Book: My Little Life of Jesus

Today I want to share a nicely done children's book called My Little Life of Jesus by Karen Williamson and illustrated by Amanda Enright.

About the book: 
My Little Life of Jesus introduces the story of Jesus' life to 3-to 5-year-olds. It follows Jesus from His birth, being baptized by John, meeting the disciples and teaching them how to pray, telling His stories to people in nearby towns and villages, right through to His return to the heavenly Father. Illustrated throughout with adorable artwork from a popular Candle Books artist, there is also a map included to show the land where Jesus lived. This padded hardcover comes complete with a presentation page for gift or award giving.

My thoughts:
I've looked at my children's Bible story books and found this one to be a good one for the most part. I like the book's size and padded hardcover. I found the illustrations to be appealing, and I appreciated the bright colors. I find many children's Bibles have what I consider to be odd illustrations of characters but that was not the case with this book. I like the variety of stories included as it seems some of them were not typically included in children's story Bibles. This one even has a picture of the three crosses which many do not include. (It is in the distance and does not show anything bloody or gruesome so is appropriate for this age.) I like the minimal text on each page plus the biblical reference to look up the story in context. 

One thing I had to look up was that it says Jesus got his own donkey to ride before entering Jerusalem. I looked it up to make sure I was correct that Jesus actually sent two disciples to get the donkey for Him. 

Overall I enjoyed this book very much and look forward to sharing it with our new baby.

I was sent this book by Kregel Blog Tour Publications for free in exchange for my honest review.  Thank you.

Have a day of blessings!
 

Why do you love the Lord?

“I love the Lord, for He heard my voice; He heard my cry for mercy. Because He turned His ear to me, I will call on Him as long as I live.” Psalm 116:1,2

In this Psalm the writer tells us why he loves the Lord. We each would have a different story to tell of how we came to love the Lord and why we love Him today.

Join me over at Laced With Grace today to read the rest!

Have a day of blessings!
  

Thankful Thursday

It is a cold day with a possibility of some snow tonight after spring-like days at the beginning of the week.

This week I am thankful for...

~ my husband taking me to my doctor appointment on Monday.  We had a nice day together.  I liked when I looked through the glass from the lab into the waiting room as I was having blood work done and our eyes connected.

~ my boy's smile when he felt a big kick from the baby.  He has felt lighter kicks before, and this week felt a really big one.  He smiled so big, and it was so sweet to see.

~ another positive appointment for the baby and passing my glucose test.  Hooray!

~ new freezer meals from my Mom.  She made us several types, and they are so nice to have when I am not feeling like making supper!

~ short week.  It has been a fast week since both of my boys were off from work/school on Monday.

~ seeing the school and community come together to raise money to help one of the teachers fighting cancer.  They had a silent auction and hamburger supper, and it seemed there was a good turnout.

Have a day of blessings!
 

Book: Always on my Mind

I have read other books in this series about the Christiansen Family and expected to enjoy this one like I have the others. I was not disappointed!  Today I'd like to tell you about book 4 called Always on my Mind by Susan May Warren.

About the book:After a failed dig in Honduras, aspiring archaeologist Casper Christiansen heads home to Minnesota to face his unresolved feelings for Raina Beaumont, the woman of his dreams. But when he arrives unannounced on her doorstep, he receives the shock of a lifetime: Raina is pregnant with someone else’s baby.

Heartbroken, especially when he discovers the identity of the baby’s father, Casper tables his dreams and determines to be dependable for once, helping his older brother, Darek, prepare the family resort for its grand reopening. Casper longs to be the hero of at least one family story, but a never-ending Deep Haven winter and costly repairs threaten their efforts—and the future of the resort.

Worse, one of Casper’s new jobs constantly brings him into contact with Raina, whom he can’t seem to forget. A tentative friendship begins to heal fresh wounds, but can they possibly overcome past mistakes and current choices to discover a future together? 

My thoughts:

I have enjoyed all the books I've read by Susan May Warren.  Her characters seem so real, and I enjoy her writing style.  I appreciate the close-knit family of the Christiansens and how they seem like a realistic family with real problems and struggles.  

In this book I liked the mystery/treasure hunt that Casper and Raina work on together.  I saw a deeper meaning than just the treasure hunt on the surface though; both Casper and Raina were looking for their own treasures even though they may not realize it.  I thought the author did a good job of weaving these two characters' stories together in a believable way.  They both have such pain in their heart because of their pasts.  

If you have read other books in this series, you will see those main characters pop up throughout this book as well which I like. This book can be read alone if you haven't read the others though.  I look forward to the next book in the series!  

Thank you to Tyndale House Publishers for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book.
Have a day of blessings!
 

Thankful Thursday

The weeks just seem to go by so quickly for me.  We are all doing well for which I am thankful.

This week I am thankful for...
~ my husband always being willing to help me with whatever I need, including making sure my car has gasoline in the tank.

~ seeing my boy as the 4H President.  We had a meeting this week, and it made my heart proud to see him lead the meeting.

~ my growing belly.  The maternity clothes are fitting differently now, and others can tell I'm pregnant!  My next appointment is Monday, and then I start going every two weeks!!

~ the sun shining through the window today. It has been a cold, cloudy, dreary week so it is nice to see the sun again.

~ lower gas prices.  They have been nice and I wonder how long they will stay longer; however, I do know that the lower prices will have an impact on oilfield families here.

~  always having good books to read, both print versions and audio.  I finished up a couple audio books after not listening to them over Christmas break when my boy was home and found another to request to review.  It has been fun to be able get the children's books to review too, I have a couple posts of really good ones coming up in the next few weeks.

Thanks for stopping by! What is on your thankful list today?

Have a day of blessings!
  

2015 Goals

I'm a little late in posting this goal list this year because I haven't really made a list of goals for myself for this year as I have in past years.  I guess that is mainly because I know in April the baby is coming, and I figure everything will be so different and be an adjustment.

There are a few things I want to continue doing that I had on last year's list......find ways to show respect to my husband, read the Bible with my son (we have started on the Old Testament), add a few more continuing education hours before the baby comes, and obviously have the baby's room ready over the next three months.

Have a day of blessings!
 

Bakery Bunch!

I'm happy to be part of the Amy Clipston Bakery Bunch!  I have read and reviewed her books in the past and look forward to the new books. She writes Amish fiction and young adult books. You can find out more about Amy on her website.

Before Christmas I received a fun surprise in the mail.....a purple box filled with all sorts of goodies shown below (and also a pen that missed the picture!).  Purple is my favorite color so I liked seeing all the purple!   

I look forward to reading this new book Miles From Nowhere and sharing the review with you.

Here I am bundled up in my warm robe on New Year's Eve working on a jigsaw puzzle and enjoying a slush in my purple Bakery Bunch cup.

I took my purple Bakery Bunch reusable bag with me last week when I went to the bread store.  

My son helped me deliver some of the bookmarks to our local library.  The librarian was happy to get them.

We found a couple of Amy Clipston's books on the shelf. 

New luggage tag on our bag

Thank you for all the wonderful goodies. I am enjoying them.

If you are looking for a new author to read, add Amy Clipston to your list!

Have a day of blessings!