Another Book Review

I have another book review for you today.  It is an amazing children's book by the name of "God Gave Us You".  Absolutely, a great book for any parent to read to his/her child.

Here is the information I posted on the Blogging for Books Site.

Wanting a child so badly, yet not being able to have one is a pain that cannot be understood unless one has lived through it.  Luckily, our experience was relatively easy when referring to the world of infertility, but it was still a challenge.  Add that experience to a deep personnel faith, and you can completely understand how reading this touching story to my children is a challenge for me.  I am in tears within just a few pages of beginning the story (every time).  I wouldn't say this story is my children's favorite, but it is completely enjoyable, well written, and easy to follow even for my two year old.  I would recommend this book to any parent, and I think it makes a great shower gift!

I'm back, but something a bit different!

Good Morning Everyone!

I am back on dry land and have been for awhile now, but I have been visiting my home town.  Thus, I haven't gotten to craft.  However with that said, I would like to tell you about another wonderful program I have become involved with.  

A few weeks before I left for my cruise I was introduced to the program Blogging for Books.  It is an awesome site hosted by the Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group.  Boggers can sign up for the program and if accepted are able to receive free books in return for honest reviews posted to the company's site and blogged about on the participant's personal site.  Well, awesome for me I was accepted, and based off of my profile information, I was able to choice a book from a listing of five different ones. Plus, having time, I was able to read the book on my cruise!

I picked the book  You Were Born for This: 7 Key to a Life of Predictable Miracles by Bruce Wilkinson, who also wrote books such as the Prayer of Jabez, The Dream Giver, and The Dream Giver (my personal favorite).

The following is my review of the book as written for Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

 

I am not sure what to think of this book. Honestly, it took me a while to get into the book, and I started it over several times. Yes, I long to be used in God's miracles and by God to do his will, but I am not sure the book instruct me on how to do that in the way I thought that it would. There were times when statements were made that seemed to make me question what I thought I understood certain Bible passages to mean. Even after the first story with the waiter, I felt the story was a bit of a stretch of a miracle. To me it seemed like a bit a manipulation of a simple blessing the Holy Spirit was trying to nudge the author to do. I think the author seemed to make that situation more difficult and uncomfortable than needed to be.

Now with all that said, were there good points? Absolutely! The premise of the book is wonderful! Who would not want to see miracles worked around and through them? I would consider the book a successful read if only in making me think about and becoming more sensitive to being used by God. And the stories of everyday people (just like you and me) being used by God are wonderful (overall) and creates a desire in the reader to be used the same way. Thus, with that fact alone, I would suggest reading it if you need/want the reassurance of what it is like to be used by God.

Regardless, Bruce Wilkinson is an amazing author. However, if you are going to only read one of his books, I highly suggest The Dream Giver.

I received this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group with the understanding I would read the book and give my honest opinion.

Thanks for stopping in again.  I can't wait to get crafting and challenging again soon.  Go check out the Blogging for Books site. Tell them, I sent you :-)

 

Father's Day #2

Hello!

Well, this is officially my last post for awhile.  Matter of fact, I will be without my computer all together for a week.  I am going to miss checking in daily with all my favorite blogs.  Guess I will have a lot of catching up to do when I get back!

Today's card is my second Father's Day card.  I made it for my Father-in-law; he is a very good self-taught guitar player.  Thus, when I found this digi over at MelonHeadz, 

I knew I just the right person to use it for.

 

My picture taking was better in this one.  Don't you think?  Thank you Sonya for the photo taking advice.  It was wonderful, of course!

Here are a few challenges I am entering the card into.  Of course, knowing my luck this will be the time I randomly win one, and I will not be home to look at the blogs to see.  Oh, well, it is still fun anyway!

Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Me Monday

- #63 - #1 Dad 

Card Makin' Mamas Challenge #21 - Use Your Scraps

CPS Sketch Challenge #221

Sentimental Sundays Challenge #58 - 

Inspired by a Song

(We have been watching a lot of Gnomeo & Juliet in our house lately, which is an extremely cute movie with an awesome soundtrack.  The Elton John station has been playing a lot on my Pandora, so the first song that came to mind as I started to color this digi was Piano Man.  I know he is not really playing a piano, but we'll just change it to guitar man!)

Paper Sundaes Challenge #72 - Let's Get Sentimental! 

Cards for Men Challenge #12 - Black & Blue

Thanks for looking! 

I will post some pictures when I am back on dry land!

Father's Day #1

Morning, All!

Believe it or not, I am actually posting again before my cruise.  Of course, the subject of the card is very important, so it was a must on the list of things to do.  

The card I have for you today is the Father's Day Card I made for my dad.  Although he is not a huge golfer, he does putt around every once in awhile.  Mostly he works really hard running a local grocery store, which he has been doing it since I was born.  Thus, obviously, he is pretty good at it!  So, besides my brother and I and his grandkids, he doesn't have too much time for much else, poor guy!  Besides, who would want a Father's Day's card with a grocery store on it?  

Thus, this is what I came up with

The image came from Bugaboo Stamps. 

Being that it is a Father's Day Card, there are several challenges to enter

Bugaboo's June Anything Goes Challenge

There's Magic in the Air with Paper Cupcakes Magical Monday - Masculine

Delicious Doodles Challenge #28 - Texture

Stamp Something June Digi Day Challenge

Sparkle Forum Challenge # 13 Fathers Day

Thanks for looking! 

I have another Father's Day Card for you tomorrow.

A Little Bit of Fairy Tale

Happy Saturday All!

I have a very simple, but very important card to share with you today.  As you all know by now, I will be getting on a cruise ship a week from today.  The purpose of the cruise is to celebrate our 10 year anniversary.  (10 years - can you believe it???)  Anyway, here is the card I made for my husband.

The explanation that goes along with the card is

1.  The gold color of the card itself matches the color of my bridesmaids' dresses.

2.  Our wedding invitations had Cinderella and Prince Charming on them.

Now, will he make the connection with either of those?  Probably not!  However, since we are HUGE Disney fans in this house, the princess/prince thing will still fit it.  Also, can I just say how happy this card makes me solely because I only used my Expression (and my printer).  It is the first cuts I have made with Songbird.  Wonderful!

I am going to enter this card at 

Cards for Men - #11 No Design Paper

Thanks for looking.  I hope to have at least one more post for you before leaving for the cruise, but I won't promise anything.  Packing myself and two children (for over a month) is a little difficult.   The packing is not all the difficult; it is trying to think of everything my parents and in-laws need to know concerning my kids for the week my husband and I are gone. 

Now, that is difficult!

Where Have I Been?

Morning All!

Let me just start by saying in 10 days, I will be getting on a huge floating mini-city (or so it feels like)!  I can't wait!  A vacation were I only have to be responsible for me.  Well, I guess I will be responsible for Sean at times, too, as that is kind of what being a wife is about. 

Well, of course, I am extremely busy getting ready for the trip, and since I am still a mom at the moment, all the craft time has been directed towards completing 12 of these

They are actually altered Crystal Light Containers, and I made enough for all of Amelia's teachers and the two school secretaries because they do so much but not everyone thinks of them.  Plus, I have decided I would much prefer my child been known to those around the school as the "Sweet Bow Girl" than because she gets into trouble.  For those of you who don't know, Amelia wears a huge hair bow just about everyday to school.  It is actually very good thing to be known as because it makes it real easy on the teachers, bus driver, or anyone else to spot whether or not she may be missing.  Thus, bows are part of her everyday attire.

Anyway, the purse tag/card on the front includes a little poem I wrote.  It says

Purse-nally Thanking You!

You are an essential part of my education,

and I appreciate all you do!

Here are some purse essentials

just for you!

Not anything fancy, but the best I could come up with.  When I came up with the idea of altering the containers, I was sure I could find a poem or such that I liked, but I just didn't.  Not one that would work for all the different teachers, media center specialist, and administrative ladies, anyway.  Yes, lucky for me, all of the people on my list were women.  I wanted to do something besides just filling the containers with candy; thus that is what the finish project turned out to be.  Inside each container is important purse items:  pen/pencil, hanatizer (that is what we call hand sanitizer in my house), spf chapstick, gum, mints, and some chocolate, of course.  Also, the containers for the two ladies in the office, the teacher who hosts the two after school clubs Amelia attends, her classroom Para, and her actual Kindergarten teacher include gift cards.

Believe it or not -- there are actually two challenges this week that I can enter these into.

Sentimental Sundays Challenge #57 - Anything but a Card!

Fantabulous Cricut Challenge #62 - Remember This

 

 

Thanks so much for visiting again!