Children's Book: God Loves Me More Than That

"And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:17-19

I'd like to recommend a children's book to you called God Loves Me More Than That by Dandi Daley Mackall and illustrated by David Hohn.

This is a rhyming book of comparisons to show the width, depth, weight, and loudness of God's love. The author uses comparisons with things a child can relate to and understand to remind them how much God loves them. The illustrations are beautiful to see with the colors and details. It is appropriate for toddlers through kindergartners in my opinion, although the message and pictures will be enjoyed by anyone. I also like the size of this book; it is just right for a child to hold and enjoy, not too big as some books are hard for a little one to hold and turn the pages easily.

Thank you to WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for providing this book to me for my honest review.

Have a day of blessings!

Have a day of blessings!

Flashback Friday: Olympics

This week for Flashback Friday we are talking about the Olympics.

My flashback:
I remember watching the Olympics when I was growing up. My favorites were ice skating in winter and all of the gymnastics in summer. I would try to copy what I saw on television in our living room. haha!

As far as specific Olympic events I remember, I can recall the big issue with ice skaters Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding. I remember the excitement of watching the US gymnastic team of 1996.

I guess the specific Olympic games I remember the most was Summer 2004. We watched the opening ceremonies while I was in the hospital after Caleb was born.

Today is the last day to enter my giveaway for the Valentine card made by my friend. Click to this post to enter.

Have a day of blessings!

Thankful Thursday

I'm so glad I can participate each with in Thankful Thursday! This month we are at Lynn's for Thankful Thursday.

Today I am thankful for...
~ safe travel for my husband on his trip this week. I miss him when he's gone but I'm thankful he has a job!

~ having my boy dry dishes after supper. He said you wash, I'll dry! He was cute drying and washing off the table. I love that boy!


~ blessings of the Lord. He gives us daily blessings and we need to pay attention and thank Him! I had a post about this yesterday.

~ finding a new church we like here with great people and preaching.

~ getting to go volunteer at my son's school!


Join us today as we give thanks!


Also, please click over to my giveaway post. I'm having a giveaway for a Valentine card made by my friend who has a new Etsy shop. Go leave a comment on that post to be entered!

Have a day of blessings!

God's blessings

I have a story I'd like to share with you and hope it encourages you.


Last week on Friday I went to run some errands. If you've read my blog for very long, you will know we use Dave Ramsey's "envelope system" and keep cash for various categories of spending. It was the end of the pay period (meaning that pay day was coming the next week), and I felt like I'd spent so much money with the oil change, grocery store, and prescriptions and my "envelopes" were looking kinda empty.

As I was going to the car I prayed for God to please take care of us and bless us. I thought of all the food we have and the provision of God for our needs and how the things I'd bought at that shopping trip were not basic food supplies that I buy every week but other house hold necessities, like shampoo, razors, etc. I felt thankful for what we had and still I asked Him to bless us.

Later that weekend I was looking at our checkbook. My husband travels for his job and is reimbursed for his expenses. (This is a set rate based on the city to which he is traveling.) He puts the expenses on a work credit card and then we pay it off with the money they deposit into our account. Well there were several trips on the last bill along with credits I'd seen in our checking account. As I figured out the difference, I just smiled at the extra that was left over. I saw it as a blessing that God had given, an answer to the prayer I prayed.

On Sunday after church a family asked us to join them at their home for pizzas. We went along with two other couples and a bunch of college kids. As we were leaving they asked if we'd like to take home some extra pizza. Another blessing!

This week when I got the mail we had something that looked like a bill from AT&T. We no longer have service with them, so when I opened it I was glad to see that we had a credit of $19.35. I was not expecting that!

This has encouraged me this week and reminded me that God hears our prayers. We didn't have any huge need or major expense thankfully. But God cares about the little details of each of our lives and I think He likes to surprise us with blessings. We have to be paying attention though and thank Him for what He gives.

I encourage you today to ask God to bless you. He wants us to tell Him our needs. He longs to bless us. Ask Him specifically to bless you today and see what He will do for you and your family. Don't forget to pay attention and thank Him for the blessings too, no matter what they may be big or small!

Have a day of blessings!

One Thousand Gifts

I watched this video yesterday. It is the trailer for a new book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. I listened to an interview with her yesterday too over at Grace Cafe. This sounds like a really good book, and this video is very touching. I encourage you to watch it.

(Also remember to check the post below this one for the Valentine card giveaway.)
Have a day of blessings!

Audio Book: Finding Your Faith

Thank you to the christianaudio Reviewers Program for providing this audio book to me for my honest review.

I listened to Finding Your Faith by Stephanie Perry Moore. This is volume 1 in the Yazmin Peace series.

This is a story of a girl, Yazmin Peace, who is growing up and dealing with many challenges that are compounded in her family because her father is in jail and her older brother recently took his own life. Yazmin learns that when she turns to God, He is there and cares about what is going on in her life. It is a story of friendship and faith.

The narrator, Robin Miles, did a marvelous job reading this book. She was easy to understand, and she really did a good job in capturing the attitudes and various characters as she read. I recommend this book to preteens--younger teenage girls.

Have a day of blessings!

Etsy shop and GIVEAWAY

I have a friend who has opened an Etsy shop, and I wanted to share it with you. She creates cards. Here is her blog and a link to her Etsy shop Runnergirl Creations.

Also, I have a Valentine's Day card she made that I am giving away on my blog. To enter simply leave a comment on this post telling me which of the cards on Runnergirl Creations you like.

Here is a picture of the card that you will win. It comes with an envelope.

I will choose a winner on Saturday, January 29. US addresses only please. Thanks!

Have a day of blessings!

Sanctity of Human Life Sunday

Have a day of blessings!

Flashback Friday

This week's flashback is about new inventions or technology that came along while we were growing up.

My flashback:
One thing that sticks out in my mind is the microwave. I don't remember actually getting it, but my Dad didn't think we'd use it very much. My Mom wanted one for a while and Dad wasn't sure we'd ever use it. Then finally he agreed to get one. Of course we ended up using it all the time. It was very large and took up so much counter space!

Another thing I remember is our phones always having cords. The phone in the kitchen was attached to the wall, and I remember how my Mom would swing the really long cord around her arm while she was talking.

It is odd to me to think back to the days before internet and how for much of my days at home we didn't even have a computer. I don't remember how old I was when we got the first computer. It was a gift my parents got me, I think for Christmas. We did have internet at some point too.

Have a day of blessings!

Thankful Thursday

Welcome to another week of Thankful Thursday! I hope you have had a nice week. It has been a fast one for us with the school/work holiday on Monday.

Today Lynn asked us if we had a special friend online. I am just so thankful for this online blog community. There are so many sweet ladies that are so loving, supportive, and encouraging. It's comforting to know I can ask these to join me in prayer or share concerns with them.

Today I am thankful for...
~ my sweet husband. We got to go on a date over the weekend because my Mom was here and Caleb stayed with her. I love the lunch dates we get to have many weeks but it was nice to have a night to be out together without him having to hurry back to work. We ate at Olive Garden. Yummy! I love our time together!

~ my sweet boy. We have many trees in our yard at our new house. He is so excited to build a tree house. He drew a plan Saturday of what he wanted it to look like, and we found a book today at the library for him to get some ideas. He told me on "spring 1st we are gonna get to building that tree house."

~ getting rid of stuff! We took a big load of boxes of stuff to donate to the library and Goodwill on Saturday. I've taken other stuff to another place as well. It is so nice to get rid of stuff we don't need!

~ KFC "little bucket parfaits." I had a strawberry one tonight, it was SO delicious. It is a little strawberry shortcake in a little cup. You should try one!

~ the beauty of seeing a sunrise as I took my boy to school as well as the moon peeking from behind the clouds this evening when we came home.

Have a day of blessings!

Book: A Tailor-Made Bride

I borrowed A Tailor-Made Bride from our local library. It is the first book by author Karen Witemeyer.

Hannah Richards arrives in Coventry, Texas to open her own dress shop. She faces several obstacles in establishing herself in her new town. One of those obstacles is liveryman J.T. Tucker. He is disgusted with Hannah because he feels her dresses will turn women of Coventry to enjoy fashion more than true beauty. However, Hannah doesn't turn out to be anything like what J.T. has judged her to be.


I enjoyed getting to know the characters in this historical fiction book. This was a great book, and I look forward to reading more from this author. Her second book (Head in the Clouds) is available now with another book coming out in April.

"Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised." Proverbs 31:30

Have a day of blessings!

Song: Bring the Rain

My Mom shared a video with me and I wanted to post it to share here today. It is called "Bring the Rain" by Mercy Me. I've heard it before and really appreciate the lyrics.

Here it is for you to listen to it:




I remember back in the summer one of my Facebook friends had posted the lyrics to the song on her wall. I'd heard the song before but I guess hadn't really paid attention to the words. Some of the lyrics really jumped out at me:

Can circumstances possibly
Change who I forever am in You

Whatever is going on in my life doesn't change what God has given me....salvation and hope.

Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain

This summer when we weren't sure what was going to happen with our house or finding a new one or my husband's job, we prayed that whatever happened God would get the glory. There were days I wondered how in the world the situation would end up. I know God had a plan all along. Those times of waiting and not knowing brought us closer to Him and each other.

God can use hard times in our lives to bring us closer to Him and teach us lessons. Sometimes we want so badly to be out of the storm when God just wants us to hold onto Him and let Him teach us and use us in the midst of that pain.

Have a day of blessings!

SSMT #2

In a fiction book I'm reading (A Tailor-Made Bride), it brings up the woman of Proverbs 31. My second verse for SSMT comes from Proverbs 31:26, 27:

"She speaks wise words and teaches others to be kind. She watches over her family and never wastes her time." New Century Version (NCV)

Much to think about here.

Have a day of blessings!

"Unstuff" by Hayley & Michael DiMarco

I received the new book Unstuff by Hayley & Michael DiMarco from Tyndale. You can see more information about this book on the Tyndale page.

From the publisher:
God . . . and stuff. Everything in the universe falls into one of these two categories. Which is more important to you? (It’s not a trick question.) In Unstuff: Making Room in Your Life for What Really Matters, popular authors Hayley and Michael DiMarco take a close look at what’s in your wallet, your heart, your house, and your mind to reveal the pleasures and perils of stuff—and the joy, peace, and freedom that comes from learning to live with less.

My thoughts:
With our recent move, I've become very aware of how much STUFF we have. When I saw the description of this book, I wanted to read it. I'm so glad I did. It is a fast read. First, they present 11 reasons to unstuff. Then there are six sections of different types of stuff: Wallet Stuff, Mind Stuff, Body Stuff, Love Stuff, Worship Stuff, and Future Stuff. The authors write about how our stuff can overtake our daily lives to a point that we don't have room left for God. I found it interesting to read the information regarding the correlation between our health and more stuff. This book will really make you think about the things in your life and how you spend your time and money.

I highly recommend this book to you for some great reading and motivation to Unstuff your life. (Thank you to Tyndale for providing this book for my honest review.)

Have a day of blessings!

Audio: The Millenials by Thom S. Rainer & Jess Rainer

Thank you to the christianaudio Reviewers Program for providing this audio book to me for my honest review.

In this book authors Thom S. Rainer & Jess Rainer share the information gained from the research they have done on the millennial generation. Those involved in this research include those born between the years 1980--2000. This group numbers 78 million and is larger than the baby boomer generation. The authors interviewed 1200 older "millennials" from across the nation.

Being close to this generation in age myself, I found it interesting to learn this generation's thoughts and opinions on various subjects including money, family, the environment, religion, and work. One thing that really sticks out from this book about this generation is the importance placed on family and relationships. Relationships are key to the members of this generation. I was a bit surprised to hear just how low of a percentage of members of this generation are Christians. The book closes with an overview, tying all the information together as well as asking the question how can the church use this information to reach those in this generation.

I enjoyed listening to the narrator, Ray Porter. He was easy to hear and made the book enjoyable for the listener. I didn't have any problems with this recording.

Have a day of blessings!

Flashback Friday: School Discipline

This week's flashback is about discipline at school.

My flashback:
I never got in "big trouble" at school. In kindergarten our name was written on the board for misbehavior. I remember how devastated I was when I got my name on the board. I don't remember what I did but remember being devastated by it! I don't remember what we had in 1st grade, but in 2nd grade we had an apple tree. Every child had their name on a red paper apple on the tree. For misbehavior the "worm" would take a bite out of your apple (worm = a hole punch).

In the cafeteria they tried many different methods to try to maintain order. One I remember was "being taped." If you were talking too loudly, the lunchroom monitors would come put a piece of masking tape on your shoulder or back of the shirt. This makes me laugh now. I think they switched to something else when some kids started taking their tape off before they got to the classroom. We also had yellow and red cups. Yellow meant we could talk quietly, red meant no talking.

I remember when the teacher would take a student out into the hall and another teacher would come out to witness while spats were given. This is much different than what is allowed in schools today!

Have a day of blessings!

Thankful Thursday

This month we are meeting for Thankful Thursday with Lynn. Hope you will join us!

Today I am thankful for...

~ my husband and his job, his hard work to provide for our family.


~ hearing my sweet boy reading from the Bible. We have a family night on Wednesday evenings, and he volunteered to read the passage for us. He did a good job on reading it and trying to sound out words he didn't know with Daddy's help.


~ how God can use painful experiences in our lives to teach us life-long lessons. We often wouldn't choose the situation but looking back we can see how God has used it to do some good. Today is the day of the miscarriage. It seems so long ago. Even though that was such a painful experience, looking back I can see God's hand in that too.

~ having a warm house, bed, coat, and working heater in our house and vehicles.

~ buying some new cards to mail. I haven't found all of my stationary yet in our boxes. I thought I did, but it was some other cards I've received. So I have some new cards and look forward to organizing it all in a new way whenever I find the other boxes! I love to get new cards!

What are you thankful for today?
Have a day of blessings!

Etsy shop

Since we've moved we have opened a new checking account. I had a big wallet that held my check book, license, debit card, library card, etc. I wanted just a check book cover though instead, something that wasn't so bulky. I looked on Etsy and found all sorts of vinyl covers. Then I found this shop, Cross Thread Embroidery, with quilted covers. I bought one along with a holder for my cards. The package came last Friday and I just love them! It was exactly what I wanted.

The shop owner was very nice to work with and answered my questions in a timely manner. Also, I appreciate the quality of the work. She also has a website with other items.


Just wanted to share with you all, these items would make a nice gift. Go look around at her shop!

Have a day of blessings!

New table!

I sold the table we had when we moved to the duplex. I knew I'd like to have a new one when we moved anyway so I thought I'd list it on Craigslist. It sold quickly. While we were at the duplex, Caleb and I would mostly eat supper at a little table made of boxes on the kitchen floor. He liked to stack them and make a little chair and table top. I remember one night when my husband was home for supper (this was the time he was traveling and training) and it was such a blessing to be able to sit and eat supper together, even without a table!

Since we have moved to our new house, we've been eating on the couch with tray tables. On Friday we went to buy a new table. We'd gone to some furniture stores to look a few weekends ago. I wanted one that could fold out to be bigger, it's called a butterfly leaf table. My Mom has one of those and I like it so I hoped we could find one similar.

Since we had already looked I already had an idea of what we'd want and the price. Before we left, I looked in my box to see what extra money I had. I knew that over the past few months I had cashed some checks (like when we got a refund from the dentist's office and one from insurance when we stopped the policy on our first house and other random things like that plus some I'd saved back) and put the money there, but I didn't know how much it was. I took it to the bank and was surprised at the amount.

We chose the table and went to pay. It was $4 less than the amount I'd counted out in my cash stash! I was excited about that. Now I just need to find another stash for the new couch I saw there....May have to use some savings for that one cause I don't know of any more stashes that I have anywhere!

Here is a picture of the table. This is the folded in size. I like how it is tall and the colors of it.

Have a day of blessings!

Flashback Friday: Discipline Part 1

This week for Flashback Friday Linda has asked us to share about discipline.

My flashback:
I had a couple of memories as soon as I read the topic for this week. (And I'm sure one of these will come to mind for my Mom too when she reads this!)

As a child I received spankings for misbehavior. My parents told me they wanted me to learn and gave me the spanking so I'd remember the next time. I remember trying to think in my head how long I had gone without getting a spanking.

One night I got out of bed and went to the living room when my parents were still up. I am not sure why, I guess I wanted to see what they were doing. I remember my Mom sitting in her chair crocheting. I got ouf of bed multiple times. After a few times Mom said if you get up again you will be grounded from watching Little House tomorrow. Well for some reason, I got up again! And the next day I could not watch Little House. "Little House on the Prairie" was my very favorite show that I watched daily. I don't remember any other time I was grounded.

Another time I remember the neighbors asking if I could come ride horses or maybe 4-Wheelers. I was told I couldn't. I don't remember details but I guess I went because I remember getting a spanking for that.

Have a day of blessings!

Thankful Thursday

I can't believe it's already Thursday again! We are at Lynn's blog this month. We are loving our new home and so thankful to be here.

This week I am thankful for...
~ my sweet helpful husband. He always helps clean up after supper and gives Caleb his bath each night. He does other stuff too, I'm just so glad he helps out like this!

~ a kiss from my boy when he gets in the car after school. It was his first day back after his vacation. After that I asked him if he missed me. He said noooooooo. But I still got a kiss!

~ good books to read. I am listening to one that is very interesting and reading two others that are great.

~ a new crock pot. Apparently my old one cracked in the move. My Dad gave me some money for Christmas so I used a little of it to buy a new one. And it was on sale!

~ fun blogs to read. It is nice to be able to catch up with some blogging friends again!

Hope your first Thursday of 2011 is great! Thanks for stopping by today.

Have a day of blessings!

Review: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible

I received The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible from Thomas Nelson for my review. I have been enjoying using this Bible and would like to recommend it to you today.

From the publisher:
This beautifully designed Bible, available in hardcover and Leathersoft cover options, contains practical application drawn from Max Lucado's entire career—from his first book to his latest release, Outlive Your Life. For the first time, all the devotional material in this fully-revised edition of The Inspirational Study Bible is from Max Lucado and uses the popular and reliable New King James Version® (NKJV) translation!

My thoughts:
I enjoy using a new Bible and this one is a very nice one. I have always been a fan of author Max Lucado’s books. In this well-designed, easy-to-read Bible you will find “Life Lessons” printed in the margins which include the situation, observation, inspiration (from one of Lucado’s books), application, and exploration. There are also multiple articles throughout the Bible, including “Christ through the Bible” and “New Life in Christ” as well as a two year reading plan. Something I enjoyed were the introductions to the various books and the quotes from Max Lucado in the white spaces of the margins.

This is a nice Bible and I look forward to using it more. It would make a nice gift for someone that needs some encouragement.

Have a day of blessings!


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their Blogger Review 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: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Song of the week: He Is

This year I want to share songs on Tuesdays. These will be new songs I've heard recently as well as old songs that have come to mind. I hope these songs will bless and encourage you.

For this week's song I am sharing "He Is" by Aaron Jeffrey.


Have you ever heard this song? I love how it goes through the Bible book by book and gives us a description of God.

Have a day of blessings!

2011 Goals

I have been thinking about my goals for 2011 and wanted to post them here as I have the past two years.

~Something that has been big on my mind is to unpack. I have no idea how long it will take to unpack these boxes. I want to keep my motivation as I sort things to either put up or to sell or donate. I don't want to just keep stuff just to keep it!

~Participate in the Siesta Scripture Memory Team on the 1st and 15th of each month.

~ Continue reading and doing book reviews online. I don't think I'm going to post a review this year for every book I read.

~ Implement the S.H.E. system. I saw this last year on a blog and printed out information about it. I have my index cards and file and am looking forward to getting started on this. It is a card file system to keep you organized on household chores.

~ I'd love to make some Christmas gifts for next year. I've had some thoughts of what I might make, not sure specifics yet.

~ Find new places to volunteer.

That is really all I can think of at this time. I may add more as the year progresses.

Have a day of blessings!

Are you making changes?

Hello to the first Monday of 2011! Everyone has been talking about their goals, plans, and resolutions. I find it interesting to read the goals that others make. A new year is a way to make a fresh start on areas you want to improve in your life and make some changes. This may be your physical body, relationships, finances, or spiritual life. As we close one year and turn the calendar to a new one, there is just something about January 1 that feels like we’ve been handed a clean slate. For some reason it feels easier to make changes on January 1 than on May 3 and so many of us do just that.

If you would like to read the rest of my devotional, please visit me over at Laced with Grace. Also, be sure to check out the January scripture desktop provided in the sidebar.

Have a day of blessings!

SSMT #1

I'm a little late in doing this post but decided to join up with the Siesta Scripture Memory Team to memorize scriptures this year. I plan for my new scripture to be posted on the 1st and 15th of each month. I'd love for you to join me. Leave me a comment if you are participating also. You can find out more about the SSMT on Beth Moore's Living Proof Ministries blog.

I think it is very important for us to hide God's Word in our hearts. I like the idea of this scripture memory team because each person chooses a verse that means something to them at the current time.

My first verse is---

I Peter 3:8 (NLT)--"Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude."


Have a day of blessings!