When life gives you lemons, make lemonade

Several weeks ago, a friend of mine invited David and Jason Benham to his church as guest speakers and I was intrigued enough about his Facebook invitation to read a bit more about the brothers. What I learned was that the brothers were scheduled to host an HGTV show entitled Flip it Forward and that their show was cancelled out of the blue because the brothers stood up for the Biblical definition of marriage. What????  Why is it that those who scream tolerance and mock the Christian faith, trying to validate their sinful lifestyle by making it "legal", are left alone but let any Christian stand up for their belief and they are labeled intolerant and "haters".  Okay, enough of that bandwagon.

Whatever the Cost is the story of twin brothers, David and Jason, from their early years as sons of a minister to their college years at Liberty University where they had dreams of being Major League Baseball players until they suffered life changing injuries in the minor leagues to deciding how to take what life had dealt them and making the most of it, finding the path God had for them in the business world. Their story will inspire you to stand up for your faith, perhaps give you the courage to rearrange your own priorities, and provide you with real life examples of men who will leave this world better than they found it. Their faith and integrity are motivating.

The book is a quick, easy read.  I love a good biography and this is one I will keep on my shelf to reread. I think the part that make me sad is that Americans had opportunity to have strong Christian men of faith that would have modeled Christian principles on HGTV for the world to see and we have missed that opportunity. God's ways are higher than our ways though.  I somehow think God isn't finished with these brothers and their story of closed doors and seemingly failures might just touch more people than their success might have.

I did receive this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and was in no way obligated to write a positive one. Two thumbs up.

Perfect garden in a small space

I love to garden but even after planting everything from okra to tomatoes to squash, I have had zero success in growing vegetables.  Flowers? No problem. Food for my family? I might get enough off the plants for a meal but nothing more. Thankful that the grocery isn't far away but I am becoming more and more cautious and skeptical about the food available in the grocery stores. What exactly has been used as fertilizer and pesticides on the foods I prepare for the ones I love the most? Personally, I would love to be able to be self sustaining but I don't have the time or the land to do so at this time.

Thanks to new neighbors who don't like the flower bed between my home and theirs and on their land, I might just have an area to grow a few vegetables with enough to share during season with the owners of the land. But the space isn't all that large so I am going to have to be pretty wise about what I grow and how. Thanks to The Postage Stamp Vegetable Garden by Karen Newcomb, I just might be a bit more successful now than without her recommendations. A postage stamp garden is something just about anyone can find a spot for as it can measure as little as 4 by 4 or perhaps container gardening might be more your cup of tea.

From planning what to grow and how many of each to suggested layouts, recommended varieties and companion plants this 217 page volume with index is definitely worth a try for this lady who has been composting and babying her vegetable garden for years with nothing to show for it. The author seems to think I won't be disappointed and promises I will water  less and spend less time maintaining.

I did receive this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way obligated to write a positive review.

The perfect journal

Have you ever tried to journal but just got stumped the minute you picked it up and couldn't think of anything "worthwhile" to write about?  If you have, this journal just may be for you.  No longer will large clean pages stare you in the face.  Each day has only four lines you can write on and has a prompt to get you going.  And they are simple things such as "Do you have a secret?", "What are the ingredients for a perfect day?", "What did you have for dinner?" and "What expressions do you over use?",  and ends with "What is your most cherished memory of this year, just to name a few.  Even better is the fact that  you can enjoy seeing how your responses to the same questions change over the years because each date entry has room for you to write four lines each day for five years.  What other journal do you  know of that allows you to create a "five year time capsule"?

I think this journal is just about perfect, unless you happen to be a pretty wordy writer.  Who can't answer a simple question?  The book is hard covered, small in size, has gold edged pages, and to be honest, reminds me of a small book my grandmother kept on her desk as I grew up.  It was sort of like a perpetual calendar that she reused year after year and made notes in about significant things that happened in her life and to those she loved. So, if you don't want to use it as the creator intended and write in it for five years, perhaps you might use it like my grandmother did and note those types of events in your own life, all in one volume.  I believe I will.

I did receive this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  I was in no way obligated to write a positive review.  Two thumbs up!

God Watches Over Me

Years ago, as a teen and when I was first married, I collected Precious Moments figurines so, when this book was available, I knew it was one I would "need" for my children's collection.   This book exceeded my expectations.  What I thought I would see was one story covering the theme of God's love and provision.  What I received though was thirteen short "story"/poem reminders of how God cares for us when we need help, when we are hungry, when we learn, when we play, our families, our friends.....and several others.   What a great way to end each day with your child!  Each reminder would take only a minute or two to read aloud and ends with a short scripture verse. What child wouldn't want to go to sleep with that in their minds?

I was also surprised by the sturdy board book format.  I love that each page is chunky enough for little ones to grasp and turn the pages without tearing them.  Perfect for children ages one to perhaps four.

The downside?  Adults will probably have much greater appreciation for the Precious Moments than children do because they are nostalgic but I would expect them to love the pastel big-eyed round faced children as much as I did growing up.   The poems are just okay and are written by multiple authors.  All in all, I give this newly released volume four stars but it is more for the art than the words.

I did receive this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  I was in no way obligated to leave a positive one.

One I won't hold onto

About a year ago, my dad gave me a new pressure cooker so I could make quick, healthy meals.  Well....pressure cookers scare me a bit and it is a new way of cooking so I haven't exactly grabbed onto the concept.  Just like I don't cook in the microwave because I learned to cook on a stove with good fresh ingredients, primarily Southern style.  I suppose that is the title of the pressure cooker cookbook I should be looking for because this volume is vast and has everything from breakfast foods to dessert BUT just about half the recipes contain ingredients that I don't normally stock in my pantry as well as recipes that contain more ingredients than I typically cook with in any given meal.  So, will I use it?  Probably not.

I do like that each recipe gives you a difficulty level, serving suggestions, and tester notes.  In addition, each can be used with either a stove top or electric pressure cooker.  That is pretty much where my compliments end though.

The volume is paperbound and 512 pages in length. See any problems there?  Without two large soup cans or an easel, there is no way this book is going to stay open long enough for you to put those ingredients together. I suppose the authors wanted to use as much of the 512 pages for recipes as they could because the photos of the dishes are few.  However, if you are looking for a book filled with all kinds of ideas on what to do with that pressure cooker in your cabinet, give this volume a try. I think those who are more experimental with ingredients might find it more appealing than I do as well since I rarely buy ingredients for one recipe.

I did receive this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and was in no way obligated to leave a positive one.  

Words to dream on

When my sister was small, every night my mother would pull out a Bible story book and read her a story right before tucking her into bed.  Even though I was quite a bit older, it became a routine we all came to expect and one that I carried on some with my own children.  I bet, if you asked my sister today, one of her favorite childhood memories would be of that time of day and her special one-on-one time with Mom.

Words to Dream On: Bedtime Stories and Prayers by Diane Stortz is just such a book that will provide others with the opportunity to share the Bible with their children in wording that is easy for them to understand and illustrations that will capture the attention as well.  Each of the 52 stories begins with a short scripture, a story that illustrated the scripture and closes with a brief prayer and words that are intended to be a promise that will bless the reader that they can store in their heart for when difficult times come.  Also included are tips and encouragement to the parent on how to create your own bedtime routine.

The book is a sturdy, hardbound volume, each story bright and cheerful like the color.  Is it that different from other children's Bible story books?  Not that much, but I do like how it includes the prayer you can pray with your child and the "bedtime blessing" which is the promise/encouragement. Whether it be this newly published collection or a family favorite, begin sharing with your child the promises from God's Word early.  What better thing than to close each and every day snuggled together and reading from a child's version of favorite Bible stories.

Two thumbs up!  I did receive this book free from the publisher and was in no way obligated to leave a positive review.   

Teach your child to pray

We teach our children to do just about everything they learn to do before heading to kindergarten.  The most important thing we teach our children is about the love of God but do we ever teach them to pray?  I think my husband and I modeled prayer at the kitchen table before meals and assumed our children would pick up on it but did we ever teach them how to earnestly pray for a need or listen to God for His answers?  I'm afraid not.

Max and Denalyn Lucado have given parents a head start on teaching your child to pray.  Lucado Treasury of Bedtime Prayers  opens with a section directed toward parents which includes the importance of teaching our children to pray whether it be to ask forgiveness for a wrong they have done, facilitate hope, or to teach that God listens to us.  They encourage parents to make prayer a priority in their own lives, model prayer for their children, and then teaching your children the power of reading and memorizing the prayers of others to instill a vocabulary of faith in their hearts to shield them throughout their lives--sort of like memorizing scripture.

The prayers are broken down into "chapters" based on the theme or time of day you might use them.  Some of those "chapters" include morning prayers, mealtime prayers, asking God for protection, for wisdom, and prayers of thankfulness. Each section is beautifully illustrated by Lisa Alderson in much the same way as the cover.  Prayers include scriptures as well as short (sometimes adapted) prayers but unknown and well-known sources.

I love the variety. Many of us grew up with the "Now I lay me down to sleep....." prayer. This volume offers such a nice selection of prayers for your little one that they can choose their favorite to use on a regular basis or you can use them all so they don't become a rote repetition without meaning.   The final prayer in the volume is the one we are taught to model our prayers by, The Lord's Prayer.

Originally, I ordered this book because I have loved everything I have ever heard or read of Max Lucado.  I must admit I have never been a fan of written down prayers or using another's words to pray but I can definitely see the value of having a collection such as this to lay the all important foundation for your children.  Were I to still have little ones at home, this volume would lay right next to their bed for daily use.

I did receive this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  I was in no way obligated to write a positive one.