I have said in the past that I have never read an Amish inspired book, yet here I am reviewing a 2nd one this year and I'm not hating it one bit. This next book is the first of a new series called A Plain Leaving (The Sisters of Lancaster). This book is written by Leslie Gould and from what I can see, she is an amazing author. I have heard many times that Amish Fiction is the same old story over and over. But, from what I can tell in this book and in a few of her past writings this simply is not the case.
Are you a Believer? Or do you believe in not believing and that life just happens? I'm a Believer, I believe there is a mighty God who has had His hands in everything. There are absolutely No mistakes or coincidences in life... but you don't have to take just my word for it. In this new book I have been reading, Life - Changing Miracles by James Stuart Bell it is filled with stories from ordinary people who have first hand seen God work in their lives. These people have been on the receiving end of God's grace and miracles. Walking through sin, sickness, temptation and tragedy to just name a few, this book gives you a huge dose of encouragement and inspiration as you get to peek into the lives of several people who have felt God's comforting hand.
Kaden is an excellent reader, but just for fun we have been using The Magic Stories by Allsaid & Dunn, LLC, publishers of The Reading Game and authors of the Wordly Wise series. I have been a rock star fan of Wordly Wise every since my 1st year homeschooling. This particular supplemental product is geared for 2nd-3rd grade readers, but I was really interested in reading these short stories myself. We received them as a digital download along with some worksheets and the 40 Naughty word list with each story that identifies "tricky" vocabulary words.
We are not big Halloween fans, I save myself for Christmas and break out all the decorating and traditions my Family can stand. But, we do still dress up, trick or treat and of course hand out candy. And I am one of those people that puts pencils, stickers, erasers, trinkets and such into the candy bowl. I want to think that makes me the fun cool house, but I don't know if it really does or not. Anyway....this year I will be rocking the candy/trinket bowl, but I have added some special treats from Let the Little Children Come. I'll be handing out goodies from their Gospel Tracts and Evangelism Tools Sampler Pack.
I have been painting up a storm lately...Nothing better then a paintbrush in your hand with a stack of watercolor paper down in front of you. Funny thing is I never painted a single thing until this time last year besides craft time with the kids. Now I can hardly go 2 days without painting...it has become my Love Language to myself. And I Love myself so well! :)
My favorite things to paint are cards with affirmations and verses on them. I love using them in my planner, Bible and even as book marks. I think it's safe to say if your on my Christmas list this year you have a handful of these coming your way! :)
I have always been up front and honest with my kids when it comes to my mistakes in life. Hubby and I did things really backwards and I truly regret that we did not save ourselves for marriage. Which is why purity has been something we have encouraged all of our kids from tween age and on. Even though we are open and have talked extensively about this matter I was still interested in the Sex by Design from Abby Ludvigson.
I usually don't like to say that a certain Review is my favorite, but this next one I just can't help myself. We have been using the Weave Your Word in Me --Part 1 from Kid Niche Christian Books during Bible time. This is the first part of a 2 part study for Tweens based off the Lord's Prayer that was written by Susan Case Bonner. Kaden reads his Bible often and enjoys reading it on his own during quiet time. We have done devotions and themed studies on and off for years. I like to try out different things to keep it fresh, but I also like to save time and not have to try and pull together big studies to emphasize what he already reads on his own without being asked.
What could be better then Breakfast? Nothing, nothing at all....I love Breakfast. There is not a Breakfast food out there that I don't enjoy!
Around here we wake up slow in the mornings, especially the weekends. It starts with a cup of coffee, time with God, self reflection and a good healthy dose of Bacon. :)
Now that the mornings are cooler I even enjoy sipping my coffee outside, preferably alone before the kids wake up and the I wants begin.....how do you begin your mornings?
We have had to do a lot of praying and research these last few weeks. And honestly I am worn down....worn down to the point where my days are just what ever they become. My expectations are low and my heart is opened wide to receive whatever it is that the Lord has planned for me. Blessing Roll Call.....This month the Lord has saved my family from contracting something horrid from our filthy bathrooms that haven't been touched with so much as a Clorox wipe in like forever. He's given me cooler weather and has kept the smoke from local fires to a minimum so I can still go outside and take a few minutes to myself while stuffing my mouth with a GF, vegan muffin. The sweet Lord has opened my world up a little more and given me some new Friends and support through social media that I wouldn't have had if I waited till Kaden decided that going out of the home was safe and acceptable. Literally as I lay awake in bed and my Hubby saws logs like a lumberjack I can feel Jesus beside me lulling me to sleep while magically erasing all of my mind clutter. Thank You Lord....for giving me peace, hope and love.
Another Day... Another Challenge... Another Prayer... Another Answer... Another Blessing
I've always enjoyed the Brinkman Adventures with the kids. This next Review has us listening to their newest release, the Brinkman Adventures Season 4. We have listened to all of their other seasons, so Kaden was on me quick as soon as it arrived in the mail. The
Series is a Christian Audio Drama/Entertainment Adventure suitable for
the whole Family to listen to and enjoy. So, who are the Brinkmans? They are a
large Homeschooling Family that are what I would call Real
Modern Day Missionaries. The stories told are based on real life
situations and will keep you on the edge of your seat almost the whole time. We received a set of
4 CD’s that came in a durable plastic case, great for safe keeping,
car and RV trips. There are over 5
hours of adventure in Season 4 with 12 suspenseful episodes and each of the stories are roughly 30 minutes long. (just enough to make you crave for more) You can
also get the season as a downloadable MP3 which we have had in the past.
