Simple Little Home

Paleo Chocolate Pudding

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 00:42:00 +0000

I'm a day late (sorry!), but here it is. Behold it... it is glorious.

Paleo Chocolate Pudding
1/4 c. coconut palm sugar
1/4 c. arrowroot starch
2 T. cocoa powder (If you dare, go with the 'Special Dark' kind)
pinch of salt
2 c. coconut milk (the stuff in the cans - not the cartons!)
4 egg yolks
2 T. coconut oil
1 t. vanilla extract (you could totally use coconut extract here - I bet it'd be awesome!)
3 oz. (by weight) chocolate chips (optional, but good)

Directions:
1. Set a fine-mes sieve over a medium sized bowl. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, starch, cocoa, and salt. Gradually whisk in the coconut milk, then the egg yolks.

2. Cook the mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened to the consistency of mayonnaise, 7-8 minutes. Continue to cook, whisking, 1 minute more. Remove from heat and push through the fine-meshed sieve using a rubber spatula to help. Add the coconut oil (and chocolate chips, if using) and stir until melted and well combined. Mix in vanilla.

3. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pudding and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Before serving, gently stir to loosen it.

Serve with coconut milk 'whipped cream' and/or shredded coconut.

Yummy! Enjoy!

Oh... I'm a genius.

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 23:44:00 +0000

For reals. Yes, I know it's taboo to type stuff like that when you homeschool your kids. People read it and jump to conclusions. But, seriously, I've hit on a winner here.

Tonight, I saw a recipe for 'The Best Chocolate Pudding Ever' in Real Simple Magazine. It looked good, but since I seem to have that whole can't-follow-a-recipe problem, I decided to change it and just see what happened.

I subbed almost every ingredient for something else. I'm a rebel like that. Whole Milk? Nah... coconut milk sounds better. white sugar? Nope. Coconut sugar for me. Butter? Hey, let's go with this whole coconut thing and use coconut oil for that. Cornstarch? What?! THAT's not Paleo! Gotta go with the arrowroot starch. Regular cocoa powder? Not for this chocolate lovin' girl! Dutch processed special dark would be SO much better!

Seriously guys. It's unbelievable.

I'll share the recipe tomorrow (neener-neener!)

Night! (*slurp*)

Paleo Apple Crisp... yummy.

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:03:00 +0000

I love apple crisp. Like, so much so that it might be a little bit unnatural. I've run across tons and tons of Gluten Free and/or Paleo recipes for various crisps over the last 2 years. Most were good, a few were not, but I never really found one that was... it. Until yesterday.

Yesterday I found the blog I Cook Free COMPLETELY by accident (Side note: FANTASTIC blog - go check it out). Then I noticed that she had a Paleo Apple Crisp Recipe that looked pretty close to what I had been going for. I gathered my ingredients and went to work...

Now, here's the thing, I'm completely incapable of actually following a recipe. No matter what recipe it is, I have this bizarre urge to change something and make it my own. Which is exactly what I did here.

It. Was. Awesome.

The filling was sweet, but not too sweet. The topping wasn't spongy and weird - it actually had a bit of crunch! And that's when I decided: it must be shared.

I apologize for my lack of food photography skills.

Paleo Apple Crisp

Filling:
6 apples, sliced (peel if you want, but I never do)
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 c. coconut sugar (you could also sub honey, agave, maple syrup or plain white sugar)
1 T. arrowroot starch (you can sub cornstarch if you aren't worried about being a Paleo purist)
1/4 c. liquid (apple juice, cider, water, lemon juice... whatever you have will be just fine)
1 t. vanilla
pinch of salt

Topping:
1/4 c. coconut oil and/or butter, melted (I used a combo)
1/2 c. almond flour
1/4 c. milled flax seed (I prefer golden flax)
1 T. coconut flour
1/2 c. unsweetened dessicated coconut (feel free to just use shredded coconut for this)
1 T. vanilla
1 t. cinnamon
pinch of salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease 8 or 9" square pan with coconut oil or butter.
3. Mix together all filling ingredients and place in pan.
4. Mix together all topping ingredients and crumble on top of filling.
5. Bake for approximately 45 minutes, or until filling is bubbly and top is browned.

Enjoy!

Why I Will NEVER Shop at Target Again

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 22:47:00 +0000

So, here's the thing. I don't shop much for things other than food (gluten free by necessity and paleo by choice means that my grocery budget is sometimes cringe-worthy). When I stumble on a deal on something that I actually NEED, I seriously get almost giddy.

On September 26th, I got an email from Pinching Your Pennies (do you get their daily email? You should... they rock) alerting me to a 2-for-1 deal on some jeans at Target. As I was down to ONE PAIR OF PANTS, I literally squealed out loud and hopped on over to Target's website.

I found the jeans that were advertised, and they looked great. Unfortunately I couldn't find a size chart ANYWHERE, so I had to guess which size to get based on the jeans I was wearing (remember - only pair I had at the time).

Fast forward to October 5th. My jeans arrived (yay!) and I excitedly took them out of the box only to immediately recognize that they were not going to fit (boo!). I needed the next size. I carefully folded them back up and put them back into the bag in which they had arrived, and placed both pairs of jeans, my receipt, and the packing slip back into the box. I moped out to my car and put them into my trunk so that I could go return them.

I had back to back out of town visitors, so I didn't get to Target until October 19th. I arrived and walked to the Service counter thinking the whole process would be quick and painless and I'd quickly be on my way. WRONG! Target could not locate my order - using the receipt, packing slip, my address, phone number, credit card, or order number - AND they could not find the item in their database. An hour and a half later, I was told that there was nothing that they could do and my only recourse was to mail the jeans back to Target and wait for a refund to be issued.

I spent the following 2 weeks on vacation out of state, so when I returned and life got back to normal, I decided to go online to get a return shipping label. Unfortunately, their automated process kept giving me errors and was unable to locate the order and give me a return label, so on November 11th I had to call customer service.

After spending an hour on the phone with Target's customer service, and being told that they were having a myriad computer problems that prevented them from getting their requests for return labels to go through, I finally reached a representative that apparently possessed Magic Computer Abilities and was successful in her endeavor. I received a return label by email.

I mailed the jeans back to Target on November 17th.

On December 16th, I checked my bank account for the umpteenth time and, much to my dismay, found that I had still not received a refund for the 2 pairs of jeans I had mailed back a month before. Feeling somewhat frustrated by this, I decided to call Target customer service.

I spoke to a very nice girl by the name of Rachel who informed me that it was highly unusual that the refund was taking so long, and informed me that she was going to return the entire order amount to me for my trouble, and was going to 'push it through' the system. I was told that my refund should be in my bank account in 5-10 business days. Great.

Well, what'd'ya know, on January 5th I checked my bank account (again) and there STILL was no refund. Bummer. So, I called Target customer service yet again. This time was super fun. The customer service representative informed me that they were experiencing some 'technical issues' involving my account and that for 'some reason', my refund would not go through. I was informed that on January 3rd, Target's Order Research Team had submitted a research order to look into what was causing the delay in issuing my refund. I ask to speak to someone in the Order Research department, and connected. There, they reaffirm the earlier explanation and inform me that I should hear from them by the following day (January 6th). They also offered me a $50 Target gift card (in lieu of a refund), which was laughable.

I agree to wait and see if their Order Research Team will, in fact, call.

Surprise! They don't.

On January 13th I reluctantly decide to call Target's Customer Service AGAIN. This time is even more fun-filled than the last! I am told that the financial department 'froze my account' due to the number of failed refund attempts (2) due to 'technical issues'. This is awesome, because what this basically means is that Target can't figure out their own computer system, so they've decided to punish ME and hold MY MONEY while they try to figure it out.

I eventually have the opportunity to speak with a representative in the financial department and am informed that this 'freeze' is in fact due to the ongoing research of the Order Research Team, who elevated the requested research order on January 9th. I ask why I was never contacted, despite requesting so twice and being informed once that I would be, but they have no explanation. They again offer $50 gift card in lieu of refund. (Um, NO.) They again tell me that it shouldn't realistically be more than another week.

So, here we stand today, January 22nd, more than TWO MONTHS after I mailed the 2 pairs of jeans back to Target. I've spent over 5 hours of my life on the phone with their customer service team. I still have not been contacted by anyone from Target, I still have not received a refund. Yesterday, January 21st, I decided that my only choice was to file an official complaint with the Better Business Bureau against Target. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens.

I've posted a bit of my story on Target's 'fan page' on Facebook, with some feedback (though no hint at any resolution).

I'll keep everyone updated, but rest assured, you will never, ever, catch me spending my money with that company ever again.

Why I Wont Eat Non-Organic Potatoes - A Short & Sweet Explanation

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 18:01:00 +0000

We rarely eat potatoes - even though I LOVE them. I have a plethora of reasons for this - the overabundance of starches and carbohydrates in the Standard American Diet, the way they make me feel overfull and sluggish, the fact that every good way to eat them requires massive amounts of calorie and fat-laden ingredients to be piled atop (and OH, how I LOVE those calorie and fat-laden ingredients!) But the main reason we don't eat non-organic potatoes (when we eat them at all) - and why you shouldn't either? Because they're root vegetables! Allow me to explain.

Root vegetables absorb every chemical that is put into the soil around them. Most of the time we eat either the leaves or the 'fruit' of a plant. Even if they are treated with fertilizers and/or chemicals, the majority of the bad stuff is stored in the plants' roots. In the ground. Where we don't EAT IT.

When you eat a potato - or carrots, turnips, radishes, or yams - you are eating the ROOT of the plant. The very part of the plant that absorbs all of those nasty chemicals. There have been studies that have shown that root vegetables that have been grown with all of those chemicals actually have incredibly high concentrations of them INSIDE the vegetable. No amount of washing or peeling is going to fix that! As a result, I spring for organic on the rare occasion that we eat them.

There are several other foods that we don't touch. This article touches on a few of them (and freaked me out about a few more). I suggest a quick read.

I'm still here.

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 16:31:00 +0000

The last 6 months have been... hard. Very hard. While most of the hard stuff has been good (at least in the end), some has tested my mental, physical and emotional limits to my absolute core.

In April we found that we would be relocating to another state for my husbands' employer. While we were very excited about this, moving is extremely stressful. It was also a corporate relocation, which is monetarily fantastic, but you have a LOT of people with their 'hands in the pot'. This makes it a LOT more stressful. We had relocation liasons, realtors, inspectors (4 different ones!), loan officers, etc. And everyone wanted to talk to us or have us fill out paperwork or meet with them RIGHT NOW.

3 weeks after we found we were moving, I found that I was pregnant. I'll be honest, I wasn't very happy about this. The timing was awful and I felt terribly overwhelmed. I develop hyperemesis gravidarum when pregnant (the entire 9 months) and just functioning is a trial. My daughter was only 17 months old at the time and I felt pretty panicked when I thought about having a 4.5 year old, a barely 2 year old and a newborn a week before Christmas... mere months after moving to a new place where I didn't know a soul.

I eventually told myself to suck it up and make the best of it. No sense in dwelling on something that I had no control over. Be happy and figure it out as you go, right?

So my husband and I started house hunting and preparing for our move. I was focusing on finding a house that would work for our soon-changing family dynamic and actually started to get a little bit excited about a warm, tiny cuddly baby again.

Then I had my first OB appointment and everything fell apart. I went through the appointment with the usual 'congratulations' at every step and then went for a preliminary ultrasound to confirm how far along I was. All I wanted was to hear that there was only one baby. What I got was far different news.

My baby was anencephalic. You can do an internet search if you'd like, but in short, it didn't have a brain. There was also no heartbeat and it looked as though my baby had died about 5 days earlier - when I was looking at houses and trying to visualize a nursery for my cuddly new baby. I was also 2 days shy of 11 weeks along, which is a bit farther along than normal to lose a baby. I dissolved... and then I drove the 25 miles back to my home to cook dinner, trying all along to keep it together in front of my kids.

The next few days were a blur. I'll spare you the details, but I had to have a D&C (terrifying and heartbreaking), in which they missed some 'tissue'. I then got to experience the horror of a miscarriage anyway - at 3 am, by myself, while my husband was out of town and my children slept.

8 days later was moving day.

I numbly went through the motions of moving my family into a corporate apartment, and tried to quickly claim some semblance of normalcy and peace in my life. Sometimes it was ok, and a lot of the time it wasn't. Over the next 2 months we sold our old home, closed on a new one and moved for the 2nd time in 8 weeks. I also started a new work at home job and got back on track with my sons homeschooling.

We've now been in our new house for 2 months. Our things are unpacked and (mostly) put away. We've fallen back into a routine and life seems comfortable again. My kids love their new rooms, and I love my screened in porch (and the view of my 15 partially forested acres I look out at from it).

I still struggle a bit with the emotions of the roller coaster that the last 6 months has been. I still feel a little beaten up. I do know that everything will be okay. I also know that in spite of the bad that we've gone through recently, I'm blessed. God has been good.

I'm going to jump back into the saddle here again. I enjoy my blog. It brings me happiness to have this little thing that is mine. I have 6 or 7 book reviews coming (a backlog from the last 6 months), so stay tuned.

Super Easy Dairy Free Popsicles!

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 11:35:00 +0000

On Friday my son was BEGGING me for ice cream. We've been trying to eliminate dairy from his diet over the past 2 weeks due to some behavior issues that we're trying to take care of, so ice cream was obviously out of the question. I was racking my brain to figure out something fun for him... to no avail. Then I had an epiphany - Chocolate Almond Milk! Here is our creation - they're delicious!

Banana and Dark Chocolate Dairy Free Popsicles:
2 c. Dark Chocolate Almond Milk
1 ripe banana

Blend until smooth and pour into popsicle molds or small dixie cups (with popsicle sticks). Freeze for at least 6 hours, but preferably overnight. Enjoy!

Bloging for Books book review: 'The Dragon and the Turtle Go on Safari' by Donita K. Paul and Evangeline Denmark

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 10:00:00 +0000

Publishers' Description:
Padraig the dragon and his best friend, Roger the turtle are determined to spend the whole night outside. As brave explorers at the base of Mount Sillymanborrow, the boys use their imaginations to have fun while munching on crunchy baked bugs and toasting s’mores over their campfire. But when the sky gets dark and the sounds of strange animals fill the forest outside their tent, their safari gets scary. This adventure is just what the boys need to discover that the dark might be frightening, but their friendship is stronger than fear.

This is the third book by Donita K. Paul that I've read, and I still love her. This book is a cute little follow up to the previous children's book about Padraig and Roger - 'The Dragon and the Turtle'.

In this story, Padraig and Roger decide to go on safari to Mount Sillymanborrow. During their expedition, they discover wild animals and eat bugs and S'mores while battling their fear of the dark. While they exchange stories over the campfire, Roger does his best to calm Padraig's fears and encourage him to stay all night outside under the stars. Because of Roger's friendship, the two manage to brave the wilds all the way until morning.

I thought this story was a nice one - as did my (almost) 4 year old son - but I did find it a tad long. I suppose this is really because my child is younger and I suspect that it will cease being an issue in another year or two. I also found the British English a little distracting. I didn't notice it being used in the first book, so I was surprised that it was so prevalent in this one. I don't necessarily dislike it, it just took some getting used to. The illustrations are absolutely lovely - just like the first book.

All in all, great book - I'd rate it 4/5. I'd estimate the age range around 5-9, though it's perfectly readable for younger kids. You can pick it up on Amazon for under $10 - I say that's a good price for a kids book like this one.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Blogging for Books book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Just to Let You Know I'm Still Alive

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 11:21:00 +0000

I've had to deal with some things in my normal 'real-world' life lately, and thus I've been unable to blog. I've got a backlog of books that I'll be bringing you reviews on over the next couple of weeks. I also have decided that I am going to be posting more about our Gluten Free eating habits and recipes and about our homeschooling adventure. In fact, I've just finished selecting my son's Kindergarten curriculum which we *should* be starting in August.

Sit tight - I'm coming back!

Book Review: 'ABC is for Circus' by Patrick Hruby

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Publishers' Book Description:
ABC IS FOR CIRCUS celebrates the colorful and festive world
of the circus through each letter of the alphabet. Young children
will enjoy memorizing letters and words like A is for Acrobats,
B is for Big Top, and C is for Calliope in this imaginative chunky
board book.

ABC IS FOR CIRCUS is an awesome addition to AMMO Books' artistcentric line of ABC books and is sure to delight an audience of children and adults alike.

'A' is for apple, 'B' is for ball, 'C' is for cat, blah, blah, blah... Most of us with children have a board book or two that sound very similar to that, right? I know I do - and I avoid reading them like the plague. This book? It's not like that. This book took some imagination. This book took more than 45 minutes looking for free-use clip art to put together. This book is original. This book... is magic.

I have a 3 year old son (he says he's not 3 - he's almost 4!) that has been a book lover since he was 6 months old and a 15 month old daughter that I can't, for the life of me, get to care at all about them. Until, that is, I got this one.

The day after 'ABC is for Circus' came in the mail, I sat down on the floor and pulled my daughter into my lap. She's a girl on the move, so she immediately tried to push me away and get back to whatever she thought was important at the time. I showed her the book - and she sat down and stared.

By the time we got to 'C is for Calliope', she was hooked. We stopped on every page for a minute or so while she touched all of the shapes and colors with her chubby little fingers. I've never seen her that quiet for that long.

Then we came to the letter 'F'. 'F is for Fireworks'. People, she jumped out of my lap and started clapping when she saw the page. Seriously - you can't make that up.

Every page seemed to be better than the last. Every page a new buffet of color. More shapes, more imagination, more excitement.

She sang 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star' when we got to 'N is for Nightime'. She roared at the Tiger. She called the weightlifter 'Daddy' (heehee). And when we were done? When we were done she picked up the book, carried it to her room, and sat on her floor to look at it again. That, for me, says it all.

If you know someone with children from birth to 5 and need a gift idea - get this book. If you are a parent that is bored to tears with the furry kitty cats and the unoriginal fluff - get this book. If you have an appreciation for kids books with modern illustrations and lots of color - get this book. You can get it on Amazon, or from AMMO Books. I promise you'll love it.

About the Author/Artist:
Los Angeles-based illustrator Patrick Hruby grew up in a log cabin within an Idaho forest. As a young boy he
dreamt of running away to join the circus and become a trapeze artist. Eventually, however, he grew up to
study math and physics before attending the renowned Art Center College of Design and pursuing a career
as an illustrator. His interest in the geometry of nature is central to his work.

Influenced by artists and designers such as Charley Harper, Paul Rand, and Mary Blair, Hruby has gone on
to develop his own stunning and modern aesthetic. Hruby’s clients include The New York Times Magazine,
Playboy Jazz Festival, Varsity Pictures, and Brand New School. CMYK Magazine recently named him one of their Top 100 New Creatives

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher, AMMO Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Next Book Review: 'ABC is for Circus' by Patrick Hruby

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 11:00:00 +0000

Booksneeze Book Review: 'Fasting' by Scott Mcknight

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 18:14:00 +0000

Publishers' Book Description:
Building a body and mind that hungers for God.

Is the practice of faith centered solely on the spirit? Is the body an enemy, or can it actually play a role in our pursuit of God? In this installation of the Ancient Practices Series, Dr. Scot McKnight reconnects the spiritual and the physical through the discipline of fasting.

The act of fasting, he says, should not be focused on results or used as a manipulative tool. It is a practice to be used in response to sacred moments, just as it has in the lives of God's people throughout history. McKnight gives us scriptural accounts of fasting, along with practical wisdom on benefits and pitfalls, when we should fast, and what happens to our bodies as a result.

For those who have wondered how to grasp the value of this most misunderstood ancient practice, this book is a comprehensive guide.

A volume in the eight book classic series, The Ancient Practices, with a foreword by Phyllis Tickle, General Editor.

I wanted to like this book. No, I wanted to love this book. It sounded absolutely fascinating to me and I couldn't wait to read it. My husband also wanted to read it and kept asking me to hurry up so it would be 'his turn'. Finally, this books' ticket came up and I dove in, eager to soak up everything Scott Mcknight had to offer. I gave up about halfway through - and my husband lasted about 40 pages. Neither one of us could finish it - although my husband says he may try again.

The book, to be perfectly honest, was one of the most dry, repetitive, and redundant books I've ever read. It had all of the potential in the world and it fell way short of expectations. It was very critical of the modern perceptions and treatment of fasting and, while I agreed with a good chunk of his positions, it came across as quite negative sometimes. That's not the feeling I would think you'd generally be going for when you're writing about something as spiritual in nature as this. Mr Mcknight also tended to repeat the same subject matter over and over in each chapter, adding very little new information - just re-formatting and repeating what had already been said. My opinion is that people could understand the main viewpoint from the book in the 2 page conclusion at the end.

As much as it pains me to write a bad review (and, I assure you, it does pain me), I can't help but be honest with you. I think this book is one that can be skipped. Now, in the spirit of full disclosure, I must tell you that according to the reviews on Amazon.com - I'm in the minority when it comes to my opinions on this book. As of the time this post is being written, 'Fasting' has 4 stars with 67 reviews.

What can I say? I've never been one that goes along with the crowd...

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Litfuse Blog Tour: 'The Rhythm of Secrets' by Patti Lacy

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 15:51:00 +0000

Publishers' Book Description:

Since 1955, Sheila Franklin, a talented musician, has perfectly performed the role of devout pastor’s wife, locking away her past as Sheba Alexander and Sylvia Allen. Her carefully constructed façade crumbles with a single phone call from a young Marine named Samuel, the illegitimate son she secretly put up for adoption. Samuel begs Sheila to use her government contacts to get his fiancé, Mali, a Thai prostitute, into America. A dangerous mixture of love and guilt spurs her to help her only child even though it devastates her husband Edward and exposes her questionable past. After a quarrel with Edward, Sheila and Samuel board a C-130 for Thailand and then search Bangkok’s steamy streets for a Madonna-faced prostitute. The two whisk Mali from a brothel but are seized by a warlord who considers Mali his “number one girl.” In a teak “ghost house,” Sheila discovers God’s grace and gains the freedom she needs to find her own identity—Sheila, Sylvia, and Sheba. A framed story, this novel has roots in the bohemian 1940s New Orleans French Quarter and spans three decades, including the turbulent Vietnam era.

Rarely do you read a book that spurs emotion and sympathy for the characters. This book did just that.

I must admit, when I first started reading this book, I wasn't convinced. I had a hard time 'getting into it' at first. I would pick it up grudgingly and soldier on, but I just didn't want to read it. I recognized that the author was talented and the book was a good one - the problem was mine. I think that I just wasn't in the mood for such a 'heavy' book. I'm so glad that I kept with it. This book is one of the most brilliant, inspirational, emotional, honest, and unique books that I've read. Ever. Patti Lacy is a literary genius and I've become a fan for life. I think I may even re-read it when things slow down for me a bit. It's an astoundingly good book.

Most of the book is about Sheila's story - as she tells her son Samuel about her past and how they both got to the places in life that they are then. Her story, wrought with tragedy and heartbreak, is a touching one. Watching the journey of learning, understanding and accepting God and his love is an emotional one under the best of circumstances. Watching Sheila's journey is awe inspiring. The reader can really feel every emotion that has wrenched at her heart over the three decades long battle for peace.

'The Rhythm of Secrets' is a poignant, detailed, well-written novel. Patti Lacy has a truly unique writing style that I really feel most people will enjoy. I will, without a doubt, be seeking out more of Lacy's work in the future. This is my most highly recommended book to date - and it can be purchased here.

If you would like to read other reviews of this book, visit this website.

About the Author:

Baylor graduate, taught community college humanities until God called her to span seas and secrets in her novels, An Irishwoman's Tale and What the Bayou Saw. She has two grown children and a dog named Laura. She and her husband can be seen jog-walking the streets of Normal, Illinois, an amazing place to live for a woman born in a car. For more information, visit Patti's website at www.pattilacy.com, her blog at www.pattilacy.com/blog, and her Facebook daily Artbites. Patti's longer bio here.

Patti Lacy is celebrating the release of her latest book with a NOOK Giveaway, blog tour and Book Club Party!

Follow the blog tour and read the reviews!

Patti and her publisher, Kregel Publications, are giving away a NOOK prize package worth over $150 to one lucky winner!!!!

Enter the Nook eReader Giveaway and you could win:

A brand new Nook eReader with Wi-Fi
$25 gift certificate to Barnes & Noble

To enter, simply click on the icons below to fill out the entry form/s, then tell 5 or more friends about the contest. Oh, and enter soon! Winner will be announced on February 16th at Patti's Rhythm of Secrets Facebook Party.

Patti will be announcing the winner of The Rhythm of Secrets NOOK giveaway at her Party on Facebook February 16th!

She’ll be hosting a book club discussion of The Rhythm of Secrets and giving away other fun prizes! (signed copies of her books and gift certificates to Barnes & Noble, Starbucks, & iTunes!). Don’t miss the fun at Patti’s FB Author Page on February 16th at 5pm PST ( 6 pm MST, 7 pm CST, & 8 pm EST)!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from LitFuse Publicity. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Blogging for Books book review: 'The Dragon and the Turtle' by Donita K. Paul and Evangeline Denmark

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 12:11:00 +0000

Publishers' Book Description:
Friends come in all sizes, shapes, and colors. Sometimes they’re even dragons.

Roger loves adventure. Today he’s playing pirate, sailing the high seas, dancing to the hornpipe, and catching fish. But the wind’s blown him off course and he’s . . . well . . . lost.

When Padraig, a kitten-sized, bug-eating dragon, encounters the lost turtle, he offers to help Roger find his way home. Roger’s directions take some time to follow—his house looks brown, sounds like singing, smells like baking, feels like sand, and tastes like strawberries—and along the way, Roger and Padraig become friends. And friendship always yields unexpected rewards. Like cookies.

I know, I know... I said I'd have this up yesterday. We had sick germs in our house. Those little beasts are not conducive to writing book reviews. I apologize for my tardiness, though. Without further adieu, the review (see how I get all fancy and rhyme when I feel bad?)

I love, love, love this book. It's without question a total winner. It's written by Donita K. Paul - who wrote 'Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball', which I reviewed here - and her daughter, Evangeline Denmark, and it's illustrated by Vincent Nguyen.

Roger is a turtle who loves to imagine that he's a pirate (which is a common playtime theme with my son as well). He has all sorts of adventures in his little fantasy land, but on this particular day Roger realizes that he is lost. He's feeling a little nervous when who should show up but a small, bug-eating dragon named Padraig.

Padraig - kind, self-sacrificing dragon that he is - offers to help Roger find his house since he can fly up high and therefore cover ground (sky?) more quickly. Rogers' descriptions of home take some figuring out. His house looks brown, sounds like singing, smells like baking, feels like sand, and tastes like strawberries. Through much trial and error - and great patience and compassion - they finally find Rogers home. Once there, they are treated to a plateful of Chocolate Chip Snappers (which every pirate needs after a day of sailing the High Seas).

This book had so many wonderful teaching aspects that it's hard to know where to begin... You have character traits - patience, compassion, self-sacrifice, kindness, respect. You have the five senses - look, sound, smell, feel, taste. You could also use it to teach your child how they would describe their home to a stranger if they were lost, which is something they may not think about.

The illustrations are lovely. The characters look warm, friendly and happy. You don't see many dragons that look sweet! The pictures are somewhat fairy-tale like and the colors are rich, warm and comfortable. They were a perfect reflection of the sweet story.

My son loves this story. We've read it at least a dozen times over the last few weeks and he's dying to make the Chocolate Chip Snappers recipe in the back of the book (though we'll have to do some tweaking since it's obviously not a gluten free recipe). He also saw me looking at the next book by Donita K. Paul and Evangeline Denmark - 'The Dragon and the Turtle Go on Safari' - and is begging me to get it for him.

Two thumbs WAY up. Publishers' age recommendation is 4-8 and I'd agree with that. My 3 1/2 year old loves the book, but there are some subtleties that are lost on him so far. You can purchase it here.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Blogging for Books book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

How flattering!

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 16:05:00 +0000

It was just brought to my attention that Craig Froman, author of 'Passport to the World' which I reviewed here, linked to my review on his Writer's Cafe page. How flattering for an author to want to showcase my review. I'm so honored. It really is an exceptional book and I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to review it.

Next Book Review: 'The Dragon and the Turtle' by Donita K. Paul and Evangeline Denmark

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 23:54:00 +0000

Litfuse Blog Tour Book Review - With GIVEAWAY: 'The Search' by Suzanne Woods Fisher

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 11:00:00 +0000

For a list of other bloggers that are reviewing 'The Search by Suzanne Woods Fisher, you can find the Blog Tour schedule HERE.
Thank you to Revell/Litfuse for providing me with the review copy.

Publishers' Book Description:
Fifteen years ago, Lainey O'Toole made a split-second decision. She couldn't have known that her choice would impact so many. Now in her mid-twenties, she is poised to go to culinary school when her car breaks down in Stoney Ridge, the very Amish town in which her long-reaching decision was made, forcing her to face the shadowed past.

Bess Reihl is less than thrilled to be spending the summer at Rose Hill Farm with her large and intimidating grandmother, Bertha. It quickly becomes clear that she is there to work the farm--and work hard. The labor is made slightly more tolerable by the time it affords Bess to spend with the handsome hired hand, Billy Lapp. But he only has eyes for a flirty and curvaceous older girl.

Lainey's and Bess's worlds are about to collide and the secrets that come to light will shock them both.

Beautifully written, The Search is a skillfully woven story that takes readers through unexpected twists and turns on the long country road toward truth. Fans both old and new will find themselves immersed in this heartwarming--and surprising--tale of young love, forgiveness, and coming to grips with the past.

Bess has basically been tricked into coming to Lancaster from her own Amish community in Ohio to take care of her grandmother that she thought was ill. Bertha was far from ill, she just had her own sneaky ways of getting what she wanted - time with her granddaughter, her son to come home, and for a big secret to be revealed so her family could heal.

I really enjoyed this book. I have to say, I've read several Amish fictions now, and I'm generally a little bit disappointed with them - they just tend to leave me unsatisfied for some reason. That was not the case with The Search. The characters were dynamic, the location was described vividly and the storyline, while dramatic, was believable. It had everything you could want - romance, mystery, heartbreak, excitement, joy... The book truly is superbly written.While this novel can definitely be read on its own, it’s the third in The Lancaster Series and I would recommend picking up the first two novels and start at the beginning.

About the Author:

In no particular order, Suzanne Woods Fisher is a wife, mother, writer, lifelong student of the Bible, raiser of puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind, a gardener and a cook...the latter two with sporadic results.

Suzanne has loved to write since she was a young teen. After college, she started to write for magazines and became a contributing editor for Christian Parenting Today magazine. Her family moved to Hong Kong for four years, just as the internet was developing, and she continued to write articles in a 44-story high-rise apartment, sending manuscripts 7,000 miles away with a click of a key.

After returning from Hong Kong, Suzanne decided to give her first novel a try. For four and a half months, she worked on an antediluvian computer in a cramped laundry room. She didn't even tell her husband what she was up to. When the novel was completed, she told her family at dinner one night that she had written a book. "That's why there's no food in this house!" said her slightly insensitive sons.

Undaunted...Suzanne found a small royalty publisher for that book and wrote three more (all earned multiple awards). With help from an agent, she now has numerous books under contract with Revell. Also look for Suzanne's Amish non-fiction, Amish Peace: Simple Wisdom for a Complicated World, a non-fiction book of stories and examples about the Old Order Amish, as well as Amish Proverbs, and coming in Spring of 2011, look for Amish Values for Your Family. The Choice and The Waiting are the previous books in the Lancaster County Secrets Collection.

Writing, for Suzanne, is a way to express a love of God and His word. With every book or article, she hopes readers get a sense of what faith really looks like in the daily grind. She hopes they realize that life can be hard, but God is good, and never to confuse the two.

Suzanne can be found on-line at: www.suzannewoodsfisher.com

About the Contest:
Suzanne Woods Fisher's latest installment of the Lancaster County Secrets, The Search, is just out and to celebrate Suzanne is hosting The Search iPad Giveaway!

One Grand Prize winner will receive an iPad Prize Package worth over $500 and includes:

A brand new iPad (16KB with Wi-Fi)
Signed copies of all three Lancaster Country Secrets books (The Choice, The Waiting, & The Search)

To enter, simply click on the icons below to fill out the entry form/s, then tell 5 or more friends about the contest. Oh, and enter soon! Winner will be announced on February 3rd at Suzanne's Everything is Coming Up Roses Facebook Party. (Did you know The Search takes place on a rose farm?)

Facebook Party:

Join Suzanne for the Everything is Coming Up Roses Facebook Party on February 3rd! She’ll be announcing the winner of the The Search iPad Giveaway, hosting a book club discussion of The Search, giving away copies of all three books and HEAPS of other readerly prizes! Including roses delivered to your door for three months for you AND a friend! Be sure to join us on Thursday, February 3rd at 5:00 PM PST (6:00 MST, 7:00 CST & 8 EST) at Suzanne’s Author Page.

Other Bloggers that are reviewing this book Today:

Jenifer @ Parris Ponderings

http://www.jmparris.blogspot.com

Janet @ Janet at Home Is Where God Sends You

http://www.homeiswhereGodsendsyou.blogspot.com

Jennifer @ Mrs. Q: Book Addict

http://web.me.com/quirion

Paula @ Thrifty mommas brain food

http://www.thriftymommasbrainfood.blogspot.com/

Thanks for stopping by!

Tyndale House Review: 'Gray Matter' by David Levy, MD

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 12:35:00 +0000

Publishers' Book Description:
A perfect blend of medical drama and spiritual insight, Gray Matter is a fascinating account of Dr. David Levy’s decision to begin asking his patients if he could pray for them before surgery. Some are thrilled. Some are skeptical. Some are hostile, and some are quite literally transformed by the request.

Each chapter focuses on a specific case, opening with a detailed description of the patient’s diagnosis and the procedure that will need to be performed, followed by the prayer “request.” From there, readers get to look over Dr. Levy’s shoulder as he performs the operation, and then we wait—right alongside Dr. Levy, the patients, and their families—to see the final results.

Dr. Levy’s musings on what successful and unsuccessful surgical results imply about God, faith, and the power of prayer are honest and insightful. As we watch him come to his ultimate conclusion that no matter what the results of the procedure are, “God is good,” we cannot help but be truly moved and inspired.

I had a hard time making up my mind about this book. Overall, I liked it. I think that David Levy is a courageous man for being willing to do what he has done - pray with his patients before and after procedures - but a few parts of the book really bothered me. I admit that it could just be my being overly sensitive and possibly over analyzing the authors words or attitude, but there were several parts where, while trying to 'prove' how humble he was, he instead came across as arrogant. He tried way too hard (and way too many times) to show that he, a highly trained neurosurgeon who is basically regarded as God by his patients, had to come down to their level and show them that he was just a man, and God was there for them. If he'd only written it once or twice in the book, I would've bought it and never thought twice about it, but I would guess that he mentions that same thought at least 6 times. It just felt disingenuous at times. Now, that being said, I don't feel at all that that was his intention, and I don't feel that he is arrogant or self serving - I believe that he really is a servant of God and truly had the best of intentions.

And now, onto the positive part - I just had to get that out of the way first. David Levy, I think, has had a pretty remarkable ride to the place that he's currently at in his life. He started out as a nonreligious Jew (one Christian parent, one Jewish parent - neither one religious - and of half Jewish ancestry), while in medical school he started attending Synagogue and socializing and identifying with the local Jewish population. But, something just didn't feel right. Later, after he was already a surgeon, he started attending a Christian church and he felt that he had finally found what had been missing in his life - Jesus.

Over the next several years Dr. Levy starts feeling strongly that he should be praying with his patients. He is, understandably, quite leery of doing this and very nervous as to how he - and his actions - would be perceived not only by his patients, but by the medical community as a whole. His reputation was something extremely important to him and he was quite fearful of the ramifications of doing something so frowned upon - bringing God into the hospital. However, one day he decides that he can put it off no longer. He had to do what God was asking him to do. Once he starts, amazing miracles start to take place - and the reader is allowed the opportunity to be a witness to it all.

This book really was amazing - even in spite of my reservations. I admire the courage that it must have taken for Dr. Levy to take that first step. He seems to understand that medicine is only one part of the equation; if we don't have God, nothing will be complete. I would recommend this book for anyone that enjoys inspiring Christian literature - especially anyone that works in the medical profession. I think this one's a winner.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher, Tyndale House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Next Book Review: 'Gray Matter' by David Levy, MD (Tyndale)

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 14:05:00 +0000

MasterBooks/New Leaf Publishing Book Review: Passport to the World by Craig Froman

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 18:25:00 +0000

Publisher's Book Description:
Encounter people from around the world without ever leaving home! Fill up your passport with stickers from around the world as you read about children and their unique cultures and customs. Children learn the amazing truth that we are all of one race, all Gods children. An out-of-the-ordinary geographic journey of 26 language groups from A to Z! Experience a wondrous global journey within the pages of a book, encountering places and people from around the world in a scrapbook like no other! Children will gain knowledge of intriguing facts about countries, including their capital cities, maps, flags, populations, and religions. Gathering stickers for their passport, readers learn greetings from 26 different languages, as well as interesting language tips as well. This is an attention-grabbing exploration of the world through the eyes of children.

First off, Welcome Back! I don't know about you, but my holiday "vacation" (really, is it truly a vacation - because I'm always exhausted by the time the holidays draw to a close!) was amazingly busy!

I've been very excited to bring you my review of this book. I think it's been put together exceptionally well and I can assure you that it will have a spot on the bookshelf in this homeschooling family's home for many, many years.

To start, the cover is bright, engaging and and you immediately have an idea about the subject matter of the book. One of my (many) pet peeves in regards to educational children's books is when a child cannot tell just by looking at the book what it's about. Children are very visual, so I feel that this is an important - and too often overlooked - aspect of book design and publishing.

The first thing you see when you open the cover is a little pocket inside that holds a 'passport' for your child. What a truly original concept! Even my 3 year old was excited to learn about the different countries and languages so that he could place the sticker 'stamp' for each location on the pages of his very own passport. I was so impressed by not only the idea, but the execution of it.

Now, a look at the inside pages. Again, I was very impressed by the execution. Very engaging, very fun. I hate to see a book meant for elementary aged children that is laid out like a Dictionary. Those tend to be boring and children lose interest far too quickly - such is not the case with this book. As you can see by the picture above, The pages are colorful, full of fun pictures and are really just about as interactive as you could want in a book. I particularly loved the local proverbs on the visa picture in each spread.

Each language - and the primary country where spoken - has a 2 page spread which covers Country Fast Facts (Population, Life Expectancy, Literacy Rate, Internet Users, Internet Code, Monetary Unit, Square Mileage and a comparison to a similar sized U.S. State), A 'Letter' from a child which speaks the featured language which includes sample language phrases (the same phrases for all languages - Hello, Goodbye, Thank You and Peace), a picture of the local currency, their most common food items, a local proverb, landscape photos, a photo of traditional dress, and some interesting trivia in regards to the language and country being represented.

At the end of the book you will find pages for important facts, name that flag and name that country. I felt that this was a nice reference addition to the book and should prove to be useful to my children in the future. It was also a very nice way to wrap up the book.

All in all, stellar book. I highly recommend this book - and anything else in the future from Craig Froman. Go buy it and I promise you will not be disappointed.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher, New Leaf Publishing. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Day 13: Love

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 13:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas! Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom"! Please follow along through Christmas day as each post shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year. AND BEST OF ALL ... there's also a giveaway!!!! Fill out the quick form at the link located at the bottom of this post to be entered to win a PEARL NECKLACE, BRACELET AND EARRINGS! Pearls - a tangible reminder of God's grace to us all.

~~~

Love
by Lauraine Snelling

When asked to write a Christmas message, one of my first thoughts was Do I climb up on my soapbox regarding changing the words in Christmas songs, using only holiday, etc. I thought about it and decided no. After all, they’re only words and what difference does a word make---really make after all?

Then I kept on thinking. If they’re only words… But we as writers know the power of words, as do readers. When the wrong word is used, it jars, while the right word can be most powerful. Take one highly overused and under practiced word---Love. Four letters is all. We toss it around so glibly, saying love ya and luv and love. But think about the power in I love you. Three of the most precious words in our language when put together. Those of us who write romances or books with romance in them, understand the power when one of our characters tells another, I love you. As humans we can never hear that enough or too much.

Christmas is about love. The greatest love story ever told, that of God for us humans, and it never changes. Customs change, politics change, the years change but God’s love never, ever does. At Christmas we are invited to share that love, to give it away, to pass it around. To find wonder again and joy in simple acts of love. We make contact with people we might never see or talk with through the year. That says I love you. We buy and make gifts to give, we reach out to strangers in need, we try to make sure everyone has a special dinner and every child a present. By giving, we receive.

So, let’s use the power words, but more so, put feet on those words and pass the love around. Let’s look for and find the wonder, the joy and the peace, maybe in small bits and pieces and perhaps in an avalanche of blessings. Make your days brighter with the simple gift of a smile, a kind word, a touch, for every single one that you give away, will come back to you multiplied. As you give, so shall you receive. Merry Christmas my friends. May we all recognize our blessings----and let an attitude of gratitude permeate this holiday and every day. With love and joy on this day, Lauraine!

~~~

About Lauraine: Lauraine Snelling is the award-winning author of more than sixty books, with sales of over 2 million copies. She also writes for a wide range of magazines, and helps others reach their writing dreams by teaching at writer’s conferences across the country. Lauraine and her husband, Wayne, have two grown sons, and live in the Tehachapi Mountains with a cockatiel named Bidley, and a watchdog Basset named Chewy.

For more information please visit Lauraine's website: www.laurainesnelling.com.

~~~

A three strand pearl necklace will be given away on New Year's Day. All you need to do to have a chance of winning is {FILL OUT THIS QUICK ENTRY FORM}. The winner will be announced on the Pearl Girls Blog (http://margaretmcsweeney.blogspot.com) on New Years Day!

12 Pearls of Christmas Series and contest sponsored by Pearl Girls®. For more information, please visit www.pearlgirls.info

Day 12: An Unforgettable Gift

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 13:00:00 +0000

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An Unforgettable Gift
by Karen O'Connor

On Christmas morning, 1912, in Paducah, Kentucky, fourteen-year-old Charlie Flowers and his three brothers and two sisters huddled in their beds, fully dressed, trying to keep warm as the wind howled outside their small frame house.

It was a desperate time for the family. Earlier that year the children's father had died. And their mother had not found work. The coal had run out and there was little money––none for gifts. Their scrawny tree with decorations made from scraps of colored paper had been given to them the night before by a local merchant.

"Can't sell this one," the man said with a nod of his head before handing it over to the eager children.

To pass the time, the siblings joked and shouted stories from their bedrooms across the hallway from one another. Then suddenly a racket from the alley at the rear of the house broke into their games.

"Charlie," his mother called, "would you see what's going on out there?"

Charlie pulled on his shoes, grabbed a thick overcoat from the hook by the door, and ran out back.

There stood a man in a wagon bent over a load of coal, shoveling it into the shed as fast as he could.

"Hey Mister, we didn't order any coal," Charlie shouted. "You're delivering it to the wrong house."

"Your name's Flowers, isn't it?" the man asked, still shoveling.

Charlie nodded yes.

"Well then, there's no mistake. I've been asked to deliver this to your family on Christmas morning." He looked the awe-struck boy square in the eye. "And I'm under strict orders not to tell who sent it," he teased.

Charlie ran into the house, his coattail flapping in the cold morning wind. He could hardly wait to tell his mother and brothers and sisters. God had provided––just as he had on that first Christmas morning so long ago when He sent his only son to a needy world.

Charlie Flowers died in 1994 at age 96. And right up to the last year of his life, not a Christmas went by that he didn't tell the story of that sub-zero Christmas morning of his boyhood when two men gave his family an unforgettable gift.

It wasn't the coal that was remembered or cherished, Charlie often said––welcome as it was––but rather what two men brought to his desperate family. One, for his gift of recognizing their great need and taking the time to do something about it. And the other, for being willing to give up part of his own Christmas morning to deliver it.

That gift of so long ago has continued to warm the Flowers family from one generation to another, as Charlie's son––my husband, Charles––calls to mind these two unknown men each Christmas morning and whispers a prayer of thanks.

~~~

About Karen: Karen O'Connor is an award-winning author and writing mentor living in Watsonville, California with her husband, Charles Flowers. Karen’s latest book is 365 Reasons Why Gettin’ Old Ain’t So Bad (Harvest House 2010).

For more information, please visit Karen on the web at www.karenoconnor.com.

~~~

Day 11: Just give me Christmas this year!

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 13:00:00 +0000

~~~

All I Want for Christmas…
Is to be able to have Christmas this Year
by Melissa Mashburn

This is a simple request, isn’t it? In the previous years, we had great big bountiful Christmases with our family. Gifts, goodies and general Christmas cheer but this year it was different. The year before has been chock full of disappointments, failing businesses and severe cutbacks for our family.

Sitting with my husband one night we hammered out the bare minimum that we could spend that year for Christmas and even still the total was four hundred dollars. It does not sound like a whole lot compared to what we’ve spent on Christmas before, but this year it could have been four thousand dollars because we just did not have it.

We prayed, I cried, we prayed some more and decided that we would cut back anything else that we could that year so we could have Christmas for our kids. We did not know how we would make this happen, but we knew that we needed to step forward in faith that it would happen.

Answer this question: Does the God who lavishly provides you with his own presence, his Holy Spirit, working things in your lives you could never do for yourselves, does he do these things because of your strenuous moral striving or because you trust him to do them in you? Don't these things happen among you just as they happened with Abraham? He believed God, and that act of belief was turned into a life that was right with God. Galatians 3:5 the Message

Not even two days later, we hear a knock on our front door. We open the door to see some friends of ours from church. With tears in their eyes, they handed us an envelope and said that the felt they needed to give us this. We opened the envelope and inside there was four hundred dollars cash.

Shocked, stunned and with tears flowing down our face we just sat there in a state of crying and laughing at what God had done. We never shared with anyone that year what we needed, how bad it was, what was going on or what that number was for us to have Christmas for the kids, but God knew.

“And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.” 2 Corinthians 9:8 NLT

He took a willing servant, led them to our front door and changed Christmas for us that year. After many years of being in full time ministry we knew that God would provide, but when He shows up just at the right moment, you know that it was all a part of His plan to show how much He loves, provides and cares for His people.

Father God, thank you that after all the years of serving and loving you in ministry that you continue to teach, guide, love, shepherd and care for us. You, Father, are abundantly gracious and kind, thank you for showing up for us at just the right moment every time, forgive us when we forget that. In Jesus name, Amen.

~~~

About Melissa: Melissa is the founder of the blog Mel’s World Ministry, co-founder of the Praise and Coffee Nights Ministry with Sue Cramer, Kids Ministry Director at her church. Just last year she launched a new weekly series called Godly Gals ~ Real Women, Real Life, Real Faith where we meet new women each week who are “Taking their everyday, ordinary lives and placing it as their offering to God.” Romans 12:1 the Message. You can find her on twitter and at her blog. She loves encouraging women to live with an authentic faith by being transparent, renewed and transformed. ~ Romans 12:2.

~~~

Day 10: What’s the best thing about Christmas?

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 13:00:00 +0000

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What’s the best thing about Christmas?
by Maureen Lang

The answer to that question will undoubtedly be different depending on the age and the faith of the person being asked. Most children will say it’s all about the gifts. Adults, even if they secretly still enjoy the gifts, will probably strive to sound more mature and say the holiday is all about friends and family. Still others might say it’s about tradition, or memories or the music or even the special food we connect to this time of year. The scrooges among us might say this season is just another marketing gimmick, or materialism gone awry. The faithful will say it’s all about Jesus, a reminder of why He shed the glory of Heaven to step into human skin and frailty.

I’m not here to defend or attack any answer to this question, but rather to ponder those possible answers.

Gifts: They touch us in personal ways, as tangible evidence of someone else’s thought and affection. Even if we don’t get exactly what we hoped, there’s something to be said about the thought behind a gift being the important part. Why wouldn’t gifts be an important and valid part of this holiday in which we celebrate God’s gift of salvation?

Holiday Gatherings: Parties might be a lot of work, forcing some out of their comfort zone, but at the core they’re all about human connection. Isn’t that what most people want?

Traditions and memories: They remind us of the past, of who we are, with the hope that even as we look forward to an unknown future we still hold some things worthy enough to repeat every year. We might find ourselves letting go of some traditions, or we might want to start some new ones.

The music: This is the only time of the year when even secular radio stations welcome songs about a baby born in Bethlehem. As a nation we may be getting stringent about separation of church as state, but the lines blur just a bit with old favorites that reflect this season.

Scrooges: The holiday season is probably a time to endure rather than enjoy, but even the scroogiest-scrooge might admit the lights of the season are pretty to behold. They’re free to look at, after all.

As for the food, the busyness, the expense and all the other things that make up this season: keep in mind that it’s all temporary. This, too, shall pass. Until next year, of course.

I’ll leave you with this thought: we are all made in God’s image, whether we believe that or not. Part of that image is the ability to give—and to receive. So here’s my thought for the day: stop a moment and dwell on all the gifts of the season. From the little mementos that say we haven’t forgotten someone or been forgotten by others, to the costliest gift of all: what God did for us in the form of Christ. As you enjoy the sounds, the sights, the scents and the tastes of this season, may your only trouble be in choosing just one thing among so many best things about Christmas.

~~~

About Maureen: Maureen Lang is the author of ten books, her most recent from Tyndale House is The Great War Series which are full of romance, adventure and spiritual journeys. She lives in the Midwest with her husband, two sons and their lovable Labrador Retriever.

For more information please visit Maureen at her website, www.maureenlang.com.

~~~

Day 9: Good News

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 13:00:00 +0000

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Good News!
by Deb Kalmbach

The first Christmas card of the season arrived in my mailbox way back in August. How could anyone be that organized? Then I noticed my friend, Nita, had sent me a card I had written to her more than 20 years ago!

Memories rushed back as I read the words penned in my familiar handwriting. It was Christmas, 1991, and my world had unraveled. I could almost pretend everything was all right at this most wonderful time of the year—but not that year.

My husband Randy’s drinking problem had escalated to the point where his job and career were on the line. He had already been through two alcohol treatment programs and managed to stay sober for short periods of time. Then he slipped back into old, familiar patterns. His ongoing relapses were a crushing disappointment for our family.

I had looked forward to Christmas Eve and our family traditions; making homemade lasagna, singing carols around the piano, attending the candlelight service at church, and then coming home to open one token Christmas Eve present.

“Randy, are you ready to crank out the pasta?” I called to him over the Christmas music I was playing to lift my spirits.

I peered into the living room to see what was keeping him. My heart froze. Randy sat on the couch, trance-like, watching a basketball game while sipping a drink.

No, not on Christmas Eve, I screamed inwardly. I felt like I was suffocating. Usually Randy pulled himself together but it didn’t happen that night. He drank vodka all evening while I finished holiday preparations on autopilot. None of us felt like eating lasagna or celebrating.

Only a few days earlier, I had written these words on the Christmas card to my friend, Nita. I don’t know God’s plans, his timing or his ways in accomplishing his purposes, but I am learning to trust him. He is faithful!

I suspect Nita kept my card all those years because she saw a small seed of faith and it encouraged her heart. I didn’t know it at the time, but it would be eight more Christmas seasons before Randy experienced the miraculous breakthrough of finding freedom from alcoholism.

As I read the card I had written so long ago, I felt awed by God’s faithfulness to us—even when our situation looked completely hopeless.

You may be facing great difficulty as the holidays approach. The last thing you feel like is celebrating. And that’s O.K. The Good News of Christmas isn’t about picture perfect holidays where our homes are decorated a la Martha Stewart and tables are laden with holiday delicacies. Your days may not be merry and bright. You may be grieving the loss of a loved one or the loss of a relationship through divorce or estrangement. Your world has unraveled.

That’s exactly why the message of Christmas is Good News. The Savior is born! The One who came to set you free, to give you peace and hope and help beyond anything you could ever imagine is as near as your next breath. Today you might not be able to see how God’s purposes are unfolding for your future, but you can be assured that He is working all things for good in your life. A twenty year-old Christmas card came on a summer day as an unexpected gift and gentle reminder of God’s presence—especially in the worst of times.

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About Deb: Deb Kalmbach is the coauthor of Because I Said Forever: Embracing Hope in a Not-So- Perfect Marriage and the author of a book for children, Corey’s Dad Drinks Too Much. She has contributed to The New Women’s Devotional Bible, Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace, and other anthologies. She is a vibrant and engaging speaker who gives hope and practical solutions to those who struggle with difficult relationships. Deb and her husband, Randy, live in a tiny town in Eastern Washington. Visit Deb at: www.debkalmbach.com, or on Facebook and Twitter.

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