Wordless Wednesday, January 30, 2013

It looks like a lot of the letter ‘b,’ but is it?

Read Aloud Challenge- January 29, 2013

We have been enjoying a lot of reading this year for school.  This past week we finished reading The Wright Brothers by Quentin Reynolds.  This book is part of the Landmark Books series.  We have been enjoying learning about these two brothers and their gliders and airplanes.  The children always asked me to read more.  We also watched documentaries about them. 

The other book we finished reading was Davy Crockett- Young Rifleman by Aileen Wells Park.  This book is a part of the Childhood of Famous Americans series.  We enjoyed learning about his life as a young boy.  We finally got the Disney television series from the library and we are going to watch it this week.

The new book we are reading this week is The Amazing Impossible Erie Canal by Cheryl Harness.  This is a picture book and has a lot of amazing illustrations and descriptions.  My children are really enjoying reading this book.

We are also reading poetry this year.  We have been reading Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s The Song of Hiawatha.  It is a very long poem, but we all find that it is better than his other poetry.  His other poetry contains too much death. 

This was our week of reading.  What did you read this week to your children?

“Penny Jar Chore” Changes Needed

I needed a way to get the children to do their chores, so my husband and I came up with “Penny Jar Chores.” 

My husband and I thought up a number of chores that they could do to earn pennies.  Some of those chores were, making beds, getting dressed, feeding and watering dogs, brushing hair, etc.  We decided that when B and C had earned $1.25 in pennies that the money would be given to their Sabbath School classes.  B and C would also earn a special activity with us, such as going to the park, going to a museum, or playing a video game.

“Penny Jar Chores” has been going pretty well for us, but I am looking to change it.  I want the children to become more involved in their desire to do their chores.  I want them to want to earn the money, so they can give the money to people who need it.  My new idea is to have the children earn a total of $25, then they can choose where they would like the money to go.  Some ideas I have had are- World Vision, Heifer International, locally, or missionaries who need help reaching their launch goal.

I could use some ideas or thoughts.  What are yours?

Organizing School Papers

We are now halfway through the school year!  Are your children’s school papers stacking up in their rooms, living room, and mudrooms?  There is a solution to all of those papers.

Designate A Space- Find a place for temporary storage (I would say 6 months).  You can use fancy cardboard boxes, plain cardboard boxes, fabric bins, wire bins, plastic totes…the possibilities are endless.  You also need to decide where you want to keep them: closet, desk, children’s bedroom, etc..

Label Their Work- When your children are done with their work or they bring it home, make sure they write their names and dates on the back.  If they are too young, then you will need to do it for them.

Go Through the Papers- You will need to decide when you will go through the papers, whether it is every six or twelve month or even sooner.  I would have the children go through the papers with you, because they are the ones who will have it when they grown.  You can keep your favorites though!

And remember to have fun when you are organizing. 

The Tainted Coin by Mel Starr

Genre- Fiction/Christian/Mystery/Medieval

Published by- Monarch Books

Copyrighted- 2012

Number of pages- 240

Age Group- Adult

Description of book- Paperback, listed price- $14.99, ISBN 978-0-85721-250-4

This is the Fifth Chronicle of Hugh de Singleton, surgeon.

 It is now the autumn of 1367 and Master Hugh is enjoying life with his wife.  He is asked to solve the murder of a traveling merchant.  The real mystery involves an ancient corroded coin found in the man’s mouth.  Master Hugh and his assistant, Arthur, need to find the murderers and the origin of the coin.  Along the way they become involved with a suffering monk, tyrannical abbot, and a maiden who has been kidnapped.

Please go here to read an excerpt.

About the Author-

Mel Starr has taught history for many years in the Michigan public school system. He has studied medieval surgery and medieval English. He is married and has two grown daughters and seven grandchildren.

My thoughts- I thought I was going to like this book based on the previous book and I was right.  The first thing I did was look at the glossary, so that I would know what all the words in the story meant.  I got very hungry when I read the glossary and now I need to figure out how to make the dishes which were mentioned.  Perhaps a couple of recipes would be great in the back of the book, so we can try dishes from the 1300’s.

The Tainted Coin was full of danger and intrigue.  I wasn’t sure what was going to happen to Master Hugh and Kate.  I didn’t think that Master Hugh and Arthur were ever going to solve the murder or get the kidnapped maiden home where she belongs.

I would highly recommend this book. I am going to tell my local libraries about this book. Go out and pick up a copy today!

Here is my review of Unhallowed Ground.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received The Tainted Coin by Mel Starr for free from the Kregel Publications’ Blog Tour. All links were current when posted. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Must Haves (Fresh Fruits and Vegetables)

I was wandering around the kitchen thinking about what kinds of fresh fruits and vegetables are good for us to have in our home and my first thought was for carrots.  My next thought was- “What would the children choose if they had a choice?”

Here is the list that we came up with:

• Potatoes
• Onions
• Clementines
• Carrots
• Green Beans
• Lettuce (all kinds)
• Apples
• Corn-on-the-cob (in season)
• Watermelon (in season)
• Tomatoes

So many of these products can be used either raw or cooked, so it is nice to have fresh and not frozen. 

What do you like to have in your kitchen for your family to eat?

Read Aloud Tuesday- January 21, 2013

We read a lot of books to our selves and out-loud for school and recreation.  These are the books we are reading this week for school.

Heaven’s Heroes by David Shibley-  This books discusses the lives of some of our greatest missionaries.  The children and I enjoy learning about people we have never heard of before.  This is a book we have been reading this year for school.  This week we are going to be reading about Warren Shibley, David Shibley’s father.

Davy Crockett- Young Rifleman by Aileen Wells Park- This book is a part of the Childhood of Famous Americans series.  We are enjoying learning about his life as a young boy.  When we are done with the book we are going to watch some of the Disney episodes on YouTube.

The Wright Brothers by Quentin Reynolds- This book is part of the Landmark Books series.  We have been enjoying learning a lot about these two brothers.  The children are always asking me to read more.  We have been watching documentaries about the Wright brothers and it also fun learning more.

I can’t wait to tell you next week what we are reading.

Candle Bible for Kids: Toddler Edition by Juliet David and illustrated by Jo Parry

Genre- Christian/Bible/Juvenile

Published by- Candle Books

Copyrighted- 2012

Number of pages- 160

Age Group- Young children (Toddlers)

Description of book- hardback, listed price- $9.99, ISBN 978-1-85985-939-1

 

 

Written for young readers/listeners and their parents this charming book will delight and teach them for hours.

Stories include: “God speaks to Samuel,” “God feeds Elijah,” “John baptizes Jesus,” “The story of two houses,” and more.

Excerpt from the book!

About the Author-

Juliet David lives in London with her family. She has written Bible activity books and children’s stories. She enjoys traveling to Israel and other Bible lands.

About the Illustrator-

Jo Parry lives in Bournemouth, England.  She uses an Apple Mac to illustrate greeting cards, fine art, and children’s books.  She is fulfilling her life-long dreams.

My thoughts-

The first thing I noticed about this book was the illustrations.  They are very well done.  Kudos to Jo Parry.  I sat down and read the book.  I enjoyed the text.  Juliet David did such a wonderful job of summarizing the Bible stories, so they covered everything. 

My favorite part was the addition of the Lord’s Prayer.  I have yet to read a children’s Bible with it.  It is so important for children to learn how to pray and to learn the Lord’s Prayer.

My children (ages nine and seven) enjoy these types of Bibles and this one is bound to be one of their favorites.  They have been enjoying it as much as I have.

I plan on picking up a copy of Candle Bible for Kids for my nephews and any young children who come into my life.  I recommend you do the same.

C’s (age seven, first grade) Thoughts-

I liked the illustrations, because they are really nice.  I think it would be good for kids my age to read and to be read to.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received Candle Bible for Kids: Toddler Edition by Juliet David and illustrated by Jo Parry for free from the Kregel Publications’ Blog Tour. All links were current when posted. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Thankful for Firefighters

This past summer of 2012 was very dry throughout the United States.  There were many big fires (50,000 acres plus) in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming.  My family and I live within miles of several of them.  It was scary to see all the smoke and the flames day after day.  The fire and smoke wasn’t coming our way, so we were lucky that we didn’t need to evacuate.

I must admit though that I was a little paranoid when it first started.  I wanted to pack up all my things and get out of there.  I calmed down when I saw that the fire was never going to come our way.  The wind was always going the wrong way to come our way and the fire had to burn up rock and tree hills and back down again.

I am so thankful for my dad, brother, cousins, friends, National Forest Service personnel, and all the others who fought and helped with the fires this past summer. 

Please visit www.inciweb.org to see pictures and learn more about the fires that were fought in 2012.

Is there such a thing as too many pictures or videos on a blog?

Have you ever given much thought to how many videos and pictures have to be put in an individual blog post either by choice or by requirement?

I usually never give it much thought, but when I am in the great state of Wyoming, my choices are usually dial-up or satellite.  I would need to travel 45 minutes to the public library to be able to use broadband.  And with the famous Wyoming wind, the satellite doesn’t always work. This past Christmas vacation I thought I would try to access my blog using dial-up and after waiting five minutes I still couldn’t get the page to load. 

Many of my review posts require that I have pictures or video and I know that research says that people like to have pictures and videos on posts, but I am going to limit the number of pictures and videos that I have to have on my posts.  I would like all of the people in the world to be able to visit my blog, not just the ones who have high-speed internet.

How about you?  What are you going to do?

Everyday Matters Bible for Women: Practical Encouragement to Make Every Day Matter by Hendrickson Bibles

Genre- Bibles / New Living Translation / Devotional / Study

Published by- Hendrickson Bibles

Copyrighted- 2012

Number of pages- 1603

Age Group- Adult Women

Description of book- hardback listed price- $27.49, ISBN 978-1-59856-705-2

Everyday Matters Bible for Women: Practical Encouragement to Make Every Day Matter features 24 different spiritual practices (please see the picture below) which are explored in 4 different ways.

Those ways are:

• Everyday Matters- two page articles introducing the major themes
• Everyday Profiles- Profiles of 25 different Biblical women
• Everyday Q & A’s- Short articles that talk about a difficult aspect and give practical help
• Everyday Reflections- articles illustrating ways to apply God’s word

Informational and Purchasing Links: 

Everyday Matters on Publisher's website: http://www.hendrickson.com

Everyday Matters on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EverydayMattersBible

ACCOUNT on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/bibleforwomen

Purchase online at: Amazon, Christianbook.com, or at your local retailers. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My thoughts-

I knew I had a treasure when I took this book into my hands and began exploring what it had to offer.  I can’t believe the number of articles (over 300) and different spiritual practices.  I didn’t know there were 24 different ones; from faith to solitude to submission.

My goal will be to take two weeks for each of the different spiritual practices and take a year to learn and assimilate all of the Bible verses and articles.  I know that since this Bible is geared towards women it will help me more than many of the other Bibles in the market.

I liked the guide at the back that described how to use the Bible in a small group.  I would really like to be able to start a group and have a Bible study of my own.

I would recommend this Bible to all women.  It will help us grow as Christians.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received a free copy of Everyday Matters Bible for Women: Practical Encouragement to Make Every Day Matter by Hendrickson Bibles to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of The CWA Review Crew. All links were current when posted.

A Love Story How God Pursued Me and Found Me An Impossibly True Story by Samantha Ryan Chandler

Genre- Religion / Christian Life

Published by- Crossbooks

Copyrighted- 2011

Number of pages- 108

Age Group- Adult (mainly women)

Description of book- paperback listed price- $14.99, Hardcover listed price- $22, Kindle listed price $5.99 ISBN 978-1-6150-7761-8

 

Samantha Ryan Chandler has written about her life without God (or was it) in A Love Story How God Pursued Me and Found Me An Impossibly True Story.  She has known love, hatred, abuse, forgiveness, and fear.  Looking back she realizes that God has always been there for her.  She shares her life, the good and the bad in this book.

About the Author-

Samantha Ryan Chandler was born in Louisiana, which has helped shape her view of life.  She spends time in both North Carolina and Georgia.  She helped co-found Childspring International, which brings children to the United States for donated surgeries and medical care. 

Learn more about Samantha at:  http://www.SamanthaRyanChandler.com

Samantha on LinkedIn:  http://linkedin.com/SamanthaRyanChandler

Samantha on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/SammieChandler

My thoughts-

Samantha Ryan Chandler mentions in her “Prologue” that she has had more happen to her than Hollywood would ever write about.  She was right.  There is a lot of her story that could be a movie in Hollywood.

I thought this book was well written and I enjoyed the addition of the Bible verses.  The Bible verses can help others in similar situations to gain comfort and knowledge.

I’m sure it took a lot of courage to write and publish this book.  I’m glad she did.  I only hope that I would have the same courage if I was in the same situation.  The book has even won an Indie Excellence Finalist Book Award.

I would recommend this book to all women, because we all need encouragement.  And some of us will gain more from this book than others.

Purchase online at:

Amazon or your favorite online retailer.

Disclosure of Material Connection-  I received a free copy of A Love Story How God Pursued and Found Me An Impossibly True Story by Samantha Ryan Chandler to review.  I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.  The opinions I have expressed are my own.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.  I am part of The CWA Review Crew.   All links were current when posted.

J. R. R. Tolkien: The Making of a Legend by Colin Duriez

Genre- Christian/Biography

Published by- Lion Hudson

Copyrighted- 2012

Number of pages- 240

Age Group- Adult, but it works for other age groups as well.  It could be read to young readers.

Description of book- paperback, listed price- $16.95, ISBN 978-0-7459-5514-8

J.R.R. Tolkien was orphaned at a young age and was banned by his guardian to communicate with his first love.  He spent time in World War One and spent over 50 years building Middle-earth.  He developed the languages, history, peoples, and geography and created a legend that is shown in his many books.  He was friends with C.S. Lewis, married his first love, and taught at different colleges in England.

This book shows the reader what it took for him to grow into the legend we know today.

Excerpt from the book!

About the Author-

Colin Duriez is a commentator on The Lord of the Rings DVDs and on the BBC show The Worlds of Fantasy.  He has written other books about Tolkien and C.S. Lewis.

My thoughts-

I have always enjoyed reading The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy.  I have never spent any time learning more about Tolkien’s life, so I was excited when I learned about there was a biography about him available for review.

When I opened the package I was so curious that I had to glance through the book and automatically begin reading.  His life captivated me so much that I was hard pressed to set the book down.  I knew I had to, because the family needed me!

I learned a lot about Tolkien.  One of the most interesting things I learned was how he was friends with C.S. Lewis.  I never knew that.  Colin Duriez did a wonderful job and I really enjoyed the pictures he added and the complete biography.

I really enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it.  It would make a good present for anyone who enjoys Tolkien.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received J.R.R. Tolkien: The Making of a Legend by Colin Duriez for free from the Kregel Publications’ Blog Tour. All links were current when posted. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.