Not Quite Healed by Cecil Murphey and Gary Roe

Not Quite Healed: 40 Truths for Male Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse 

by Cecil Murphey and Gary Roe

(received in exchange for an honest review)

 

Genre- Christian Life / Men’s Issues

Published by- Kregel Publications

Copyrighted- 2013

Number of pages- 288

Age Group- Adult

Description of book- paperback, listed price- $14.99, ISBN 978-0-8254-4270-4

Cecile Murphey and Gary Roe have written, Not Quite Healed, to help male survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

They are survivors and they have filled this book with self-affirming truth statements and personal thoughts and opinions to support the statements.

Some of the chapter titles are:

• “I acted out.”
• “What good comes from grief?”
• “How do I combat the lies?”
• “How do I complete the circle?”  

About the Authors-

Cecil Murphey has coauthored or written more than 100 books such as, Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story.

Gary Roe has three adopted daughters from Columbia and has been in ministry for more than thirty years.

My thoughts-

I thought, Not Quite Healed, by Cecil Murphey and Gary Roe, was a book that both males and females should read.  We need to understand what happens and how to help.  Good books like, Not Quite Healed, will help those who have been abused and those who have not.

I was very moved when I was reading this book.  I liked how Murphey and Roe wrote the book together and were able to give their own thoughts and opinions.  The inclusion of God was so important.  God is crucial to the recovery process.

The most important part is the list of 40 self-affirming truths in the back of the book.  I firmly believe that these statements and the information in these chapters will help many people become who they truly want to be and to not believe the lies.

I highly recommend Not Quite Healed. 

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received Not Quite Healed: 40 Truths for Male Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse by Cecil Murphey and Gary Roe 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.

Magnificent Malevolence by Derek Wilson (Review)

Magnificent Malevolence 

by Derek Wilson

(received in exchange for an honest review)

 

Genre- Fiction

Published by- Lion Hudson

Copyrighted- 2013

Number of pages- 240

Age Group- Adult

Description of book- paperback, listed price- $14.99, ISBN 978-1-78264-018-9

 

Derek Wilson is the author of Magnificent Malevolence, which has been written in the tradition of The Screwtape Letters.  The main character is Crumblewit, who is very good at his job, and this is his manuscript.

Crumblewit S. O. D. (Order of the Sons of Darkness, 1st Class) is a devil who has the job of preventing Christians from doing their work for the Unmentionable One.  His job began in 1942 and continues to the present with special cases around the world.

Book Excerpt

About the Author- Historian Derek Wilson lives in Devon and has written over 60 books.

My thoughts-

I just finished reading Magnificent Malevolence, by Derek Wilson.  It was written in the tradition of the Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis.  I have read parts of Lewis's book and I found Wilson’s to be quite good.  I was intrigued from the moment I began reading, all the way to the end.

One of the parts I liked the best was that the chapter titles indicated the years being mentioned.  I was pleased that I remembered enough world history, from 1942 through the present, so I was able to understand Crumblewit’s references.

Although Crumblewit caused a lot of damage to the Christians, I was very impressed with his intelligence and tenacity. 

I would recommend Magnificent Malevolence to everyone.  It was a good way for me to see a different view of history and what I can do to avoid repeating it.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received Magnificent Malevolence by Derek Wilson 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.

65 More Short Mysteries You Solve with Science from Science Naturally (Schoolhouse Crew Review)

We received One Minute Mysteries: 65 More Short Mysteries You Solve with Science! by Eric Yoder and Natalie Yoder for review purposes.

                           

Product link: One Minute Mysteries: 65 More Short Mysteries You Solve With Science!

Vendor Contact Information: Science Naturally

Age Appeal: 8-12

Format: paperback (ISBN: 978-1-9384920-0-6

Price: $9.95

One Minute Mysteries: 65 More Short Mysteries You Solve with Science is the second book in the series written by the father-daughter team of Eric Yoder and Natalie Yoder.  Life Science, Earth and Space Science, Physical and Chemical Science, and General Science are the topics discussed in this book. 

Our Experience:

We needed a little extra for our science class time, so we decided to read two mysteries per day.  B and I both had turns at reading the mysteries and we all worked at solving them.  B and C had a lot of fun solving them.  C had a little bit of trouble solving them, but I think it is because she is only seven and doesn’t have enough life experience.  B had no problem solving the problems.  We all enjoyed reading and learning from different areas of science.

I Liked:

• The children were always excited to read the book and solve the mysteries. 
• This would be a good book to use when traveling or when the children are bored.
• It was fun to use for science class or to read for fun.

I Disliked:

• Nothing.

What B (boy, age nine, officially in third grade) Liked and Disliked:

• I really liked it. 
• I learned some things I didn’t know before like, a shooting star isn’t a star, a hard-boiled egg spins more slowly than a raw one, and when instruments are colder they sound off pitch. 
• I liked the photos.
• This book is good for everyone.

What C (girl, age seven, officially in first grade) Liked and Disliked: 

•  I liked the photos.
• I liked trying to solve the mysteries.
• I liked the “Life Science” section, because we learned about nature.
• It is great for everyone!

Dad’s Call:

I really like the One Minute Mysteries: 65 More Short Mysteries You Solve with Science. It covers a variety of science topics such as Life, Physical, General and more.  These are short mysteries that have kids think about answers using open ended questions instead of the usual yes/no or multiple choice close ended questions.

The book is small enough to take anywhere and use while on road trips, at the doctor’s office, just about anywhere where you’ll be waiting for a few minutes or longer.  Having the solutions listed at the next page turn instead of finding a page somewhere in the back of the book is well thought out and certainly has the reader in mind.

I definitely recommend this book as a way to engage your kids in finding solutions by thinking instead of choosing a listed answer.

Mamma recommends One Minute Mysteries: 65 More Short Mysteries You Solve with Science! by Eric Yoder and Natalie Yoder.

You have a special opportunity to buy 3 books for $19.95 with $2.95 in shipping.  The coupon code is 3SPEC.  You can enter it in the shopping cart at www.ScienceNaturally.com.   

Read Aloud Challenge- May 16, 2013

What have you been reading aloud lately?  We have been reading for fun and school.  Here is what we have been reading.

We are still reading, Moccasin Trail by Eloise Jarvis McGraw.  It is about a young man, Jim Keith, who has lived as Crow Indian and is now a trapper.  He learns that his sister and younger brothers are on their way west.  He decides to meet with them and help them.  We are almost done reading this book and we love it.

We recently finished reading two picture books, The Beetle Book by Steve Jenkins and Welcome to the USA: Wyoming by Ann Heinrichs and illustrated by Matt Kania.

We have finally finished listening to the CD of Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne.  We loved listening to it.  B’s favorite part of the book was all of the locations that were mentioned.

We are going on a trip this weekend.  We will be listening to Roughing It, by Mark Twain.  I hope we like it.

You can learn about what others are reading at Footprints in the Butter.  

Wordless Wednesday- May 15

Spanish For You!- Estaciones (Schoolhouse Crew Review)

We received Spanish for You!- Estaciones for review purposes.

                           

Product link: Spanish for You! curriculum page
Product page for Estaciones  (we reviewed)

Vendor Contact Information: Spanish for You!

Age Appeal: 3rd to 8th grade (we focused on 3rd to 4th grade)

Format: PDF and MP3 audio files

Price: $64.95 for complete package (visit the curriculum page for more options)

Is it important for your family to learn a language which is not your native language?  Does your family want to learn Spanish in a non-textbook format?  Spanish for You! is a themed Spanish curriculum.  The current themed packages are Estaciones and Fiestas.  In June of 2013 Viajes will be available.

Included in the complete package are.

• soft cover book or e-book (we had the e-book)
• 24-30 week lesson guide as a PDF download for the grades you need (free lesson guide)
• self-checking worksheets are a PDF download (free worksheets)
• MP3 downloadable audio files of the book in both native Spanish and by the author
• flashcards as a PDF download

Our Experience:

I did not actively learn Spanish until I was in high school and I had to repeat much of it in college.  I was at an age, where I could not easily retain it.  I want more than that for my children, so I am glad they are beginning to learn when they are in first and third grade.

I was really interested in Spanish for You!, because it was in themes, not in the typical textbook form.  When I received my e-mail with the downloads I downloaded everything at once and printed the e-book and flashcards for the children.  I printed the Lesson Guide for myself and then we got to work on our first lesson.  The first lesson took us around twenty minutes.  I was pleased, because our classroom time was designed so that each lesson would only take twenty minutes.  I was disappointed in the following lessons, because it was taking us forty minutes to complete one lesson a day.  It took the children around fifteen minutes to complete one worksheet and some days had more than one worksheet.  I decided to make each lesson take two days if needed.  It worked well and made the children happier.

I Liked:

• That the children were learning Spanish by listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
• That there were fun worksheets and games like; Charades, Memory, and Hangman to make learning fun.
• The grade divisions, so if we had other grades in our family we could all do it together.
• The detailed Lesson Guide.

I Disliked:

• Each daily lesson took much longer than our usual twenty minute lesson times.

What B (boy, age nine, officially in third grade) Liked and Disliked: Spanish isn’t really for me, but I did like some of Spanish for You!  I liked playing Charades, learning the days of the week, and filling out the worksheets.  I think Spanish for You! would be good for kids my age. 

What C (girl, age seven, officially in first grade) Liked and Disliked: 

• I liked learning the days of the week.  It was really easy.
• I liked the worksheets.  I had fun circling and drawing my answers on them.
• I had fun learning the different verbs like, dibujo (I draw).                    
• It would be good for kids my age and older. 

Dad’s Call:

• I liked that Spanish for You! had the singular and plural versions of words and phrases along with the English version for clarity.
• Using well known simple games like Hangman and Simon Says helps to reinforce the lessons.
• I like the Lesson Guide which helps the teacher to effectively teach the materials to the kids. It’s well laid out and easy to follow.

I certainly recommend Spanish for You! 

Mamma recommends Spanish for You!

Papa’s Pearls by Diane Flynn Keith (Schoolhouse Crew Review)

We received Papa’s Pearls: A Father’s Gift of Love and Wisdom to His Children and Grandchildren by Diane Flynn Keith for review purposes.

                           

Vendor Contact Information: Papa's Pearls

Age Appeal: Adult (read to young children at your discretion)

Format: paperback book (ISBN: 9780615661889)

Price: $21.97 (autographed copy from Papa’s Pearls website)

Papa’s Pearls was written by Dianne Flynn Keith as a tribute to her father, Carol Flynn.  She discusses what it was like for her father, growing up in the Depression and becoming a successful business owner and father. 

Included are:

• Easy to follow advice.
• Comforting family customs.
• Good business advice.
• Quotes from Papa’s children and grandchildren.

Our Experience:

Almost every night before the children go to bed we spend time reading.  We found Papa’s Pearls to be the perfect book to read before bedtime.  I would read a chapter or two, then we would talk about what we learned.  It is a book I would like to read to the children once a year, because we can become better as a family from Papa’s pearls of advice.

I Liked:

• There was a lot of good information and sayings to use in our daily lives.
• I enjoyed learning about how close Diane Flynn Keith’s family was as she was growing up.
• It was fun learning about Papa’s life when he was growing up.
• B was always excited when it was time to read this book.
• I gleaned a lot of information about business in chapters eleven and twelve.

I Disliked:

• Nothing.

What B (boy, age nine, officially in third grade) Liked and Disliked: I liked Papa’s Pearls.  One of the reasons is that you learn a lot of good life lessons.  Two, is that it was really interesting.  I think this book is good for kids my age and not my age.

What C (girl, age seven, officially in first grade) Liked and Disliked: 

• I liked some of the phrases like, “I love you.  You know that, right?” and “Oogie boogies.”
• I didn’t think that some of it was interesting, like when Papa was working in the sewers.
• I think it would be good for kids my age.                         

Dad’s Call: When I first started to read Papa's Pearls, by Dianne Flynn Keith, my initial thoughts were, that this was just a collection of some well known (or just commonly known) sayings that her father used.  The more I read, the more I learned that Papa actually lived his life according to those sayings.  And he taught his children what those sayings meant not only in words but in deed.  This world needs more men like Carol Flynn.  Men not afraid to love their families, men who tell others how great their families are and men not afraid to take on the challenges of this world.  I definitely recommend this easy to read book, the values you'll take away from it are well worth your time.

Mamma would definitely recommend Papa’s Pearls: A Father’s Gift of Love and Wisdom to His Children and Grandchildren by Diane Flynn Keith!

Read Aloud Challenge for the week of May 12, 2013

What have you been reading aloud lately?  We have been busy reading books for fun and school.

We are still reading, Moccasin Trail by Eloise Jarvis McGraw.  It is about a young man, Jim Keith, who has lived as Crow Indian and is now a trapper.  He learns that his sister and younger brothers are on their way west.  He decides to meet with them and help them.  Jim and his family have made it past the Dalles and are now in the Willamette Valley.  We are only halfway through this book, so there will be a lot more to share.

We are currently reading City, by David Macaulay.  We are really enjoying it, but we haven’t read it yet this week.  We really need to work on reading it.

We took a day trip this week and listened to From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg.  I think everyone enjoyed listening to it.  It has always been one of my favorite books.

What are you reading aloud this week?

You can learn about what others are reading at Footprints in the Butter.  

Wordless Wednesday for May 8, 2013

Another view of the children’s Lego Creation.

Read Aloud Challenge- May 3, 2013

What have you been reading aloud lately?  We have been busy reading books both for school and review.

Our favorite book that we are reading aloud right now is, One Minute Mysteries: 65 More Short Mysteries You Solve with Science!  by Eric Yoder and Natalie Yoder.  Our review will be coming soon, so you will have to be checking back to learn what we really thought.  I will say we are enjoying solving the mysteries

We are still reading, Moccasin Trail by Eloise Jarvis McGraw.  It is about a young man, Jim Keith, who has lived as Crow Indian and is now a trapper.  He learns that his sister and younger brothers are on their way west.  He decides to meet with them and help them.  We are currently at the part where he meets his brother for the first time in years.

We are currently reading City, by David Macaulay.  We are really enjoying it.  I am having the children work on projects like making a salt-dough and popsicle stick city and drawings of city plans.

We have also been reading some picture books for fun.  Knit Your Bit, by Deborah Hopkinson, is a World War 1 story about a “Knit-In” event at Central Park in 1918.  It’s the boys versus the girls.

The other fun book was, Too Tall Houses, by Gianna Marino.  Owl and Rabbit are arguing about how tall their houses should be.  Will the houses grow so tall they reach the sky?

What are you reading aloud this week?

You can learn about what others are reading at Footprints in the Butter.  

Kerri’s Kreations (Review)

(I received a pendant for review purposes.)

 

Are you looking for beautiful earrings, necklaces, bracelets, bookmarks, key fobs, or wine rings?  Look no further than Kerri’s Kreations.

I was very interested when the opportunity arose to sign up to review one of Kerrie Sweeris’s products.  I picked three different designs that I liked.  Sweeris had the final choice.  She chose a pretty dichroic glass pendant on a blue ribbon for me.

As you can see, my pendant had a gauzy blue ribbon and cord chain and a beautiful black, blue, and green pendant made from dichroic glass.  I had never heard of dichroic glass before, so I decided to look it up.  I learned that it appears to have more than one color at the same time (called thin-film physics).  It was developed by NASA for re-entry tiles on space shuttles and satellite mirrors.  Very cool technology for a pendant.

When it came in the mail it was well packaged, so it wouldn’t break.  My children were just as excited to see it as I was.  When I took it out I was very pleased.  I really enjoyed the included note.  I let my children wear it and I spent some time wearing and looking at it.  When we held it up to my son’s shirt, I saw that it could make a perfect bolo tie.  We all loved it.

Information on Kerri’s Kreations:

Kerri’s Kreations was started by Kerri Sweeris to help build awareness Myasthenia Gravis (MG), a neuromuscular disease, which is progressive has no cure.  She donates 10% of all of her proceeds to Purely MG Awareness, a nonprofit organization founded by a mother who has lost her daughter to MG. She began by making bracelets, and now she makes earrings, necklaces, bracelets, bookmarks, key fobs and wine rings.  The jewelry is made from sea glass, natural stone and agate, gemstones, Swarovski and Czech crystals, and beads.  The cost varies from $6 to 60 at the time of this post being published.

Kerri Sweeris is married and has a son.  She homeschools, has her jewelry business, blogs, and is working on her first book.  She too has Myasthenia Gravis.

Informational and Purchasing Links:

Follow Kerri Sweeris on her Website, Blog, and Facebook.

Purchase on her Website.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received a free copy pendant made by Kerri’s Kreation 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.

Wordless Wednesday- May 1, 2013