Wordless Wednesday - Gift Book?

Edited to add - here's a link to the inside of a comparable book for those who are curious.


For more wordlessness, go here, here, and here

Find Your Strongest Life - Book Review

Find Your Strongest Life by Marcus Buckingham

I’m rather torn in writing this review. One part of me says that this book was a well-written book with some good and useful information. The other part says that I need to stand for the truth of Jesus Christ and that just isn’t present. In fact, He seems to be completely left out of the picture.

Before agreeing to review Find Your Strongest Life, I searched a bit on Marcus Buckingham, having not heard of him. I found the site of his organization, along with a number of YouTube videos and it appeared that this book would fit the category of self-help. As a follower of Jesus, I’m not called to self-help. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

Yes, I read books that aren’t faith-based and learn things from them as well. But I was surprised to find that this was in the Thomas Nelson repertoire. Their original goal was to “honor God and serve people.” As an example, Marcus repeatedly says that children do not bring happiness. Research shows this to be true. Of course, I think that you could find research to support just about any opinion you have. But I also think that if you’re having children to find happiness, you’re already on the wrong path. God says they’re a gift and a blessing, but He doesn’t say they’re the source of happiness.

The book is definitely geared toward career and working women. Since God’s mission for me at this time in life is to be a stay-at-home, homeschool mom, much of the material wasn’t applicable. It offers a fairly humanistic, take control, and make-your-life-better perspective. Yet I came away with some nuggets that I believe may be quite beneficial in my life.

You see the paradox here? It’s good, but not completely good. It’s bad, but not completely bad. Neither is exactly what I want to say and I’m struggling with the words to share.

If you are a career woman (or man – it’s not as gender-specific as it may sound), if you aren’t concerned with God’s role in your life, and if you want to effect change in your life, read this book.

If you’re a Jesus-loving woman, particularly one who stays home with (or without) her children, it will probably not be very beneficial to you.

If you’d like to get a flavor for what this book has to offer so you can make an better decision, you can access a very generous, 47-page sample of the book here. For more information from Thomas Nelson go here.



ps - in light of this, I want to let you know that I was provided a free copy of the aforementioned book by Thomas Nelson.

"From Eternity to Here" Book Review

Because we live with our human selves day in and day out, we are often painfully aware of our shortcomings, failures, and sin. While it’s important to retain an attitude of humility, we can get so caught up in our inadequacies that we fail to see just who we are in the eyes of the Lord. Many times, we’re so focused upon ourselves that we have a rather small picture of God. In From Eternity to Here, author Frank Viola seeks to expand our vision, taking us to a higher place with a clearer view of God’s perspective. He exhorts us to recognize that the ultimate story of the Bible isn’t merely about man’s need for a Savior (though that’s quite important), but underlying that is God’s desire and passionate love for an intimate relationship with the very people He created.

His book is organized into three sections: A Forgotten Woman: the Bride of Christ, An Eternal Quest: the House of God, and A New Species: the Body of Christ and the Family of God. Throughout the book, Frank draws some beautiful parallels from both the Old and New Testaments. Of course, the entire Bible points toward Jesus Christ, but it’s always encouraging to discover new pictures of Him in God’s word.

Frank follows up with a testimony of his own journey towards God. He progressed from seeking after things taught in many churches, until he reached the place where his single focus is knowing God. I believe this is a critical milestone in every believer's life, because this is what the Lord ultimately wants from us - that intimate relationship.

With all due respect to Mr. Viola, there are some areas of this book with which I do not agree. However, as with any books that we read other than the Bible, it’s important that we exercise discernment and wisdom. In From Eternity to Here, Frank Viola compels us to move outside of our daily, human lives and see the magnificent purpose of God, as well as our role in His ultimate love story.


OTHER BLOGS PARTICIPATING IN THE FROM ETERNITY TO HERE BLOG CIRCUIT

Today (June 9th), the following blogs are discussing Frank Viola’s new bestselling book From Eternity to Here (David C. Cook, 2009). The book just hit the May CBA Bestseller List. Some are posting Q & A with Frank; others are posting full reviews of the book. To read more reviews and order a copy at a 33% discount, go to Amazon.

For more resources, such as downloadable audios, the free Discussion Guide, the Facebook Group page, etc. go to the official website: http://www.FromEternitytoHere.org

Enjoy the reviews and the Q and A:
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Out of Ur
Shapevine (June newsletter)
Brian Eberly
DashHouse.com
Greg Boyd

Vision Advance
David Flowers
Kingdom Grace
Captain's Blog
Christine Sine

Darin Hufford - The Free Believers Network
Zoecarnate
Church Planting Novice
Staying Focused
Take Your Vitamin Z

Jeff Goins
Bunny Trails
Matt Cleaver
Jason T. Berggren
Simple Church

Emerging from Montana
Parable Life
Oikos Australia
West Coast Witness
Keith Giles

Consuming Worship
Tasha Via
Andrew Courtright
ShowMeTheMooneys!
Leaving Salem, Blog of Ronnie McBrayer

Jason Coker
From Knowledge to Wisdom
Home Brewed Christianity
Dispossessed
Dandelion Seeds

David Brodsky's Blog - "Flip the Tape Deck"
Chaordic Journey
Renee Martin
Bob Kuhn
Living with Freaks

Real Worship
Fervent Worship
Julie Ferwerda Blog
What's with Christina?!
Irreligious Canuck

This Day on the Journey
Live and Move: Thoughts on Authentic Christianity
Spiritual Journey with God
Dries Conje
Journey with Others

On Now to the Third Level
Christine Moers
Breaking Point
Hand to the Plough
Jon Reid

Weblight
D.L. Webster
Searching for the Whole-Hearted Life

Winter Reading Challenge

Trish over at A Joyful Heart is hosting the Winter Reading Challenge. I haven't participated in any of the challenges since last Spring. Not that I've put all the books away or anything. I just didn't want to have structure attached to my reading. But now I'm ready to jump back into the reading challenge fun.

Here's my list, in no particular order.

• The Bible (NKJV) - God


• The Ministry of Motherhood - Sally Clarkson


• The Oak Leaves - Maureen Lang


• Mere Christianity - CS Lewis


• Parenting is Heart Work - Turansky & Miller


• If It's Not One Thing, It's Your Mother - Anita Renfroe


• Esther - Chuck Swindoll


• A Biblical Home Education - Ruth Beechick


• If You Can't Lose It, Decorate It - Anita Renfroe


• Great Expectations - Charles Dickens

Oops - no read-aloud books as a family. I'll have to figure out what we'll be reading since we're starting a new unit. Chances are I'll add others and not finish all of these; I just seem to function that way. Oh, I also noticed that there isn't much in the way of fiction there. I like reading all types of books, but I usually have something in the fiction category that I read before bed. I doubt that "The Oak Leaves" will sustain my bedtime reading for the next 10 weeks or so. I'm sure I can find something to fill in that gap.

Soup's On . . . Friday

Since I've been involved in stuff at the HSBA, tending to a son with a sinus infection, and working on Christmas cards, santa stars, and paper stars, I've fairly well neglected the rest of my favorite blogs (sniff, sniff!). But things have quieted down a bit, so I'm off visiting again. Also hoping to get something posted here more than a Wordless Wednesday and one other post per week.

So I'm out socializing perusing and commenting with folks like:

Carrie who graciously shared her most recent find treasure on her archaeological dig from the tub of eighties stuff. If you're feeling like a little time travel back to big hair and tight spandex, go take a look.

Barb who is honest-to-goodness the craft queen of the blogosphere, no make that the world! I could never accomplish so much - my fingers go numb. But I can marvel at her handiwork.

And then . . . I was over seeing what's up at BooMama's place when I discovered that she's hosting . . .



get this . . .



I can hardly wait . . .




for THIS:

So guess what I'll be doing on Friday? Making soup. Yes indeedy. I'll probably even throw in some homemade garlic breadsticks or cornbread, too (depends upon the soup). Now, if I were Barb or BooMama, I'd actually take step-by-step photos and post them here with a complete tutorial for your viewing and duplicating pleasure. But last I checked, I'm not the craft queen of the world, nor am I just the funniest southern gal around. But I can handle the posting of a recipe.

btw - isn't that BooMama just the cleverest when it comes to making up a motto? "...because it's cold y'all!" You SO rock, BooMama! Thanks for letting me play.

If you need to shake things up in the soup departments (certainly not literally, or it might look a bit like Mom's gravy thickener flying around the kitchen - but that's a story for another day), check out BooMama's Souptacular on Friday!

Oh oh oh . . . I can't believe I nearly forgot! I sauntered out to pick up the mail today and surprise, surprise! I had a book AND a bag of Jelly Bellies! I won them over at A Peek At My Bookshelf, courtesy of sweet Deena. The timing couldn't have been better - I'm fresh out of a novel to read. I not only have a new book, I have Jelly Bellies that I understand are integral to the story. Thanks, Deena!!

Road to Nowhere

The one consistency you'll find about my posting is that I'm very inconsistent! Ha! Ha! I'm in some limbo place at the moment - busy, but nothing really post-worthy. I was perusing my post listing to see if I had any good drafts that needed to be completed or might be fun to post. Then I came across this one from early October. This probably won't be of much value to anyone, except me, and probably my sister. Nothing profound. Nothing inspiring. Just silly rambling. Feel free to join in the wanderings of my brain. Or not. It's your choice.

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Imagine, if you will, that right here in this very space, there's a nifty little video screen playing, "Road to Nowhere" by the Talking Heads.

Ha! Through the magic of YouTube, you don't have to imagine. My wish was their command.



Really, the only reason for the video is because I didn't want BooMama to think I was plagarizing by using her "Rambling All The Way to Nowhere" category. So this was my substitute. And naturally, if a Talking Heads song inserts itself into my brain, it'll be on repeat - for awhile. So now you too, can join in the redundancy of David Byrne's ever-so-unique vocals in your head. Well, only if you click on the play button for the video. Or have a good memory.

So, where was I? Oh yes, this was destined to be a rambling sort of post and I just couldn't steal copy off BooMama. What I really need to do is work on the women's ministry newsletter. Last night was the deadline for articles to arrive in my inbox. I have been perusing the hefty file of "stuff to maybe use" that was passed along by the previous editor. I should probably be writing my article as well.

And then there are school plans to be completed. The last weeks have teetered on "flying-by-the-seat-of-our-pants." That can only last so long before the neurons (or something scientific sounding) begin to melt together in my brain, causing me to short-circuit. It's definitely time for real plans again.

What I really want to, though, is read Sweet Revenge by Diane Mott Davidson. I mean the book has been out for weeks already, and I JUST GOT IT LAST NIGHT! I usually buy her books as soon as humanly possible. Finances being what they are, I had to get on the waiting list at the library. Sigh. I think I was #94. So now comes the very enthusiastic, anxious reading which I will do in a nice, calm, rationed pace so that I don't race through the book in, like a day. I did that once. Once. It was so sad. It was like sitting down with a much-anticipated, delectable treat that you get only rarely, and devouring it so quickly that you don't even remember to taste it. Then you want more, but there won't be more - for another year. Or two. Or something.

The boys & I helped our friend move today. It was a short move, like 4 blocks, which was nice. My primary function was providing the trailer. It belongs to my dad, but my parents are out of town. Hubs had to work, so I said I'd take care of it. I am proud to announce that I was able to pull in the alley and back into her driveway at about a 45 degree angle, all in one shot! With a pick-up across the alley sort of in my way. Yessss! Not only that, I even backed it all the way down our very long driveway when I got home. It's one of those things that I know how to do it, but don't have a whole lot of actual experience. Hubby has been an RV technician for some 22 years, so I've had a lot of practice spectating. Apparently that worked. Although I doubt that I should apply the same concept to something like thoracic surgery or knife throwing.

My blog's been feeling a little neglected, cause somehow I only manage to post about twice, maybe thrice, a week. My brain is full of all sorts of things (mostly scatteredly random things) and I even say, "Gee, I should blog about this." But by the time I sit down to write it, that thought has disappeared into the nether regions of my mind. Besides, I had a Pampered Chef party on Thursday night, so that's where a good portion of my thoughts were. Yep, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Yesterday we went to watch the current build of The Extreme Makeover Home Edition folks. It wasn't terribly exciting though. Very windy + lots of dirt = choke, choke, can't see, guess we'll go home. No celebrity sightings, no big Sears truck, chock full o' goodies. Just some gardening. I guess we showed up during a lull. But we showed up nonetheless and have pictures to prove it. So when it airs next year, we'll get to say, "Hey, we were there!" And that's what it's really all about, right?

See this? No you don't. My photo downloader was being a pain, so there's no picture here. I'll add it later. It's a SCRAP of wood. Someone wrote, "Ty, we love you" on it. I'll bet he has a whole collection of these at home. If he even has a home, other than that nice, big RV they take around the country. Sadly, he seems to have dropped this one. It was laying right there by the spectator area. I hope he doesn't miss it. Maybe someone will return it to him.

Back in the day, my sister & I were big Talking Heads fans - not that the words really meant a whole lot to us, but we totally dug their sound. We also have a nice catalog of little inside jokes based upon their music. So, I've been having me a fun time watching their YouTube videos. One of my favorite and just the silliest videos is this one:



Then I thought I'd check out a different version. Let's just say that this was MUCH MORE DIFFERENT than I'd anticipated.



I about fell off my chair laughing. The boys kept asking what was so funny. Why on earth was I laughing so hard? What can I say? It just struck me funny.

If you're feeling just a bit of Talking Heads nostalgia now, you can check out this site.

And one more for the road. Because I'm on a roll. And I couldn't help myself.

Catching Up

It seems that days are just zipping past me and I keep missing the bloggy part of them. I haven't even felt all that bloggish recently. But now it's time to hop back on board (in more ways than one).

Tales From the Scales - I have completely fallen off the wagon here. Of course, having a broken set of scales didn't help. But there's still a month left. I'll see if I can drag myself up off the dirt road and hang onto the wagon for the remaining weeks.

The Burn(ed) Brothers - The boys went to the Sand Dunes on a Scout campout this past weekend. They failed to utilize sunscreen on Sunday (the operative word here? SUN!). This would be the day that they played on the dunes, in the creek, and in a pool - pretty much all day. They came home with extremely bad sunburns. So I've been providing them with pain reliever, mists of lavender oil & water, peppermint oil & water, and aloe vera burn relief spray with lidocaine. Oh, and some aloe vera lotion - when they'll allow me to touch them that much. Today has been the worst day. My oldest son woke up at 3:30 this morning and couldn't get comfortable or back to sleep.

Invalid Dog - Our dog is 14 1/2 years old (chow/husky mix) and he has some issues with arthritis (being treated with rimadyl). He came in yesterday and his right hip seemed to give out completely. He couldn't stand nor walk. He tried - a lot - but just fell or dropped back down. It was a little after lunch, but late enough that I couldn't get him into his regular vet. The local mobile guy had no time available. I ended out just sitting with him on the floor for about 5 hours until the emergency clinic opened so we could take him there after hubby got home from work.

On a happy note, he came home with just a prescription and is doing better. We were kind of freaking out, thinking that we might have to put him down, that this might be it for him. What a huge relief that he gets to hang out with us awhile longer.

Homeschool - I'm finally rolling with homeschool plans for this year. We use KONOS, which is a unit study. I'm pretty much finished choosing our units (to be posted later). Now I need to finalize the other subjects and the schedule. We'll be starting either next week or the week after.

The House - We moved the old, blue recliner out (donated it) as the upholstery was wearing through and it's not very comfortable (for adults, anyway). That enabled us to shift the living room furniture into a better configuration.

Much of the house is cleaned up and in better shape than it's been for awhile. I still have work to do in the family room, but it's also greatly improved. My stamping and scrapbooking supplies are all in one area. I have extra space at my second/third desk which has been helpful for school plans.

We also acquired a free sofa from my sister and brother-in-law which will be used for the entertainment area we have planned for the boys in the family room.

Paperback Books - After reading about PaperBack Swap at SusiePie's place, I promptly joined and am having a great time swapping books! Check it out if you like reading, have too many paperbacks that you don't need anymore, and like the idea of recycling.

There may be more, but it's time to head to bed. So I'm off for now. Maybe I'll play Wordless Wednesday tomorrow.

Do It Anyway

I was over at the Real Women Scrap blog tonight and came across this post. Check it out. It's good. And I don't even like country music.

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Speaking of Real Women Scrap, I just received the book Real Women Scrap by Tasra Dawson today. I won it courtesy of 5 Minutes for Mom. I'm so excited to get this! I've only read the intro, but it's looking great.

I'll let you know.

Get Out of That Pit by Beth Moore

I have been a fan of Beth Moore for a few years, having participated in two of her Bible studies at our church. God has definitely done some amazing things in and through her life. I am convicted, challenged, and encouraged when I read her works. Get Out of That Pit is based upon Psalm 40 and was such a blessing for me. One of my favorite lines in this book is:

"In Him, you have the full rights of sonship or daughtership, including the right to live wildly in victory."

I have a tendency to take myself down into a pit of self-defeat. I know my sins and how wretched a human I can be. God has been working on this, but it's still a struggle for me. I am my own worst enemy. But that's not where He wants me to live. He has already won the battle. He already offers me freedom and victory. In her book, Beth illustrates the ways in which we end out in the pit, how to get out, and how to stay out. This will be one of those books I read again and again, I have no doubt.

The Church Ladies by Lisa Samson

Lisa Samson has definitely been added to my list of favorite authors. Fortunately, she has a number of books out, so I can keep reading her work for some time yet.

The Church Ladies is another example of Lisa’s compelling writing, relatable characters, and God’s work in the lives of His people. In this story, we see that God isn’t concerned with denomination and various outward appearances. When tragedy hits this small town, the lens of superficiality is removed and an unlikely group of women come boldly before the throne of God in prayer. As believers in human skin, we all struggle, get off track, and make mistakes. Lisa does a beautiful job of reminding us that God is ever faithful to redeem our failures and bring reconciliation to our relationships.

Club Sandwich by Lisa Samson

I thoroughly enjoyed Club Sandwich. The characters have many relatable qualities to them. I love how the protagonist works through her struggles. She may not be honest out in the open, but she certainly is in her own self-talk. Even about things that are taboo. I think we all struggle with thoughts that we know are wrong. Unfortunately, too many of us keep them bottled up with a big serving of guilt. Yet as followers of Christ, we have the freedom to lay them at His feet, casting our burdens upon Him and be changed.

There are so many sweet, Godly truths presented in Club Sandwich. Doing the right thing, even when it’s hard (especially when it’s hard) will always be the better path. Learning to forgive isn’t always easy, but it’s always needed. God is in the business of reconciliation and He may bring it in ways we never saw coming, but it will be a sweet blessing when it happens. Family and friends – relationships – are the most important thing (beyond salvation) in our lives. Nothing else really matters when life on this earth draws to a close. We cannot be Lone Rangers. God created us specifically for the purpose of a relationship. No wonder our society pushes the other direction – isolation, independence, self-driven, a “me” centered culture - anything that will tempt us to go in the other direction from what God originally intended. I would definitely recomment Club Sandwich .

The Invitation & The Quest by Nancy Moser

The Invitation by Nancy Moser is the first in The Mustard Seed Series. From the back cover:

“You are invited to Haven, Nebraska. If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move…..”

Julia Carson, ex-governor. Walter Prescott, TV news producer. Kathy Kraus, housewife and mother of two young children. Natalie Pasternak, struggling writer.

Four ordinary people with little in common other than a vague dissatisfaction with their lives – and a small white invitation that seemingly comes out of nowhere. None of them know what the invitation is about or who sent it. All of them dismiss it as a practical joke. And yet strange things start happening – things some might even call miraculous. Soon all four find themselves embarking on a journey that will take them far beyond their wildest imaginings, a journey that will test their mettle – and their faith – to the breaking point.

And before it’s over, each will discover that truly, with God, nothing is impossible. Their faith can move mountains – if only they will open their hearts to the One who has called them.

This was a very captivating story and I had a hard time putting it down. I was intrigued by the premise of being invited out of one's comfort zone to a place ordained by God. Hmm . . . sounds like someone else I've read about.

I also went on to read the second book, The Quest, which was equally interesting. The story brings the previous characters together again, through God's orchestration, to face spiritual warfare and their own faith. From the back cover:

Five ordinary people know what’s right. But will they do what’s right…no matter the cost?

In The Invitation, a series of amazing “coincidences” compelled five ordinary people to meet in a mysterious small town – Haven, Nebraska – where they began an incredible journey that could only have been set in motion by God.

Now it’s two years later. The entire town of Haven has vanished, and Natalie, Walter, Kathy, Del, and Julia are each struggling to follow through with the Lord’s direction. Then those “coincidences” start happening again – and one of the Havenites is placed in deadly peril. The others know they must answer God’s call a second time – even if it means facing an enemy more terrifying, more powerful, more malevolent than any of them have ever known. An enemy determined to do one thing: destroy them.

It deals quite a bit with the spirital realm and I've seen it compared to Frank Peretti books. While I'm not discounting the spiritual battle that exists, I personally can't read those types of books without addressing irrational fears. So I didn't read the third book, The Temptation. Nevertheless, if you enjoy such stories, these are very well-written, captivating books. I definitely like Nancy Moser's writing.

Tales From the Scales - Week #3

I've dropped the 1/2 pound gain from last week - yeah! My biggest challenge is backing off the Dr. Pepper that I'm so incredibly addicted to. But with sleep issues the past week, the less caffeine, the better. No, that doesn't mean I'll give up my morning chai, but that's a LONG ways from bedtime, so I'm not too worried about that. The good thing about limiting the DP is that I'll drink more water (usually) which is always a big help.

So the total now is down 2 1/2 pounds. :D

I Made Them

Back in March, Barb at A Chelsea Morning shared the most adorable burp cloths that she made. Being that she is so fabulous about sharing detailed instructions, complete with excllent pictures, for her cooking and crafting creations, I was able to replicate these for my friend & her husband who adopted a beautiful baby girl.

These fairies were just adorable!



I wouldn't ever have thought to package them this way, but Barb, you are brilliant!



And here's the final product with a tag I created. The paper on the tag was perfect, because the words said "sweet" and "delight."

Everyone oohed and aahed over them at the shower. Thank you SO much, Barb! You're a sweetheart.

A Little Meme

Deena tagged me for a tiny little meme. It goes like this:

1. Grab the book closest to you
2. Open it to page 161
3. Find the fifth full sentence
4. Post the text of the sentence to your blog
5. Don't search around for the coolest book you have, use the one that is really next to you.
6. Tag five people to do this meme.

So the 5th full sentence on page 161 of my book is:

"I mean, it seems glamorous, all the buying trips and window decorating, but it's hard work."

Bet you'd like to know what book it's from, eh? Or maybe not. Anyway, it's Club Sandwich by Lisa Samson, since I just walked out to the computer with it in my hand. Otherwise, you'd have been presented with:

"Throughout the day I have had a nagging sense of being out of step, isolated; the ordinary business around the farm only serves to heighten this."

O Come Ye Back to Ireland by Niall Williams & Christine Breen.

They're both pretty interesting statements. It would be kind of fun to build a small story around one of those sentences. Hmmm . . . might have to save that for future refence for writing for the boys. Or maybe a meme.

So, now I'm to tag someone else. Well, how about Rachelle, Barb, Gina, Sprittibee, and Robin.

I Won a Book!

What a cool thing to log into email and find a message stating that I've won a book! Over at Callapidder Days, Katrina has been hosting Books Galore giveaways throughout the Spring Reading Thing.

I won a copy of Mocha on the Mount by Sandra Glahn from her Coffee Cup Bible Series. Here is a synopsis:

"Imagine yourself having coffee with Jesus. What would you ask Him? What might He ask you? This study considers Jesus' words in the Sermon on the Mount and explores how Jesus set the bar so high that we see the key to entering the kingdom of heaven: realizing our deep need for grace and for someone else's righteousness to be credited to our account."

I am SO excited! There are four books in this series and they come highly recommended by Katrina and sound very interesting.

Spring Reading Thing - Crossroads Review

Well, I've been actively reading, but haven't gotten very far with the reviews. Might have something to do with the computer being gone for a week and a half. Never fear, the first one is here!

Crossroads by Nancy Moser
From the back cover:

“’I’m the last Weaver standing, and I will not go down without a
fight!’

“Madeline Weaver is putting everything on the line. Her hometown is dying, and she will stop at nothing to save it. Using her fortune to buy up the town’s land, she holds a national contest to give away the property, piece by piece. As modern-day pioneers apply for a place in Madeline’s hyper-controlled world, she chooses only those who spark her interest and seem suited to her own designs.

“There’s an egotistical banker from Manhattan, a Jewish retired couple from Phoenix, a hometown boy turned cop, and a family from Arkansas running away from grief. In spite of Madeline’s best efforts, the lives of these new residents quickly weave together in ways completely out of her control.

“Now faced with long-buried secrets, Madeline finds herself at the ultimate crossroads, where she must make the most difficult decision of her life . . . “

Nancy Moser has a gift for interesting story lines (I’ve also read The Invitation and The Quest; reviews to follow). I really enjoyed following the individual lives of the characters as they converge in small town Kansas to start their lives over. I think it’s human nature to expect a clean slate when moving to a new place and beginning anew. But we often forget that we are the same people with the same habits, baggage, and hang ups, even in a new place. But with God at the center and with a change in circumstances, the characters learn about what is truly important in their lives. With the various personalities in Crossroads, I think most people could find a little of themselves in one or more of the characters. I definitely enjoyed this book.

p.s. – Nancy Moser also includes a list of Scriptures quoted in the back of the book, along with the subject that verse relates to. This is a handy reference point that she employs in other novels as well.

Sister Freaks

I suppose if my kitchen were entirely (or even mostly) clean and one section of my counter not looking like it requires an archaeological dig just to locate the tile, I might have realized I have one other book for my Spring Reading Thing list. It's Sister Freak: Stories of Women Who Gave up Everything for God by Rebecca St. James. I think it's geared towards teens and young women, but it sounds inspiring. From inside the cover:

"Around the world, every day, young women are boldly putting themselves forth as believers - regardless of the cost. Sometimes they suffer for it, but they never waver in their conviction that God has called them to serve Him. They are confident. They are committed. They are 'Sister Freaks.' These are words that evoke strong images - images of extreme faith . . . of radical devotion . . . of sacrifice and triumph. They are life-changing words. And they are at the core of the stores related within these pages. Here you will meet contemporary women and historical figures from around the world - from Joan of Arc to a Midwest high school student to an Olympic athlete. But whether the account is of a historical heroine or a woman of today like you, the stories are always inspiring. Their goal: to demonstrate to you that living radically for God can change your life, whether halfway around the world or in your hometown."

I'm almost done with Crossroads. I should have a review up in a day or so.

Spring Reading List

Woo hoo! It's finally here - the Spring Reading Thing hosted by Katrina at Callapidder Days. I've always loved reading. It all started with Dr. Seuss when I was quite young, continued on to my "devouring Nancy Drew books" phase, and on to today. Now I go to the library for one or two books and walk out with 10 or 12. A favorite pasttime is going to bookstores. There was a time in my life when hubby and I would go out to dinner with my parents on a Friday or Saturday night, and then for recreation, we all went to Tower Books (they were open very late) and hung out for an hour or two. And then there was Amazon and Alibris - let's not even get started there! Needless to say, reading has always been very big in my life. So here's my Spring Reading List:

FICTION:
Crossroads by Nancy Moser - I'm part way through this one. I've not read anything by Nancy Moser, but came across her books at the library the other day.

The Invitation by Nancy Moser - a series by Nancy Moser. If I enoy this one, I'll read the rest.

The next three are a series that my Mom told me about. They sound very charming and enjoyable. She had just received them in the mail and was kind enough to loan them to me.

O Come Ye Back to Ireland by Niall Williams & Christine Breen

When Summer's in the Meadow by Niall Williams & Christine Breen

The Luck of the Irish by Niall Williams & Christine Breen

The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Real by Neta Jackson - I've seen this series but haven't read any. I figured I'd give one a try.

If Diane Mott Davidson has anything new during the Spring Reading Thing, I'll definitely be reading that. Oops - nix that - after checking out Amazon, I find that her next book is due out in September of this year. She'll be on my fall list.

Also if Robin Jones Gunn has a new Sisterchicks book, that will make my list. What was it someone said - it's brain candy. That's probably a good description. They're pretty happy and pleasing books.

side note: everything I posted beyond this point was lost and had to be re-done! ARGH!!!

NON-FICTION:
Get Out of That Pit by Beth Moore - I love her stuff! She is an amazing, annointed woman of God. I am always challenged and encouraged by her.

Upgrade by Kevin Swanson - Kevin is the Executive Director of Christian Home Educators of Colorado and spoke at a local homeschool meeting recently. I was fortunate to win a copy of his book.

Mom's Everything Book for Sons by Becky Freeman - I've read part, if not all of this book, but I'm always up for strengthening my relationship with my two boys.

Strengthening Your Grip by Charles Swindoll - Anything by Chuck Swindoll is fantastic. Once again, a "started but not finished" book.

I must say Thank You to Katrina for giving me this opportunity for accountability to complete some books I've started. I'm always up for a good book (or two or ten!). I don't have a picture of my stack yet, but might do that later today or tomorrow.

Happy Reading!!

Veggie Tales & Big Idea Productions

I always wondered what ever happened to Big Idea Productions and the very talented and creative folks there. In our house and my sister and her husband's, Veggie Tales were very popular! Our fun was enahanced by the fact that my brother-in-law worked for the company that produced licensed Veggie Tales clothing at the time. We still even have a few prototype shirts around that never made it to market.

I finally got to read about what happened with Big Idea at Phil Vischer's new site, Jellyfish.

I look forward to the creative and fun things that will come from Jellyfish!