S Club Mama

Promise I have some fun posts coming up, but I need to write a few of these book reviews first. Up first is " The God-First Life " by Stovall Weems. I was thinking this was going to be a more in-depth, practical book of how to put God first in our lives. It was more like a beginner's book of "ok I trust Jesus, now what?" which is terrific. There needs to be more books like this because when I first trusted in Jesus/became saved, I had no idea what that kind of life should look like. Now, don't get me wrong, there isn't a one-size-fits-all lifestyle for being a Christian. But there are a few things Christians should be doing and that's growing in fruits of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, self-control, faithfulness. I think that Weems laid out his book well to explain how we go about growing these things. Through having new priorities, a new family (God's church), a new life, and new freedom. image v...

I'm not an avid reader of Money Saving Mom but I do subscribe to a few of Crystal Paine's newsletters so my inbox usually has an email about how to save money or a giveaway or the like. I do scour a lot of blogs (probably too many some days) so I'd seen " Say Goodbye to Survival Mode " by Crystal Paine and had read numerous reviews. I think that title is something every mom with young kids wants to be able to say, so I was very excited at the opportunity to review this book. Paine gives you "9 simple strategies to stress less, sleep more, and restore your passion for life." I'm coming out of the really little kid stage (my youngest enters kindergarten in the fall - how can that be?) but I all too well remember the days of inward panic and stress over the tiniest things while my children were very small. I couldn't keep up with the dishes, the diapers, the laundry (still have troubles with this one...), the financial woes, the stress. I felt ...

Have you ever thought to yourself, as a Christian, "am I doing this right?" or "if I'm doing this right, why don't I feel closer to God?" Yeah, I've been there, too. It's a rough, rough place to be in, striving so hard to 'get it right' that you end up chasing God rather than following Him. That's the premise of Angie Smith's new book, "Chasing God." I have so much of this book highlighted because it spoke directly to where I was. I was begging to hear from God but I wasn't hearing. I was trying to be set apart but had instead set up rules and judgement. I was really striving to do the right things but it wasn't enough. Smith writes, "So much of my time with the Lord has been spent trying to prove myself - not just to Him, but to everyone around me. I want to show myself worthy of the calling that has been placed on me, and that is where the chasing has, well, finally caught up with me. I want to live a lif...

I'm in the midst of reading Hope Runs by Claire Diaz-Ortiz and Sammy Ikua Gachaqua. The book launches this week so I'm hurrying to be able to share my review this week! However, with the book launch comes all sorts of neat offers that I wanted to share with you. I've copied all of this from Claire's website so please if you want to visit, do so here . Here are the details on the book launch incentives and goodies you can win! And if you order this week you’ll get not only $150 in freebies, but you’ll also be entered to win over $1,000 in prizes. (Just keep reading…) The book, as I’ve said, is not the book many folks expected me to write. It’s not a book about business, productivity, or technology book. Not at all. Hope Runs is a joint memoir with my Kenyan foster son, all about the strange journey we’ve taken together. From meeting him in his orphanage in 2006, to spending a year living in his orphanage and starting a non-profit organization, to ultimately bri...

Veggie Tales has been around for some time; I remember watching Madame Blueberry in junior high. It wasn't until I started to watch the shows with my kids that I learned how valuable the lessons they taught are. Which is why I'm so thankful they started to make Veggie Tales books. We own a Veggie Tale Bible and Saint Nicholas books but have read numerous more. " Pirates, Mess Detectives, and a Superhero " by Karen Roth stay true to the Veggie Tale premise of using time-honored Biblical virtues in their lessons. This is a 3-in-1 book (I love the frugality of that) that centers around Larry the Cucumber and his other produce pals. image via BookLook Bloggers In "Pirate in Training," Junior Asparagus aspires to be one of the "Pirates Who Don't Do Anything" because he doesn't want to go to school anymore. The pirates give him lessons in being a pirate that show him how they use math and reading (things you learn at school) to get by in...

Last year, I had the privilege to hear Angie Smith speak at a Women of Faith conference. I am a fan from her red hair to the wise words given to her to share from the Lord. I first heard of Angie during the time prior to their daughter, Audrey's birth. I cried in their grief and rejoiced at their blessings. I loved reading Angie's book, " Mended ." I was overjoyed to be able to read " Audrey Bunny ." I really enjoyed the illustrations in "Audrey Bunny" by Breezy Brookshire that accompany this story. I really enjoy the moral of this story = that you will be loved by somebody even with your imperfections.  I even loved that the story was told in the person of the bunny who wants to be loved but has an imperfection. via Amazon I did enjoy this book from the bunny to the little girl who loved her. I love that the bunny is named Audrey after their daughter. I don't know how much of this story is true or not (Caroline is another Smith daught...

Boys. If men are from Mars and women are from Venus...where exactly are boys from? They are definitely a type of their own, right boy moms? I have read many books concerning boys and raising them and shepherding them and teaching them and disciplining them. I'm well-read (and getting to be well-experienced in the 0-6 age group) about boys. Having read so many books, I will say that "Raising Boys by Design" by Gregory L. Jantz, PhD and Michael Gurian is probably the most boring I've read. They have the right idea with the subtitle "What the Bible and Brain Science reveal about what your son needs to thrive." But the actual writing in the book did not hold my attention well. Here are the few things I gleaned from this book. When boys are at rest or zoning out, their brains mostly are in a resting state. Girls' brains, in opposition, still have much activity even in a resting state. My question to this is then, is it possible for boys to obey right away...

Last year was Moose's first year of full-time school. I feel I had a leg up on the letting him go part because he'd been to 1.5 years of preschool plus 3 days a week summertime preschool. Well, I was wrong. Full day is a whole other ball game! Plus I had him in full-time AND Squirt in part-time - whew was my mama heart full of stress for awhile. I didn't know what Moose was eating, who he was (or wasn't) playing with, who his paras were, how he acted, how other kids acted. Nothing. It was really hard for me. Until I prayed. Of course, prayer makes everything come into perspective. God was with my Moose (his Moose) - always. Erin MacPherson's book "The Christian Mama's Guide to the Grade School Years" is a wonderful book to read (along with being a prayer warrior for your kids) to get moms comfortable with the idea of their children being in school. This book is not just for public/private school goers either! I would say it is more geared toward...

I'm not sure if I've mentioned that I'm supposed to be in Haiti this week but, long story shortened, my foot acted up again, so no mission trip. Instead I bring you the latest installment of my book reviews. Boys, Booze, and Jesus reads the tag-line on Tindell Baldwin's book, "Popular." That could very well be the tag-line for my high school life. This book is a memoir about Baldwin who grew up in a Christian home and took a very different approach to life in high school than her family desired. At the heart of the issue was popularity, like the title suggests. Baldwin wanted to be popular, to belong. I believe we all have this desire, to belong. I know I did. It's really scary how Baldwin's memoir mirrors my own (not identically but to a great extent). After Baldwin's "rebel" phase of boys and booze, she felt a call to Jesus. I felt a similar call at a similar time in life - college. She had an amazing family who loved her uncon...

I love my kids. I love God. How do I glorify God in my mothering? I become a passionate mom. Susan Merrill uses the book of Nehemiah to describe how to become a passionate mom in her book The Passionate Mom: Dare to Parent in Today's World . If you're unfamiliar with the book of Nehemiah, let me give you the jist of it. Nehemiah was the cupbearer to the king of Babylon. Friends of his came and told him how back home in Jerusalem (where Nehemiah had never lived, being born during the exile, but where he considered - like most Jews of the day - to be his home) the wall that protected the city and the Temple (which had been rebuilt by Ezra) was not rebuilt. Nehemiah saw this as a huge problem because it protected God's temple, where the Jewish nation worshiped God and really how they had a relationship with Him. Nehemiah took time to ponder his next step before he brought this problem before the king. The king (through God's mercy and grace) granted Nehemiah the materials ...

I'm intrigued by apologetics (which is fancy talk for defending your position - usually in regards to faith, as in this case). Last year, Big A & I facilitated an apologetics study for church called The Truth Project (super good!). As Christians, we should be able to defend our faith. Childlike faith does not mean blind faith; Jesus said if we ask, we will receive. That is in regards to wisdom and knowledge, too. I think it's good to ask questions and keep seeking truth. As I learned from our class, the truth will always lead you back to God. "God's Not Dead" by Rice Brooks was right up that alley of truth-seeking/faith defending, so I broke it open and absorbed. image via Book Sneeze I did not like it to begin with. I was thinking from the introduction that there would be more scientific, fact-like evidence. The first few chapters seemed more like "he said, he said" conversations with atheist point of views contradicted by Christian point o...

When I volunteered at the Women of Faith conference in Kansas City, I was very blessed to hear some wonderful speakers. As a blogger, I have been blessed to review some of those speakers' books. Fully Alive by Ken Davis is just one of those speakers and books I've been blessed with. Ken spoke extensively about living fully alive when he spoke to us at WOF, so really I had heard probably 40-50% of this book already. That wasn't a let down at all. It served as a refresher course of what God has really been teaching me my whole life. It's really simple, when you're a Christian, to say that you'll die for Christ. As a believer, we know what is going to happen when we die (or at least where we're going if not specifics of what it will look like & such - although we've had glimpses). But what about LIVING for Christ?? Living FULLY for Christ? That's not so easy. We can almost get into a comfortable little coma as Christians. That coma is not ...

I'm on a reading streak lately, if you haven't noticed. My newest finish is Deadrise by Robert Blake Whitehill. I'm not generally a reader of a thriller like this, but I'm glad I finished it. Besides some unsavory language and sexual content, the characters in this book were well-rounded. They were believable - you could believe in a person like Ben Blackshaw and Maynard Chalk (even as disgusting as he is). Whitehill really developed each character in this book so they weren't so out there (even though some of the personalities were out there) that you couldn't believe in them. I appreciate the thought that went in to each person, major and minor. The writing is great in this book except for a few excerpts, mostly the ones about Maynard Chalk and his business relationship with a senator. Those really were ones that I skimmed over because I didn't feel they were really important to the ongoing plot, and yet you couldn't have left them out because ...

If you've read God Gave Us You, you've heard of Lisa T. Bergren. Wonderful children's book! Bergren's new book, Upside-Down Prayers for Parents, will be released February 19, 2013. It's a 31-day devotional that helps parents help their children - and themselves - to trust God. I like that this devotional doesn't take me very long to read but I get a lot out of it. It's challenging to me at a Christian and a mother. It's called Upside-Down Prayers because you will be praying for things for your children that sound like stuff you wouldn't want to happen to your children. For instance: I pray you'll know what it is to be lonely. Wow. I don't want my kids to be lonely! But if you finish the prayer, "and find intimacy with the One who is always beside you" then it makes sense. I don't want my kids to be lonely, but if their loneliness leads them to the Lord, then be lonely children! A few other prayers you'll be praying ...

I grew up in virtually the same home my whole life. We moved in when I was younger than 5 and my parents are still there. I cannot imagine being a migrant worker. I grew up with 2 sisters. I cannot imagine being one of seven children. I grew up knowing that my parents loved me, even when I didn't think their discipline was fair (it probably was at times and wasn't at times, same as most parents). I cannot imagine being abused, especially sexually abused. Cruel Harvest by Fran Elizabeth Grubb is a memoir about those unimaginable things. The first two of those things are not necessarily bad things, although not being allowed to go to school as a migrant worker would have been very hard on me (as it was on the author). In Cruel Harvest, Grubb describes her life of fear. Her father was a cruel, cruel man who reigned over his family with an iron fist of abuse, a brick of sexual abuse, and the fear those things brought out. They traveled from farm to farm as migrant workers...

I was honored to be asked to review Beth Moore's newest release: "A Heart Like His: Intimate Reflections on the Life of David." Now, this book has been previously released, jacketed hardcover edition, a DVD study edition, and a 90 day study. I haven't done any of these studies but have heard great things about the DVD study and have started one of her 90 day studies on Paul (wonderful). "A Heart Like His" was really great for me to read because my husband had previously been leading his Sunday school class through 1 Samuel. Much of this book covers 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, and the beginning of 1 Kings. It was validating for my husband to hear me tell him that much of what we covered was covered in this book. I learned so much about Eli, Samuel, Saul, and David - you need the back story on these other biblical figures to understand some of David's story. David was such a complicated guy: warrior, shepherd, poet, musician, king, lady's man, disobe...

I'm about halfway through with my trip to Manila; I'm sure I'm missing my boys like crazy but hopefully having a good time doing the Lord's work. I have another guest blogger today. I met Becky in college; she was an RA in my complex and on staff with my hubby. She and I get along so well, probably because we're freaky English majors. Us geeks tend to stick together. Becky has done something I dream of doing one day - wrote a book. Well, 3, in fact. Read on and be sure to head on over to Becky's blog, too. - Randi Hi everyone! My name is Becky and I have a blog over at Turn Around & Say Hello   -- and I am so excited to be guest posting here today! Randi and I met long ago, during those wonder years of college. Big A and my hubs were pretty good friends. A little about me? I’m an English teacher, and in my spare time I write! Recently, I released my third book. It’s a modern twist on an old classic –  Pride and Prejudice . Here’s the info from  Ama...

Two years ago, I wrote a book review about Run Like a Mother . It stands as one of my favorite books: running or non-running related! Dimity McDowell and Sarah Bowen Shea made running relatable for a newbie like myself. And they've done it again in their new book, Train Like a Mother. In the years between their books, Dimity and SBS have created a wonderful online community centered around their blog, Another Mother Runner , and Facebook page . I am a consistent commenter on both platforms; because I feel a sense of community there, a camaraderie that I haven't found (as far as running in concerned) elsewhere. But beyond their online community, Dimity and SBS have written a wonderful book. I'm excited to try out one of their training plans later this year. I plan to use their 5K plan to help "train" (mentor) a group of ladies to their first 5K. I'm nervous about that, but so much of the pressure is off of me because of the quality of these training plans. ...

I read The Five Love Languages back in college, early in our marriage. It helped me gain an insight to my husband and has helped me to fill his love tank for 5 1/2 years. Gary Chapman wrote that book to help couples learn about one another and how best to love one another. In Happily Ever After, he strives to help married couples go from a place of strife to a place of love - to not just have a marriage but a happy one. I enjoyed the first part of this book about conflict resolution. I come from a family that yells, Big A comes from a family that shuts down (this in the face of a disagreement). We both have had to work very hard to overcome this natural state when we disagree, but I will be the first to admit that I am the worse of the two. Arguing makes my blood boil and I can go from fine to really ticked off so quickly!! I've come a long way in 5 1/2 years, but there's still work to be done. I believe this book has helped me understand that I need to listen WAY more than...

Squirt has been having a terrible time getting to sleep ever since we took away his pacifier. He used to put that sucker in, grab his little night-night blankie, and fall asleep almost instantly. It was glorious. Now, he talks, throws EVERYTHING out of his crib (which Moose puts back every time and it becomes a game), cries, screams, jumps. It is awful. Something we haven't dealt with before for 4 years. Last night was no different. He had been talked to, disciplined, and all blanket/pillow/stuffed animal privileges had been taken away (he had feetie pjs on so he was warm enough). So frustrated. He finally fell asleep...but woke up (which he has been more prone to also without the beloved papa) close to midnight. Big A is snoozing peacefully beside me and I had just put down my book, so guess who got the baby? I had been reading Shepherding a Child's Heart. Last semester, my church held a class where they watched the videos that go along with this book. We didn't attend b...