will see them again. We KNOW. And we cling to that truth.

To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. When our nephew Baret was so very ill and in a coma, and we did not know whether he would live or die, our girls asked about Baret and were sad for him, wondering if he was scared. I told them that he was in a coma, which was kind of like sleeping, and that for Baret, the outcome was going to be good either way. Either he would wake up to see his mom and dad again, or he would wake up to see Jesus. He would be happy either way. Of course, we wanted him to wake up here, for our sake. And God performed a miracle, and Baret did wake up here and we praise Him for that.

When Christians do die, it is often referred to as sleep in the Bible. A very apt description really, because our physical bodies are "sleeping". Our spiritual soul is with Christ, while our physical self is sleeping, waiting for Christ to return and resurrect our physical bodies to be reunited with our spiritual souls.

Once we become Christians, we are always in Christ. We live in Christ, we die in Christ, we spiritually live in Christ while our physical bodies sleep in Christ, we rise with Christ and we will live forever with Christ. When Christ returns, those who have already died will rise first, and then those who are still alive at the time of Christ's return will be caught up together with them as He takes us up to heaven.

John MacArthur speaks on this passage beautifully in What Happens To Christians Who Die Part 1 and Part 2.
Through the years I've had funerals, continue to have funerals of unbelieving people or funerals of believing people where unbelievers are in the family and the hopelessness is terrifying. The terrible sense of finality, no reunion, no future, nevermore the touch of the hand, the sound of the voice, never again, finality. To be so consumed in life with a person and then have the curtain drop so totally absolutely and finally is a cause for deep despair. The greater the love the greater the pain and it is the pain of hopelessness....

I don't want your grief to be that dead-end grief, that grief that comes to people because there's no contemplation of reunion. I don't want you to think that Christians ever say a final goodbye because they don't. That's a great thought, isn't it? You never say goodbye to a believer for the last time. There will always be another time....

Reunion is here, beloved, it is. It is also in the very terminology of 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 1 when it's called "our gathering together to Him." As we are brought to Him we are gathered together to each other. There will be reunion. There will be a gathering together. And he says you don't need to fear and you don't need to grieve about it like people who are looking at a dead end.

We need to get that somehow deeply embedded in our hearts, don't we? That is our confident hope. Partings here are just brief. (emphasis mine)

As Christians, we believe Jesus paid the penalty for our sin with His death on the cross. We believe in the power of His resurrection, which means we believe in His power to resurrect us when He returns. And God has revealed that there will be a reunion, a gathering together where the dead in Christ shall rise first, and then those who are still alive will join them to meet the Lord and be with Him forever.

And then we will finally, truly, be home. As Christians, our souls yearn for heaven. And that yearning only grows the more precious family and friends go home before us. I already have my dad and two babies waiting for me, not to mention grandparents and other extended family. While we remain here on earth we will be homesick, but we do not grieve without hope. We do grieve, but with the confident hope of a future reunion. And what a precious hope that is!

Homesick by Mercy Me

You're in a better place, I've heard a thousand times
And at least a thousand times I've rejoiced for you
But the reason why I'm broken, the reason why I cry
Is how long must I wait to be with you

I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now

Help me Lord, cause I don't understand your ways
The reason why, I wonder if I'll ever know
But, even if you showed me, the hurt would be the same
Cause I'm still here so far away from home

I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now

In Christ, there are no goodbyes
And in Christ, there is no end
So I'll hold onto Jesus with all that I have
To see you again
To see you again

And I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
Won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
Won't you give me strength to make it through somehow

I've never been more homesick than now

Olivia'isms

2011-07-08T23:30:00.003-05:00

I overheard the following (short) conversation a little awhile ago as Olivia and Jacob were watching TV together in our room on our bed....
Jacob: Mom! More water, mom!!
Olivia: She's not your maid, ya know.

Olivia really doesn't have a filter between her brain and her mouth right now.

She received a birthday card from a cousin her age. When she asked her cousin what the triangle shaped drawing was, she was told it was a muffin. Her response? "How is that a muffin?"

The first time she saw an older kid with braces, she asked him "Why do you have a bracelet in your mouth?"

Apparently a few conversations about societal niceties are in order. ;)

I love my God, I love this Country!

2011-07-07T23:19:00.004-05:00

I know this post is a little late, but I had to get the lyrics to this song directly from our worship pastor at church because I could not find it online. I know - Google let me down for the first time!

We've sang this song quite a few times in church and I love it, and I especially enjoyed singing it this past Sunday, a couple days after Canada Day.

Not Ashamed by Debbie Anderson
I'm not ashamed that I love Jesus
I'm not ashamed to serve the Lord
For I was born for this hour
I was born for this day
I am proud that I'm a Christian
I am proud to wear that name
I love my God, I love this country
It's the true north strong and free
I'll stand on guard, God keep this country
I'll raise the flag of freedom high
I'm not ashamed that I love Jesus
I'm not ashamed to serve the Lord.

Eurodam (Holland America) Cruise Review Photobook

2011-06-28T00:31:00.005-05:00

I just realized that I never blogged about the cruise we took this past February! I also just realized that I had a Blurb Groupon that was about to expire. So, I combined the two, "quickly" made a photobook and did this post! Enjoy! (Click on the link below if you'd like to view a larger version)

MS Eurodam Holland America by February 4 - 12, 2011 | Make Your Own Book

Emma's Age 10 Interview

2011-06-24T09:30:00.000-05:00

And last, but certainly not least, here's Emma's Age 10 interview...

How old are you now Emma? 10
What grade are you in? 4
What's your favourite thing about school? being with friends, with my friends
What's your favourite subject? writing
Who's your teacher? Miss Buffie, no that's not how she spells it, it's Ms Buffie.
Do you like school? I LOVE school! It's so educational :)
What's your favourite color? light blue
What’s your favourite drink? 7-up
What's your favourite food? cottage cheese perogies
What’s your favourite game? playing babysitter for pretend
What’s your favourite treat? going to sleepovers - that's a treat for me because I don't get to very often
What's your favourite snack? carrots dipped in peanut butter
What's your favourite restaurant? Famous Dave's in Fargo - I like the ribs
What's your favourite place? my room or Disney World
What's your favourite toy? my doll Mikenna
What's your favourite book? The Frog Princess because the Princess' name is Emma, because the book is interesting
What's your favourite sport? hockey
What's your favourite movie? I haven't seen it yet, but it looks really good, does that count? Monte Carlo
What's your favourite TV show? Full House and Wizards of Waverly Place
Who is your favourite celebrity? Selena Gomez
What's your favourite thing to do? hang out with my friends
What's your favourite thing to wear? shorts and a t-shirt
Who are some of your best friends? Emily, Madison H, Michelle D, Arrielle, Nyiah and Elora
Who's your favourite person? Other than God? Other than family? Elora
What is your favourite song? Who Says by Selena Gomez
What's one of the best things you've done with your family? Go to Disney World together and going to the States
What do you like best about Disney World? the rides and the pool at the house
What do you like best about going to the States? shopping and swimming

Sophia's Age 8 Interview

2011-06-23T09:22:00.002-05:00

Continuing on with the "birthday" interviews. Here is Sophia's 8th Yr Interview....

How old are you now Sophia? I'm 8
What grade are you in? 2
Who's your teacher? Miss Mauws
What's your favourite thing about school? um, I get to be with my friends
What's your favourite subject? computers and gym
Do you like school? ummm, ehhhh
What's your favourite color? hmmm, fuschia
What’s your favourite drink? uhhh, strawberry lemonade
What's your favourite food? perogies!
What’s your favourite game? playing pre-school for pretend
What’s your favourite treat? candy
What's your favourite snack? cookies, double chocolate chip cookies
What's your favourite restaurant? Famous Dave's in Fargo - ribs!
What's your favourite place? Ruckers!
What's your favourite toy? DS
What's your favourite book? Nancy Drew
What's your favourite sport? Is dance a sport? If dance is not a sport, then hockey
What's your favourite movie? Annie and Little House on the Prairie
What's your favourite TV show? Full House
Who's your favourite celebrity? Selena Gomez
What's your favourite thing to do? paint my nails
What's your favourite thing to wear? my skinny jeans and my white and pink striped t-shirt with a necklace
Who are some of your best friends? Emily, Marie, Madison, Phoebe, Dilyn, Emma, Ashley, Hannah, Danielle, Karina, that's about it
Who's your favourite person? Me!
What is your favourite song? Our Song by Taylor Swift and Who Says by Selena Gomez
What's one of the best things you've done with your family? Go to Disney World
What's your favourite thing about Disney World? going on the rides and the nice house
What's your favourite ride at Disney World? Mom, what's that roller coaster called that we always went on in the Magic Kingdom? MOM! (giggling) Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (giggling) Don't put that on!
What's your favourite store? Claire's!!

Olivia's Age 6 Interview

2011-06-22T20:57:00.004-05:00

I got this idea from a friend's blog and thought it was a great idea. Even though it's not their birthdays, I'm doing it now anyway. I'd like to do it every year and put it in their photobooks. You know, if I ever get around to making their photobooks.

So, here's Olivia's interview!

How old are you now Olivia? 6
What grade are you in? What grade am I in? Kindergarten
What's your favourite thing about school? recess
What's your favourite thing you do in school not during recess? inside recess
How about not including inside recess? printing, drawing pictures actually
Do you like school? no, maybe, yes
What's your favorite color? favourite colour's fuschia and purple
What’s your favorite drink? drink? I'll have to think about that one for a moment, mom. Mom, you know those cans downstairs? I like all of those. So you can't write them all. (orange crush, grape crush, Dr. Pepper, I think that's it)
What's your favorite food? perogies and cheese
What’s your favorite game? game? I'll have to think about that one too. Do puzzles!
What’s your favorite treat? My favourite treat is, think about it. Chocolate bars! Kit Kat and, mom, you know that one that umm, is that, sounds kind of like oreo, the one that you eat it and it looks like bubbles inside? What's it called? Aero!
What's your favorite snack? favourite snack? Jell-o
What's your favorite restaurant? can I do 3 favourites? Hannah's?! Montana's! Boston Pizza and Tim Horton's
What's your favorite place? My favourite place is visiting my cousins in Alberta
What's your favorite toy? toy, my favourite toy is, hmmm, think about it. My dolls.
What's your favorite book? My favourite book is, think about it. Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?
What's your favorite sport? hockey, soccer, ummm, that's it
What's your favorite movie? My favourite movie is the one that's coming out - Cars 2!
What's your favorite TV show? TV show, my favourite TV show is L'il Lulu
What's your favorite thing to do? do puzzles, that's my favourite game!
What's your favorite thing to wear? dress
Who are some of your best friends? Amber, uh, Liv and Arwen
Who's your favorite person? Amber, I mean me!
What is your favorite song? Song? God Save our Gracious Queen, I like that one.
What's one of the best things you've done with your family? be around them (gives Mom a hug) That's my most favourite part with my family. Having my dad's birthday, mom's, Emma's, Soph's, Jay's. Is that the last question? Going to restaurants.
Not Disney World? Disney World!
What's your favourite thing about Disney World? My favourite thing about Disney World is the rides.
What's your favourite ride? My favourite ride is the Peter Pan one and Mountain Thunder Railroad? Was it called that one? Mom, you know that one where you go very fast? Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

My husband rocks!

2011-06-21T11:30:00.004-05:00

Repeat of a previous post, to honour my husband for Father's Day - and as an entry into a contest at Time-Warp Wife.

Those of you who know me on Facebook are already familiar with me bragging on my husband and then ending with "My husband rocks!". I have also blogged about a great company, Union28, that celebrates marriage and communicates this message positively in fun and stylish ways (also where I got that catch-phrase).

And my husband does rock! To be perfectly honest, I think he is a better husband than I am a wife. Here are just a few of the rockin' things he does for me and our kids.

He works very hard to support me and the children so that I can be a stay at home mom.

He is also blessed to work as his own boss, so he is able to determine his own work hours and he has made it a priority to be home at a decent time so that we are able to eat dinner together as a family virtually every evening, despite our rather busy schedule.

He is always thinking of me and trying to do things to make life easier for me. He does 99% of our grocery shopping, as well as most of our trips to Costco and Walmart - and he always asks me which of the kids I want him to take with him, so I can have a break while he's gone. He virtually never goes anywhere without taking one or all 4 kids with him.

He makes breakfast for the kids every Sunday morning so I don't have to get up earlier in order to get ready for church on time. He also makes breakfast for the kids on the Saturdays that he's home so that I can sleep in.

He reads Bible stories to the kids and prays with them every evening. If he has hockey in the evening, he usually makes sure to still do this before he leaves.

Before bed, he often takes the time to just chat with the kids, or tease them, or tell them made up stories (they love this!).

He takes the kids out for one on one dates.

If he's not going to come home for lunch on a workday, he phones me to see how my day is going.

He compliments me on my looks.... a lot!

He makes it a priority for us to go on dates regularly.

He initiates us reading devotions and praying together before bed.

My husband rocks!

Book Review: Branded by Tim Sinclair

2011-06-21T10:47:00.005-05:00

About the Book: The church spends $1.5 million for every one new follower of Jesus. Apple sells 26 iPads every minute. What is it that makes Apple so exciting and Jesus so boring? What is it that compels someone to bring their iPod everywhere and their Bible nowhere? In a word: marketing. Jesus is a life-changing product with lousy salespeople-people who are intimidated and embarrassed by the word "evangelism" and who show more enthusiasm for their gadgets than their God.

What would life look like if we stopped mass-marketing Jesus and started marketing our faith like Nike and Apple market their products--sharing relationally, from person to person? Using examples from these and other successful companies, author Tim Sinclair challenges Christians to throw out their casual attitudes toward faith and sign on for a marketing campaign for the Savior.

Written with the wit and wisdom of an experienced marketer, Branded peels away the feelings of fear and encourages readers how to share their faith in ways that are honest, authentic, and, most importantly, effective.

My Thoughts: This book was challenging and convicting. Though often it was simply a reminder of things Christians ought to know already, there's nothing wrong with a good reminder now and again, especially on a topic of such vital importance.

A true Christian will not want to keep their faith to themselves. When you truly believe in something, you want to share that with those around you - whether it's the latest technological gadget, a book or your faith. Obviously those are all very different things, but the principal is the same.

It can, however, be difficult to "market" Jesus to a world that doesn't think there's a need for Him.

And, unfortunately, often the worst deterrent to Christianity is Christians themselves. Either people are claiming a title they don't actually believe, or they've portrayed Christianity as a magic pill to solve all your problems. Jesus is not a genie in a bottle, and claiming He is is a lie. We're over-promising and under-delivering.

It's true that it's impossible to over-promise what God can do. But it definitely possible to over-promise what God will do.

From the book....
God is a healing God. But that doesn't mean He's going to heal you.

God is a giving God. But that doesn't mean He's going to pad your bank account.

God is a loving God. But that doesn't mean He's going to take away all your problems....

Giving people the impression that God will heal you, make you rich, or make your life easier when you become a Christian isn't just over-promising, it's lying. And it's a lie with eternal implications....

God doesn't promise health and wealth. Christians do.

We're lying. And our lies aren't attracting people to Christ; they're pushing people away.

As Christians, we are supposed to be known and recognized by our love. And we need to remember that when we are open, honest, real and raw - we're authentic, believable and relatable.

Thank you to Stephanie and Amy from Litfuse Publicity for organizing this tour and providing me with my complimentary review copy.

Book Review: My Foolish Heart by Susan May Warren

2011-06-14T21:41:00.003-05:00

About the Book: Unknown to her tiny town of Deep Haven, Isadora Presley spends her nights as Miss Foolish Heart, the star host of a syndicated talk radio show. Millions tune in to hear her advice on dating and falling in love, unaware that she’s never really done either. Issy’s ratings soar when it seems she’s falling in love on-air with a caller. A caller she doesn’t realize lives right next door.

Caleb Knight served a tour of duty in Iraq and paid a steep price. The last thing he wants is pity, so he hides his disability and moves to Deep Haven to land his dream job as the high school football coach. When his beautiful neighbor catches his eye, in a moment of desperation he seeks advice from My Foolish Heart, the show that airs before his favorite sports broadcast.

Before he knows it, Caleb finds himself drawn to the host—and more confused than ever. Is his perfect love the woman on the radio . . . or the one next door?

Read an excerpt here.
My thoughts: I really enjoyed this book. It was a light, easy read yet still made you think, and even learn a little about life, love and faith.

The characters were likeable and you were drawn into their lives with Warren's excellent storytelling skills. Sometimes poignant, sometimes funny, it was just the right mix for me.

Though part of a series, it reads well as a stand alone book as well. I've read at least one other book from her Deep Haven series and loved it too!

Thank you to Stephanie and Amy from Litfuse Publicity for organizing this tour and providing me with my complimentary review copy.

Win a Romantic Night on the Town from Miss Foolish Heart!

Susan May Warren is thrilled to announce the release of her latest Deep Haven book, My Foolish Heart!

Read what the reviewers are saying here.

To celebrate this charming novel about a dating expert who's never had a date, Susan has put together a romantic night on the town for one lucky couple. One grand prize winner will receive a Miss Foolish Heart prize package worth over $200!

The winner of the Romantic Night on the Town Prize Pack will receive:

* A $100 Visa Gift Card (For Dinner)
* A $100 Gift Certificate to a Hyatt/Marriott Hotel
* The entire Deep Haven series

To enter just click one of the icons below. But, hurry, the giveaway ends at noon on June 16th. The winner will be announced that evening during Susan’s Miss Foolish Heart Party on Facebook! Susan will be chatting with guests, hosting a book club chat about My Foolish Heart, testing your Deep Haven trivia skills, and giving away tons of great stuff! (Gift certificates, books, donuts, and more!) Don't miss the fun and BRING YOUR FRIENDS!

Code Black!

2011-05-31T23:01:00.003-05:00

Who knew a trip to Walmart while on vacation would result in such an exciting story to tell?!

We went down south to the City for a mini family vacation this week. We like to go during the week because the cross border traffic is significantly lower which means less busy shopping and less waiting at restaurants - especially since we're a table of 6. Works out nicely that hotels are cheaper during the week than they are on the weekends too. And the significantly shorter border wait is another huge plus. Thankfully, Nathan's job (self-employed home builder) allows us to go during the week.

Anyway, it had been one of those fairly hot, muggy days that just feels like a storm's a comin'. We were finishing up our shopping for the day at Walmart and had just finished putting all our purchases in the cart and were heading for the till when we heard an announcement over the speaker system which said something like this....

"Attention all customers and staff. This is a Code Black. All customers and staff please proceed to the electronics department at the back of the store."

We had no idea what a Code Black was, but considering a major gust of wind had just blown down some displays, we had a fairly good guess.

At first the girls weren't too nervous. They were wondering what was going on, but seemed relatively unconcerned.

When we got to the electronics department the staff directed us to stand in the area between two pillars that were grey in colour as it was the most structural sound part of the store area. We had only been there a minute or two when suddently the entire store was plunged into pitch darkness as the power went out. I immediately reached out to the girls near me (Jacob was in the front of the cart and Olivia was sitting in the rear section of the cart) and said "It's ok, it's ok". Thankfully the blackness only lasted momentarily as the emergency power source kicked on the emergency lighting. It was nothing like the lit up store we had been in only moments before, but at least we could see.

But now the girls were getting a bit nervous. A worker stopped by (I'm assuming because we had kids) to explain to us a bit more what was happening. I think it may have been a bit better for the girls if we hadn't received the extra information - ignorance is bliss and all that. She said that a Code Black was a severe weather situation and that a tornado had touched down somewhere close by but that's all they knew. They had no idea how long the Code Black would last but for now we just had to wait it out.

Meanwhile, practically every person there had their cell phones out - calling people, texting, tweeting and Facebooking. Some were crying and hugging each other, but most people seemed to be relatively calm.

A few minutes later they decided to direct us all to leave our filled shopping carts behind and head to the staff break rooms at the rear of the building. A few people refused to go back there - they felt is was more unsafe due to the proximity of the outdoor walls. But we figured that the management staff knew where the safest area was and we just had to trust them, though I would've preferred a basement shelter!

I found it disconcerting because we couldn't see what was going on outside. We had no idea of knowing how serious the situation was. I instant messaged my best friend, gave her a quick update of the situation and asked her to pray, especially since the kids were starting to get a bit upset.

As they were herding us to the back staff rooms, our oldest started to become very distressed, at one point she was leaning over and almost hyperventilating, shaking and crying in fear. We did our best to reassure her that these were just extra safe precautions they were taking to be on the safe side, and that they had to go overboard to make sure everybody was ok (similar things I was saying to myself in order to keep my own fear to a minimum and remain calm for the girls' sake). However, reason does not usually work well once fear has taken hold that much, so I just prayed for her quickly and quietly (but out loud so she could hear me) while we were heading back to the rooms.

We found a corner of the room and a couple of the kids sat on the floor while we waited. I prayed for Emma again and then dug in my purse for my phone to let Olivia play a game to keep her distracted - hey, whatever works right? A few minutes later an employee came in and announced that the weather had calmed enough that people could leave it they wanted to, though we were welcome to stay a bit longer till it calmed down more. At this Emma had a huge grin on her face - she told me that she had just prayed for God to give her a sign if we were going to be ok, and right then the employee came in and said the weather had calmed, so now she knew we were going to be ok. It was so sweet. She wanted to wait longer before leaving so I sat down in a chair vacated by a man who had left immediately and held Olivia who was easily calmed and then we waited some more. Fairly soon, Nathan decided to take Jacob for a walk around the store because he was getting restless. Sophia was now showing signs of some distress so I moved Olivia to the floor to continue playing with my phone and held Sophia on my lap which calmed her down easily. After a few more minutes had passed, the employee returned to let us know the weather was ok and we could leave.

Jacob was completely unaffected by the entire thing. He tried to reassure the girls a few times "There's nothing to be scared, everything's ok". It was cute.

Unfortunately the power in the store was not back on, and even after it came on it would take an hour for them to have the tills up and running again. So, we left our cart of items behind and headed to Target! ;)

While we were there Emma started to feel sick. I'm not sure if she had had an adrenaline rush and this was the afteraffects of it, or if that's just normal after a stress-filled fear incident. So we quickly headed back to the hotel where she felt safe and could lie down. After more praying she was able to calm down and go to sleep - though she didn't want to eat the ice cream blizzards Nathan had picked up.

She was able to have a sound sleep, but the next day she had another episode of shaking, crying and feeling sick and I prayed over her again and also reasoned things out with her. We had come down on these holidays multiple times and this was the first time anything like this had ever happened, and that the very next day was probably the least likely day for it to happn again, blah, blah, blah. I told her that God was in control, that God was good, that God loved us, that God was with us no matter what happened and that we could trust Him. (I didn't tell her that that didn't mean we would for sure be safe. There's a time and a place for deep theological discussions, but this was not one of them!) She didn't eat a whole lot at lunch after that either, but since then she seems to have been ok.

We are very thankful for our physical safety and continue to pray that the kids (and Emma in particular) will not have fear related episodes related to storms in the future.

Who knew a trip to Walmart would turn out to be so eventful?

Book Review: Beyond all Measure by Dorothy Love

2011-05-17T23:52:00.006-05:00

About the Book: Unless she can trust God's love to cast out her fears, Ada may lose the heart of a good man.

Ada Wentworth, a young Bostonian, journeys to Hickory Ridge, Tennessee, in the years following the Civil War. Alone and nearly penniless following a broken engagement, Ada accepts a position as a lady’s companion to the elderly Lillian Willis, a pillar of the community and aunt to the local lumber mill owner, Wyatt Caldwell. Ada intends to use her millinery skills to establish a hat shop and secure her future.

Haunted by unanswered questions from her life in Boston, Ada is most drawn to two townsfolks: Wyatt, a Texan with big plans of his own, and Sophie, a mulatto girl who resides at the Hickory Ridge orphanage. Ada's friendship with Sophia attracts the attention of a group of locals seeking to displace the residents of Two Creeks, a "colored" settlement on the edge of town. As tensions rise, Ada is threatened but refuses to abandon her plan to help the girl.

When Lillian dies, Ada is left without employment or a place to call home. And since Wyatt’s primary purpose for staying in Hickory Ridge was to watch over his aunt, he can now pursue his dream of owning Longhorns in his home state of Texas.

With their feelings for each other growing, Ada must decide whether she can trust God with her future and Wyatt with her heart.

My thoughts: The book (technically an e-book for my Sony Reader) was an enjoyable read but I admit to being somewhat disappointed. The saying "you can't judge a book by it's cover" probably applies well here. I loved the cover of this book! I love historical romance and the cover just made it look like a well-written, well-developed story. And though it was definitely an enjoyable and easy-going read, I just felt like it didn't do enough with the potential that was there.

I thought that both Wyatt and Ada's stories had more potential than the author took advantage of. If they had been fleshed out more it would have made the characters more realistic and the reader more empathetic. Both of the main characters are extremely likable, but some of Ada's decisions are not clearly explained and therefore seem slightly unbelievable, like they were made for the sake of the fairly predictable storyline.

I did like the whole millinery angle as I have a minor fascination with hats (though I rarely wear them myself, and certainly not the styles described in the book), so I found that intriguing. I also felt that the book did a good job of describing the tension between the north/south and the emotions and aftereffects plaguing both "sides" after the end of the war. I just felt that Wyatt and Ada's characters themselves could have been more well-developed.

Thank you to Booksneeze for providing me with my complimentary e-book review copy of Dorothy Love's Beyond All Measure.

Book Review: Nick of Time by Tim Downs

2011-05-07T00:53:00.005-05:00

About the Book: Tying the knot may be the toughest thing Nick Polchak has ever tried to do.

Nick Polchak is comfortable with bugs. Their world is orderly. He knows where he stands and exactly how to interpret the signs they give him. But a fiancée and an upcoming wedding? Not so much.

That's why—a mere four days before the nuptials—Nick finds himself driving to Philadelphia for the monthly meeting of the Vidocq society. Being among a group of forensic professionals consulting on cold cases will surely allow him to feel useful and normal.

But while there he discovers that a close friend has been murdered . . . and in classic Nick style, begins to follow the trail of evidence rather than returning to his fiancée. Fearing that his one-track mind won't lead him home by Saturday, Alena and three of her dogs go to track him down.

When she finally finds him, nothing is as Alena expected . . . because the twists in this case will surprise even the most dedicated Bug Man fans.

My thoughts: I knew by page 2 that I was going to love this book! The author's sense of humour had me laughing from the get-go and had me thoroughly entertained the whole way through.

The author also wrote the two main characters so convincingly that I really felt like I could empathize with them and relate to them - which is amazing because both of them are absolutely nothing like me. I'm not a bug person and I'm not a dog person - yet I found both of Nick and Alena's jobs and passions to be thoroughly interesting. Tremendous feat!

The book also tackles the HUGE difference between planning a wedding and planning a marriage. The fact that there is a difference and that one is far more important than the other (hint: it's not the wedding) should be simple common sense, but in reality, I don't think it is. I think usually women get so caught up in planning this wedding they've dreamed of their whole lives, and men try to just survive the onslaught (I realize I'm stereotyping here!) - that the marriage itself takes a backseat at a time when it needs to be front and centre.

And then amongst that all is a thrilling murder mystery with a twist I certainly did not see coming. Normally, I love it when I can't see the twist coming, but in this case, I wasn't overly impressed with the twist itself.

This book is considered Christian fiction, but, though the book is absolutely consistent with Christian morals, it is definitely not overtly Christian.

This is the first book I've read by Tim Downs, but you can be certain it will not be my last!

Thank you to Booksneeze for providing me with my complimentary review copy of Tim Downs' Nick of Time.

Easter makes Christmas - Resurrection Sunday edition

2011-04-26T09:43:00.000-05:00

Finally, my follow up to Easter makes Christmas - Good Friday edition. (I also wrote a post back in 2009 titled The Truth About Easter)

The crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, the substitute for my sin, the sacrifice on behalf of the sins of the world - was incredibly important. In fact, just before breathing His last, Jesus cried out victoriously "It is finished!" because He had accomplished His purpose in coming to earth.

For God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

So, if He already accomplished that by dying, then how important is the resurrection?

It is everything!

And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. 1 Corinthians 15:14, 15, 17-19 (emphasis mine)

The resurrection of Jesus Christ proves His deity and is the only reason we can have faith in our own resurrection upon His return.

If He did not rise from the dead than He is a liar (for He claimed that He would rise on the 3rd day!), the scriptures are false (for they proclaim the resurrection again and again), our faith is futile and we are still in our sins - and death is the end. If He did not rise then neither will we and we have no hope of eternal life.

Just look at the disciples! Before the resurrection they were timid and fearful. John was the only one who even showed up at the cross - they were all in hiding!

Nancy Leigh DeMoss says...
But then came the news of the resurrection and then the gift and empowering of the Holy Spirit. The combination of those things transformed those first disciples into a bold band of believers who were willing to lay down their lives for Christ’s sake. The church was birthed and it spread through the proclamation that Christ died for our sins and was raised from the dead.

A timid, weak, disbanded group of men suddenly became a bold team of believers willing to die proclaiming Christ's resurrection. People do not die for what they know to be a lie.

DeMoss continues to list seven implications of the resurrection - there is hope in the most desperate of circumstances, God always keeps His promises, death is no longer to be feared, our own bodily resurrection is assured, God has accepted and approved the work Christ did on the cross and therefore accepts and approves those of us who are in Christ (no longer any condemnation for our sins!), the power and dominion of sin in our lives has been overcome, and the very same power that raised Christ from the dead is available to us!

Wow - the importance of the resurrection simply cannot be overstated. It is significant beyond measure.

Why We Celebrate Easter
The birth was an event
The life only an example
Until the death gave them meaning
and the resurrection gave them power

Why we celebrate Easter

Of all the events that defined the life of Christ
A miraculous birth, test in the desert, supernatural baptism,
sermon on the mount, the working of miracles
The Bible commands us to remember only one

His sacrificial death

Why?

Why are we not commanded to celebrate His birth
or commemorate His miracles, but to remember His death?

In His birth, He became Emmanuel, God is with us
But in death, He became Saviour, God saved us
And in resurrection, He became Redeemer, God has renewed us

In birth and life, He revealed the possible
in death and resurrection, He made it possible

He became our example, in how He lived and loved
We couldn't become it until He died and rose

It was not enough that He was our Teacher
He had to become our Saviour, Redeemer

"It is for your good that I am going away...
unless I go away, the Counselor will not come" John 16:7

Without Easter weekend we only see His example
With Easter weekend we become His example
Without Easter weekend we're merely good people
With Easter weekend we're a holy people

His birth was the incarnation
His life was a revelation
But His death was our salvation
and His resurrection is our restoration

Easter
That's why we celebrate...

If you are a skeptic and need to see some evidence of the resurrection, I highly encourage you to purchase The Case for Easter by Lee Strobel (less than $4!) - which contains all the chapters relevant to the crucifixion and resurrection that are in his larger volume, The Case for Christ.

Union 28 (My Husband Rocks) Winner!

2011-04-25T13:46:00.003-05:00

I'm so glad that I was able to introduce a bunch of new people to Union28 - isn't it such a fabulous company?!

And the winner of my Union28 giveaway, as selected by Random Number Generator is....

True Random Number Generator Min: Max: Result: 24 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Commenter # 24 - Jaime Giesbrecht!! Congratulations Jaime! Your prize? Your choice of the chocolate or hot pink tee in fitted or non-fitted style. Email me your selection (colour, style, size) and your mailing address, then sit back and wait for your fabulous tee to arrive!

And for everybody else, don't forget that until May 31st you can take 15% off your entire order at Union28 by using my giveaway code U28TIB15!! (Again, Canadians, don't forget to email them for a better shipping rate if you're ok with not having tracking capabilities on your order)

He is risen!

2011-04-24T15:08:00.003-05:00

Today is Resurrection Sunday - He is risen!! He is risen indeed!!

Tomorrow I will post Part 2 of "Easter Makes Christmas" - Resurrection Sunday edition, but for today, this video sums it up well!

Easter Makes Christmas - Good Friday edition

2011-04-22T15:02:00.002-05:00

Don't get me wrong. I LOVE Christmas. I love celebrating Christmas. But Easter makes Christmas. Technically, you can't really have one without the other. But Easter completes Christmas. The truth is that both Christmas and Easter have become so secularized that it takes deliberate thought to celebrate their true meanings.

I already wrote a post this past December in a similar vein - I said (yes, I'm about to quote myself - hey, it's my blog!)...
Christmas is about the reason Jesus was born. It's about the reason He left the glory of heaven and exchanged it for 33 years on a planet full of people who had and still do reject Him. It's the reason He endured an agonizing death on the cross to pay the price that was mine to pay. What was the reason? You. Me. Love for you and me. He was the Rescuer sent by God to pay the penalty for my sin. He took on the full wrath of God in my place. In your place. Because He loves you that much! Someone needed to make a way back to God, and He was the only One who could do it. I can't do it, you can't do it. Only He can.

And so He came - born to die. But the story, thankfully, did not end there. Death did not defeat Him. God raised Him from the dead. And in the end, death will not defeat us either.

I want to expand on this a bit.

Christmas is fantastic. The very idea of the incarnation is incredible to me.

Jesus Christ has always existed and always will exist. To our finite minds, this is tough stuff to understand. But, quite frankly, if we could understand everything about God, He wouldn't be worthy of our worship, would He? Jesus Christ didn't start to exist on the date of His birth here on earth like we did.

He has always existed. And prior to that Christmas over 2000 years ago, He lived in the splendor of heaven with angels worshiping Him as He enjoyed perfect fellowship with God the Father and The Holy Spirit. The majesty that He enjoyed is unimaginable to us. And He left that all, to come to this dingy ball orbiting the sun, as a human being.

Nancy Leigh DeMoss says...

The infinite became finite.
The immortal became mortal.
The Creator became as one of His creatures.
The One who never sleeps, became tired—as a man.
The Creator of the oceans of water—all the bodies of water on the earth—became thirsty.
The one who fed His people with manna in the wilderness became hungry.
The one who flung the stars into space slept under the stars.
The one who inhabited heaven’s ivory palaces was born in a borrowed cattle shed.
The omniscient God had to learn how to talk and walk as a child, as a baby, as an infant, as a human.
The eternal Word of God had to learn how to read.
The Helper of His people became helpless and dependent.
The beloved Son of God became the rejected Son of Man.
The one who created angels had angels come to His aid during His temptation in the wilderness, and again in Gethsemane.

Isn't that incredible?

But it's not just the fact that He did it that was so important. It was why He did it.

He did it to save us. He did it because He loved us.

Our sin has separated us from our Holy God. He cannot abide any sin in His presence - not even the smallest of sins. There is no way we can be good enough to get to heaven because it requires absolute perfection. And I don't know about you, but I don't even come close. Some people are "better" than others. But it doesn't matter because they're not perfect.

Let's say (for arguments sake), that the requirement for getting to heaven was being able to jump from the earth to the moon. It's impossible. No one could do it. Now, Michael Jordan would certainly be able to jump a lot higher than I could. But it wouldn't matter. His amazing vertical still doesn't get him anywhere near the moon.

The real requirement for getting into heaven is even more impossible than that. Absolute perfection. It's impossible.

So we've got a pretty huge problem.

God is just, so He can't just forgive us. Somebody has to be able to pay the price for our sin. The price is death. And I deserve it.

But God is also love.

So, how did God balance His absolute justness with His absolute love?

He did it with it with Christmas and Easter.

Jesus Christ voluntarily gave up His godness and entered into humanity in order to bring us to God. He took on flesh, He veiled His glory, He crossed the infinite gap between heaven and earth - in order to restore our relationship with Him. And that's why Christmas is so incredible.

But the thing is, if He just came here and then went back to heaven - well, that wouldn't help us anything.

He had to die. For me. For you. He willingly became the substitute for my sin. He took my punishment upon Himself because He loves me that much. He took your punishment upon Himself because he loves you that much.

And why was this sacrifice acceptable? Because He lived an absolutely perfect life. Only an absolutely perfect life would be an acceptable sacrifice to our Holy God.

And so, on that dark Friday, so many years ago, Jesus Christ volunteered to take the whole wrath of God upon Himself, so that we might be saved. Yes, He endured unspeakable physical pain during the crucifixion, but the spiritually suffering was worse by far.

From Nancy Leigh de Moss...

It was the separation from His Father from whom he had never since all eternity past ever experienced a single second of separation.

Until this moment, when others had misunderstood or forsaken Him, He had always depended on the closeness and fellowship with His Father. That’s where He would run. That’s where He found a refuge. But now that refuge was no longer available to Him. Others could claim in their times of suffering the promise of Psalm 27, verse 10, “My father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in,” but Jesus was denied that provision that was available to everyone else. At this moment He is utterly alone and forsaken.

God is a Holy God. And on the cross, Jesus was bearing our sin - He had become sin for us, and that is what caused Him to be separated from a Holy God as He drank the full cup of God's wrath on our behalf.

Jesus did not just feel forsaken—He was forsaken by His Father. He had to be forsaken in order to redeem us from our sins. He had to have fellowship and intimacy with God broken because God was judging Him and rejecting Him as we deserved to be judged and rejected for our sin....

The picture we have in the Scripture is that of the Father actively, intentionally, directly, attentively involved in imputing our sin to His Son and executing our judgment upon His Son....
It wasn’t ultimately the Romans or the Jews who put Jesus to death. Ultimately, it was God who put His own Son to death. And that forsakenness He cried out about ... was not just a turning from the Son—just the opposite. It was a turning to the Son and against the Son in a hostile outpouring of condemnation upon our sin in His Son.

And yet, at the same time, ironically, the Father would never have been so pleased with His Son as He was in this moment of His forsakenness... The Son had fulfilled exactly what the Father sent Him to do. So the forsakenness Jesus felt must also have been accompanied with a deep sense of satisfaction that He knew He was doing the Father's will, and that the Father would be pleased with the sacrifice . . . “who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross.”

Jesus chose to be the substitute for my sin. He endured the punishment that I deserved. And He did it because it was the only way to reconcile His holiness and justice with His mercy and love. He alone was worthy to be the perfect sacrifice for my sins.

And when God's wrath was emptied out onto His Son, Jesus cried out victoriously "It is finished!"

This is my all time favourite Easter song. I don't think I've ever been able to sing it without crying.

How Deep the Father's Love For Us

How deep the Father's love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
And make a wretch His treausre

How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away
And wounds which mar the chosen one
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the man upon the cross
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished!

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer.
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom.

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer.
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom.

Thank you, precious Jesus.

It's Friday, but Sunday's coming!!

Giveaway - Union28 - My Husband Rocks!!

2011-04-21T13:58:00.005-05:00

This giveaway closed at 12 noon on Monday, April 25th. The winner was announced here.

I am so excited, you have no idea!!

I have blogged about my "My Husband Rocks" shirts before - I am practically in love with this company. Their mission (to encourage marriage relationships, communicate a positive image of marriage and to honour the sanctity of the marriage covenant) is fantastic and their clothes are wonderfully stylish, not to mention a huge conversation starter. Seriously - complete strangers come up and talk to me about my shirts when I'm wearing them. I have never received so many compliments on a piece of clothing before. It's amazing!

And, since my husband totally DOES rock, I enjoy showing off that fact by wearing these fabulous products. Today, I couldn't help myself, and ordered two more items - the purple fitted tee and the chocolate fitted zip hoodie - too cute right?!

Ready for the best part? Union28 has generously donated an original "My husband rocks" tee for me to giveaway right here on my blog!! That's right! The winner will be able to choose between the chocolate or hot pink "My husband rocks" tee in either fitted or non-fitted style. This giveaway is open to all US and Canadian residents! Thank you Union28!!

Not only that. For those of you who don't win, you can take 15% off your entire order from Union28 until May 31st, 2011 using the code U28TIB15 at checkout. One tip for Canadian residents - if you don't mind getting your order shipped without tracking, you can email them for a shipping quote to reduce your shipping charges from a whopping $25 down to the more manageable $8ish range.

You can also enter another giveaway by entering their encouragement challenge and win a his and hers tee of Union28's newest design! Click here for more details on that giveaway.

Side note: Go check out that coupon code again. Guess what TIB stands for?! Yup, TammyIsBlessed - so fun!! :)

So, to enter my blog giveaway, all you have to do is go check out the Union28 website and tell me what two of your favourite products are - one from the women's selection, and one from the men's or children's section.

To get up to 4 extra entries, you can also...
1) compliment your husband (or wife for my male readers) for something specific on your Facebook status and tell us why your husband rocks!
2) mention the giveaway (including my blog and Union28's website) on Facebook
3) "Like" Union28 on Facebook
4) blog about this giveaway

Make sure to comment here on my blog separately telling me each thing you've done. Winner will be drawn using the Random Number Generator on Monday, April 25th (deadline to enter is noon Central Time). Good luck!! I'm so excited!! Thanks again Union28!

Book Review: Daddy Dates by Greg Wright

2011-04-21T10:18:00.003-05:00

About the Book: Daddy Dates gives the average Joe easy steps to actively and successfully engage with his daughter and raise a confident woman-to-be.

When faced with the reality of raising four (4!) teen daughters, Greg Wright went on a soul quest.

He came back with a mission: Don’t Screw Up.

This funny, insightful, and relatable book poses the wildly original concept that should be a “duh” for most dads—but isn’t: In order to raise a confident woman-to-be, show your daughter what it feels like to be treated with love, respect, and true interest by a man who loves her.

Daddy Dates shows the average father how to actually do that. It is written in an original voice and will appeal to both men and women. It is the kind of action-oriented “how to” material that guys enjoy, and so many others will recommend to other dads.

My thoughts: Our culture does not respect the role of the father very much these days. In pretty much any sitcom you watch, the dad is often the butt of the jokes and simply a lazy and uninvolved parent while Supermom pulls it off without any help from Loserdad. Society has made it seem like the role of the father is not that important.

But nothing could be further from the truth. Daughters learn how men are supposed to treat them by the way their father treats them. A girl's relationship with her dad will have a huge impact on her self-esteem and how she sees herself as a person in general and a woman in particular. (A father's role in his son's life is just as vital, but the book is geared to father/daughter relationships so I'm not getting into that here).

Unfortunately, many dads (and moms for that matter) simply don't know exactly what to do. If that's where you're at, this book is for you!

A quick and easy read, this book is filled with great ideas about pursuing a relationship with your daughter.

From the book....

I believe it's the job of every husband and father to understand that his job - perhaps his most important job - is to be the pursuer. Not just at the beginning, but all the way through... Doesn't matter their age. Girls want us to discover their specialness, praise it, and treasure it.

Wright's solution was to pursue daughter knowing (getting to know her as a person, what she thinks about things - which means how she feels!) by dating them - showing them how a sincere guy treats a girl he's genuinely interested in getting to know.

The book includes date ideas, as well as a personality quiz to help father's get to know their daughters and what types of dates would be special for them, as well as their personality type's strengths, weaknesses, communication style and needs. This includes doing a lot more listening than talking. And recognizing that girls do not want their problems solved, they want to share their problems with someone they trust.

Talk + Action + Time = Trust

Once you've built a solid relationship with your kids and they know they can trust you, it will make it easier in those times when you need to exert your parental authority, especially when they are in disagreement with you.

The Wright family has determined that they don't allow dating in high school - "In high school we don't have boyfriends. We don't do ownership. We do friendship, and that's it". When his daughters turn 13 he takes them on a very special date where he presents them with "a pretty ring to wear on her left hand so she will remember that I am giving her my heart (in a parental way), promising to be her guide in life, and will take care of her financially and emotionally until she's an independent woman or married". When her future husband asks permission to marry her, that's when the ring will come off - symbolizing a "transition of care".

This book is an easy read, geared to men, and not very long. Though written from a Christian perspective, it is not preachy and would be valuable for parents of any/no faith. I highly recommend it!

Thank you to Booksneeze for providing me with my complimentary review copy of Greg Wright's Daddy Dates.

Book Review: Beside Still Waters by Tricia Goyer

2011-04-18T10:58:00.004-05:00

About the Book: Marianna Sommer believes she knows where her life is headed. Nineteen years old and Amish, her plan is to get baptized into the church, marry Aaron Zook, and live in the only community she's ever known.

When Marianna's family moves from Indiana to Montana she discovers life and faith will never be the same. As she builds an easy friendship with local guy, Ben Stone, Ben not only draws her heart, he also gets her thinking about what loving God and living in community is all about.

As Marianna struggles to find "home", she also encounters God in intimate ways. Click here to watch the book trailers.

My thoughts: I've read a few of Tricia's books before and I've always enjoyed them - this book was no exception.

I really like the fact that her books go deeper than just a light Amish romance novel.

This book really begins to dig into the differences between the Amish belief system and the "English" Protestant evangelical faith, without being preachy or condemning in tone. It celebrates the good side of Amish beliefs while exploring its deficiencies as well.

The book also touches on issues universal to the human race including loss (both death and separation) and our response to it, as well as how our choices never affect only ourselves.

Tricia does a great job of developing the characters and making them seem real, as well as simply telling a great story.

To celebrate the release of this book, Tricia Goyer is giving away 10 copies of this book as well as a pair of really cute Amish salt and pepper shakers. Click here for details.

Thank you to Stephanie and Amy from Litfuse Publicity for organizing this tour and providing me with my complimentary review copy.

Book Review: Money & Marriage by Matt Bell

2011-04-07T08:19:00.001-05:00

About the Book: In this thorough and practical guide, financial expert Matt Bell helps engaged and newly married couples navigate the merger of habits, flaws, and attitudes about money so two can truly become one.

His writing is full of helpful advice, Scripture, and practical steps to gaining financial freedom together as a couple. Learn to use money in a way that minimizes disputes and maximizes marital happiness.

My thoughts: Well, we're not newly married, but we learned many of these things the book teaches on our own as we made mistakes - but thankfully not any major ones!

This book would be a fanTAStic book for couples to read as part of their pre-marital counselling and I highly, highly recommend it.

Money is often one of the biggest sources of friction in marriage - often due to incorrect assumptions, lack of awareness of our own spending habits (and/or our partner's) and lack of knowledge in the area of finances.

This book addresses all of that and more! The first section is called Decoding Each Other's Financial DNA and addresses literally every possible question about our spending habits and our money assumptions, based in large part on how we were raised and by our personalities.

The second section, A Ten-Step Action Plan for Financial Success, is chock full of financial advice to get your marriage started on the right foot and stay there.

The third section, Fostering Financial Oneness, he addresses how being one financially is a huge indicator of the health of your marriage. We also need to understand who we are and what our lives are about (our purpose!) in regards to money.

God is the owner of our money. We are not the owners, and certainly not the consumers - we are the managers or stewards. What a huge responsibility - what a priviledge!

From the book...
My prayer for you is that you will use money in a way that brings great glory to God; shows love to the people in your lives, starting with each other; and enables you to use the talents and passions God had uniquely given you to make the contribution for which you were uniquely designed. If you arrance your finances around these three God-given purposes, your marriage will be richly blessed, and I believe that one day you will hear these words: "Well done, good and faithful servants!"

Thank you to Stephanie and Amy from Litfuse Publicity for organizing this tour and providing me with my complimentary review copy.

Book Review: Lazarus Awakening by Joanna Weaver

2011-04-05T17:32:00.004-05:00

About the Book: Getting God’s Love from Our Heads to Our Hearts

You believe that God loves the world…but sometimes you wonder if He truly loves you.

For many of us, moving the truth of God’s love from our heads to our hearts is a lifelong process. As we consider our inadequacies or grieve our shattered dreams, we find it difficult to believe that God cares for us personally.

In this life-giving book, Joanna Weaver shows you how to embrace the truth that Jesus loves you apart from anything you accomplish, apart from anything you bring. Just as He called Lazarus forth to new life, Jesus wants to free you to live fully in the light of His love, unbound from the graveclothes of fear, regret, and self-condemnation.

Love is calling your name.

Combining unforgettable real-life illustrations with unexpected biblical insights, Joanna Weaver invites you to experience a spiritual resurrection that will forever change your understanding of what it means to be the one Jesus loves. Bible study and Leader’s Guide available here. http://www.joannaweaverbooks.com/books/lazarus-awakening/

My thoughts: You'd think that after looking at the story of the death and resurrection of Lazarus twice already in her first two books (Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World and Having a Mary Spirit), that there would be no further lessons to be learned. Though I've only read portions of the first book, there are definitely fresh insights to be learned by focusing on the Lazarus. Who knew you could learn so much from one Biblical account? Just goes to show that there's always more to learn.

Joanna's conversational style of writing is very easy to read. She mixes in personal stories and applications to practically illustrate the truths she digs up from the text.

One insight that I really appreciated was this...
God wants a relationship with us more than He wants our acts of service. Obviously service is vital to our walk with God and is evidence of our faith - but it is supposed to be the result of a relationship with God, not a replacement for it.

God also wants a relationship with us more than He wants our worship. That one blew me away a bit. Here's a quote from the book....
I realize it's almost sacrilegious in some areas of today's Christian culture to suggest that God might be looking for more than our praise. We've elevated worship to a place that nearly teeters on idolatry. We've said worship is our highest calling - and important it is.

But listen! The angels already provide God with praise. They surround the throne of God 24/7. You and I were not created to add voices to the angelic choir. We were created to enjoy an intimate relationship with the King of the Universe. (emphasis mine)

Another point that really grabbed me - God is our Friend. And He fulfills His role as our Friend perfectly. But are we a friend to God? Do we treat Him like a close friend, a true friend (the Greek word philos - the term used by Jesus when He called Lazarus "friend")? Or do we treat Him like a genie, only our friend for what we can get from Him? Are we selfish comrades, groupies, unfaithful and deceptive friends (the Greek word hetairos - the term used by Jesus when He called Judas "friend" when he betrayed Him)?

What kind of friend are we to Jesus? Lazarus or Judas?

For these, and many more insights, I highly recommend that you pick up a copy of this book!

Thank you to Stephanie and Amy from Litfuse Publicity for organizing this tour and providing me with my complimentary review copy.

Book Review: A Suitor for Jenny by Margaret Brownley

2011-04-01T10:13:00.003-05:00

About the Book: When looking for a husband, it’s best to go where the odds are in your favor.

And that would be Rocky Creek, Texas, 1880. But Jenny Higgins's plan to find husbands for her two sisters hits a snag when enthusiastic applicants fail to meet her stringent requirements.

Rejecting her sisters' choices for mates and riding herd on her growing feelings for Marshal Rhett Armstrong, she refuses to give up.

Jenny thinks choosing a husband is not a job for the heart. It'll take one strong and handsome marshal to convince her otherwise.

My Thoughts: A light hearted historical romance with no surprises, this was an easy, yet enjoyable read.

Though fun, and downright funny at times, the author also manages to tackle some serious issues such as poverty, child abuse, alcoholism, and the difference between guilt and godly sorrow, to name just a few. This is also a story about rebuilding faith and learning to trust God with the future.

I did not like how Mary Lou's eventual husband treats her during their "courtship" - assuming she knew what she wanted and needed, and basically telling her that he was the one - and that it was supposed to be seen as romantic. He was a stand up guy in all the other areas of his life (integrity, hard worker, overcame learning disability, risks his life for another, etc), but this one thing irked me. Other than that though, it was an enjoyable read.

Though this is the 2nd book of the series, it works well as a stand alone.

Thank you to Booksneeze for providing me with my complimentary review copy of Margaret Brownley's A Suitor for Jenny.

Book Review: The Mountains Bow Down by Sibella Giorello

2011-03-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

About the Book: Everything's going to work out. Time away always makes things better ....

That's what FBI Special Agent Raleigh Harmon believes as she boards a cruise to Alaska. A land of mountains and gems and minerals, The Last Frontier is a dream destination for this forensic geologist who's hoping to leave behind a hectic work schedule and an engagement drained of romance.

But when a passenger goes missing and winds up dead, Raleigh's vacation suddenly gets lost at sea. The ship's security chief tries to rule the death a suicide, but Raleigh's forensics background points to a much darker conclusion: Somewhere onboard, a ruthless murderer walks free.

Engulfed by one of her toughest cases yet, Raleigh requests assistance from the FBI and receives her nemesis-perpetual ladies man Special Agent Jack Stephanson. As the cruise ship sails through the Inside Passage, Raleigh has five days to solve a high-profile murder, provide consultation for a movie filming onboard, and figure out her increasingly complicated feelings for Jack-who might not be such a jerk after all.

And that's only her work life. Family offers even more challenges. Joined on the cruise by her mother and aunt, Raleigh watches helplessly as disturbing rifts splinter her family.

Like the scenery that surrounds the cruise ship, Raleigh discovers a situation so steep and so complex that even the mountains might bow down.

My thoughts: A murder mystery that takes place on a cruise ship to Alaska? How could I not like this book?!

In all seriousness, the fact that this book took place on a cruise ship fascinated me, because we love to go on cruises (we've done 4 now). We've never gone to Alaska, but would like to someday - for now, we're sticking with the Caribbean. And I was not disappointed - her descriptive writing style brought me right back to the ship. And the descriptions of the Alaskan scenery definitely tempts me to go there someday!

I loved Raleigh the main character - she was real, refreshing and intriguing - as well as all her counterparts in the FBI. Giorello does a really nice job of fleshing out the characters.

And the plot is fantastic. It was a murder mystery and it kept me guessing till the end. I enjoyed this book immensely!

Though this is the 4th book of the Raleigh Harmon series, it definitely works as a stand alone book - however, you're likely going to want to pick up the first three after reading this one!

Thank you to Stephanie and Amy from Litfuse Publicity for organizing this tour and providing me with my complimentary review copy.

Start the series fresh with this great deal! Pick up a copy of Book 1 for your Kindle or Nook for only $2.99! The Stones Roll Away is the critically acclaimed award winner that kicked off the Raleigh Harmon series.

About the Cruise Giveaway: (contest begins 3/15, no entry until then.) Sibella’s celebrating the release of The Mountains Bow Down by giving away a Cruise prize pack worth over $500.00!

One Grand Prize winner will receive:

A $500 gift certificate toward the cruise of their choice from Vacations To Go.
The entire set of the Raleigh Harmon series.

To enter go here!

Then tell your friends. And enter soon - the giveaway ends on 4/1! The winner will be announced at Sibella’s Raleigh Harmon Book Club Party on FB April 5th, 2011! Don’t miss the fun – prizes, books and gab!

To Lent or Not to Lent - that is the question

2011-03-24T00:46:00.004-05:00

To Lent or not to Lent - that is the question.

Well, obviously it's not the question anymore cause that would be WAY too late!

I have never observed Lent before. By that I mean that I have never sacrificed something for the 40 day period before Holy Saturday (day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday) in order to focus and prepare my heart for Easter, identifying (in a very small way!) with the sacrifice and suffering of our Saviour.

In truth, due to growing up in Evangelical Protestant churches, I hadn't really ever heard much about Lent. But there has been a growing trend to "give up something for Lent" and the more I heard about it, the more I found the idea of heart preparation and focus on Jesus to be an appealing one.

With two of our daughters having March birthdays, my own being in April, Spring Break thrown into the mix, and the fact that Easter is always at a different time each year - I find that the Easter season just sneaks up on me and is over almost as soon as it's begun.

(OK, I just about got myself on a rabbit trail there, and I so do not have time for a post that long right now, so I'll save it for another time. Look for an upcoming post titled "Easter Beats Christmas!")

But what I liked even more than giving something up for Lent, was reading in my cousin Tammi's post about purposefully taking on something new and adding deliberate acts of generosity and kindness to the observance of Lent (see Love Life Live Lent for more details on this philosophy).

Sidebar: Technically the period between Ash Wednesday and Holy Saturday is more than 40 days because Sundays are supposed to be a "day off" so to speak.

So, I had decided I wanted to do it, now what exactly was "it" going to be?

Well, I considered giving up desserts or something like that. But in all honesty, the pretty big side benefit to giving up desserts is losing a couple pounds and quite frankly, made that seem less than altruistic to me. So that one was out. (Note: I'm not accusing anyone else of less than pure motives, just saying that my own would be)

In the end, I decided to pretty much copy my cousin Tammi (us Tammy/i's are pretty smart after all!). I decided to give up any extra-internet use (Facebooking, blogging, surfing, etc) unless I had completed my goals for the day. I'm obviously still doing my Bible blog (as that would be part of the goals for the day!), and I do check email (need to for business, plus that is simply one way people get ahold of me, and is honestly not my time-waster). But other than that - no internet usage until goals have been accomplished.

Now you know why you haven't seen me around here or Facebook much lately!! (except when we were on our little family holiday - not many goals on those days, ha ha!) I may as well have banned myself completely - which shows that either my goals have been way too high, or I've previously been wasting way too much time on internet frivolity. Most likely it's probably a combination of the two - giving me future food for thought.

In keeping with Love Life Live Lent, I have also been doing a little something extra for somebody every day - whether it's simply putting a note in the girls lunches, bringing bread to a neighbour or inviting someone over for dinner. Not necessarily big things. But something.

And last, but certainly not least, I have also been following along with a special Lenten Bible study hosted by Nancy Leigh DeMoss on Revive Our Hearts Radio, using the 31-day devotional book The Incomparable Christ, by J. Oswald Sanders. I jumped on this one pretty late, so I still haven't received my book, but the devotionals have been fantastic even without it. I have really been enjoying this series and am so glad I decided to follow it.

So, in regards to the original question - to Lent is the answer!

Do you observe Lent? If so, what are you doing (or should I say, not doing)?

Emma'isms

2011-03-22T17:03:00.004-05:00

Emma's answers to some schoolwork questions about the Olympics....

Question: Think about it..... Will athletes keep breaking records forever?
Emma: I think they will! But then again, one athlete might break a record that can never again be broken! (if it does happen, then I hope it's a girl!)
(Female) Teacher: Me too! :)

Question: Give 3 reasons why Pierre de Coubertin was important to the Olympics.
Emma: 1. The Pierre dude was important to the Olympics because he thought competing in sports was better then warfare.
2. Pierre dude practicly started the Olympics.
3. Pierre dude promoted the idea of reviving the Olympics. Thanks Pierre Dude!
P.S. Pierre Dude! What a riot!
Teacher: Yes, I laughed as I read this.

So did I! :)

Spring?

2011-03-19T17:30:00.004-05:00

It's middle of March, which in some places means it's springtime. Where I live? Not so much.

Well, I guess that's not totally true. We have had some days where the thermometre has managed to crawl above zero (celsius), but we've also had days of -40!! It is spring, it's not spring, it is spring, it's not spring - the back and forth of the weather is definitely not my favourite part of spring. And it doesn't make for fabulous road conditions either.

But what it does do, is provide a light at the end of our long winter tunnel. Though the days of wooden swing sets, slurpees and venturing outdoors jacketless seem far off, they ARE coming. And they're coming sooner today than they were a month ago.

In the meantime, I'm gonna go bake some more bread, stay warm and maybe read a book or two! :)

Book Review: A Trail of Ink by Mel Starr

2011-03-16T11:27:00.003-05:00

About the Book: An excellent medieval whodunit by the author of The Unquiet Bones and A Corpse at St Andrew's Chapel.

Some valuable books have been stolen from Master John Wyclif, the well known scholar and Bible translator. He calls upon his friend and former pupil, Hugh de Singleton, to investigate. Hugh's investigation leads him to where he again encounters Kate, the only woman who has tempted him to leave bachelor life behind, but Kate has another serious suitor. As Hugh's pursuit of Kate becomes more successful, mysterious accidents begin to occur. Are these accidents tied to the missing books, or to his pursuit of Kate? One of the stolen books turns up alongside the drowned body of a poor scholar. Another accident? Hugh certainly doesn t think so, but it will take all of his surgeon's skills to prove.

So begins another delightful and intriguing tale from the life of Hugh de Singleton, surgeon in the medieval. Masterfully researched by medieval scholar Mel Starr, the setting of the novel can be visited and recognized in modern-day. Enjoy more of Hugh's dry wit, romantic interests, evolving faith, and dogged determination as he pursues his third case as bailiff of Bampton.

My Thoughts: Even though this is the 3rd book of a series, it works very well as a stand alone book (I hadn't read either of the 2 previous works).

Historical fiction is one of my favourite genres and this one, set as it is in Medieval times, was thoroughly enjoyable. It was a fun mystery and an easy read.

Since I enjoy reading books, I also enjoyed reading about this book mystery and particularly about John Wyclif.

I also enjoyed the style of the author's writing. It gave you the feel of being in Medieval times, and yet it was still easy to understand. An example from the very first lines of the books...

I had never seen Master John Wyclif so afflicted. He told me alter that it was as onerous to plunder a bachelor scholar's books as to steal another man's wife. I had, at the time, no way to assess the accuracy of that opinion, for I had no wife and few books...

Thank you to Stephanie and Amy from Litfuse Publicity for organizing this tour and providing me with my complimentary review copy.

Contest: Kregel Publishers is graciously donating a $50 Amazon.com gift card for the Litfuse Blog Tour Contest! Woo-hoo (thanks Kregel!) All you have to do to enter is either tweet (see TWEET THIS below) or share the book on Facebook using this link: http://www.amazon.com/Trail-Ink-Chronicle-Singleton-Surgeon/dp/1854249746/ref=sprightly-20

TWEET THIS: A Trail of Ink by Mel Star. An excellent medieval whodunit. RT for a chance to win a $50 GC to @amazon! http://ow.ly/45c2k #litfuse - (and be sure to use the hashtag #litfuse to be entered into Amazon.com gift certificate drawing and no need to email that you tweeted - we'll be able to track it via the hashtag.)

FACEBOOK THIS: A Trail of Ink by Mel Star. An excellent medieval whodunit. Share on your wall for a chance to win a $50 GC to @amazon! http://ow.ly/45c2k (email info@litfusegroup.com to let us know you 'shared'

Breadstick Tutorial and Cheese Dip Recipe

2011-02-28T13:31:00.016-06:00

In my Whole Wheat Bread tutorial post I mentioned that I make some fabulous breadsticks. I know you're all dying for me to post a breadstick tutorial to back up that claim, so here you go!

I got this recipe from Epicure actually, but made a few changes to it. I originally used this recipe to make a bread bowl and cheese dip that's amazing, and then one day decided to make it as breadsticks, and was hooked! These go great with spaghetti, lasagna or practically any meal really.

Without further ado, here is the breadstick tutorial (recipe at the end)....

Step 1: In your KitchenAid mixer bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water and sugar, and wait a couple minutes for the yeast to bubble.

Step 2: Add in softened (I always just melt it in microwave) butter/margarine, milk, flour, salt and focaccia (optional) spice. Add more or less flour as needed and beat until dough is just slightly sticky to the touch. I prefer this recipe with all white flour, but you could play around with adding in some whole wheat instead if you like.

Note: I love Epicure's focaccia and I use it in this recipe a lot. You could add a herb/garlic spice instead, or pretty much whatever you want. Or you could leave out the spice altogether, and brush on some garlic butter after baking. I've made this recipe with all those variations and I love them all!

Step 3: Spray bowl with Pam, cover and allow dough to rise until doubled, approximately 45 min to 1 hour.

Step 4: Divide into sections - this recipe I usually divide in half, then divide each half into about 12 sections.

Step 5: Roll each section into a breadstick shape by holding it between your palms and rubbing them back and forth - pretend you're on Survivor and trying to start a fire by rubbing sticks together. That won't likely work in real life, but it will make you some nice breadsticks for this recipe.

Of course, if you have kidlets assisting you, you may wind up with different shaped breadsticks! (snails, lollipops, heart, doughnut)

Step 6: Cover and allow to rise until doubled - when I'm in a hurry (decided a little late in the day to start making these) I've skimped on this step and only let it rise 15-20 mins. But 30 - 45 minutes would be best. Ignore the colour on this picture, not sure what happened there - but you get the idea of the rising action.

Step 7: Bake in 375 preheated oven for 15 - 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Step 8: Brush with melted butter and serve warm. Delicious!!

Because this recipe makes a lot of breadsticks, you can slightly underbake one of the pans (if you think of it, if not, it works just fine fully baked too), cool and freeze in a ziplock bag to quickly and easily pull out and reheat in the oven for another dinner. To reheat, I find that if I stick them in the oven thawed and then turn the oven to 350 - they're ready by the time the oven has finished pre-heating. You could halve the recipe, but it's just as easy to make it as is and then you've got enough for 2 meals - I'm all about simplicity baby!

Like I mentioned before, you can also bake this in a round casserole dish (375 for about 25 minutes) to make a fabulous bread bowl to go alongside some cheese dip as a great appetizer dish.

Here's the recipe....

Breadsticks
Makes approximately 24 breadsticks
2 tsp yeast
3/4 cup warm water
3 tsp sugar
3 tbsp butter/margarine
1/2 cup milk
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp focaccia (optional)

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water and sugar. After the yeast has began to bubble, add in butter, milk, flour, salt and any optional spices. Adjust flower as necessary and knead until dough is smooth and just a tad sticky. Place in buttered bowl, cover and let rise until double. Divide dough into approximately 24 sections. Roll dough rapidly between your hands to shape into breadsticks. Place on two pans, cover and let rise for about an hour. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes. Or bake in one casserole dish at 375 for 25 minutes to make a bread bowl.

Note: original recipe called for dry milk. If you'd like to go that route, you can substitute 2 tbsp dry milk for the 1/2 cup milk and increase water to 1 1/4 cups (instead of 3/4 cup).

Here's the recipe for the cheese dip....

Cheese Dip
250g package cream cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1 tsp Epicure Lemon Dilly Dip Mix
1 tsp Epicure Cheese Chive & Bacon Dip Mix
1 tsp Epicure 3 Onion Dip Mix

Mix all ingredients together and bake at 350 for 20 minutes in a casserole dish. You could substitute any comparable spices for a similar effect. Serve with bread bowl.

Enjoy!!

Giveaway and Book Review: The Life Ready Woman by Shaunti Feldhahn & Robert Lewis

2011-02-24T21:02:00.003-06:00

About the Book: Are you a ‘Doing it all’ or ‘Do what matters’ woman?

Whether a stay at home; or working mom, an airplane-hopping executive, an empty-nester caring for multiple generations or a single juggling high demands of career and personal life, today's fast-paced modern world leaves women gasping for balance. We as modern Christian women want to look to the Bible for guidance on how to manage our lives -- but because the world of women looks so different today than it did when the Bible was written, it is hard to find chapter and verse that seems to apply to our situation today.

Thankfully, God has given us exactly that timeless, unchanging guidance for how to find peace, clarity, and God's best for our lives once we know where to look! The Life Ready Woman: Thriving in a Do-It-All World, reveals a profound biblical roadmap for how each of us can find the abundant life we are longing for, rather than the stressful, torn, how-do-I-balance-it-all life we often feel like we are trying to keep up with today. Actually being a LifeReady Woman means that you are clear about your life, bold in your faith, and able to find God’s best for you, and the end result will be that you not only survive but thrive in our do-it-all world.

God has given every wonderfully unique woman different skills and abilities, different desires, and different temperaments -- and every woman around the planet and through the ages is certainly living in different circumstances. But no matter what a woman’s life looks like, the Bible says that God has an individual mission and plan that He’s carefully designed for each of us. And He wants us to find it. Starting January 2011, The Life Ready Woman and the Life Ready Woman Video Series will help every wonderfully unique woman to thrive as she identifies and courageously pursues God's unique design and callings for her. LifeReady Woman puts you on a roadmap to make decisions that will lead to relief, delight, and fulfillment instead of regret.

My thoughts: Despite my poor first impression due to what I consider to be a boring cover and book title, I really enjoyed this book, found it to be very thought-provoking and would highly recommend it to women in any stage in life.

The first two chapters I found a bit slow and hard to get into, but after that I was definitely hooked.

After the slow introduction, Feldhahn identifies the five issues behind the problems women face today, issues that cause us to live contrary to God's design and purpose for our lives. She then goes on to define biblical manhood and womanhood, drawing on the Biblical accounts of Adam and Jesus, Eve and Mary.

A real man rejects passivity, accepts responsibility, leads courageously, and expects God's greater reward.

A biblical woman embraces God's callings, chooses wisely, lives courageously, and expects God's greater reward.

She goes on to explore biblical marriage and how God's call for men to be loving, servant leaders and women to be respectful helpers (as equals!) brings balance to each gender's sinful tendencies.

She then defines our core callings as human beings made in God's image, our feminine callings as women, and then our personal callings as unique individuals.

Our core callings as humans are to leave and cleave (we are to become mature individuals who achieve deep, lasting companionship in marriage), be fruitful and multiply (we are to raise up and launch a healthy, godly next generation into the world - not limited solely to childbearing/rearing) and we are to subdue and rule (we are to advance God's kingdom purposes beyond the home and into the earth, in ways specific to our gifting).

She says that we need to live from the inside out instead of the outside in. Instead of allowing the world's values, our own desires or even our God-given personality and gifts to dictate our actions and life choices, we need to be purposeful about letting God's core callings decide how we should use our wants, desires and gifts, and how to confront the world's values. We need to keep eternity in mind.

We need to recognize that the world has sold us women a lie - the lie that we can have it all, all at the same time. We can't.

We need to understand the different seasons of our lives (there are 10 in the book ranging from single adult to married with grade-schoolers to glorified saint) and how to make purposeful decisions about our lives during each season, keeping the big picture in mind and always with our core callings at the forefront.

I loved the point that she made that making a choice for something, is also automatically making a choice against something else.

She quotes Pastor Andy Stanley... There is not enough time to get it all done. Somebody is going to feel left out, neglected, or cheated. So the real question is not are you cheating, but who are you cheating? You need to be intentional about the choice.

We need to realize that our choices in one area of our life, at one season of our life, can impact the rest of our lives. And so we need to be intentional about our choices. We need to see where our choices are leading us and make sure we know that's where we want to be going.

This book is definitely meant for personal reflection and prayerful application. I'm definitely going to have to re-read and continue to chew on it for awhile to come.

Highly, highly recommend this book.

Thank you to Stephanie and Amy from Litfuse Publicity for organizing this tour and providing me with my complimentary review copy.

I was also given an extra copy to giveaway on my blog! For the few of you that read to the end of this post, enter (US or Canadian residents only) by commenting - I will pick the winner on Thursday, March 3rd.

In celebration of Shaunti Feldhahn’s Life Ready Woman, MomLife Today is giving away 2 Weekend To Remember Gift Packs and much more! Click here for more details.

Not only, is MomLife Today helping promote Life Ready Woman, but they are thrilled to announce that Shaunti will be joining MomLife Today as a regular contributor!!!

A trip to be remembered

2011-02-23T21:05:00.001-06:00

OK, for this story you're going to need to know some names and hopefully you can keep all the characters straight!

Hopefully our family you know already - Nathan & Tammy, Emma (9), Sophia (7), Olivia (5) & Jacob (3)

Nathan is the oldest and his parents are Edmer & Betty.
His younger sister lives in Alberta - Deena & Chris, Colter (5), Baret (3) & Hayden (1)
His youngest sister lives in a town close to us - Linsay & Shaun, Taylor (2)

First, a little background. Deena & Chris met and married in Alberta (yes, at ~~bible~~ bridal college). After a couple years they moved back here where Colter was born. I think they were pregnant with Baret when they moved back to Alberta. When they had been dating and newly married, Nathan and I went out to visit them at least once a year, sometimes twice. However, after they moved back, we told them in no uncertain terms that we were never driving all the way out there to visit them - at least not with the horrible passengers we'd managed to acquire in the meantime.

Never say never right?!

Mom & Dad, Shaun & Linsay have gone out to visit them before, and we've always steadfastly maintained our position, despite the wailings and pleadings of our offspring. I'm not sure what made this year different, but we gradually began to consider it. We finally consented to going out this Christmas, with numerous dire warnings to our children that their behaviour during the drive would be the deciding factor on if there were ever to be a repeat of this trip.

Turns out, the kids did fanTASTic on the drive - WAY better than expected.

Turns out that wasn't the problem. But there were problems, oh yes, there were problems.

We planned to drive caravan style. Mom & Dad would drive with Shaun & Linsay and we would lead the pack. We would come "pick them up" bright and early at 5am on the Wednesday after Christmas and book it out West.

*Note - people who do not like to read about other people getting sick, consider yourself warned.

At 4:45am we got a phone call. Linsay had been throwing up all night and they weren't sure what they were going to do. After some discussion it was decided that Nathan's parents would take all their luggage out of Shaun & Lin's vehicle and pack up their own car and head out with us. Shaun & Linsay would follow when they could, hopefully leaving at noon.

So, off we went. Now, I'm a bit of a hypochondriac, especially when it comes to stomach ailments, so by the time we got to Brandon where we stopped for breakfast, I was not feeling so hot. Things appeared to be going in the wrong direction during two bathroom breaks at the restaurant (Tim Horton's of course!), but I convinced myself it was all in my head and we were going to keep going. Worse case scenario, we'd stop in Regina if we had to.

Thankfully, it was just my hypochondria combined with lack of sleep. I napped between Brandon and Regina and every time I woke up I felt a bit better. Whew - bullet dodged. For now.

We filled up gas in Regina, stopped for lunch (Tim's again!) in Moose Jaw and kept on chugging. We stopped in Medicine Hat to fill up again and let the kids run off some steam at the local McDonald's which thankfully had an awesome play place (pictured left). Another 2 short hours (that seemed rather long!) and we were there! We enjoyed a homemade pizza supper and found out that it had been a good thing Shaun & Linsay had not started out with us, because around noon Shaun got sick and Taylor, who had been sick two days previous, got a bit sick again. They were all doing somewhat better by the evening, so they decided they would go to bed real early and try to be on the road by 4am the next morning (Thursday) to get to Alberta in time for our scheduled Christmas dinner (wrenikje and farmer sausage - woohoo!).

Did I mention they live in the middle of nowhere? This was the view out their front yard....

And who is this lovely couple?

Thankfully Shaun, Linsay & Taylor made it safe and sound (and not sick!) and we all had a wonderful Christmas dinner that Thursday, followed by the "program", gifts and we all vacationed happily ever after. Ok, not quite.

Mom & Dad slept in the guest room downstairs. Nathan and I slept in Colter & Baret's room (their bottom bunk is a double) with Jacob on the floor in our room. Shaun & Linsay slept in Hayden's room on a double mattress with Taylor in Hayden's crib. Hayden slept in a play pen in Chris & Deena's room. All the other kids were set up downstairs by the tv for a big cousin sleepover.

During the day Hayden had had some diarrhea, but we chalked it up to teething. Might have been wrong about that one. No sooner had we started getting the kids ready for bed that night then both Colter & Baret started throwing up (they had previously had one episode of "d" as well). Chris & Deena spent the next several hours playing Mexican Train with us, while taking breaks every 15 minutes or so to deal with one or two puking children whose beds had been moved up to the living room, while I stuck my fingers in my ears and tried to convince myself that everything would be fine.

Now, obviously Colter & Baret did not get this from Shaun & Linsay cause they had only been there for a couple hours. So, we had both the Manitoba and the Alberta germs going around full force - we never had a fighting chance.

About every 12 hrs or so, we went down like dominoes.

We had originally been planning to go to Brooks the next day (Friday) and swim at their amazing leisure center, but since it was an hour away, we decided it was too big of a risk. Good thing too because Emma started around noon - not as bad as the boys, only about 5 episodes. We kept all the healthy people playing outside as much as we could - very thankful for the awesome natural toboggan slide courtesy of Chris & Deena's amazing front yard (advantage of living way out in the boonies in hill country). Deena was not feeling fabulous and had diarrhea off and on all day, and yet still managed to be an amazing hostess - in fact, she was a fantastic hostess throughout this whole ordeal, can't imagine anyone doing a better job! I lost track of how many times she disinfected bathrooms (thankfully they had 3 of them!) that week.

Just before bedtime Olivia threw up, and let's just say no one will feel like eating cherry ice cream again any time soon. This was the first time in about 3 years that she had thrown up, so I knew she'd have no idea what was coming. We put her and Emma to bed in the living room and were expecting to be interrupted from Mexican Train numerous times to help Olivia, like Deena & Chris had been the night before. But amazingly, Olivia only had the one incident!

I got very little sleep that night. Every cough or sound Jacob made I thought he was about to get started. Thankfully everything was fine during the night.

Saturday Shaun & Linsay left for the day and night to go visit Shaun's mom and we all stayed home and played outside and recovered from this quick acting bug. Since it had moved from person to person so quickly, and no one had gotten sick in quite a while, we were crossing our fingers and hoping the rest of us would emerge unscathed. Did we not learn in elementary school that crossing your fingers does nothing?!

After a couple of days of this we decided we needed to get out, so we decided to go out for supper in a nearby town. There wasn't much open as it was New Year's Day, but we ate at a local restaurant and headed for home. Thankfully we had not gone too far - we had barely walked in the door when Nathan's mom was running for the washroom. She probably had the worst case yet, with both versions.

I went to bed that night expecting the worst, and hadn't slept a wink when Jacob starting throwing up around 1:30am. He had never been sick in his almost 3 years and he absolutely freaked out. He was screaming and trying to knock away the bucket that I was trying to force under his head and yelling "I don't want to!" in between episodes. Even though we had put a sheet across most of the bedroom floor, he still managed to hit the rug. Deena got up and helped us clean up the room and we bathed Jacob and got him ready for bed. One hour later we were doing it again. Thankfully not as messy this time as Nathan and I tag teamed him and literally forced him to puke in the bucket. Poor guy. By almost 5:30 I had just about convinced myself that he wouldn't be throwing up anymore and was finally ready to get some sleep..... when Sophia walked in our room with her puke bucket and we started all over again. Yup, all kids, sick or not, were sleeping with pails by their beds by this point - good thing!

Sophia probably got it the worst of the kids - I think 9 times. By 7 o'clock I was absolutely exhausted - hadn't slept even a minute all night with a very unrestful sleep the night before. Nathan had been up most of the times as well, but he had been able to sleep in between. So, he took over and I slept from 7 to 10. We had originally been planning to leave today (Sunday), but had already decided the previous day that we would stay an extra day - hoping to go to Brooks, or at the minimum, finish getting over all this sickness.

After lunch we decided we'd all have naps before going tobogganing again. I woke up at 4 and knew my hypochondrianism had become reality. Started with minor diarrhea and I took Peptobismol and Immodium in a futile attempt to ward off the inevitable. By 7pm I was in the washroom experiencing my first ever time of both episodes simultaneously and it was horrid. (hey, I warned you not to read!) Nathan took Jacob to sleep in the living room so I could hopefully get some sleep at night. But he went to bed early cause he could feel it coming on. At midnight he forced himself and an hour later he had to again. After that he was fine. After my own 3 major episodes, it took me awhile to get to sleep as I was quite concerned with making it to the bathroom in time, even though it was directly across the hall. This was bad stuff people. But eventually I feel asleep and all was well.

Nathan's parents left bright and early Monday morning to drive straight home all day. Taylor was up a little early, so Shaun & Linsay left a bit before us. We planned to stop in Regina with them to spend the night at a hotel (with a waterpark!) before heading home Tuesday. They planned to stop and visit friends in Swift Current quickly before joining us later on. They also were expecting it to take a bit longer because they were hauling a work trailer behind their SUV that they had picked up from Shaun's mom's the day before.

We got a phone call as we were eating breakfast (well, Nathan & I weren't eating anything, but the kids were). Their trailer had come unhooked while driving on the highway, had passed them on the highway, crossed the road and landed on a fence! Thankfully no one was hurt and this happened in a town about 45 minutes away, where Chris & Deena go to church. This was the last town Shaun & Lin would pass where they would still know anyone that could help - not a coincidence I'd say! Turned out that the man that Chris called to help them rescue their trailer was the owner of the fence it had landed on! AND he had the equipment and know-how to able to fix the trailer and get them back on their way. Amazing!

Now that they were behind us, they decided not to stop in Swift and were going to head straight to Regina. We were about 45 minutes ahead of them, and getting close to Regina when we got a phone from them. They ran out of gas. Yes, I'm serious. They were going through gas twice as fast due to the trailer they were pulling. They had planned to stop in a small town a bit off the highway to gas up, but as they were passing the service signs there was no sign for gas. They didn't want to risk running out of gas off the highway and were only 19 km from the next major town and the gas light had not come on yet. Surely they would make it. Nope, they ran out of gas 5 km away! It was dark and about -30 outside. So Shaun started walking. After about 1 km a farmer stopped to pick him up and gave him a ride. The farmer said he was on his way to Regina for a hernia surgery. When Lin heard this later she laughed and said there's no way - he was an angel and that was the story the angel came up with . ;) The farmer brought Shaun back to the SUV and they were finally on their way again.

We had driven all the way to Swift Current before stopping for lunch at McDonald's at around 2, which was 3 our time. Yup, McDonald's was the first meal I had after being sick. We had to give the kids a break! Nathan and I both ordered grilled chicken burgers and managed just fine.

Because we ate so late, none of us were hungry when we got to the hotel around 6:30, so Nathan took all the kids swimming (he rocks!) as I just didn't feel well enough for that yet and thankfully they had life jackets, so he could manage all 4. The Regina Travelodge has a really great waterslide area, and we managed to get adjoining rooms with Shaun & Linsay so it worked great!

We let the kids swim till we got the call that Shaun & Lin would be there around 8. They wanted to stop at Canadian Tire to get some stuff for the trailer, so Nathan took Jacob and went with them and brought some pizza back at about 8:45. I watched the girls swim till 8:30 and brought up to quickly shower and get into pj's and be ready to eat when the guys got back.

Taylor had had nothing to eat since noon, so she was really hungry and really tired. Linsay couldn't find milk in the hotel, but a very kind waitress at the restaurant managed to scrounge up some 2% and gave it to her for free - Linsay kinda lost it for this random act of kindness that was so appreciated on this day of all days! The lady must've thought she was nuts crying over free milk ;) Taylor ate about one bite of pizza and decided she needed sleep more. Lin put her to bed in their room while we all ate. Then, while the guys went to pick up our nightsnack from Tim Horton's we got our girls ready for bed in our room, moved a sleeping Taylor's crib into our room and took Jacob with us to their room (he had had 2 naps that day in the car and was not ready to sleep!) to visit and watch tv. When were ready for bed, we brought Taylor back to their room and Jacob to our room and all went to sleep. Perfect set up!

The guys had picked up muffins at Tim's for breakfast the next day (Tuesday), we swam in the morning, had lunch at Chili's and then we were off for home. We booked it all the way, only stopping for a quick bathroom pit stop at a hotel along the highway for Olivia, and got home by 7. Home sweet home!

The kids did amazingly well on the drive.

And, even though THIS was our Christmas reality, despite 14 out of 16 people getting sick,
we still managed to have a fabulous time!
See the guy in the back? That's Shaun and he's hiding a puzzle piece on us (anyone who knows Shaun knows this is very typical!) - and all caught on camera! ;)
It'll be trip to be remembered, that's for sure.

Homemade Whole Wheat Bread Tutorial

2011-02-18T09:30:00.007-06:00

I certainly do not claim to be an expert breadmaker. I've been making breadsticks for a long while now (and they're rather delicious if I do say so myself), but I hadn't had much luck with making bread, until now! I have found a no-fail recipe for whole wheat bread that is not dense!! That was the biggest drawback to all the homemade bread recipes I'd tried before, they were too dense.

This is the one and only bread recipe I use (why mess with perfection right?!). I originally found this recipe at Food.com but I modified it slightly. (Full recipe at the bottom of this post).

So, with no further ado, here is my breadmaking tutorial.

Step 1: Dissolve yeast in warm water (I just dissolve it in my measuring cup - why dirty more dishes than you have to right?)

Step 2: In your awesome KitchenAid mixer bowl, combine margarine, brown sugar & water (original recipe called for molasses, but I didn't have any so I substituted brown sugar & water as per Google - LOVE Google), honey and salt and mix well.

Step 3: Gradually stir in yeast mixture.

Step 4: Add in flours and let the KitchenAid do all the work for you!!

Step 5: Add in more flour if dough is too sticky. A little sticky is ok (if you add too much flour the bread will be dense and, as we've already discussed, we don't like dense bread around here), but not too sticky.

Step 6: Butter (or Pam) the bowl, cover and let rise until double (about 45 min - 1 hr)

Step 7: Divide dough into 2 parts using a knife (do not rip the dough - don't ask me why, ask Google). I use a ulu knife which is the coolest kitchen utensil ever made - I used it every day (perfect for cutting up food for kids superfast!)

Step 8: Shape dough into loaves by kneading and smoothing into the correct shape.

Step 9: Slam the loaf onto the counter hard, in order to remove any air pockets in the dough. Place in greased pans, cover and let rise for about an hour. This recipe makes 2 loaves, but I always also steal a bit of the dough to bake another small loaf in a flower shaped tube pan. When cut, it makes the cutest flower shaped bread perfect for sandwiches for the girls lunches - they love it! I think I bought them from Everyday Style (home party), but you can also get a set of 3 (heart, star, flower) on Amazon here.

Step 10: Bake at 375 for 35 - 40 mins (it only takes 30 minutes in mine for the regular loaves and 35 for the flower pan loaf)
Step 11: Turn out immediately onto the counter to cool. I like to cool them on it's side so the bottom doesn't get soggy and the top doesn't get flattened.

Step 12: If you can, wait till they're cooled before cutting. But we all know how yummy still warm bread is from the oven, so go ahead and slice a piece off and enjoy slathered with some butter - yummy!Note: If your oven is not busy doing something else, you can preheat it to 170F, then turn it off, and put the dough inside the oven to rise in a nice warm environment - a bit faster than just on the counter as well.

Wholesome Homemade Honey Whole Wheat Bread
Makes 2 loaves
2 1/4 tsp yeast
2 cups water
1/4 cup butter or margarine
2 tbsp molasses (or 1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar + 1/2 tbsp water)
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp salt (I use 1/2 tsp to reduce sodium content and it tastes just fine)
4 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups white flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water. In a large bowl, combine butter, molasses (or brown sugar/water), honey and salt and mix well. Add yeast mixture and then gradually add in flours. Knead until smooth and not sticky. Place in buttered bowl, cover and let rise until double. Divide dough into 2 parts using a knife. Knead and shape into loaves. Slam the dough hard onto the counter to remove any air pockets. Place in greased pans, cover and let rise for about an hour. Bake at 375 for 30 - 35 minutes.

Enjoy!!

My friend Kathryn has a great post with a lot of bread making tips here.

Olivia's Audiologist Appointment

2011-02-16T13:44:00.003-06:00

Olivia had an audiology appointment today.

She's been notoriously bad for saying "What?" constantly when we spoke to her, but we chalked that up to her personality and simply not paying attention, or even selective hearing (all you parents know what I mean!).

And it definitely is still partly that. She is still Olivia after all. But during regular Kindergarten screenings in the fall, some red flags went up. She has problems in the screening on Nov 18 in her right ear only, and on Dec 8 in both ears. We received a notification that she needed to see an audiologist for further screening.

That appointment was today and she failed the screening test. Today's test indicated that she has normal hearing in her left ear (she heard 5 out 5 of the tests) but possible hearing loss in her right ear (she heard only 1 out of the 5 tests) and middle ear problems in both ears. The audiologist indicated that right now what she is likely experiencing is similar to having plugged ears on an airplane - something an adult would complain about, but children are highly unlikely to.

At this point we need to schedule an appointment with her regular doctor for treatment of her middle ear difficulties and wait for a referral to Audiology for a complete hearing test/full audiological evaluation which will likely take a couple of months.

In the meantime, we need to advise her teachers to speak on her "good side" to make things easier for everyone involved. And I certainly need to remember this myself too!

The audiologist suggested that at this point things could go either way and that she could not predict which way they would go. She said that we may be able to simply clear up the middle ear difficulties and things would be fine, or there may be further steps necessary to address the hearing loss.

In each of her tests the results have been progressively worse, though all screenings have taken place during winter (ie cold season) which can impact results as well.

There is some history of hearing loss in Nathan's extended family which is making me less than optimistic about future test results.

However, I am thankful that it is not a more serious problem. Hearing loss is certainly not life threatening, and would be my "loss of choice" if I was forced to choose (I, personally, would rather lose my hearing than my sight, for example).

That being said, we are still praying that her middle ear difficulties will be healed and her hearing completely restored, but that God would be glorified no matter the outcome - and humbly ask for your prayers as well. Thank you.

A Successful Potty Training Mama's Reward

2011-02-15T20:52:00.003-06:00

In my Top 10 Signs You're a Potty Training Mama post I indicated that I was going to reward myself with a purse - and so I did, twice over! The red/maroon one I got for $15 at Ricki's during our annual mother/daughter Christmas shopping trip with my mom and sisters. The other one I got in St. Thomas on our cruise this past week - I love them both!!

And, because of my handy dandy Chameleon purse organizer, changing purses has never been simpler! Now I WANT the purses I buy to be just one big open purse with no organizers, cause I have my own and it works great! I also found a really cool tutorial for a diy purse organizer if you want to custom make your own. Hmmm, I may have to try that :)

And I still want a purple purse. I have a small one, but it's too small, I "need" a bigger one. ;)

Book Review: The Rhythm of Secrets by Patti Lacy

2011-02-07T00:05:00.000-06:00

About the book: Since 1955, Sheila Franklin, a talented musician, has perfectly performed the role of devout pastor’s wife, locking away her past as Sheba Alexander and Sylvia Allen. Her carefully constructed façade crumbles with a single phone call from a young Marine named Samuel, the illegitimate son she secretly put up for adoption. Samuel begs Sheila to use her government contacts to get his fiancé, Mali, a Thai prostitute, into America. A dangerous mixture of love and guilt spurs her to help her only child even though it devastates her husband Edward and exposes her questionable past. After a quarrel with Edward, Sheila and Samuel board a C-130 for Thailand and then search Bangkok’s steamy streets for a Madonna-faced prostitute. The two whisk Mali from a brothel but are seized by a warlord who considers Mali his “number one girl.” In a teak “ghost house,” Sheila discovers God’s grace and gains the freedom she needs to find her own identity—Sheila, Sylvia, and Sheba. A framed story, this novel has roots in the bohemian 1940s New Orleans French Quarter and spans three decades, including the turbulent Vietnam era.

My thoughts: As you can tell by the book summary above, this book covers a lot of ground! And yet, Patti Lacy manages to do so effortlessly, keeping you intrigued at each stage and anxiously waiting to see how the rest of the story will unfold.

The characters, particularly Sheila/Sylvia/Sheba, feel very real and their reactions do not seem forced and contrived in any way. Sheila has the most depth to her, which makes sense as this is her story, but the other characters are also fleshed out nicely, enabling you to understand the motive behind their behaviours, and to have compassion for some of them that you wouldn't expect to have.

The book doesn't just cover a lot of ground in the areas of timeline and geography - but also in the good, the bad and the ugly of the Christian faith and life in general. Characters include everyone from nuns (some severely strict, some strict with compassion, and some more empathetic than others); to pastors in the public eye and the all-important image to protect that comes with that; to the compassionate founders of the Moody Bible Institute; to a proud and image conscious aunt covering up years of pain; to ordinary people who can make a difference in someone's life.

Music also plays an integral part in this book - and I love music, so I loved that. :)

To top it all off, this book had unexpected twists and an ending I couldn't predict.

I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to Stephanie and Amy from Litfuse Publicity for organizing this tour and providing me with my complimentary review copy.

Enter the Rhythm of Secrets NOOK eReader Giveaway:
Patti and her publisher, Kregel, are giving away a NOOK prize package worth over $150 to one lucky winner!!!!

Enter the Nook eReader Giveaway and you could win:
* A brand new Nook eReader with Wi-Fi
* $25 gift certificate to Barnes & Noble

To enter, simply click here http://wildfireapp.com/website/6/contests/91774 to enter, then tell 5 or more friends about the contest. Oh, and enter soon! Winner will be announced on February 16th at Patti's Rhythm of Secrets Facebook Party

Top 10 Signs You're a Potty Training Mama

2011-01-12T23:46:00.002-06:00

The light at the far end of the tunnel has finally arrived my friends!!

After 4 kids, 9 years, 9 months and 6 days of continuous diaper changes (with one short 2 week break in between Olivia and Jacob), my daily diaper changing days are over forever!!!

Let me pause for a minute and allow you to fully appreciate the magnitude of that statement....

I know - it's enough to give you chills or cry tears of joy, right?

I had resolved to start potty training the day after we got home from our trip to Alberta during the Christmas break, and start I did! The potty train successfully left the station last Wednesday morning and then proceeded to completely derail over the course of the following incredibly frustrating two days, followed by a glimmer of hope right before bedtime. After that the engine seemed to make it up the hill and I believe we are now on the downward trail .... ok, I think that metaphor has seen it's day. Anyway, we have now had 3 incredibly successful days in a row with no accidents of any kind and he has been telling me himself almost all of the time. I know it's too early to say we're completely in the clear, but I'm only expecting occasional lapses and would confidently take him out in public at this point (in fact, Nathan did tonight!). With the start we had last week (worst ever!), I was not expecting to be nearly at this point today - so woohoo!!

With no further ado, here is your Top 10!

Top 10 Signs You're a Potty Training Mama
10. You strategically place containers filled with a solution of diluted dish detergent around the house to clean up any messes that "may" come your way.
9. You make your toddler sit on a towel on your bed to watch tv so he doesn't soil your blanket.
8. You clean up the mess said toddler made on your bedroom carpet when he disregarded said instructions, and officially declare all carpeted areas off limits.
7. You can't remember what ran more - the bath tub, the washing machine or yourself, sprinting while carrying a dripping toddler away from your body as you rush to the bathroom despite the obvious fact that you're just too late despite having just sat in said bathroom for at least 20 mins only 5 mins previously.
6. The chant "push that pee out, push that pee out" is so ingrained in your head you start chanting it to yourself.
5. You make your older children do their home reading in the bathroom while said toddler sits on the throne (hey, it's called multi-tasking!)
4. The phrase "don't pee on Mater" makes sense to you.
3. Your definition of what qualifies as TMI to post on Facebook just got significantly lowered.
2. You turn your older children into a cheerleading squad in hopes of inspiring future victories.
1. When success is finally achieved you celebrate by hooting and hollering as if you just won the lottery and giving him treats and a car (relax, it was only a pint size one) and then proceed to let said toddler phone anyone who might be interested in hearing him say "My pee in toilet!" as a way of introducing himself. You then proceed to throw out any remaining diapers and diaper bags, do a victory dance and decide to go buy yourself a nice purse!

Homemade Easy Bake Oven Mixes and Recipes

2011-01-07T21:14:00.009-06:00

With 2011's Goal#3 in mind (to be a more deliberate mother), I finally caved.

Olivia has been begging for an Easy Bake oven for years. Literally 2 years. And she's 5. So, yeah, almost half her life.

And until this Christmas I had steadfastly refused. Why? Because I didn't want to have to bake with her. I didn't want the mess, I didn't want to pay money for those silly little mixes, I didn't want to be bothered.

Yikes, that sounds even worse when I type it out.

I don't like to do crafts with the kids because I know I would go all perfectionist on them and freak out if their handmade bracelets didn't have an exact pattern, if they couldn't do it the way I would do it. Because a 33 yr old and a 5 yr should be able to make the same calibre bracelet. I know, I get the ludicrousy. (Is that even a word?!)

OK, selfishness acknowledged.

Technically, Olivia had begged for the Easy Bake cupcake maker - but all the reviews I read on it said it was a piece of junk, so I convinced her that the oven was what she wanted, and I finally gave one of her Grandmas the OK to get it for her for Christmas this year (God bless all Grandmas who wait for permission for these types of gifts!!). And, oh, let me tell you, was she ever in her glory - it was as if the heavens had opened up!

Now, my old self ~~may~~ would have been tempted to let that Easy Bake oven sit on the shelf hidden away, giving the "Later" or "Another day" answer a million times over (yes, this is Olivia - it would've been a million times!). Or I would've just made Emma do it with her. Yes, there are definite advantages of having older kids around! ;)

But my new self, my 2011 self with Goal#3 in mind, did not do that.

Oh, no!

In fact, the very next day after she got that gift, on a Sunday afternoon no less (sacred napping time around these parts), she asked to "do the Easy Bake oven" and I said "Yes!". And so we made cake with icing (both mixes included in the original box).

Psst - you know what?

I had fun.

What was that Tammy? We couldn't hear you.

OK, OK, I had fun!

And Olivia? Well she had an absolute blast!

Sidebar: Technically that was in 2010 but I already had my 2011 goals in mind at the time ;)

Then we left for Alberta to visit family. The very next day after we returned, guess who was asking to do the Easy Bake oven again? Yup, Olivia! And guess who said yes? Yes, 2011 Tammy! So, we made the cookies from the mix that came with the box. Olivia even let Sophia help! They each got to make 3 cookies in their pan, and we even melted chocolate chips and butterscotch chips in the oven warmers to put on top of the cookies.

Both times it took much less time and mess than I thought and resulted in happy children - why have I not done this earlier?

So, now that all the included mixes had run out, I went to my trusty old friend Google to find some homemade Easy Bake oven mixes because my ~~cheap Mennonite~~ thrifty side would not allow me to spend $ on those mixes. Plus, they can't exactly be healthy if all you have to do to get cake or cookies is add water to powder (see Goal#4 - I'm getting a 2 for 1 deal here!)

And Google did not disappoint (though I should've searched with the Swagbucks tool bar to earn Swagbucks, but I digress).

Turns out there are oodles of things you can bake in those Easy Bake ovens and oodles of recipes to choose from. This post has pretty close to 200 (!!) recipes split into categories and labeled as easy, intermediate or advanced. Everything from cakes, brownies, cookies and bars to biscuits and scones, to pizzas and bagels - your own creativity is the limit after viewing these recipes!

So, I picked the Baked Cinnamon Apple recipe because, after quickly clicking on a couple recipes, it used ingredients I had on hand! ;) Olivia loved them! Although I think she actually liked eating the extra/leftover ones before they had cooked (one large apple does not fit into 2 of those little pans!) better than the baked ones afterward. She really wanted to make the brownies, so I picked up some chocolate syrup so we can try those next time!

Here are the recipes (after all, that's what my post title promised you - took me long enough to get around to it, I know!)....

Baked Cinnamon Apples
1 large apple
1/4 teaspoon butter
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 tablespoon sugar

Wash a large apple, remove center core.
Slice across apples to make 1/2" thick rings.
Grease pan with butter.
Place apple slices in pan.
Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon then sugar.
Top with butter.
Bake in Easy-Bake Oven about 20 minutes.

Brownie Mix
2-1/2 tablespoons sugar
2-1/2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon oil
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 teaspoons chocolate syrup

Blend all ingredients until the batter is smooth.
Pour batter into greased and floured toy cake pan.
Bake as directed in child oven (I think it's preheat for 15 and bake for 10)

I also found a recipe on Allrecipes.com for a larger cake mix, good for 10 batches, to save time - and create your own little mix package!

Easy Bake Oven Cake Mix
1 cup white sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp unsweetened lemonade drink mix
1/3 cup shortening

In a medium bowl, combine sugar, flour, baking soda, salt, and lemonade drink mix and stir to blend.
Cut in shortening with a fork or pastry blender until mixture resembles corn meal.
Spoon about 1/3 cup mixture into 10 small containers or sealable plastic bags.
Label and store in cool, dry place. Use within 12 weeks.

Preheat Easy Bake oven for 15 mins.
Grease and flour a 4 inch miniature cake pan.
Empty the contents of one bag cake mix into a small bowl.
Using a fork, mix with 4 teaspoons water until smooth.
Bake according to manufacturer's instructions (I think 10 mins)

In fact - according to this recipe, all you need is regular commercial cake mix (3 tbsp any flavour) mixed with 1 tbsp milk) and voila - let them eat cake! How easy is that?!

Easy, but not as healthy (processed and all that!). So, here's another homemade version...

Easy Bake Oven Chocolate Cake
4 tsp flour
2 tsp cocoa
1 tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp baking powder
1 dash salt
1/8 tsp vanilla
4 tsp water
2 tsp vegetable oil

It would be pretty easy to multiply that by 10, omitting the wet ingredients, in order to make your own mix to have on hand, ready to just add water and oil at baking time!

Recipezaar (now Food.com) has a whole ton of recipes as well - you can check them out here - including omelettes!

Easy Bake oven Omelet
1 egg
4 tsp shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp oregano (or spice of your choice)
1 pinch salt
1 pinch pepper
cooking spray

Preheat the Easy Bake Oven for 15 mins.
Spray 2 Easy Bake Oven pans with cooking spray.
Scramble the egg in a bowl.
Divide the egg between the 2 pans.
Sprinkle with oregano, salt and pepper.
Sprinkle 2 tsp of the cheese on top of each egg.
Bake for 15 minutes.

One thing to keep in mind - since the Easy Bake Oven works by simply using a light bulb, you have to be careful when baking meats that you only use meats that need to be warmed, not cooked through!

OK, I was going to be done, but then I found this ....

Easy Bake Oven Deep Dish Pizza
2 tbsp flour
1/8 tsp baking powder
1 dash salt
1 tsp margarine
2 1/4 tsp milk
1 tbsp pizza sauce
1 1/2 tbsp shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat Easy Bake Oven 15 minutes.
Stir together flour, baking powder, salt and margarine until dough looks like medium-sized crumbs.
Slowly add milk while stirring.
Shape dough into a ball and place into a greased pan.
Use your fingers to pat the dough evenly over the bottom of the pan, then up the sides.
Pour the sauce evenly over the dough, then sprinkle with the cheese.
Bake 20 mins.

You could even add a slice of pepperoni or veggies or some other meats that only need to be warmed up not truly cooked through.

Honestly, I'm actually getting a little excited to try some of these! Apparently you can teach an old dog new tricks. ;) And, I only thought of it now, I totally should've taken a picture!

Goal#3 is officially underway.

2011 Goals

2011-01-06T19:40:00.006-06:00

I don't think I've ever posted New Year's "resolutions" on my blog before. Nope - just checked, I haven't!

Well, there's a first time for everything so let's have at it!

1) Read my Bible in a year (for the 3rd straight year) and participate in my Bible in a Year Blog. Since it's my blog, there's not a single doubt in my mind that I'll accomplish this goal. In fact, this year we have several more participants which means I'm only posting once or twice a week instead of 4 or 5 times! Easy peasy :)

2) Develop a consistent and organized prayer time. Normally when I tell people I'll pray for them - I do it right then and there because I know there's about a 99% chance I'm not going to remember later. Ok, maybe not that bad, but seriously, it's bad. I want to to take the time to make the prayers more personalized for the individuals I'm praying for, and to simply take time to be with God.

3) Being a more deliberate wife, mother and friend. I want to spend more time discovering how to put my husband first among my earthly relationships and what that's supposed to look like in my daily living. I want to spend more time doing things WITH my girls instead of merely being together in the house every evening, each of us pursuing our own agendas. I want to conscientiously work at developing an attitude of service and hospitality, to serve my friends and church family members better. All the above categories of people deserve more from me than they've gotten in the past. I don't want people to hear that I care about them; I want them to FEEL it.

If that sounds like I just copied that paragraph from my cousin Tammi's post - it's cause I just totally did. Hey - she got it totally bang on the first time, why mess with perfection?!

4) Begin each day praying that God would guide me to do what He has planned for my day - pursuing His agenda instead of my own. OK, that one's gonna be real tough! (I probably should've just copied my cousin Tammi's paragraph about this one too!;)

5) Continue to exercise regularly and eat healthier. The exercise thing? No sweat. (ok, lots of sweat!) I've exercised regularly (3-5 times per week) for the past 13 years or so including all 4 pregnancies, except when nausea was at it's peak, so this barely counts as a goal, but it is something I'm committed to continuing. Eating healthier is tougher. But with Nathan having some high blood pressure concerns we need to cut back on the sodium intake around here which means a few changes such as limiting deli meats and making more from scratch. (Ragu, I will miss you!!). I've already started baking chicken breasts for lunch sandwiches, so things are looking up!

I think that's it for now, unless anyone can think of something else I need to work on :)

Happy New Year everyone!!

Grab the Button!

2011-01-05T19:46:00.007-06:00

Figured out how to make a "Grab the Button" for the Bible in a Year and Beyond blog - so go ahead and grab it!

Grab the small button

Or grab the large one!

I found the tutorials for how to do this fancy html work on this very helpful blog.

New Bible Blog Button

2011-01-05T15:56:00.005-06:00

Happy New Year!!

Check out the fancy new blog button my cousin Tammi designed for The Bible in a Year and Beyond blog.

Doesn't it just remind you of Jane Austen? Thanks so much Tammi - I love it!

Once I figure out a code for you to copy/paste to your blogs, I'll let you know!