Thankful Thursday

The weeks seem to go by so quickly.  We weren't even very busy this week with "extras." 

This week I am thankful for...
~ my husband working to take care of us while he is at home during the shutdown. He cooked us a delicious meal tonight...chicken in the new instant pot he got me for Christmas.  He's going to have to teach me how to use it!

~ my big boy being excited about spending time with his youth group. He is going on a trip with them this weekend.  Pray for his safety.

~ my little boy and the ways he is growing up.  He tells us now for meals that he wants a "glass plate" and carried them to the sink tonight on his own. He used to not want to for fear he'd drop the glass and it would break.

~ money for food and bills. I don't take this for granted during this shutdown. Monday was the first day my husband didn't get his paycheck.  I went through our checkbook and savings and determined what we have available. 

~ fun experience for us all with Caleb showing chickens for the first time.  The show was last Friday. His biggest chicken randomly died on Thursday!  They show a pen of 3.  It was all very interesting to see. Caleb did a great job caring for them and wants to do it again next year. He got 5th place and won senior showmanship.  The judge asked them questions individually about their chickens, feeding them, etc. Then he called out a girl and Caleb and asked them additional questions individually.  Then he said Caleb was the winner.

~ our neighbors and being able to help her out when she needed us to help with her dog. 

Have a day of blessings! 
   Bethany

Thankful Thursday

This quote was in the bottom of the book Jesus Calling.  I have read it numerous times this week.  It has been very applicable.

This week I am thankful for...
~ my husband has continued to have a positive attitude in spite of the shutdown.  Say a prayer for him.

~ my big boy doing such a great job in his first semester of high school. He brought home his report card today.  We are proud of his hard work. 

~ my little guy was out helping Daddy yesterday in the yard and all of a sudden he ran in and handed me a couple little flowers.  Then today they were washing off the vehicles, and he brought in some more.  He told me to put them in water.  I hugged him, and he told me he saw them and thought they would be nice.  Here's a picture:

~ a beautiful card in the mail from a friend.  She included a nice note.  A nice surprise in my mailbox!

~ getting my hair cut.  My husband remembered I had mentioned I should get a trim and we did that today.  It always feels nice to have them wash my hair. So relaxing!

~ the sounds of laughter as my boys play hide and seek in the house.  Caleb used to play this with Daddy when he was little.  Caleb taught Titus how to play it and now he wants to play all the time.  

Have a day of blessings!
   Bethany

Book: Lunch Notes to our children

Do you ever put notes in your child's lunch box?  I do from time to time for Caleb. During football season the past three years I'd write a note each Thursday. One year I put a joke in his lunch box.  That was fun as I would find them and do themes sometimes for a week.  

About the book:
Between school, extra-curricular activities, work, and countless other distractions, how can we fulfill our calling to not just raise “good kids” but raise followers of Christ? The reality is, sometimes it’s not easy to figure out how to regularly speak into our kids’ lives while leaning into our relationship through the process! In fun and simple ways, using the power of words, this book equips parents to connect with their child, while sowing God’s Word into them. It includes 10 biblically-based missional values crucial to teach children; concrete illustrations for speaking encouragement; 100+ ready-made notes; and blank notes.

My thoughts:The book Lunch Notes to our Children by Nicole M. Hewitt, PhD, is a great tool for parents to encourage their children while they are at school.  Each chapter has a different topic for parents to focus on in their notes. These include "Character and integrity matter," "Never doubt you are loved," "Emulate Jesus Christ ," and "Understand God has a purpose for your life."  The titles of all of the chapters actually spell LUNCH NOTES. (Loved that little touch!) The encouragement is practical for what our kids are facing and will hopefully encourage them to know they have parents who care and are praying for them during their school days.

I liked that this book has short, to-the-point chapters without a lot of fluff. Example notes that you can copy related to each topic are shared at the end of each chapter.  This book provides a very easy yet effective way for parents to encourage their children during the school day. 

I look forward to writing these notes for my son. As the new semester has started I have started including these with his lunch box. 

Find out more here.

I was provided a copy of this book from the BookCrash Reviewers program.  

Have a day of blessings!
   Bethany

Thankful Thursday

Hope your 2019 is beginning in a positive way.

We ended 2018 at the deer lease. We were planning to come home on Monday but went ahead and stayed till Tuesday. It was a nice time away.  Caleb didn’t get a deer, but he loved being there and hunting.   I did have a choking incident Monday night that was a scary feeling for me.  It felt like I was drowning. This happened about two years ago at Rosa’s also.

This week I am thankful for...
~ all my husband has done while being home due to the government shutdown. He has worked on so many things/projects. And made meals. He’s keeping busy. He’s never been off this long over the holidays. I appreciate him.

~ my big boy working on a school paper during his break. He told me before school was out he might work on the papers to get them done. They are for his biology class, they have one due each six weeks so he has three more for the year.  He did one of them today.

~ my little guy’s joyful heart. He has just been so happy this week. He sang loudly Christmas songs and made up songs on our way home from the deer lease. It just made me smile!

~ our camper. It was so nice to stay in at the deer lease and I’m so thankful we have it. It was warm to be in while the guys were out hunting. Titus and I did some activities together which was fun and relaxing. (And it has a potty which is a big plus for me! Haha!)

~ warm home.  It has been cold and icy a couple days. We’ve had a fire going most of the time. It’s been nice to be home and not have anywhere to be.  The electricity went off for a while this afternoon. Thankfully they got it fixed so we weren’t without for too long of a time.

~ the newness of the new year.  I am blessed in so many ways and I always appreciate the new year and starting over or trying new things.

Have a day of blessings!
 Bethany

What a Great Word!

What a Great Word! is a daily devotion by Karen Moore with a different word to focus on each day.  Each devotion puts attention on one word. Some seem somewhat random when I read the title for the day. It was a lot of words that you don't typically think about being in the Bible! Then as I read I could see how applicable a focus on that particular word could be. 

A sampling of the daily words include: belong, imitate, ran, fleece, salt, and return.

I liked the size of this hard cover book and felt the devotionals being a page in length were just right. 

If you are looking for a new devotional book to use this year, this is a unique one.  If you read it in the morning, I believe you could turn your focus of the day by looking at application in your daily living to your "word" for that day.

Read more about this book here.

I received a copy of this book for my honest review from Hachette book group. 

Have a day of blessings!   
   Bethany

Thankful Thursday

I hope you and your family have enjoyed this Christmas week.  As we come to the last days of 2018, what are you thankful for?


Here is my thankful list for this week...
~ my husband being home.  He is actually unable to go to work because of the government shutdown.  He went and closed his office on Wednesday morning.  We enjoy having him home.

~ my big boy

~ my little guy's love of everything about Christmas and his excitement and appreciation for his gifts.  He loves the lights and had fun opening his gifts and playing with them.

~ lunch with my "forever friend."  We had a nice visit today for lunch, it was nice to catch up in person.

~ a beautiful Christmas holiday and time with family.  We still have more family we will see this weekend and next.

~ and finally I am thankful for my dear sweet "Mrs. Eleanore."  She was my pen pal for many years (I don't know for sure when I started to write to her.)  She went to her Heavenly home on Dec. 22.  I am very grateful that I had the opportunity to meet her when we were on our vacation this past summer. It was an honor to meet her in person and get to hug her.  She will be missed.  I'm thankful for the blessing of knowing her.

I am linking up this week here for Thankful Thursday.

Have a day of blessings!

 Bethany

Children's book: The Gift That I Can Give for Little Ones

About the book:

God, will You show me The gift that I can give As I grow and love And learn how to live?

Help your children discover that they don’t have to wait until they are grownups to make the world a better place! The Gift That I Can Give for Little Ones by Kathie Lee Gifford helps children find unique ways to make a difference today in the lives of those around them. The beautiful board book is durable and will hold up in the most active homes.

The Gift That I Can Give for Little Ones is a heartwarming story from Kathie Lee Gifford of how children have something they can do today to make a difference. Whether it is being kind, giving a family member an extra-big squeeze, visiting someone who is sick, or cheering on a friend, this story will inspire children, leading them to want to read it again and again.

Kathie Lee Gifford is a trusted voice who feels like a friend for countless people. With her strong faith, enthusiasm, and playful writings, she appeals to young hearts and empowers them with the message that no one is too young or too small to share their gift with others.

Kathie Lee Gifford has enjoyed a diverse and successful four-decade career as a television host, actress, singer, playwright, songwriter, and author. She is best known for her 15 years on Regis and Kathie Lee (11 Emmy nominations), and she’s currently acting as the three-time Emmy-winning cohost of the fourth hour of the Today show with Hoda Kotb. Gifford has authored three New York Times bestselling books.

My thoughts:
I like the overall message of this book that we all have been given a gift to share with others.  Even a child has a gift to share.  As parents we need to help our children learn that they are special with their own unique gifts and talents. 

The illustrations are colorful and well done. My son said he liked the pictures. 

This book did not appeal much to my 3 year old boy the first time we read it.  I liked that it rhymed but then the end did not rhyme which bothered me as I was reading aloud. 

This book would provide an opportunity to talk about our gifts with our children and what they think their gifts may be.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. 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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”


Have a day of blessings!
    Bethany