Book Review: And It Was Beautiful by Kara Tippetts

About the Book:

And It Was Beautiful: Celebrating Life in the Midst of the Long Good-Bye (David C Cook, March 2016)

"I was here. I saw beauty. I embraced it." -Kara Tippetts

How do you live out extravagant love in the everyday moments? How do you celebrate grace when your life turns out differently than the one you dreamed?

Kara Tippetts discovered how to find joy in the small moments of life. She learned how to hold tight to hope even while battling intense physical and emotional pain. And she lived out the truth that God can redeem any story.

In her final book, Kara offers gentle reflections on living and dying well. She invites us to cultivate soft hearts even when we face great disappointment. Her ideas for living are hard-won, wrestled with in the crucible of family, illness, and faith. And her constant reminder is that whether we are in the midst of dark days or mundane moments Jesus is always there, life is surprisingly beautiful, and God is forever good.

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1QVAvgz

About the author:

Kara Tippetts was the author of The Hardest Peace and the co-author of Just Show Up. She blogged faithfully at mundanefaithfulness.com. Since her death in March 2015, her husband, Jason, has been parenting their four children and leading the church the couple founded in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

My Thoughts: As far as I can recall, this is the first book I've read by an author about her own death. I've read books by authors who are deceased, but not so recently and not a biography written during the process.  It was definitely a different feeling reading this book - poignant and sad, yet also filled with hope.

Kara writes with transparency and honesty, giving us a firsthand glimpse into the end of her earthly journey.  She tackles, both for us and more importantly for herself, questions like "How does one die well?" and "How does one glorify God in death?"  Reading this book makes it clear that she was able to do both and do them well.

There were so many things to take away from this book, but one thing that struck me was that the time we spend right now leaning on God, learning of God, following Jesus - that time will serve us well when the time comes for us to lean on what we've done in the past.  That foundation was crucial for her, and it is for us as well.

A beautiful and heart rending book!

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

Book Review: The Hearts We Mend by Kathryn Springer

About the Book: Thirteen years ago, Evie's firefighter husband was killed in the line of duty, leaving her to raise their young son, Cody, alone. Now, Cody is marrying the love of his life, and as he packs up his belongings, the house feels as empty as Evie's heart. But for all her planning and mad organizational skills, Evie could never have anticipated the dramatic shift her life is about to make.

Tattooed, rough-around-the-edges Jack raises quite a few eyebrows in the tight-knit community of Banister Falls. Where Evie's life is stream-lined, Jack's approach to living is moment-by-moment. But as Evie gets drawn into Jack's world---a world that isn't as safe or predictable as the one she's worked so hard to create---he challenges her to open her eyes to the problems outside the walls of the church.

Jack doesn't make Evie feel comfortable, but he definitely makes her feel something. Something she hasn't felt since Max passed away---or, maybe ever. Because even though Jack isn't anything like her late husband, he just might be everything she needs.

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/21Zw8Tk

My Thoughts:  I read and reviewed The Dandelion Field, the first book in this series.  I loved the first book, and enjoyed the second just as much!

The biggest thing I appreciate about Springer's writing is how realistic it is.  She doesn't gloss over the sometimes harsh realities of life, or fill the book with eye rolling cliches.  Rather, she weaves a story of love and growth among difficult subject matter in a way that will touch your heart and cause you to reexamine yourself.

Loved it and can't wait to read more!

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

Nourish Your Family's Spiritual Health this Easter

If your family is like most, breakfast is rushed to get everyone out the door. Lunch is spent at school or work. So where does that leave dinner? Nourish your family's spiritual health as you eat supper together. Adventures in Odyssey and Odyssey Adventure Club want to give you a free resource to help you begin your new dinner tradition of making the most of your family mealtime, beginning this Easter season. Simply head to this page and fill out the form to receive a free sample of Whit's End Mealtime Devotions.



Want new resources to continue to build your family's faith, even after Easter is over? Consider signing your family up for the Odyssey Adventure Club (OAC). It offers safe and free content for everyone in your family. Membership to the OAC costs just $9.99 a month — or even less if parents make a six-month or one-year commitment. Enrollment provides more than enough content to keep kids engaged throughout the year:

• Access to exclusive content and first looks at books and select Radio Theatre dramas. 
• On-the-go access to the OAC app for both iOS and Android users. 
• 24/7 streaming access to nearly 800 AIO episodes. 
• A new, members-only AIO episode every month. 
• A subscription to Adventures in Odyssey Clubhouse Magazine, and more. 

To learn more about the Odyssey Adventure Club, visit www.oaclub.org, Facebook, Twitter. and Pinterest.

Book Review: Lolli and Pop Find Kindness by Carolyn Snelling

About the Book: For preschoolers and early readers, author Carolyn Snelling offers little "Lolli" Cake and her pup named "Pop". This sweet duo share their adventures as they learn about GOd's Fruit of the Spirit. This first book, "Lolli and Pop Find Kindness", helps your early reader understand that while kindness can, at times, be hard to show, God hopes we can learn to easily share it with others.

My Thoughts:  Overall, I thought this was a delightful children's book.  My kids are a bit old for the target range, but I thought I would get their perspectives on it anyway.

I read it to my 8yr old son and he loved it!  When I asked him a few days later if he wanted me to read it to him again he immediately said yes, and he asked if there were more books about the other fruit of the spirit.  So Carolyn, you better get writing!

My almost 11 yr old daughter thought it was a bit dull, but she's probably too young to appreciate that kids younger than her would think it was cute.

My 13 yr old daughter however, thought it was a great book for kids and she thought they'd like it.

I found the illustrations delightful and overall the story was good.  If I'm going to be picky, I thought it odd that Lolli called her parents "mother" and "father", as in real life, I only hear "mom", "mommy" or "mama".  My only other minor complaint is that in one part of the book it's implied that kindness shouldn't be hard because it's a free gift from God, but in another part it acknowledges that it sometimes is hard.   It IS hard to be kind at times, and that's how you know you're showing the fruit of the Spirit, because it is only through the power of the Spirit that we can show kindness even when it is hard.

Overall all, very cute book, and I hope Snelling continues with more in the series!

I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Lolli and Pop Find Kindness released in January 2016 from Carpenter’s Son Publishing. For more information about the series, visit Snelling’s website at  http://www.heartofthecrosspublishing.com where there is also a video for children that introduces the series and the activities for children.

Easter Devotions and Activities for Your Whole Family

We're down to the final two weeks before we celebrate Easter and Jesus' resurrection. Do your children understand and grasp the full meaning of why we celebrate the holiday? Adventures in Odyssey and Odyssey Adventure Club want to provide your family with a week of meaningful, fun Easter activities to help make the holiday come alive this year. Simply head to this page and sign up to download your free PDF full of family devotions, egg wraps, recipes, crafts, and cards. Oh, and as a bonus, here's a free activity sheet from Focus on the Family!




If you're looking to dig into the Easter holiday more and want to build your kids' faith, consider signing your family up for the Odyssey Adventure Club (OAC). It offers safe and free content for everyone in your family. Membership to the OAC costs just $9.99 a month — or even less if parents make a six-month or one-year commitment. Enrollment provides more than enough content to keep kids engaged throughout the year:

• Access to exclusive content and first looks at books and select Radio Theatre dramas. 
• On-the-go access to the OAC app for both iOS and Android users. 
• 24/7 streaming access to nearly 800 AIO episodes. 
• A new, members-only AIO episode every month. 
• A subscription to Adventures in Odyssey Clubhouse Magazine, and more. 

To learn more about the Odyssey Adventure Club, visit www.oaclub.org, Facebook, Twitter. and Pinterest.

Walk Through Holy Week with Odyssey Adventure Club

The Bible is no doubt a timeless book, but often it's seen by the younger generation as ancient and antiquated. How can we make the stories of the Bible—particularly the Easter story—alive and exciting for our children? Adventures in Odyssey has created a free activity kit for families to experience the Easter story brought to life through eight days of Christ-centered and fun activities. Click here to sign up and download the kit for free.




If you're looking to bring the Bible to life further during the Easter season, consider signing your family up for the Odyssey Adventure Club (OAC). It offers safe and free content for everyone in your family. Membership to the OAC costs just $9.99 a month — or even less if parents make a six-month or one-year commitment. Enrollment provides more than enough content to keep kids engaged throughout the year:

Access to exclusive content and first looks at books and select Radio Theatre dramas.
On-the-go access to the OAC app for both iOS and Android users.
24/7 streaming access to nearly 800 AIO episodes.
A new, members-only AIO episode every month.
A subscription to Adventures in Odyssey Clubhouse Magazine, and more.

To learn more about the Odyssey Adventure Club, visit www.oaclub.org, Facebook, Twitter. and Pinterest.

Begin Prepping for Easter with Odyssey Adventure Club

Easter is right around the corner! It's an exciting time of year for families, churches, and Christians everywhere as we remember the greatest story ever told: how God loved us so much He sacrificed His Son so we could spend eternity with Him. Take advantage of the Easter season to spend more time with your family investing in your kids' faith.

To get you started, you can download a fun cutout to have a craft night with your family and to prepare them for Palm Sunday. Plus stop by this page for a slew of crafts, recipes, and stories to share with your family during this special time of year!

If you're looking to take one more step in investing in your kids' faith during the Easter season, consider signing your family up for the Odyssey Adventure Club (OAC). It offers safe and free content for everyone in your family. Membership to the OAC costs just $9.99 a month — or even less if parents make a six-month or one-year commitment. Enrollment provides more than enough content to keep kids engaged throughout the year:

• Access to exclusive content and first looks at books and select Radio Theatre dramas.
• On-the-go access to the OAC app for both iOS and Android users.
• 24/7 streaming access to nearly 800 AIO episodes.
• A new, members-only AIO episode every month.
• A subscription to Adventures in Odyssey Clubhouse Magazine, and more.

To learn more about the Odyssey Adventure Club, visit www.oaclub.org, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.