I read. Do you?

1 Peter Bible Study - Week 7

noreply@blogger.com (Pamela Swearingen) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:52:00 +0000

The Bible Study book I'm working through for this long-term blogging study is called 1 Peter. Check out the subtitle, though. It's Finding Encouragement in Troubling Times. We can all use that, huh?

Welcome to Week Seven
I'm participating in an online Bible study this winter using this book, 1 Peter: Finding Encouragement in Troubling Times by Sue Edwards. For nine weeks a group of bloggers will be studying the book of I Peter in the Bible, then journaling about what we have learned using questions found in the book by Sue Edwards. This is my post for Week Seven.

My thoughts on this book so far:

Week One

Week Two

Week Three

Week Four
Week 5
Week 6

My Thoughts on Chapter 7:

For me, the theme of this chapter is "Be prepared."

How easy it is to skip your prayers when all seems to be going well. Bible studies and memorizing verses probably don't even get written on a daily "to do" list when all is calm and peaceful in life.

Then all everything breaks loose. Tragedy strikes, life gets messy, your faith is challenged.

"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you..." (1 Peter 3:15)
The time to prepare is now. Read the Bible and memorize verses on good days so wisdom and peace will be in your heart when times get tough.

In short, remember Noah and the flood.

"...in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water." (1 Peter 3:20)
Personally, I find Noah an interesting character. Here's a guy who was given the idea to build a boat. A really big boat for a really big flood of epic proportions. Noah knew the flood was coming so he started building the boat right away. Noah's neighbors thought he was wacko, but Noah kept preparing for the future troubles in spite of what the world was saying. You know, it's interesting to note that according to Bible Noah never converted one single soul to believe a flood was coming. In the end, only Noah and his family got on the boat. Noah had some deep conviction there!

So how can we be like Noah?
What's your "boat" and are you working on it now when the sun is still shining?
Do you know of an upcoming "flood" in your life?
What would the world say about your plans and are you prepared to keep doing God's work in spite of the taunting?

Not easy to do, but if a flood is headed your way it is definitely best to start getting prepared today.

About the book:

The letter of 1 Peter was heard by women who knew times like these. This newest addition to the Sue Edwards Inductive Bible Study series digs into 1 Peter and takes a look at the stories of real women—past and present—to teach today’s woman how to stand faithful to God regardless of her trials, however severe.

About the Author: Sue Edwards
(MA, Dallas Theological Seminary; D.Min., Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) teaches full-time in the Christian Education Department at Dallas Theological Seminary. She has more than twenty-five years of experience teaching, pastoring, and directing women's ministries. In addition, Sue speaks at retreats, conferences, and seminars across the country. She is the coauthor of Women's Retreats and New Doors in Ministry to Women, and the author of the new Sue Edwards Inductive Bible Study series.
Pages: 103
Year originally published: 2011
You might want to know: This post is Week Seven which covers pages 58-64.
My source: I received this book complimentary from Kregel Publications in exchange for an honest review but the opinion is all mine.

Visit Kregel Publications for more information on the 1 Peter blog tour and to read other reviews.

If you would like to follow along as we study 1 Peter:

Journals of the Big Mouth Bass by Debbie Sue Bass Williamson

noreply@blogger.com (Pamela Swearingen) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0000

I've struggled with this book. A lot of the book is really great, but when it is bad it is really bad. For that reason, I've decided to rate this book 2.5 stars. Please read on to see if you would agree with my rating or not.

Journals of the Big Mouth Bass by Debbie Sue Bass Williamson

Book One: Keeping Secrets

What this book is all about:

Debbie Bass just celebrated her ninth birthday. While she thought most of the presents were kind of lame, she loves the journal that her mother gave her. Debbie has always had trouble keeping secrets so she has decided to write all of her secrets in her new journal, addressing every entry to God. She figures that there is a good chance that God won’t tell anyone what she is writing! Join the fun as Debbie lives up to her unfortunate nickname and shares the trials and tribulations of growing up. From trying to be more girly (and failing miserably) to exciting adventures with her brother and the neighborhood kids, to facing humiliation at school, Keeping Secrets is a heartwarming, funny, and very real book about growing up female. Kids everywhere are falling head over heels for Debbie, a girl who is as honest about her red hair and freckles, lack of girlfriends, and getting picked last for dodgeball as she is about her first crush and the fact that she just can’t keep a secret. (Copied from the back cover.)

Pages: 156
Year originally published: 2011
You might want to know: Charming book until the sudden accidental death of a child at the very end. As a book marketed to late elementary readers, this sudden death topic might be difficult for a sensitive young reader.
My source: I received this book from Cadence Group in exchange for an honest review but the opinion is all mine.

My thoughts about this book:

I'm going to be honest about this book. I loved 90% of this book. Maybe even 95% of this book! However it is the 5% that makes me hesitate to recommend this book completely.

First, allow me to focus on the (very) good parts of the book. Set in Southern California in the very early 1960s, this book charmingly chronicles the life of Debbie, a nine year old girl who just can't keep a secret. Try as she might, she always seems to be blurting out the secrets and getting into some very funny mishaps along the way. Life was simpler then, so Debbie and her friends freely ride bikes and climb hills behind their neighborhood. Set against the backdrop of the Kennedy assassination and the turmoil of politics in the early 1960s, Debbie even ends up meeting candidate Ronald Reagan as he launches his campaign for Governor. Of course Debbie, with her scheming plans, manages to get herself into a mess over that event, too. This book was funny, educational, charming and engaging and I was ready to recommend this book to any and all late elementary readers.

Then came the horrible 5%.
Suddenly, in the VERY last chapter, a childhood friend dies suddenly in a tragic accident.

All along in the book, the stories feel as if you are really there. In truth, that was the best part of the charming stories, up to the last chapter. When Debbie struggles to make a new friend, the reader feels Debbie's pain. When Debbie reveals her crush on neighborhood boy Jesse, the butterflies in the stomach feeling seem very real.

However, when Jesse dies suddenly in the VERY last chapter, it is extremely traumatic. It is very real. As I was reading the last chapter I was in complete disbelief that this was the final chapter of the book. There is no closure to this event. No next chapter to allow kids to process what has happened to this main character other than to remark that Debbie and her family moved away.

Overall, this is a good book. Debbie is sort of a Junie B. Jones character, getting into mischief without even trying. Parents should definitely be cautious if they have a sensitive child, however. The last chapter could be WAY too emotional for some children to read.

What So Proudly We Hail by Kass, Kass and Schaub

noreply@blogger.com (Pamela Swearingen) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 14:30:00 +0000

Book summary: What So Proudly We Hail is an anthology with excerpts that span time, geography, race, creed and genres.

Great quote: As an anthology, this book is filled with great American quotes. To give you a flavor for this book, I quote the authors in the book's introduction:

"This anthology addresses liberals and conservatives, Democrats and Republicans and independents, employers and employees, rich and poor, young and old, and Americans of every race, religion and ethnicity, for all Americans have a stake in the well-being of our nation." (page xi)

My thoughts:   What So Proudly We Hail is a (very) thick book filled with an amazing variety of works from various sources, living and dead. This eclectic collection contains the words of Lincoln, Twain and Franklin, but also holds works as diverse as Alice Walker and Ursula LeGuin, songs from "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" to Woody Guthrie's "This Land is Your Land." This impressive anthology is part history lesson and part sociology lesson, all with a goal of helping the reader decide what is an American.
Topics include:
National Identity: Why Should it Matter?
The American Creed
The American Character: Individuals Free and Equal
Toward a More Robust Citizenry: The Virtues of Civic Life
Goals of Civic Life
Making One Out of Many

Each excerpt in this anthology can be read independently. Entries are introduced with a short biography of the author and an explanation of the history of the time the piece was written. Each introduction also contains several thought-provoking questions. For example, George Washington's "Thanksgiving Proclamation" from 1789 is included in this anthology. A few of the accompanying questions include "In the eighteenth century, thanksgiving days were observed by prayer and fasting; do today's ritual of feasting and drinking alter in any way the intended purpose of the holiday? How does Thanksgiving Day matter to your identity as an American citizen?"

On the other hand, while this book can be read in bits and pieces, the historical introductions and open-ended questions in What So Proudly We Hail tie stories together when the book is read in the order presented. Immediately following George Washington's "Thanksgiving Proclamation" is a short story by O. Henry titled "Two Thanksgiving Day Gentlemen." O. Henry's story prompts readers to examine "Does the outcome of the story vindicate the narrator's seeming irreverence for tradition? In what spirit, and in what manner, should we celebrate Thanksgiving? Other holidays?"

What So Proudly We Hail is an interesting and ambitious work. Through comparisions and contrasts, this book examines America from an impressive amount of widely diverse angles. What does it mean to be American? What exactly is an American? As an American, what dictates our pride, traditions and beliefs?

I will definitely be utilizing What So Proudly We Hail in my homeschool next year. Using the thought-provoking questions provided in the book, as well as the additional curriculum found on WhatSoProudlyWeHail.org, my high school student will study a broad spectrum of American Civic Life and ultimately be challenged to discover what it means to be American.

Rating:    5 of 5 stars
Pages:    790 pages
Year originally published:    2011
Source:    I received this book complimentary from The Clapham Group in exchange for an honest review but the opinion is all mine.
Purchase on Amazon: What So Proudly We Hail by Amy A. Kass, Leon R. Kass and Diana Schaub

February is Library Lovers' Month - Guest post by Gerry Wakeland

noreply@blogger.com (Pamela Swearingen) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 14:30:00 +0000

Gerry Wakeland, President

CLASSEMINARS

February is Library Lovers Month

At Home in the Library

By Gerry Wakeland

If you asked me to describe my dream home, without pause I'd respond, "My dream home would be an old vacant library where I would remove all the fixtures except the bathroom and the bookshelves and then I'd move my bed and desk into the center and start filling the shelves with my books." At which point you would stare at me quizzically.

My love affair with books and the library began as a child and continues to this very day. I remember as an elementary student begging my mother to take me to the library. She'd pull up to the curb in front and let me out, reminding me she would be back in an hour. Every time, I'd race up three sets of steps, fling open the double doors, run inside and stop. I would stand perfectly still and inhale the fragrance of the books. True love.

The library was my refuge. It provided a safe and silent haven from the noise and chaos of my home. But more than that, it opened doors for me, doors to the past, doors to the future, doors of adventure, and doors of romance, most importantly doors of wisdom.

I learned so much at the library. I learned that as a woman I could be brave and bold like Amelia Earhart or save lives like Florence Nightingale or Clara Barton. I could write poetry like Elizabeth Barrett Browning or books like Jane Austen. The library gave me hope!

Over the years I have continued to be a library patron. Sometimes I take my laptop and head to the library to work on a project. With the world at my fingertips, both digitally and in hard copy, I can research any topic to my heart’s content. Hardly a Saturday goes by that you cannot find me at some point in the day at the local library, perusing the new arrivals for the week.

Or sometimes I just sit quietly in one of the easy chairs wishing that the books could talk and wondering what they would say if they could tell the stories behind the stories.

I may never have the unusual, almost bizarre, home of my dreams. But the library is still my refuge, affording me a place that’s safe and silent, where dreams are born and hope exists.

Gerry Wakeland is the President and CEO of CLASSEMINARS, Inc. She loves helping Christian communicators identify their passion, clarify their vision and define their mission so that they can articulate God’s message effectively. Gerry is the mother of two grown daughters and grandmother to three precious grandsons. She makes her home in the land of enchantment, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her favorite pastime is reading and one of her favorite places is the public library. In March, the CLASS website will release news of the 2012 Christian Writers Conference: www.classeminars.org. Come meet Gerry and the rest of the CLASS faculty there!

This article was provided to me free of charge by KCWC.

CurrClick Thursday

noreply@blogger.com (Pamela Swearingen) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 12:30:00 +0000

I'm always amazed at the variety of items available for download at CurrClick. As a Featured Reviewer on CurrClick, I see a lot of the new items each week. Here are just a few of the latest ones:

Foreign Language

Spring in French by Language for Little Learners is a46-page download that is a fun and colorful way to learn French vocabularyspecifically for Spring. This download covers a list of 12 Spring-related wordssuch as flower, raincoat, butterfly and seeds. Vocabulary words can bereinforced with the included pages of copy work (in print and in cursive), aword search, matching cards, a Bingo game and more. The Bingo game consists of33 unique Bingo cards which would work well in a large classroom. I give thisitem 4 stars because it is very colorful and would be very engaging for veryearly elementary learners.

History

Famous African Americans Notebooking Pages fromNotebookingPages.com is a large collection of pages for recording facts. Thisitem is not a full curriculum with lessons contained within the download, butrather it is a very large collection of notebooking pages. If your student isalready studying famous African-Americans, the Civil War or Africa, thenotebooking pages in this download will give your student a creative way torecord and organize all of the information learned. This large ZIP filedownload contains specific notebooking sets for famous African Americans suchas Condolezza Rice, Thurgood Marshall and Dr. Martin Luther King. Musician NatKing Cole is also featured in this product. However, glaringly missing fromthis download is a set of notebooking pages for Barack Obama, the first AfricanAmerican president. This omission is disappointing in a notebooking productdesigned for children to study a wide variety of famous African Americans. Ablank set of notebooking pages is included, if your child wishes to study afamous African American not included in this list. I give this download 3.5 stars for its incomplete list ofnotebooking pages.

Note: I received these items complimentary from CurrClick in exchange for anhonest review but the opinion is all mine.

Homeschooling Gifted and Advanced Learners by Cindy West

noreply@blogger.com (Pamela Swearingen) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:30:00 +0000

Book Summary:

The prospect of homeschooling gifted and advanced learners isn't daunting anymore! Homeschooling Gifted and Advanced Learners gives parents all of the support and confidence they need to bring their children home to a school that meets every one of their academic, emotional, and social needs.

Written by a veteran homeschooler, this book clearly and concisely teaches parents how to homeschool their advanced learners, focusing on special considerations that often go along with gifted children such as providing challenging curriculum, offering outlets for artistic and creative talents, accelerating students into college courses early, and finding them true intellectual peers.

Homeschooling Gifted and Advanced Learners covers everything from curriculum choices and learning styles, to integrating technology and online courses, to finding social support for both children and parents. From making the decision to homeschool to planning for the transition to college, this book has the answers parents of gifted homeschooled students need to help their children succeed! (from back cover)

Great quote: "...there is no cookie-cutter approach to teaching gifted children! In reality, there's no cookie-cutter approach to teaching any child. Homeschoolers have an awesome opportunity to personalize instruction to meet the specific learning needs of each child."

My thoughts: It sounds cliche, but I wish I had this book when I first started homeschooling years ago. When we were first starting out, I planned lessons to the minute and stressed over covering all subjects each and every day. Looking back, I had been pretty determined to force a cookie-cutter style of education on my children. Boy, was I wrong!

Homeschooling Gifted and Advanced Learners is a great book for all homeschooling families, even families that have been homeschooling for a while. The advice in this book focuses on a slightly relaxed approach that is tailored to each child's unique learning style. Whether you have a child gifted in math and sciences or if you have a budding artist and dancer, this book is filled with ideas to help you as a homeschooling parent guide your child to be the best they can. The pages and pages of internet and book resources, as well as ideas for creative outside activities are very helpful, even if you are a homeschooling family who prefers to use box-set curriculum organized by grade. Since children can be gifted in so many different ways, this book offers advice for many learning situations.

The best part of this book, in my opinion, is Cindy West's honesty. She tells personal stories of failures and successes in her own homeschooling adventures. The book contains detailed topics such as how to handle a child who dawdles through their lessons and how to assess if a teen is ready to enter college early. By creating a nurturing learning environment at home, Cindy West has shown that it is very possible to succeed while Homeschooling Gifted and Advanced Learners.

If you have a chance, check out Cindy West's Shining Dawn nature studies, too. Here is my review of Shining Dawn's nature study: Constant Conifers

Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Pages:   176
Year originally published:   2011
You might want to know:    Follow Cindy West's blog at http://ourjourneywestward.com/.
My source:   I received this book free via the LibraryThing Early Reviewer Program, but the opinion is all mine.
Purchase on Amazon: Homeschooling Gifted and Advanced Learners by Cindy West

1 Peter Bible Study - Week Six

noreply@blogger.com (Pamela Swearingen) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Welcome to Week Six
I'm participating in an online Bible study this winter using this book, 1 Peter: Finding Encouragement in Troubling Times by Sue Edwards. For nine weeks a group of bloggers will be studying the book of I Peter in the Bible, then journaling about what we have learned using questions found in the book by Sue Edwards. This is my post for Week Six.

My thoughts on this book so far:

My Thoughts on Chapter 6:

This chapter opens with a study of harmony. When it comes to music, I love to harmonize. When I'm singing I make up my own harmony parts. In school I played the alto saxophone so I could play the harmony part. The lyrical sound of chords and scales played in harmony is a beautiful thing.

But this chapter on harmony isn't talking about making sweet music when we sing. It's talking about harmony with friends, family and neighbors who might just not be singing the same tune. More importantly, this chapter gets to the heart of division in some churches by addressing harmony (or no harmony) between believers.

Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another;

love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous;

not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling,

but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this,

that you may inherit a blessing. (1 Peter 3:8-9)

Lovely words to hear but sometimes difficult words to follow!
This chapter dives into how we can life a live that is harmonious with others.

One idea found in Matthew:

Moreover if your brother sins against you,

go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.

If he hears you, you have gained your brother. (Matthew 18:15)

How many times does that happen? Do you have a habit of confronting your brother (or sister) directly and alone? Isn't it so much easier to "vent" to someone else or ask a third party to intervene? Maybe drop some passive-aggressive attacks on Facebook instead?

But isn't harmony what we desire? Peace among family members and friends? Good relations with those in our church?

It's a good reminder of how we should approach our problems in wise (ie-Biblical) ways.
May I be mindful this week of my words and my actions.
May I live in harmony with others.

About the book:

The letter of 1 Peter was heard by women who knew times like these. This newest addition to the Sue Edwards Inductive Bible Study series digs into 1 Peter and takes a look at the stories of real women—past and present—to teach today’s woman how to stand faithful to God regardless of her trials, however severe.

About the Author: Sue Edwards
(MA, Dallas Theological Seminary; D.Min., Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) teaches full-time in the Christian Education Department at Dallas Theological Seminary. She has more than twenty-five years of experience teaching, pastoring, and directing women's ministries. In addition, Sue speaks at retreats, conferences, and seminars across the country. She is the coauthor of Women's Retreats and New Doors in Ministry to Women, and the author of the new Sue Edwards Inductive Bible Study series.
Pages: 103
Year originally published: 2011
You might want to know: This post is Week Six which covers pages 50-57.
My source: I received this book complimentary from Kregel Publications in exchange for an honest review but the opinion is all mine.

Visit Kregel Publications for more information on the 1 Peter blog tour and to read other reviews.

If you would like to follow along as we study 1 Peter:

How to say "I Love You" around the world

noreply@blogger.com (Pamela Swearingen) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 09:30:00 +0000

Happy Valentine's Day!

Woo your honey in more than one language...

Check out this list:

Language	I love you
Afrikaans	Ek's lief vir jou / Ek het jou lief
Albanian	Të dua
Aleut	Txin Yaktakuq
Alsatian	Ich hàb dich gär / Ich hàb lieb fir dich
Amharic	አፈቅርሻለሁ። (afekirishalehu) - f / አፈቅርሀለሁ። (afekirhalehu) - m
Arabic (Egyptian)	to a man - (ana uħibbuk) ٲنَا ٱحِبُّك to a woman - (ana baħibbik) ٲنَا بَحَِّك
Arabic (Modern Standard)	(>f uḥibbik / >m uħibbak) أحبك
Armenian (Eastern)	Սիրում եմ քեզ: (Sirum em kez)
Aromanian	Ti voi
Asturian	Quiérote
Avallaen	(vüväloiek dü quuo)
Azerbaijani	Mən səni sevirəm
Bambara	M'bi fe
Basque	Maite zaitut
Belarusian	Я цябе кахаю (Ja ciabe kakhaju)
Bengali	আমি আপনাকে ভালোবাসি (ami apnake bhalobashi) - frm আমি তোমাকে ভালোবাস (ami tomake bhalobashi) - inf আমি তোকে ভালোবাস (ami toke bhalobashi) - vinf
Bhojpuri	हम तोसे प्यार करीला (ham tose pyār karila)
Bicol	Namumutan ta ka
Bisaya	Nahigugma ako kanimo
Breton	Karout a ran ac'hanout / Da garout a ran / Me az kar
Bulgarian	informal Обичам те (Običam te) Аз обичам те(б) (Az običam teb(e)) Аз те(б)(е) обичам (Az te(b)(e) običam) Теб(е) обичам (Teb(e) običam) Теб(е) аз обичам (Teb(e) az običam) Обичам теб(е) (Običam teb(e)) Теб(е) любя (Teb(e) ljubja) Любя те (Ljubja te) formal Вас обичам (Vas običam) Обичам Ви (običam vi) Аз Ви обичам (Az vi običam) Аз Вас обичам (Az vas običam) Любя Ви (Ljubja vi)
Catalan	T'estimo
Cebuano	Gihigugma ko ikaw
Chamorro	Hu guiaya hao
Cherokee	ᎬᎨᏳᎢ (Gvgeyu'i)
Chinese (Cantonese)	我愛你 [我爱你] (ngóh oi néih)
Chinese (Hakka)	𠊎愛你 (ngai² oi⁵ ngi²)
Chinese (Mandarin)	我愛你 [我爱你] (wǒ ài nǐ)
Chinese (Shanghainese)	侬爱你 (nguh eh non)
Chinese (Taiwanese)	我愛你 (gua² ai³ li²)
Cimbrian	Ich liibe-dich
Cornish	My a'th kar
Corsican	Amu tè / Ti tengu caru
Croatian	Volim te
Czech	Miluji tě - between partners Mám tě rád (jako kamaráda) - between friends
Danish	Jeg elsker dig
Dungan (Gansu dialect)	Вә э ни (Veh ai ni)
Dungan (Shaanxi dialect)	Ңə э ни (Ngeh ai ni)
Dutch	Ik hou van je (inf) Ik hou van jou / Ik hou van u (frm)
Efik	Mmema fi
Esperanto	Mi amas vin
Estonian	Ma armastan sind
Faroese	Eg elski teg
Fijian	Au domoni iko / Au lomani iko
Finnish	Rakastan sinua
Frisian	Ick heb di leev
Frisian (Saterfrisian)	Iek hääb die ljoo
Frisian (West)	Ik hâld fan dy
Filipino	Mahal Kita / Iniibig Kita
Finnish	Mä rakastan sua (inf) Minä rakastan sinua (frm)
French	Je t'aime, Je t'adore
Friulian	Ti vuei ben
Galician	Ámote / Quérote
Georgian	მიყვარხარ (me shen miqvarkhar)
German (Hochdeutsch)	Ich liebe Dich
German (Bayerisch)	I lieb di
German (Bernisch)	Ig liebe di
German (Hessisch)	Isch habb disch libb
German (Kölsch)	Isch han dich leev
German (Pfäzisch)	Isch liewe disch
German (Schwyzerdütsch)	Ich liäbä Dich
German (Vorarlbergerisch)	I liab di!
Greek	Σ΄αγαπώ(S’agapó) - inf / Σας αγαπώ(Sas aghapó) - frm
Greenlandic	Asavakkit
Guaraní	Rojhayhû
Gujarati	હું તને પ્રેમ કરુ છું (hūṃ tane prem karū chūṃ)
Haitian Creole	Mwen renmen w
Hawaiian	Aloha Au Ia ʻOe / Aloha No Au Ia ʻOe
Hebrew	(Ani Ohev Otach - to woman) אני אוהב אותך (Ani Ohevet Otcha - to man) אני אוהבת אותך
Hiligaynon	Palangga ko ikaw / Guina higugma ko ikaw
Hindi	मैं तुम्हैं बहुत चाहता हुँ(maiṅ tumhaiṅ bahut cāhatā hūṅ) m मैं तुम्हैं बहुत चाहता चाहती हुँ(maiṅ tumhaiṅ bahut cāhatī hūṅ) f मैं तुमसे प्यार करता हुँ(maiṅ tumse pyār kartā hūṅ) m मैं तुमसे प्यार करती हुँ(maiṅ tumse pyār kartī hūṅ) f
Hungarian	Szeretlek
Iban	Aku sayau nuan?
Icelandic	Ég elska þig
Ilocano	Ayayatenka / Ipatpategka / Ikarkarayoka
Indonesian	Cinta kamu / Saya cinta kamu / Saya mencintaimu
Inuktitut	ᓇᒡᓕᒋᕙᒋᑦ Nagligivagit/Nalligivagit
Iñupiaq	Nakuagigikpin / Nakuagikpakpin / Piqpavagin
Irish (Gaelic)	Gráím thú (I love you) Tugaim cion duit (I give you affection) Tá cion agam ort (I have affection for you) Tá mé ceanúil ort (I have affection for you) Tá grá agam duit (I have love for you) Táim i ngrá leat (I'm in love with you) Tá mo chroí istigh ionat (My heart is within you) Ádhraím thú (I adore you)
Italian	Ti amo
Japanese	好きです (suki desu) 好きだ (suki da) 好きだよ (suki dayo) 好きよ (suki yo) f 大好きです (daisuki desu) 愛してるよ (aishiteru yo) 愛してるわ (aishiteru wa) >f
Javanese	Aku tresnasliramu
Jèrriais	J't'aime / J't'adouthe
Kapampangan	Kaluguran daka
Kannada	ನಾ ನಿನ್ನ ಪ್ರೀತಿಸ್ತೀನಿ (naa ninna preetisteeni)
Kazakh	Мен сені сүйемін (Men seni süyemin) Мен сені жақсы көремін (Men seni jaqsı köremin) - inf
Khmer	បងស្រណញ់ឣូន (bong sralun on) - m>f ឣូនស្រណញ់បង (on sralun bong) - f>m
Kirundi/Kinyarwanda	Ndagukunda
Klamath	Moo ?ams ni stinta
Klallam	Nəsƛ̕éʔ cxʷ
Korean	사랑해(sarang hae)
Kurdish	Ji te hez dikîm
Ladino	(Te amo) טי אמו
Latin	Te amo
Latvian	Es tevi mīlu
Lithuanian	Aš tave myliu
Lojban	mi do prami
Low Saxon	Ik hou van di
Luo	Aheri
Luxembourgish	Ech hunn dech gär / Ech si frou mat dir
Macedonian	Те сакам (Te sakam), Те љубам (Te lyubam) - inf Ве сакам (Ve sakam), Ве љубам (Ve lyubam) - frm
Maithili	हम अहाँ स प्रेम करेछी (hawm ahāṃ se prem karechi)
Malay	Saya sayang kamu / Aku cintakan kau Aku cinta padamu / Aku mencintaimu
Malayalam	ഞാന്‍ നിന്നെ പ്രേമിക്കുന്നു (njan ninne premikkunnu)
Maltese	Inħobbok / Inħobbok hafna / Jien inħobbek
Manchu	Bi shimbe hairambi
Manx	Ta graih aym ort
Māori	Kei te aroha au ki a koe
Marathi	माझ तुइयावर प्रेम आहे (Mājha tuiyāvar prem āhe)
Mi'kmaq	kesalul
Mongolian	Би чамд хайртай(Bi chamd khairtai)
Montagnais	Tshemenuadeden (I love you) Tsheshuenemeden (I love you a lot)
Ndebele	Ngiyakuthanda
Nepali	म तपाइलाइ माया गर्छु। (ma tapainlai maya garchu)
Northern Sotho	Ke a go rata
Norwegian	Jeg elsker deg (Bokmål) Eg elskar deg (Nynorsk)
Occitan	T'aimi. T'estimi
Okinawan	好ちゅさ一(shichusaa) 我んね一御所愛さんでぃ思と一いび一ん (wannee unju kanasa ndi umutooibiin) - frm
Old English	Ic lufie þe (West Saxon) Ic lufie þec (Northumbrian)
Palauan	A Kultoir er Kau
Pangasinan	Inaru Taka
Papimentu	Mi ta stima bo
Pashto	زه ستا سره مينه کوم (za la ta sara meena kawom)
Persian	(asheghetam) عاشقتم used in poetry and songs - (dūset dāram) دوست دارم
Polish	Kocham Cię
Portuguese	Amo-te, Eu te amo, Eu gosto de você, Eu amo você Eu adoro você (I adore you) Eu tenho carinho por você (I have affection for you)
Punjabi	ਮੈਂ ਤੈਨੂੰ ਪਿਆਰ ਕਰਦਾ ਹਾਂ। / میں تینوں پیار کردا ہاں (mẽ tenū̃ piār kardā hā̃)
Romanian	Te iubesc
Romansh	Jeu carezel tei
Russian	я тебя люблю(Ja teb'a l'ubl'u)
Samoan	Ou te alofa ia te oe
Sardinian	Deo t'amo / Deu t'amu
Scots	Ah loove ye
Scottish Gaelic	Tha gaol agam ort
Serbian	Волим те (Volim te)
Sesotho	Ke a o rata
Setswana	Ke a go rata
Shona	Ndinokuda!
Sinhala	මම ඔයාට ආදරෙයි (mama oyāṭa ādareyi)
Sioux	Techihhila
SiSwati	Ngiyakutsandza
Slovak	Ľúbim Ťa
Slovenian	Ljubim te (m/f) Rad te imam (m) Rada te imam (f)
Somali	Waan ku jecelahay
Soninke	Nga m'afini
Spanish	Te amo / Te quiero
Swahili	Ninakupenda
Swedish	Jag älskar dig
Tagalog	Iniibig kita / Mahal Kita / Minamahal Kita Iniirog kita (old fashioned)
Tamil	நான் உன்னை காதலிக்கிறேன் (nān unnai kādhalikkiren)
Tatar	Min sini yaratam/söyäm
Telugu	నేను నిన్ను ప్రేమిస్తున్నాను ! (naenu ninnu praemisthunnānu!)
Tetum	Hau hadomi O
Thai	ผมรักคุณ (phom rak khun) - m ฉันรักคุณ (chan rak khun) - f
Tibetan	ང་ཁྱེད་རང་ལ་དགའ་པོ་ཡོད་ (nga kayrâng-la gawpo yö)
Tok Pisin	Mi lavim yu
Tongan	'Oku ou 'ofa 'ia koe
Tsez	Даьр ми йетих (Där mi yetix) >f Даьр ми этих (Där mi etix) >m
Tshivenḓa	Ndi a ni funa
Tswana	Ke a go rata
Turkish	Seni seviyorum
Ukrainian	Я тебе кохаю (Ja tebe kochaju) Я тебе люблю (Ja tebe liubliu)
Urdu	میں آپ سے محبت کَرتا ہوں m (mein ap say muhabat karta hoon) میں آپ سے محبت کرتی ہوں f (mein ap say muhabat karti hoon)
Uzbek	Men seni sevaman
Vietnamese	Em yêu anh (>m) Anh yêu em (>f)
Volapük	Läfob oli
Walloon	Dji t'veû vol'tî
Welsh	Dw i'n dy garu di / Rwy'n dy garu di
Wolof	Begg naa la (general) Sopp naa la (I admire you - when courting) Nopp naa la (between partners)
Xhosa	Ndiya kuthanda
Xitsonga	Ndza ku rhandza
Yiddish	(Ikh hob dikh lieb) איך האָב דיך ליב (Ikh libe dikh) איך ליבע דיך
Yorùbá	Mo nifẹẹ rẹ
Zulu	Ngiyakuthanda

List copied from Omniglot.
So I hope these translations are correct!
I'm trusting Omniglot here.
Hope I didn't say anything offensive...

Straight to the Heart of Moses by Phil Moore

noreply@blogger.com (Pamela Swearingen) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 23:26:00 +0000

Book summary: Straight to the Heart is a series of devotional commentaries for those who appreciate the insights and sound research found in commentaries but find scholarly writing dry and lacking in personal application. The Straight to the Heart series does not cover the whole text, but focuses on key sections that communicate the main themes of each book. Although the tone is light, the text is full of useful application and backed by substantial scholarship. Its clear, thought-provoking insights will feed both mind and soul. (Kregel Publications) The entire Straight to the Heart series is available on the Kregel Publications website.

"For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me.

But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”

John 5:46-47

My thoughts: Without a doubt, my knowledge of what Moses wrote is pretty sketchy. I haven't had the opportunity to really study the Old Testament as I would like. So when I had a choice of topics for this Straight to the Heart series, Moses is the book I chose.

Straight to the Heart of Moses is part study of Moses and part devotional with practical life application points for a modern day reader to ponder.

As a study of Moses, that covers the Old Testament books of the Bible written by Moses, Straight to the Heart of Moses focuses on Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Rather than focus on these very old texts as a whole however, author Phil Moore pulls out important tidbits to teach readers different aspects of Moses' life and personality. This book contains more than 50 bite-sized chapters that are generally 4 pages each in length.

The struggles and triumphs of Moses come alive in Straight to the Heart of Moses through the devotional-style approach of this book. While each short chapter does focus on Moses, the author has also tied Moses' story to a modern day tale that is easy to understand. For example, in the very first chapter on page 19, author Phil Moore compares the events of Exodus to the TV show, Prison Break. Sometimes the connections between today's modern world and the life Moses led are a bit stretched, but all of the stories were understandable and actually very easy to remember.

I have a tendency to sometimes think that Moses and the Old Testament is relegated to Bible scholars and those who speak ancient languages. Straight to the Heart of Moses debunks that myth with readable stories that still shine a light on this important Biblical figure.

Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Pages: 272
Year originally published: 2011
You might want to know: Beginning February 22 and continuing through Easter Sunday, Kregel Publications will be tweeting links to Straight to the Heart of Romans. The entire book will be posted as short, five to ten minute, daily readings. Check out this fresh, and free, engagement with the Bible. Find it by following Kregel Publications or #Straight2Heart on Twitter.
Source: I received this book complimentary from Kregel Publications in exchange for an honest review but the opinion is all mine.
Purchase on Amazon: Straight to the Heart of Moses by Phil Moore

The Vow (book not movie) by Kim and Krickitt Carpenter

noreply@blogger.com (Pamela Swearingen) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 23:38:00 +0000

Book summary: Married for just a few short months, Kim and Krickitt Carpenter were involved in a devastating life-altering automobile accident. As the physical wounds healed, it became clear that Krickitt had lost 18 months of memory. She didn't remember meeting, dating or marrying her husband, Kim. This is their true story of how their love persevered.

Quote: "Krickitt, who's your husband?"
Krickitt looked at me again and back at the therapist. I was sure everyone could hear my heart thudding as I waited for my wife's answer in silence and desperation.
"I'm not married." The Vow, Page 2 and 83

My thoughts: Every once in a while you read a story that is so astonishing that it just doesn't seem real. The Vow: The Kim and Krickitt Carpenter Story is one of those stories with an amazing tale of a horrific accident, intense hospitalizations and medical bills and a wife with amnesia that leaves her with no recollection of ever even meeting her husband.

The book chronicles Kim and Krickitt's life together. Beginning with their first initial meeting and their first wedding, the vast majority of this book covers their struggles after the accident, which occurred when they had been married only two months. Once it is clear that Krickitt's memory is forever altered, the Carpenter's struggle to date again, love again and eventually marry again.

The Carpenters are devout Christians and believe that God uses them infinitely through their incredible story. Throughout the book, the entire Carpenter family leans on God through good times and bad, with heartbreaking honesty. Their story is one of doubting God's plan, but having faith that God does indeed have a plan.

I found that the unsaid question at the core of this book is "What would you do?". Would you have survived the accident? Would you trust God? Would you have stayed true to your vows? Would you fall in love with your spouse all over again? Read this book to see how Kim and Krickitt Carpenter responded with grace, dignity and perseverance.

Please note: I have not seen the movie yet so I can't make any comparisons. From a quick check on the internet I can see that names, locations and a few important facts have been changed from the book. According to the book (page 164-165), the Carpenters signed a movie deal in 1996 and learned fourteen years later than the movie would be produced. The Carpenters were able to visit the movie set during filming. To quote Kim Carpenter from the book, "Though many changes were made, as is typically the case when true events are adapted for the silver screen, the basic framework was still in place and Krickitt and I felt it to be an excellent portrayal of the message of our story."
Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Pages: 183
Year originally published: First published in 2000, but has been rereleased in 2012 conjunction with the movie.
You might want to know: You can learn more about the movie at The Vow movie page on Sony.com
Source: I received this book complimentary from Lowell/Fairchild Communications in exchange for an honest review but the opinion is all mine.
Purchase on Amazon: The Vow

Building a Marriage that Thrives - Guest Post by Poppy Smith

noreply@blogger.com (Pamela Swearingen) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 14:30:00 +0000

8 Tips For Building a Marriage That Thrives

The mega-millions spent by Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries, and Katy Perry and Russell Brand, on their lavish and exotic weddings failed to guarantee a long and blissful union. But they are not alone. Recent statistics show a decline in couples getting married and staying married for more than a few months or years.

Can marriages survive in today’s culture? Long-wedded author, Poppy Smith, says “Yes.” Here are Smith’s tips for building a marriage that not only works, but thrives:

Readjust your expectations. You didn’t marry your clone. Naturally, your partner will view some things differently. Be willing to flex and accept their right to be themselves.
Appreciate your different strengths. Analyze your personalities, your backgrounds, and what’s important to each of you. Identify each other’s strengths and affirm what these add to your relationship.
Learn to communicate so you’re heard. Women tend to explain and expand. Men tend to edit. To be heard, communicate according to your spouse’s desired style, not yours.
Understand each other’s feelings about money. Does money signal fun? Symbolize success? Guarantee security? Or ensure power? Knowing what it means to both of you helps in settling money battles.
Practice a conflict resolution style that works for both. Clarify what the conflict is about. Listen to each other’s reasoning and feelings without interrupting. Then decide what best builds your relationship.
Recognize the emotional needs of your mate. Both men and women want to be valued, admired, respected, and listened to. Discover what makes your spouse feel loved and special, then find ways to meet that need.
Prioritize romance and sexual intimacy. Sex matters. It gives physical and emotional pleasure, strengthens love, and deepens commitment. Make time to play or be silly or sensuous in bed. It pays rich dividends.
Share your Dreams. What is it each of you longs to achieve? Are there some dreams you want to accomplish together? Be encouragers to each other and discuss steps you can take now toward your goals.

About Poppy Smith:

With her fun personality and passion for communicating life-changing truths, Poppy Smith inspires believers to thrive spiritually and personally. Poppy’s practical how-to messages (in print or in person) uses colorful examples from her own struggles to be more like Jesus. She encourages others to grow in every kind of situation—whether joyful or painful! Poppy is British, married to an American, and has lived in many countries. She brings an international flair seasoned with humorous honesty as she illustrates Bible truths. A former Bible Study Fellowship lecturer, Poppy’s teaching challenges women to look at their choices, attitudes and self-talk. As a result, God’s speaks, changing hearts, changing minds, and changing lives. Watch for Poppy's upcoming book release, Why Can't He Be More Like Me: 9 Secrets to Understanding Your Husband.

Purchase Books by Poppy Smith on Amazon:

This guest article was provided to me free of charge by KCWC however links to Amazon refer readers via my affiliate links, not KWCW links.

Trip to the Dog Show

noreply@blogger.com (Pamela Swearingen) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 14:30:00 +0000

Homeschooling + dogs = fun life skill!

Dog training is honestly one of our school subjects! Yes, I actually do assign dog training as a subject to be covered each week. My youngest also participates in 4-H, attending weekly classes with her dog.

So attending the Eukanuba Rose City Dog Show in Portland, Oregon as a homeschool field trip? Yes, please!

This show is billed as one of the largest and best dog shows in America. What apparently makes this dog show so unique is that really two dog shows are occurring at the same time. On one side of the huge exhibit hall building is the "Best in Breed" type competition while on the other side of the building is a complete dog agility competition.

What we loved about this show was the accessibility of the entire thing. While you can sit in bleachers to watch the various rounds of competition, the public is also allowed to wander through the holding area where dogs are prepped for the show. It's fabulous to talk to breeders and owners while learning about various exotic dog breeds. It's also a great chance to see the personalitites of dogs as they wait for their chance to shine.

If you ever have a chance to see a dog show, we all really recommend it. Honestly, I'm more of a cat person, but I really LOVED this dog show. It was such a happy place with all those wagging tails and barking smiles.

I'm not an expert on dog breeds, but I think these are salukis?

A French poodle getting ready for competition

Sheepdog

Rat terrier

This was one breed we had never seen before.
Was it a Puli?

Agility course fun!

Everything dog-related was for sale

Even some dog "art"

The shuttle bus was a SCHOOL bus!
Homeschoolers are always excited to ride a school bus.

I'm linking this post to:

What's Up - February 10, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Pamela Swearingen) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:02:00 +0000

Homeschool Happenings:

The oldest kid is studying World War II right now so we watched the documentary, Paper Clips. This movie is the story of a middle school project in the town of Whitwell, TN. Over the course of World War II, the Nazis killed 6 million Jewish people. In an effort to comprehend the staggering number of 6 million, the school kids began to collect 6 million paper clips. In the end they collected nearly 30 million paper clips, in addition to thousands of personal letters and testimonies from people who were touched by the Holocaust.

Cooking:

You already know my feelings about cooking, so I rely on e-mealz and a prayer. Luckily, it seems that my youngest child has not inherited my kitchen phobia! Last night she made ECLAIRS from scratch?! ECLAIRS! I was so proud!

We are reading:

Continuing to study China, the youngest child is reading more of Dragonwings by Lawrence Yep.

Oldest child is fascinated by music so he is currently reading The World in Six Songs by Daniel Levitin. I am finishing up a review copy of The Vow by Kim and Krickitt Carpenter.

What's working/not working for us:

For my middle schooler, science has been more hit and miss than anything else this year. We have used workbooks and other science books to study chemistry in the everyday world. It's been good and it's been bad. We are now going to switch gears completely. I found a great lecture series from Great Courses that is titled Nutrition Made Clear. We will be studying food, important food choices, vitamins and exercise. In addition to the lecture videos, we will also be cooking healthy meals, shopping at the local farmer's market and maybe even dusting off the old Wii Fit. (Don't tell, but I'm thinking it's a topic that the whole house needs to study!)

Praying for:

I always had a few things I wanted us all to do as a family, such as trips to important places. Lately I'm feeling a lot of anxiety as I see the kids getting older so quickly. I pray these final years at home are fruitful and enriching.

Something to share:

Have you ever thought about what a grain of sand truly looks like? We found these pictures online this week and I really wanted to share them with you. Such fascinating pictures!

This picture is from www.sandgrains.com.
To read a short article about this photography, visit:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2011471/Pictures-sand-Close-photographs-reveal-incredible-beauty.html

An Amazon search on the subject of sand revealed some interesting looking books.

Have you read any of these?

Thank you for visiting!

I'm linking up with:

"Read in the Bathtub" Day - Guest post by Linda Gilden

noreply@blogger.com (Pamela Swearingen) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:39:00 +0000

Linda Gilden, Director

CLASS Christian Writers

Conference

Take a Break

By Linda Gilden

I held the dripping book by one corner. Water poured from between its pages. How could that have happened? Until this moment I had never even gotten a cover wet.

For years the bathtub has provided my favorite literary getaway. Preparation for bath time means gathering the essentials: a glass of cold water, one towel for drying, a small one for drying hands occasionally, a flashlight, eyeglasses (a fairly recent addition to the list), and a good book.

You may not be a bathtub reader but finding a daily time for yourself is important and reading enhances that special, individual time. Making the effort to have personal time each day has great benefits.

Keeps you grounded. The best way to start every day is with a personal time of devotion. Making a connection with God when you first get up gives you a solid foundation for the day. This time may include Bible reading, your favorite devotional book, and a time of meditation and prayer.
Recharges your “batteries.” We were not created to go and go and go. We need a break. Life is busy if not frantic for most of us and burnout lurks just around the corner. A few minutes away from the family, workplace, and the demands that go along with them gives you new strength, energy, and perspective to face your day.
Provides a time for enjoyment. Everyone needs to have a little fun every day. Reading is one of my favorite pastimes. So relaxing with a good book, whether in the bathtub, under a tree, or wrapped in a blanket in the recliner gives me a few minutes of enjoyment and entertainment.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

Linda Gilden is an author, speaker, editor, and writing coach. She has written hundreds of articles as well as the Love Notes series, Mommy Pick-Me-Ups, and has ghostwritten or contributed to over three dozen books. Directing the CLASS Christian Writers Conference in Abiquiu, NM, she encourages others to clearly communicate God’s love to the world. Linda lives in SC with her family – a great source of speaking and writing material!

In March, the CLASS website will release news of the 2012 Christian Writers Conference: www.classeminars.org. Come meet Linda and the rest of the CLASS faculty there!

This article was provided to me free of charge by KCWC.

The Sound of Red Returning by Sue Duffy

noreply@blogger.com (Pamela Swearingen) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0000

After losing everyone she loves, concert pianist Liesl Bower has nowhere to go but to escape into her music. Searching for the peace she usually finds in her concertos and sonatas, Liesl can’t shake the feeling that she is being haunted by her past . . . and by someone following her. When she spots a familiar and eerie face in the audience of a concert she’s giving for the president in Washington, DC, the scariest day of her life comes back to her with a flash. It has been fifteen years since Liesl watched her beloved Harvard music mentor assaulted on a dark night in Moscow and just as long since the CIA disclosed to her that he’d been spying for Russia. She had seen that man--that eerie face--the night Professor Devoe was attacked. And now he’s back--and coming for her.

On the run and struggling to rely on the protection of CIA agent Ava Mullins and handsome newspaper reporter Cade O’Brien, Liesl learns she is the prey of an underground cell of Russian KGB agents determined to restore their country to its former Soviet might. But what she doesn’t know is that she is in possession of something--a piece of sheet music--that Russian intelligence is now frantic to find. Inside that music is a secret code, the hidden transcriptions of her deceased mentor, that clearly identify a Russian mole operating inside Israel’s Department of Defense, a mole with enough power and access to execute a daring assassination that no one would see coming.

Caught in a deadly conflict between American and Russian undercover agents, this innocent young pianist is just trying to survive her own personal trauma. Through it all, Liesl must learn that no matter how dark her world grows or how fiercely her enemies pursue her, God is still in control--if only she can yield herself to His grace. Read an excerpt here: http://www.sueduffybooks.com

Book quote: "In just seconds, she pulled Tchaikovsky's Grand Sonata in G Major from the stack. They stared at the innocent-looking pages as if they were laced with anthrax." - Sound of Red Returning, Page 199

My thoughts: As a world-famous classical pianist, Liesl Bower plays command performances for the President and various foreign dignitaries. She thinks she's seen it all and played it all, until her past comes back to chase her from her comfortable Washington DC-area home. From the moment she spots a familiar, yet frightening, man sitting so close to her as she performs at the White House, Liesl knows her life will never be the same.

Racing from rogue Russians that are determined to change the course of history, Liesl is protected by the FBI, the CIA and a couple of humble fishermen from the Florida Keys.

The Sound of Red Returning is suspenseful and exciting, but it is also romantic and sweet. The underground KGB agents and the murder of Liesl's former music professor, make this book a mysterious globetrotting page-turner. Liesl's return to her ailing grandmother's side, a simmering new romance with Cade O'Brien and the comic utterances of Cade's grandfather all provide a softer edge to this book.

As a Christian novel, each of the characters in this book all have their own opinions about God and His place in their lives. Liesl has walked away from the God she thinks was never there for her family in the very tough times. As the novel progresses, Liesl begins to see that God has used her, if if she wasn't close to him at the time.

At times the novel is a bit difficult to follow simply because some of the action has taken place 15 years ago, but now must be recalled quickly as a matter of national security. In addition, the plot can be a bit murky in spots due to a cast of international characters that are frequently hiding in the shadows. Stick with this book, though. Like all good mysteries, plot lines are tied up in the final chapters and Liesl begins her new life with her Russian past behind her.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Pages: 288
Year originally published: 2012

You might want to know: Sue Duffy is an award-winning writer whose work has appeared in Moody Magazine, The Presbyterian Journal, Sunday Digest, and The Christian Reader. She is the author of Mortal Wounds (Barbour, 2001) and Fatal Loyalty (Kregel, 2010). Sue has also contributed to Stories for a Woman’s Heart (Multnomah). She and her husband, Mike, have three grown children. Find out more at www.sueduffybooks.com.

Source: I received this book and the accompanying book summary complimentary from LitFuse in exchange for an honest review but the opinion is all mine. The giveaway associated with this book is being hosted by LitFuse, not this blog, I Read. Do You? (IRDY).

If you are interested in this book, visit the LitFuse blog tour for The Sound of Red Returning.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Win a Kindle Fire from @SueDuffy2 and @KregelBooks in the "Red Returning" Giveaway! Sue Duffy and her publisher, Kregel Publications, are celebrating the release of The Sound of Red Returning by giving away a Kindle Fire prize package worth over $200 to one lucky winner!!!! (1/23-2/11)

Enter the Sue Duffy’s Giveaway today and you could win:

* A brand new Kindle Fire with Wi-Fi

* The Sound of Red Returning (Book One in the Red Returning series) by Sue Duffy

To enter click one of the icons below. But, hurry! The giveaway ends on 2/11/12.
Sue will be announcing the winner of the “Red Returning” Giveaway on February 13th on the Litfuse website!

Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.

CurrClick Thursday - Valentine's Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Pamela Swearingen) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:30:00 +0000

Welcome to a special VALENTINE'S DAY edition of CurrClick Thursday!

I'm always amazed at the variety of items available for download at CurrClick. As a Featured Reviewer on CurrClick, I see a lot of the new items each week. Here are just a few of the latest ones:

The Bible Verse Valentines Decorations by The Whole Word Publishing is so cute! This item is great if you are looking for a fun craft project to do with your kids that ties in various Bible verses on love. A color version and a black and white version of these valentines are both available in this one download. Instructions are included in order to complete these crafty valentines, however I did not find a supply list in this download. You will need additional craft supplies such as scissors, white cardstock, ribbons, pipe cleaners and/or yarn. I give this item 5 of 5 stars, if you and your kids are craft loving people.

Heart Coloring Book and Audio File by www.sciencewithme.com are great fromlearning about the parts of the heart. Each of the two products are soldseparately on CurrClick and can be used independently, however these twoproducts are designed to be used in conjunction with each other. Using a slow“beat” in the song (audio file), the parts of the heart and the main functionof the heart of explained. Kids can follow along by reading the words andcoloring the pictures (coloring book). This download with its cartoon-stylecoloring book drawings would be best for elementary kids that need to have a generalunderstanding of the workings of the heart. Five of five stars!

Valentine Verb Word Wall by Fun to Teach can be used toexpand your child’s vocabulary, with five pages of ready-to-print bulletinboard sized verbs all related to Valentine’s Day. If you don’t have a word wallfor your students, this download also includes a few game ideas for reinforcingthe words. Words in this download include upper elementary words such asinfatuated and enamored, in addition to lower elementary words such as likedand loved. I’m giving this item 3.5 stars because I’m surethere is such a word as “smittened” but it is in this download.

The Valentine Mailbox from Ali-Pat Publications would be afun craft if your child is going to receive several valentine cards at once.Rather than use a box to create the mailbox, this download relies on a filefolder or cardstock. The final mailbox is flatter than using a box and would beeasier to hang on a wall or store in a file later. While the directions aresimple and easy to understand, this download includes many distracting typossuch as misspelling “glueing” and “seperate.” I’m giving this item 4 stars because it is funfor kids despite the typos that are not fun for moms.

Valentine Cards by Ali-Pat Publications is really very cute.This download consists of 8 patterns for making Valentine cards that resemblethose little candy conversation hearts. Cut out the hearts and have kidsdecorate the hearts as they wish. I'm giving this item five stars because it’s simple, cute and fun.

Thirty-Six Valentine’s Day Facts Copywork Cards byHomeschool Bits is a hybrid of card making and schoolwork. Kids can learn factsabout Valentine’s Day while practicing their handwriting as they complete thecopywork included in this download. Five stars because this download would be great way to quicklyadd an educational element to Valentine’s Day.

Note: I received these items complimentary from CurrClick in exchange for an honest review but the opinion is all mine. I am an affiliate of CurrClick.

The One and Only Miss Violet Remy by Angie Renich

noreply@blogger.com (Pamela Swearingen) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:30:00 +0000

About the book:
Violet Remy and her homeschool friends find a mysterious camera bag while on a field trip to the local wetlands. Working together to solve the mystery of the bag, the kids learn how to be great friends to each other as well as how to be nice to the grumpy old lady down the street.

Pages:

File Size: 1627 KB

Print Length: 155 pages

Year originally published: 2011
My source: I received this book directly from the author in exchange for an honest review but the opinion is all mine.

My thoughts:
Author and homeschool mom Angie Renich wrote The One and Only Violet Remy after searching high and low for good chapter books for children that featured homeschooling kids. When she didn't find what she was looking for, she decided to write Violet Remy.

And I LOVED this book!
The One and Only Violet Remy is clean, entertaining AND puts homeschooling in a good light!

First off, this book really is clean. With no swear words and no potty humor, this book is a great read without pandering to the stereotypical sophomoric behavior found in many books written for children.

Secondly, this book is really entertaining! Even as an adult, I was hooked on the mystery that surrounded the camera bag located in the restricted area of the wetlands. Who was the owner of the bag? Why was the bag abandoned at the wetlands? What does the bag have to do with an olive green Pinto car?

And finally, this book is really a great chance to show readers some alternative learning styles. In this book the homeschooling kids learn in a neighborhood co-op style of learning where parents teach the different subjects and share in the educational process. Speaking as a homeschooling mom, my family has utilized a neighborhood co-op for many subjects over the years. Not all homeschoolers stay home for one-on-one time with mom all day and neither does Violet Remy!

According to Amazon, The One and Only Violet Remy is the first book written by Angie Renich. I hope she will publish more soon. The world needs to know more about the adventures of Violet Remy and her homeschooling friends!

1 Peter Bible Study - Week Five

noreply@blogger.com (Pamela Swearingen) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:09:00 +0000

Welcome to Week Five
I'm participating in an online Bible study this winter using this book, 1 Peter: Finding Encouragement in Troubling Times by Sue Edwards. For nine weeks a group of bloggers will be studying the book of I Peter in the Bible, then journaling about what we have learned using questions found in the book by Sue Edwards. This is my post for Week Five.

My thoughts on this book so far:

My Thoughts on Chapter 5:

This week's topic is one of "those" topics. You know the ones, those hot button words that get everyone all riled up without ever really getting to the heart of the issue. The questions for the week were really tough. One question was "What do you think submission looks like in a marriage context?". Another was "Do you talk too much?".

Husbands, wives, submission? Whoa.

It's important to look at each verse and each question in context. It's important to try to remain calm and rational, too. As if that is possible!

I'm not a theologian and in no way do I wish to start a fight. Let me just share my takeaways from this lesson:

* My favorite part of this lesson was a series of verses in the book of Proverbs regarding speaking, watching your tongue and saying unwise things. If you struggle with saying "too much that is unwise," check out Proverbs 10:19, Proverbs 13:3, Proverbs 17:1, Proverbs 17:28, and Proverbs 18:2.

* I also liked the part of this study called "True Beauty." In this age of Kim Kardashian and supermodels, it's very easy to believe in the Hollywood version of external beauty. We all know that beauty is fleeting, but even still, it still seems to haunt us. Directly opposite of Hollywood's ideals, the Bible wants women to be beautiful on the inside and this passage in 1 Peter gives us a few hints on how this Biblical ideal would look with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit.

As a mom, I pray I can impart this wisdom to all of my children, male and female.

Side note - One thing that I didn't like AT ALL from this lesson was the final "living stone" story. In an attempt to mirror the lesson, this living stone story recounts an event from China in 1977 when Christians were severely persecuted to the point of death. In this particular story, the women are humble and forgiving but the man screams and yells.

REALLY? I didn't get the point of including this story. Perhaps the part about the women and their attitudes reflects the idea of internal beauty. Why bring in the part about the man yelling, though? After walking the tightrope of this hotbed issue, the final sentence in this chapter makes this man (or is it all men?) look terrible?! Hated that story. Not necessary.

About the book:

The letter of 1 Peter was heard by women who knew times like these. This newest addition to the Sue Edwards Inductive Bible Study series digs into 1 Peter and takes a look at the stories of real women—past and present—to teach today’s woman how to stand faithful to God regardless of her trials, however severe.

About the Author: Sue Edwards
(MA, Dallas Theological Seminary; D.Min., Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) teaches full-time in the Christian Education Department at Dallas Theological Seminary. She has more than twenty-five years of experience teaching, pastoring, and directing women's ministries. In addition, Sue speaks at retreats, conferences, and seminars across the country. She is the coauthor of Women's Retreats and New Doors in Ministry to Women, and the author of the new Sue Edwards Inductive Bible Study series.
Pages: 103
Year originally published: 2011
You might want to know: This post is Week Five which covers pages 42-49.
My source: I received this book complimentary from Kregel Publications in exchange for an honest review but the opinion is all mine.

Visit Kregel Publications for more information on the 1 Peter blog tour and to read other reviews.

If you would like to follow along as we study 1 Peter:

The Encounter by Stephen Arterburn

noreply@blogger.com (Pamela Swearingen) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

About the book:
A wealthy businessman travels to Fairbanks, Alaska, to learn why his mother abandoned him when he was a child, and in the process learns that not everything is as it appears to be.

The Encounter, the unique new book from best-selling author and counselor Stephen Arterburn, is a moving parable involving Jonathan Rush, a wealthy and famous entrepreneur, who is tortured by bitterness toward his mother who abandoned him when he was four. He travels to Alaska to find her but instead meets an enigmatic old woman known only as Mercy. Mercy has the information he needs but is strangely reluctant to talk to him. Somehow Jonathan must find a way to persuade a frightened woman to unlock the secrets of his past.

The book includes an invitation to the readers to verify the facts of their own stories, to accept the reality of their existence, especially the most painful ones, and to live in forgiveness. The end result is a healthy new way to look at life with an ability to share hope with others for the future. Healing is possible but requires truth, acceptance, and forgiveness, including of oneself. (from Amazon)

Pages: 167
Year originally published: 2011
You might want to know: Autho Steve Arturburn is the founder of the Women of Faith® conferences and has written more than sixty books.
My source: I received this book complimentary from Thomas Nelson via the BookSneeze program in exchange for an honest review but the opinion is all mine.

My thoughts:
3.5 stars
The Encounter is a quick and easy read, with several pages of author insights and life application questions at the end of the story. This book is also a clean read with no profanity and some messy spots in life such as an unplanned pregnancy are kept neat and tidy in the storyline.

In The Encounter, Jonathan "Gold" Rush has spent years being angry at the world for things that happened to him as a child living in Alaska. Finally forced to examine his bad behavior, Jonathan seeks the advice of a pastor who suggests that Jonathan confront his Alaskan childhood past head-on. Upon arrival in Alaska, Jonathan's life story quickly unfolds. With the help of a local reporter, Jonathan makes contact with his birthmother, only she says that her name is Mercy.

The symbolism of the birthmother's assumed name is clear. The older woman wants mercy. The son needs to learn about mercy. The Encounter is a nice story about lessons learned, pasts forgiven and a positive future for all.

And it all felt a little too saccharine to me.

True, at one point Jonathan rejects Mercy and he must face the consequences, but the entire story overall was a tad unbelievable. In the real life things are messy, people are complicated and not everyone wants to confront the past as easily as everyone in The Encounter seems to want to do. As a book about the power of forgiveness, this book is sweet but I can't imagine it being all that effective in the life of someone truly struggling with mercy, grace and forgiveness.

Celestial Alamanack from Fourth Day Press

noreply@blogger.com (Pamela Swearingen) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Celestial Almanack from Classical Astronomy (February 2012,Volume 1, Number 2) is a 21-page download that is really interesting. Theintroduction of this item is packed with historical facts relating to February2012, including information on this month’s Leap Day as well as information onGroundhog’s Day. This download does occasionally reference the Christianhomeschool curriculum, Signs & Seasons. Students with limited astronomicalknowledge might have some difficulty understanding all of the information inthis download. However, if your student does understand basic astronomy, thisitem would be very beneficial because of the timely information that pertainsspecifically to events that can be seen in the sky during February 2012. I givethis item 5 stars because of the vast knowledge contained in this one download.

To purchase: The February edition of Celestial Almanack is available at CurrClick. This almanac and much more is available directly from the publisher, Fourth Day Press.

Note: I received this item complimentary from CurrClick in exchange for anhonest review but the opinion is all mine.

Alienation by Jon Lewis

noreply@blogger.com (Pamela Swearingen) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 23:49:00 +0000

About the book: After his parents were killed in a car accident, Colt McAllister was drawn into a world he thought only existed in comic books-one where mind control, jet packs, and flying motorcycles don't even scratch the surface.

Along with his best friends Oz and Danielle, Colt is now training at the secret Central Headquarters Against the Occult and Supernatural academy. But strange accidents seem to follow him. . . even with the security of the school grounds. What first seems random soon turns deadly. But who is targeting Colt?

As the alien invasions increase in frequency and force, C.H.A.O.S resources are taxed to the limit and they're forced to utilize the new recruits. In the midst of battle, Colt will discover some startling revelations . . . about himself, his friendship with Oz, and why he has been chosen to defeat this alien attack against earth.

Great quote: (I chose this quote to show you the flavor of this novel.) "The last time they had seen Lohr, they were at Hyde Field House as a guest of Basil Hyde, a former CHAOS agent turned businessman. Amongst his many enterprises, Hyde owned and operated the Inter-Galactic Fighting League. It was similar to boxing or mixed martial arts, but the IGFL pitted the greatest fighters in the twelve known worlds against one another - and Lohr was ranked towards the top of his weight class. He was also the combat training instructor at the CHAOS Military Academy." (ARC page 155)

Rating: 5 of 5 stars

My thoughts: This novel was a nice surprise to me! I had not read the first book in the CHAOS series, Invasion, but I was immersed into this second book fairly quickly. The science fiction aliens were reminiscent of the Men in Black movies and the allegorical story paralleled the Biblical David and Goliath showdown. As a writer for DC Comics, author Jon S. Lewis has an astonishing imagination that gives readers amazing details in this thrilling science fiction novel. This book is a great page-turner for teens who like science fiction, thrills and adventure.

About the author:Jon S. Lewis is the coauthor of the Grey Griffins trilogy (over 500,000 books in print) and the upcoming Grey Griffins Clockwork Chronicles. He also writes for the DC COMICS family of publishers. He resides with his family in Arizona. For more about Jon and the series, visit www.chaosnovels.com.

Pages: 288

Year originally published: 2012

You might want to know: Find out what others are saying about Alienation by checking out other stops on the blog tour at http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13449999

My source: I received this book complimentary from LitFuse in exchange for an honest review and participation in this blog tour, but the opinions are all mine. I read and reviewed a Advanced Reader Copy so my opinions may or may not reflect the final published version.

Purchase on Amazon: Alienation by Jon S. Lewis

Win an iPad from @JonSLewis and @NelsonFiction in the Alienation iPad2 Giveaway!

The invasion was only the beginning!

Jon Lewis is celebrating the next adventure in his fast-paced C.H.A.O.S. series with an explosive giveaway!

One thrill-seeker will receive:

iPad2 with Wi-Fi

Copies of the C.H.A.O.S. novels, Invasion and Alienation

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends at noon on February 7th. Winner will be announced at the Alienation Facebook Party on 2/7. Jon will be hosting an Author Chat, giving away copies of the books and gift certificates to iTunes and Amazon.com! Don't miss a second of the intrigue!

Grab your copy of Alienation and join Jon on the evening of February 7th for an author chat, spy training (How much do you know about alien invaders?) and lots of giveaways.

Don't miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you there!

What's Up - February 3, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Pamela Swearingen) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:14:00 +0000

In my life this week:
Thankfully nothing big happened this week! Mom and dad are home from their hospital stays and nothing too major is going on right now.

It's Girl Scout cookie time which means cookies cookies everywhere. In the next few weeks, if you see a pitiful-looking mom standing in the rain with a bunch of girl scouts, consider buying a box of cookies. Let's just say, the more you buy, the sooner we stop asking. Until next year, that is!

My favorite thing of the week:
A Bald Eagle just circled over our house! A nest pair lives at a small lake a few miles from our home so we see these eagles occasionally. Seeing an eagle never ceases to amaze me. I love the Pacific Northwest with its Bald Eagles.

Homeschooling around here:
Since the kids are getting older, we started a new thing this school year where the kids and I discuss their weekly assignments on Monday. I assign everything to each kid all at once and they are responsible for getting everything completed on time.

How's that working out?

Well, this is the first year where the kids have had to do school on Saturday just to learn that I wasn't kidding when I said they had to finish their work. Now that they understand the idea of scheduling their own time, one of my kids is working diligently each week to finish by Thursday. She likes to sleep in on Fridays. The other kid hasn't scheduled his time that well, but at least he won't be doing homeschool work on Saturday.

On our bookshelves:
Youngest child has now moved from a study of Korea to a study of Japan and now to a study of China. We will be studying China for a few weeks because there is just so much to study. Readers for China include Young Fu of the Upper Yagntze and Dragonwings.

The oldest is studying World War Two, with a focus this week on the European front. Readers this week have included The Hiding Place and Number the Stars.

As for me, I'm reading some review books. I ended up getting quite a stack of review items and had little time for reading my own personal collection of books. Once I finish this batch of review books, I'm pretty well caught up and ready to read some stuff for fun. This week I'm reading:

I'm cooking:
Honestly I really do love football, but this West coast girl could not care less about the Super Bowl teams this year. At first we weren't going to even watch the game but then how could we miss those great commercials? For the game I'll be making an e-mealz recipe for chili. I'm also going to "try" to make a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. HAHAHA. We'll see how that tastes.

Something to share:

This picture literally made me laugh out loud!

Pic from www.buzzfeed.com

I'm linking up with:

Thank you for visiting my blog, I Read. Do You?

I would love to have you visit again soon!

Subscribe now to I read Do You

Scottish Highland Games

noreply@blogger.com (Pamela Swearingen) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:29:00 +0000

Well, I had planned to write about this field trip last summer when we actually visited the local Scottish Highland Games. Finally getting around to it now. Better late than never?

My family isn't Scottish at all, but we love visiting festivals to see other cultural traditions and taste some really great food. The main reason for visiting this particular festival was because of the music, though. Bagpipes, drums and much more provided hours of entertainment, but the highlight of the day for us was the spotlight performance of the Scottish/Irish duo, Men of Worth.

You see, my parents are groupies and they love their Men of Worth. With every album memorized, we loved the performance. We also enjoyed a great workshop they held earlier in the afternoon where the guys of Men of Worth explained Scottish/Irish instruments and musical styles. It was very enlightening and lots of fun to see traditional drums and such.

Bagpipes galore...

And lots of men in kilts...

This event is called Caber Tossing and is amazing to see in person.
It should be called "Phone Pole Tossing."

My picture doesn't do it justice. Here's a video of a perfect toss:

Check out the Men of Worth page on Amazon!

I'm linking this post to:

1 Peter Bible Study Week Four

noreply@blogger.com (Pamela Swearingen) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:03:00 +0000

Welcome to Week Four
I'm participating in an online Bible study this winter using this book, 1 Peter: Finding Encouragement in Troubling Times by Sue Edwards. For nine weeks a group of bloggers will be studying the book of I Peter in the Bible, then journaling about what we have learned using questions found in the book by Sue Edwards. This is my post for Week Four.

Last week BOTH of my parents were in cardiac units at two different hospitals an hour away from each other while I live hundreds of miles away from both of my parents. I'm so happy to report that both parents are now fine and are resting at home. Mom still has a bit of a recovery road but dad is well. Please do keep them in your prayers.

My Thoughts on Chapter 4:

This week's lesson focuses on 1 Peter 2:11-25. This passage has some pretty heavy thoughts. Getting straight to the issue, Peter wrote these particular verses to encourage the early believers to live Christan lives in the midst of their pagan world. Wage war on sinful desires...silent the ignorant talk of foolish people...

Sound familiar?

It's pretty easy to read through some of Peter's words this week and see parallels to our lives today. The Christian lifestyle is definitely not glamorized in our media-saturated world. Well, maybe Tim Tebow is an exception, for as long his star shines.

My favorite verse of this passage is verse 17:
¹⁷ Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.

Why is this my favorite verse? Well, pretty much because it's the hardest thing to do!
Show proper respect to everyone...even that silly road rage fool?
Love the family of believers...even those crazy televangelists on TV?
Fear God...even when sometimes I wonder if He is even listening?
Honor the emperor...even those foolish and hazardous laws?

On the flip side of this thought, I found that this week's passage could be pretty eye-opening for your average American Christian. Consider these verses:

¹⁹ For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. ²⁰ But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.

Uh, a beating because I'm a Christian? Well, I've never suffered THAT much, thank you very much. Plenty of Christians around the world do actually suffer for their faith, though. I think it would be wise for me to be mindful of that next time I complain about my own "sufferings" as a Christian. Not to say I won't have down times and experience oppositions that Jesus wants to help me with. I just need to have some perspective on this whole issue and know that Christ has already suffered on my behalf.

²⁴ “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” ²⁵ For “you were like sheep going astray,”^[b] but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

About the book:

The letter of 1 Peter was heard by women who knew times like these. This newest addition to the Sue Edwards Inductive Bible Study series digs into 1 Peter and takes a look at the stories of real women—past and present—to teach today’s woman how to stand faithful to God regardless of her trials, however severe.

About the Author: Sue Edwards
(MA, Dallas Theological Seminary; D.Min., Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) teaches full-time in the Christian Education Department at Dallas Theological Seminary. She has more than twenty-five years of experience teaching, pastoring, and directing women's ministries. In addition, Sue speaks at retreats, conferences, and seminars across the country. She is the coauthor of Women's Retreats and New Doors in Ministry to Women, and the author of the new Sue Edwards Inductive Bible Study series.

Pages: 103
Year originally published: 2011
You might want to know: This post is Week Four which covers pages 36-49.
My source: I received this book complimentary from Kregel Publications in exchange for an honest review but the opinion is all mine.

Visit Kregel Publications for more information on the 1 Peter blog tour and to read other reviews.

If you would like to follow along as we study 1 Peter:

Whispers From the Ashes by Patricia Hester

noreply@blogger.com (Pamela Swearingen) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000

About the book (from Publishers Weekly via Amazon):

"Growing up in Pennsylvania coal country in the 1950's, in the mountainside town of Giant's Despair, young Molly Branigan discovers a hidden diary and begins to pursue the secret scandals of previous generations of her family in this cleverly constructed coming-of-age story set in a mining town suffering from both economic collapse and the fumes of a long-burning underground coal fire that's poisoning trees, water and people. The squabbles of family life under the stress of job loss, alcohol, religious differences and sudden death are sensitively and convincingly portrayed, as are the strong bonds that link Molly to her hard-drinking, former rail-riding father; her country-bred mother; and the diverse assortment of friends and relatives whose reluctantly-told stories aid Molly in piecing together the series of tragedies in the lives of her great-grandparents and their children. Foreshadowing both the environmental issues and the economic struggles of today, this debut unwinds slowly and effectively to a pervasively sad yet ultimately uplifting conclusion. An excellent story. . ."

Pages: 416

Year originally published: 2010

You might want to know: This book contains alcoholism, violence and severe sexual abuse against children.

My source: Personal collection (downloaded FREE from Amazon!)

My thoughts on this book:

Whispers From the Ashes centers around Molly, an innocent child who worships her family, especially her father. However, after discovering a hidden diary filled with hints of serious misdeeds, Molly begins to research extended family members, real and dead. What she finds changes the entire family forever.

Patricia Hester has an amazing writing talent. I especially admired the writer's ability to have the insidious mine fire symbolically mirror the slowly developing story as Molly learns more horrible family secrets.

Whispers From the Ashes is one of those books were the characters ARE the story and the plot is a murky as the lives of the characters. This book is a narrative about a family struggling to live under very difficult circumstances, including a mine fire eating underneath their town. This book is also a mystery, with family tragedies and scary secrets, that prove to be as insidious as the fire below their home.

Personally though, this book was outside the usual genres I read, so the gritty aspects of this hard-scrabble mining family really did disturb me. If books with violence, especially sexual violence against children bother you, this might be a book you want to skip in spite of the talented writing.