Picture of the Week! (October 31, 2014)- Fall Leaves

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Fall.  We have been.  Our trees have almost lost all of their leaves, it has been windy the past couple of days.  I was able to take this picture before it got windy.  Have a wonderful rest of your fall!!

Guess Who Noah’s Boat by Matt Mitter and illustrated by Ela Jarzabek (Book Review)

Guess Who Noah’s Boat

By Matt Mitter

Illustrated by Ela Jarzabek

(received in exchange for an honest review)

Genre- Christian / Children

Published by- Kregel Children’s Books

Copyrighted- 2014

Number of pages- 10

Age Group- Young Children

Description of book- hardback, listed price- $11.99, ISBN 978-0-8254-4204

Do you need a book that is fun for young children, but still teaches them stories from the Bible? 

Guess Who Noah’s Boat, written by Matt Mitter and illustrated by Ela Jarzabek, could be what you are looking for.  This book contains riddles about each of these animals- tigers, bears, sheep, and zebras.  Each animal has a flap which the children will lift to see if they guessed right. 

About the Author-

Matt Mitter was born in Oklahoma City and currently lives in the Bay Area.  He has written many children’s books.

About the Illustrator-

Ela Jarzabek currently lives in Poland.  She is a freelance illustrator and enjoys working with colored pencils, acrylic paints, and gouache on watercolor paper.

My thoughts-

I thought Guess Who Noah’s Boat was very cute, but at the same time very informational for a young toddler. 

The pages in this book are made out of a light weight cardboard, similar to a cereal box, so it makes it perfect for any young toddler.  I would use this book with any child who is between the ages of one and three, who do not need cardboard books, but still have a hard time with regular pages.  I think this would also be the perfect age for the peek-a-boo aspect of the book and the wonderful illustrations will make it irresistible I can just imagine them flipping the flap back and forth to see who is hiding behind it.

I do wish that the title of the book would have contained the word ark instead of boat, but it does talk about the ark inside the book.

I think this book would be perfect for any young child.  Pick one up today!

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received Guess Who Noah’s Boat, by Matt Mitter and illustrated by Ela Jarzabek, 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.

In the Heart of the Rockies a Jim Hodges Productions Audio Book (Schoolhouse Review Crew review)

We received this for review purposes!

Product Links: In the Heart of the Rockies (1860s)

Vendor Information Link: Jim Hodges Productions

Age Appeal: best for ages 10 and up

Format: MP3 on CD or as a download and is almost 11 hours

Price: $25/physical copy and $18/download

Are you looking for a new way to include living history in your children’s life? 

G. A. Henty’s In the Heart of the Rockies read by Jim Hodges along with the study guide covers literature, geography, history, and more.

It is the 1860’s in England and sixteen-year-old Tom Wade has decided to leave for the American West to find his uncle.  Tom finds his uncle and they fight Indians, see the Grand Canyon, and survive winter storms all while trying to find gold.

Make sure you listen to this sample from In the Heart of the Rockies.   

Our Experience: 

I have always been interested in reading G. A. Henty’s books and I was excited to learn about Jim Hodges Production and his audio books.  Sometimes audio books are the best way to be introduced to new authors because the listener hears the story instead of concentrating on the text size or unknown words.

When the CD came in the mail B and C were eager to listen to the story.  We listened to a couple of chapters, then we would go over the study guide orally.  The questions and activities were excellent.  The vocabulary was nice to have, because many of the words are not used today.  The study guide costs $12.

C was never as interested in this story as Bridger.  I think that was because of her age.  Bridger was really interested in the story until they killed the horses for food and two men died.  He did finish listening to the story and we worked on the study guide together. 

While Henty’s book was excellent, I think I will wait a few more years before introducing him again. 

Mama’s Thoughts:

• This is the second G. A. Henty book that I have heard.  I do not think that his books are for everyone.  There is a lot of detail and vocabulary which makes these books good, but many people may not have the interest level to listen to them.  I think that boys would enjoy these books more than girls.  I would definitely wait until the children are over the age 10, perhaps older if the children are sensitive to sad events.
• I really enjoyed Jim Hodges’s reading of the story.  He gave all the characters different voices and I could easily understand every word he said. 
• I thought the study guide was excellent.  I liked how it included vocabulary, questions, and activities.  The study guide adds to the story to make it complete so many different subjects like geography, history, and literature.
• I do have to say that we did have problems finding ways to make the CD play, since it was in the MP3 format.  I was able to get it to play on my computer and Kindle, but not on our newer CD player or Blue Ray/DVD players.  When we listened to it, I just hooked the Kindle up to an external set of speakers.  It worked very well.

B’s Thoughts (boy, age 10, officially in fifth grade):   

I do not know how much I really liked In the Heart of the Rockies.  It was fine until they killed the horses.  It was really bad when when Ben and Sam died (characters in the story). 

I thought that the narrating was excellent.  I thought the elocution skills were excellent.  I really liked Harry’s voice.  I enjoyed that the narrator’s voice was so different from the characters.  I savored how the speed of his voice was not too fast and not too slow.

Overall I do not think this audio recording would be good for people younger than me.  I think this would be good for kids ages ten and up.  I think this would be good for grownups too. 

C’s Thoughts (girl, age 8, officially in third grade):

This story was not for me.  I do not think that people younger than me would like it.

Dad’s Thoughts:

I found the G.A. Henty story of In the Heart of the Rockies: A Story of Adventure in Colorado to be a bit dry.  At times it seemed as if the dialogue was forced and stale.  Now, I do like stories about the American west in the 1800's and I also like stories of people traveling in search of adventure and fortune and Tom Wade certainly does that.  He travels from England to Colorado in search of his Uncle who is mining the Colorado Rockies for gold. Tom wants to be able to provide for his siblings back home since their parents had recently died and he and his sister decide this would be the best thing for him to do.

The main characters have morals and values and that helps the storyline.  I guess the best way I can describe this is like eating a piece of beef jerky, it has flavor and nutrition but you really have to bite into it and chew hard to get there.  It took me almost halfway through the story before I started liking it to the point of enjoyment.  I listened to the audio version of the story, so if you have a trip coming up this would be a good time for it.  If you're reading list has books that are higher on list then I recommend reading those first and come back to In the Heart of the Rockies when you have a little more free time.

Mama highly recommends this audio book for older children and adults!

Social Media Links!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jim-Hodges-Audio-Books/184979244857560

 

Clued in Kids Treasure Hunts (Schoolhouse Review Crew review)

We received this for review purposes!

Product Links: Pirate Clue Book and Soccer Treasure Hunt

Vendor Information Link: Clued in Kids

Age Appeal: 4 and up

Format: Pirate Clue Book is a physical copy and the Soccer Treasure Hunt is a downloadable PDF

Price: $8.99 for Pirate Clue Book and $5.99 for Soccer Treasure Hunt

Are you looking for something fun to do with your children when they have friends over or for a party?  Clued In Kids Treasure Hunts are fun for children young and old.  This makes them perfect for birthday parties and other social functions.

The Pirate Treasure Hunt has clues related to pirates.  The Soccer Treasure Hunt has clues related to soccer.  It will takes the children around an hour to complete each hunt.  Each of these treasure hunts will work for 1-10 children.

Our Experience: 

The children and I were excited when we learned about Clued in Kids.  B and C enjoy playing games.  They like pirates, soccer and treasure hunts, so I thought it would all be the perfect combination.

We decided that we would pick a time when Dad was free, so he could join in the fun.  I had the children stay in the schoolroom with the door shut while I set the hunt up.  I had fun setting it up.  At the bottom of the page it listed where I was supposed to hide the clues, so I was done setting it up in the 8-10 minutes that the directions said it would take.

The first hunt I set up was the pirate treasure hunt.  After I set it up I got the children and Dad and I handed B and C the first clue.  They started the hunt out working together, but part of the way through it was not working, so they took turns answering the clues.  It worked much better when they took turns.  That is also the way we did the soccer treasure hunt. 

I decided to put an IOU at the end of each treasure hunt.  I did that, because I wanted each child to be able to pick exactly what they wanted.  C still needs to pick out her treasures.  B decided he would like to have row counter for his knitting, so we have gotten that for him.

These treasure hunts were so fun, that we will be trying some of the other treasure hunts that are available at the Clued in Kids website.  

Mama’s Thoughts:

• I thought these two treasure hunts were well done.  The graphics on each clue were colorful and child friendly. 
• It was really neat how these hunts could be used with one child or up to ten children.  I know it could be a lot of fun for a group of fun for a large group of children, perfect for birthday parties.  These treasure hunts would also be perfect for rainy days or when the children need a fun activity.
• I had really hoped that this would be a good teamwork activity for B and C, but it turned out that it worked best to have them work on the clues individually.  They had a lot more fun when they were solving the clues themselves.  After they solved the clue I would have that person go get the next clue and pass it on to the other person.  I was glad that it worked out well.  This idea was also included in the instructions.
• The instructions were very clear.  Since they were so clear, B and C could have set up the treasure hunt for the other one.

B’s Thoughts (boy, age 10, officially in fifth grade):   

I really liked Clued in Kids.  I thought it was very creative.  I liked how they sometimes hid the object in the picture in the clue and you had to figure out where the next clue was.  I loved how there were codes to figure out.  I liked how the soccer treasure hunt could be printed out however many times you want, because it came in an e-mail.  In the soccer game it was neat how you got to do math too, only a little bit though.  One of my favorite parts about the hunt was that in one of the clues you had to tell the time to figure out a code.

Overall I really liked Clued in Kids.  I think it would be good for people ages 8 and up.  I even think this product would be good for grownups.

C’s Thoughts (girl, age 8, officially in third grade):

I really, really liked Clued in Kids.  It was really fun.  It is really good for people of all ages.  I liked finding the clues.  Some of the clues were easy and some clues were hard.  I liked the pirate one better.

Dad’s Thoughts:

The Clued in Kids Treasure Hunt products are a unique way of learning and having fun at the same time.  The kids are given hints as to the whereabouts of their first clue. Then once they find it they have to complete the task on the card to reveal the clue for the next card.  The tasks can be solving a simple riddle, doing an exercise like hopping on one foot, repeating a phrase (What does a pirate say?  Arrrrr), code deciphering (with the keys on the card), or even figuring out the picture within the picture. They say that the treasure hunt could take up to an hour but my 10 & 8 year old kids had it done in less than 15 minutes.  You get to decide what the treasure will be. Maybe a special outing or activity, favorite treat, or exemption from a certain chore.  The opportunities are endless.

Clued in Kids would be great on bad weather days to get the kids up and moving about or just to break up the routine for a little bit and put a smile on everyone's face.  It's a nifty idea to for any family.

Mama highly recommends!

Social Media Links!

Twitter: @cluedinkids
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cluedinkids
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/cluedinkids/

 

Anthem for a Nation from New Liberty Videos (Schoolhouse Review Crew review)

We received this for review purposes!

Product Links: Anthem for a Nation

Vendor Information Link: New Liberty Videos

Age Appeal: General Audience (you will want to watch in first to determine if you want your younger children to watch it)

Format: Physical DVD

Price: $19.95

New Liberty Videos, founded by Brian Barkley, has a variety of different videos.  Our family viewed Anthem for a Nation.  This video is about how much God was involved in the founding of our country and how we need to get back to God.  There are a variety of patriotic songs, information about how important the Bible was in the founding of our country, and the stories of Maria Anne Hirschmann and Kitty Werthmann (they lived in Nazi controlled countries.

Here is a link to a short video about Anthem for a Nation.

Our Experience: 

I was very interested when I learned about New Liberty Videos.  I thought that Dad would also be very interested in this company.  I was not sure what B and C would think, but I knew the information was important for them to learn.

I was excited when I learned we would be reviewing Anthem for a Nation, because I had watched the 15 minute video on the internet and it was very interesting.

I watched it by myself first, then gave it to Dad.  I thought the video was excellent, but I decided to forward through the part about abortion for B and C.  I want them to be aware of all things in life, but there are still subjects they are too young for.

I thought this was an important video and I plan on having my family watch it yearly.

Mama’s Thoughts:

• I really enjoyed the music and videography in this video.  The patriotic music worked perfectly with the theme of the video.  The songs set the scene for all of the information about the history of the founding of the U.S.  The scenery of different parts United States was spectacular.  It was a good representation of the country.
• I never knew how much the Constitution was based on the Bible.  According to the American Political Science Review from 1983, the Constitution is 94% either directly or indirectly based on the Bible.
• When this country was young it was very involved with Christianity.  The Capital used to be a church and President Jefferson sent missionaries to the Native Americans and built Christian schools for them.  Congress bought 20,000 Bible for the troops and others during the Revolutionary War.  Our country was based on the Bible and it lasted until the 1960’s.  That is when Christianity began to be removed from public schools.  It is when that happened that drugs, alcohol, and abortions really grew in number.  That is really sad and as a country we need to change that.
• I thought Maria Anne Hirschmann and Kitty Werthmann’s stories were a crucial part of the video.  I especially liked Werthmann’s story about growing in Austria during Hitler’s reign.  Her story showed me that we have been sucked in by all the promises of good, like health care and preschool, just like Austria was.  We need to take a stand and bring Christianity back!

B’s Thoughts (boy, age 10, officially in fifth grade):   

I learned a lot from Anthem for a Nation, even though I did not like it.  I do not know why I did not like it.  I would have liked it to include more history.  I liked the videography and the music.  I think this would be good for kids ten and up.   

C’s Thoughts (girl, age 8, officially in third grade):

It is good because people can learn history from it.  I really liked the music.  I liked the scenes they went through.  They were really pretty.  It is good for people older than me.

Dad’s Thoughts:

New Liberty Videos' Anthem for a Nation, Relighting the Torch of American's Liberty touches upon several topics that should be more publicly addressed.  First and foremost is how much America and American's have done for the world.  It's a great idea to start talking about the positives instead of the constant negativity and blame being put on America.  Let's start looking up instead of down all the time.  Second, we need more education about our Founding Fathers and their beliefs that they had for this new country.  New Liberty's Video brings to light just how much our founding documents ideals come from the bible itself and not secularism.  This video goes beyond teaching just the three branches of government and their functions.  Third (but not last), the comparison of the number of lives lost from wars and from abortion is a wake-me-upper.  This highlights an immense tragedy that must not only be addressed but must be stopped as well.

What really make Anthem for a Nation, Relighting the Torch of American's Liberty  a great learning tool are the eye witness accounts of Maria Anne Hirschmann and Kitty Werthmann.  We can discuss ideals all day long but when someone tells their story of living through those events and recall what actually happened and how it happened it makes you stop and reflect upon your beliefs.

This entire program should be viewed in every school in every city in every state. It's that important.

Mama highly recommends!

 

Picture of the Week! (October 21, 2014)- Geraniums by C

I took this picture while we were on a trip.  I usually see red geraniums, but not pink.  They were very pretty.

C’s camera specifics:

• Nikon Coolpix L18
• f/3.9
• Exposure time: 1/250 sec.
• ISO-73

C is a girl who is almost nine.

Elementary German from Middlebury Interactive Languages (Schoolhouse Review Crew review)

We received this for review purposes!

Product Links: German Courses specifically German 1 for us

Vendor Information Link: Middlebury Interactive Languages

Age Appeal: Elementary German is grade 3-5

Format: online, go to the FAQs page for computer requirements

Price: $119 per semester

Are your children interested in learning a different language?  Middlebury Interactive Languages offers German.  We reviewed Elementary German 1.  This course has 45 lessons for a semester.  The lessons include video, text, pictures, and speaking practice.  There are videos with stories and ones where the student will learn about castles and food.

They offer Spanish, French, and Chinese as well.  The ages levels are from kindergarten through high school for most levels.  Please check the website for more information.    

Our Experience: 

C really enjoys trying different languages, so she was excited when she was chosen for Elementary German 1.  We have relatives who live in Germany, so she was excited to learn some German so she can speak to them.

The Middlebury Interactive Languages program is set up so C would practice German two to three days a week with 45 lessons for the semester.  She did it differently, she did one lesson a day for four or five days a week.  Her lesson included videos, exploring vocabulary, practicing, and speaking.  She was super excited for each lesson and she always wanted to do more.  B and I sometimes watched over her shoulder.  We wanted to learn some too.

There were some days when I would do some of the practice sections again with her.  I wanted to know if she was learning.  She did a wonderful job.  I could tell she was really learning and remembering everything.

Mama’s Thoughts:

• I was really happy to see how much fun C had with this program.  She is always to work on her German.  I am so pleased with how much she is remembering and learning.  I am very proud of her.
• German 1 for 3rd to 5th grade has been designed perfectly for that age.  The use of stories like Hansel and Gretel (told in German) make the new lesson vocabulary come alive.  The different unit subjects were perfect for the age group: family, numbers, greetings, adjectives/feelings, food, hobbies/professions, body, and the last unit is a review.
• I was impressed with the layout of the program.  C would click on the unit she was working on, the specific lesson, then next activity in the lesson.  After she had finished the activity the program would put a checkmark in the box.  There was a nice mixture of video (story), explore (learning), and practicing.  There was even a speaking lab, so C could practice and record the words she was learning.
• It would be helpful if the new words could be clicked on individually, so the student could hear the pronunciation one word at a time.  I thought it was difficult to say the phrases when the words were spoken so quickly.  C did a good job of picking up the phrases, much better than I did.

B’s Thoughts (boy, age 10, officially in fifth grade):   

 Bridger did not participate enough to be able to write a review.

C’s Thoughts (girl, age 8, officially in third grade):

I like learning different languages.  It was fun learning German.  I really liked the stories.  They were really good.  I liked The Brave Little Tailor and Rumpelstiltskin the best.  I listened to Hansel and Gretel, Tale of the Clever Hans, and The Tale of Mother Holle too.

Middlebury Interactive Languages is good for people of all ages.

Dad’s Thoughts:

The Middlebury Interactive digital world language course for Elementary German 1: Grades 3-5 is designed for easy interaction.  The graphics are colorful and appropriately sized for its intended age group.  The audio pronunciations are crisp and clear adding to the ease of learning.  As you progress through the course you build upon what you have learned by adding new words as well as reinforcing what's already been taught.

I find this course to be engaging, user friendly, and extremely functional through its intentional design.  My daughter has been enjoying it and has already gone ahead and done more lessons than required.  This is a winner in my book.  

Mama highly recommends!

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Middlebury-Interactive-Languages/141015515949753
Twitter: http://twitter.com/MiddInteractive
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/middinteractive/
Google +: https://plus.google.com/b/110371351490550861545/110371351490550861545/posts

 

Picture of the Week! (October 16, 2014)- Beautiful Clouds

As many of you know, I enjoy taking photos of clouds.  This is one I took in the spring of 2014 as the leaves were just coming out on the trees.  As winter approaches, I am looking forward to spring coming again.

Three iWitness books from Apologia Educational Ministries (Schoolhouse Review Crew review)

We received this for review purposes!

Product Links:

• iWitness Biblical Archaeology
• New Testament iWitness
• Old Testament iWitness

Vendor Information Link: Apologia Educational Ministries

Age Appeal: reading level is ages 11 and up, it will appeal to many people

Format: paperback book

Price: $14 each 

Are you looking for books for children and adults that can teach more about Biblical archeology and the New and Old Testaments.  iWitness Biblical Archeology, New Testament iWitness, and Old Testament iWitness will do that and encourage the read to want to learn even more.

iWitness Biblical Archeology contains information about:

• the Flood and Noah’s Ark
• Sennacherib’s Siege of Jerusalem
• the Dead Sea Scrolls
• the oldest Old Testament copies
• and more!

Old Testament iWitness contains information about:

• Canon Criteria
• different prophets
• Covenants and Near East Treaties
• the Intertestamental Period
• and more!

New Testament iWitness contains information about:

• the Synoptic Problem
• rejected books
• copying methods
• manuscript families
• and more!

Doug Powell, the author, has a Master of Arts in Christian Apologetics from Biola University.  He is also a graphic designer, musician, and an app developer.  Here is an interview with him that does an excellent job of describing the books.

Our Experience: 

It is always fun to learn more about the Bible and the Bible version that we read, which is why I was excited when we were chosen to review these three books.

I feel it is very important to learn as much about the Bible and its history as possible.  These books began to teach and inform us about Biblical history that we knew nothing about.

I decided to use these books both for ancient history and Bible study.  We would read a little bit of each book every day.  We read iWitness Archeology first, then Old Testament iWitness, and finished up with New Testament iWitness.  B and C enjoyed it when we read these books and I hope it encourages them to learn even more.

Mama’s Thoughts:

• My favorite book was iWitness Biblical Archeology, because I have been interested in archeology for many years.  I am very strong in my faith, but I do enjoy seeing and reading about archeological proof of the existence of different in the Bible, like the Taylor Prism which talks about about Sennacherib’s invasion of Judah.  It also helps to have concrete proof when discussing the Bible with others who are not of the same faith.  I do wonder if there is a reason there is not a lot of archeological evidence, perhaps we need to take more on faith and not archeological evidence.
• That faith comes into play with the book, New Testament iWitness.  The New Testament also took a lot of faith, because there are a lot of different versions and some books were accepted and some were not.  It was interesting reading about the different church fathers and learning about what books they did and did not accept.  My favorite part of this book was the section describing the different manuscript families.  it was interesting to learn that the King James version is a Byzantine text type, which is not as reliable as the Alexandrian text type, which is the most reliable and what modern Bible translations are based.
• Old Testament iWitness was also a great book.  I really enjoyed learning about the different parts of the Bible and how meticulous the scribes were at copying.  I liked how the author, Doug Powell, included different archeological evidence as well.
• All three of these books have wonderful illustrations and photos which support the text.  I do with the font of the text had been different.  It was very difficult for me to read some of t he passages, because I had a difficult time figuring out the individual letters in the different words.

B’s Thoughts (boy, age 10, officially in fifth grade):   

I liked the iWitness Biblical Archeology book the best.  I liked it, because I liked learning about the facts that back up the Bible.  I really liked the section, “Looking for Noah’s Ark.”  It would have been very nice to have an index, table of contents, and page numbers in this book.

Old Testament iWitness was my second favorite.  I liked learning about how they copied the copies of the Bible.  It was very interesting to learn about how carefully they copied it.

New Testament iWitness was also interesting and informational.  I really liked the section called “Synoptic Problem.” “Rejected Books” was cool.  It was fun to learn about the different manuscript families, like Byzantine and Alexandrian. 

In all three books it would have been easier to read if the text had been in a different font.

These books are very good for people of all ages.

C’s Thoughts (girl, age 8, officially in third grade):

My favorite book was iWitness Biblical Archeology.  I liked it, because I like history. 

These books are good for people of all ages.

Dad’s Thoughts:

I enjoyed the iWitness Biblical Archaeology book by Doug Powell.  The photos added to the informational text to create a vivid picture of the time and place of each topic discussed.  Enough information is presented to both satisfy your curiosity and leaving you with a passion to dig further into each topic.  Each archaeological find mentioned reinforces biblical scripture.  It's good to know that the Bible is trustworthy and true in all that it teaches us.

iWitness Biblical Archaeology is great to have around for young readers or just as a quick reference in biblical discussions.  It's well worth your investment of cost and time.

I enjoyed New Testament iWitness and Old Testament iWitness.  The history of how the Old and New Testaments came into being is quite interesting and informative. Though some of the terminology may need to be explained to younger children in an easier way for them to understand, I believe that they can grasp the concepts of how different books were or were not selected to be in the Bible.

Powell has produced more enjoyable books that have been well laid out with text, pictures, drawings, and graphs. They will be another resource for our library.

Mama highly recommends!

Social Media Links:

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/apologiaworld
Twitter – https://twitter.com/apologiaworld
Google+ - https://plus.google.com/105053356034237782125/posts
Pinterest – http://www.pinterest.com/apologia/

 

Citizen by Rob Peabody (Book Review)

Citizen: Your Role in the Alternative Kingdom

By Rob Peabody

(received in exchange for an honest review)

Genre- Nonfiction / Christian Life / Religious

Published by- Monarch Books

Copyrighted- 2014

Number of pages- 192

Age Group- Adult 

Description of book- paperback, listed price- $14.99, ISBN 978-1-85721-542-0

Rob Peabody, says in Citizen, that we are part of a new group.  We are citizens of Heaven when we follow Jesus.    This book describes many ways we are to do that.

• We are part of a new community.
• We are all citizens even though we are from different groups.
• We need to pay attention to where we have our allegiance.
• We need to pay attention to the choices that we are making.

Excerpt from Citizen.

About the Author-

Rob Peabody and his family currently live in London.  He is the director of the Awaken Movement.  He used to be a lead campus pastor at a mega-church in Texas.

My thoughts-

I had a hard time getting into Citizen, by Rob Peabody, because of the cover and the title.  Those two things reminded me of a science fiction book that I would probably not read.

Once I started to read Citizen, I forgot all about the title and cover.  I became in the message Peabody was sharing.  I learned about my role as a citizen in God’s Kingdom, while still living on this earth. 

I really enjoyed reading the endorsements by Revd. Dr. Michael Moynagh, Randy Elrod, Sheridan Voysey, and more.  I chose to read them after I read the book.  I felt they would have more meaning to me and that I would understand what they were say.  I agreed with everything they said.  This is a perfect book for a new citizen or as a refresher course for experienced citizens.  Sometimes we get caught in ruts and we need to have a fresh perspective, so that we can get back to what was and should be important to us.

One of my favorite parts of the book was all of the personal stories from Peabody.  I liked that on pages 82-84 he talked about how important it was that he could not go into his new life and job looking like a know-it-all.  He was willing to humble himself in his new situation, so that he could build stronger relationships with the people he met.

I would highly recommend this book to everyone.  It should be past along to everyone, so that they know the best ways to be good citizens in God’s Kingdom.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received Citizen, by Rob Peabody, 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.

9 Traits of a Life-Giving Mom by Sue Detweiler

9 Traits of a Life-Giving Mom: Replacing My Worst with God’s Best

by Sue Detweiler

(I received this book for review purposes.)

Genre- Christian / Nonfiction / Parenting

Publisher- Morgan James Publishing

Copyrighted- 2014

Number of pages- 200

Age Group- Adult (women)

Description of book- Paperback, $16.99, ISBN: 978-11630471149

9 Traits of a Life-Giving Mom, by Sue Detweiler, is a book show moms the nine traits (nine fruits of the Spirit) that can help them find peace with their lives.  Some of the traits are:

• Love
• Patience
• Kindness
• Self-control 

This book contains prayers at the end of each chapter and a study guide for each of the nine traits at the end of the book. 

About the Author:

Sue Detweiler is a mom to six children and is also a radio host, speaker and author.  She has been married for 30 years.

My thoughts:  

9 Traits of a Life-Giving Mom, by Sue Detweiler, was a very interesting book.  I saw myself in some of the negative traits that I have that I need to change into God’s traits, like anxiety to peace and fear into faithfulness. 

I was glad that Detweiler added a lot of anecdotes from her life into this book.  It really helped me to be able to admit to myself the traits that I need to change.  There were many stories that I found that could have helped me if I had those problems too.  I was very proud of her for sharing her stories. 

I thought the study guide was very helpful.  I would have preferred to have them at the end of the chapter, because I like being able read and answer the questions as soon as I finish the chapter without having to turn to the end of the book and then go back.

This was a very good book.  I would recommend to all moms and moms-to-be.

Informational and Purchasing Links:

To Connect with Sue Detweiler:

• website
• Facebook
• twitter
• LinkedIn

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received a free copy of 9 Traits of a Life-Giving Mom, by Sue Detweiler, 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.

Picture of the Week! (October 7, 2014)- The Sepia Forest

This picture was taken in eastern Wyoming.

B’s camera specifics:

• Sony DSC-S650
• f/9.7
• Exposure time: 1/160 sec.
• ISO-100

B is a boy who is almost 11.

Family Bible Study Time (October 6, 2014)- Week 1 will be Ephesians 3: 1-13

Hello everyone!  I have decided to change the name of this post to Family Bible Study from Prayer of the Week!.  This week we will be reading and working on Ephesians 3:1-13.

During the week I will be reading several verses a day, then I will be writing down my observations and how I can apply the verses in my daily life.  I will begin and end each day with a prayer.  At the end of the week I will share my thoughts and prayers in a blog post.

There are many ways you can get the entire family involved.  Here are some of my ideas.  Please share if you have any ideas!

• Have a specific time every day for Bible Study.  Whatever time works best for your family.
• Have your children read the verses with the Bible version that is best suited for them.  In our house we read the King James, NIV, NLT, and New King James versions.
• After you read the daily Bible verses, each person could say their observations and how they could apply the verses to their daily lives.
• You could pick a specific person for each day of the week to say the opening and closing prayers.

Please enjoy this Bible study.  I will be back on Saturday night with my thoughts and prayers from the week.

Until then!

Prayer of the Week! (October 5, 2014)- Ephesians 2:19-22 (A Bible Study for the Whole Family)

A couple of years ago I took part in a Bible study where we studied the book of Ephesians.  Once a week I would like to mention the Bible verses which were studied, give my observations and applications.  Finally, I will give you my prayer involving those verses.

Today will be Ephesians 2:19-22 (please the selection in your Bible).

Observations:

• All Christians are members of God’s house!
• Jesus is our cornerstone.

Application:

• I need to remember that all Christians are members of God’s house and to treat them accordingly.

Prayer:

Dear Lord,

Thank you for making us members of Your household.  We are to be there with the saints and Your Son is the cornerstone.  That is truly inspiring to be a part of that household.  I am very grateful for being a member.

Please bless me this week, so that I may do Your will as a member of Your household.

In Jesus’s name.  Amen

Hello everyone!  I have decided to change the name of this post to Family Bible Study.  Tomorrow I will be posting the verses that need to be read during the week.  I will also list some ideas that you can do to make this fun for the whole family.

Until then!