S Club Mama

Anyone who knows my family, knows we love superheroes (or, in my husband's case, tolerate them). We've been almost every well-known superhero for Halloween (I've been Wonder Woman 3 times in various forms): 2009 2010  2013  2014  2015  2015 Other than a few stints as Star Wars, Mario, and Scooby-Doo characters, this is us. We read a lot of superhero books (as in, I read to the kids, I don't read my own...) and we've learned a LOT about characters, both popular and totally obscure. It can be ridiculous sometimes but it's fun, too. There are a lot of books about teamwork and you can see how Batman has changed over the years (from no low voice to really deep voice, from caring and kind to selfish - I'm talking to you, Lego Batman - boo). image via Google images One thing I really dislike about superheroes is how they dress the women superheroes. Yes, in 2010 I wore Wonder Woman underwear over tights for Halloween (I was on a we...

I love Luke Perry - Beverly Hills 90210 (the old one, not the new), 8 Seconds. And now he's out in a new movie, "Race to Win." Check out the official trailer below. The DVD is out February 14, Valentine's Day. You can pick one up for an at-home movie date!

I have been a part of the She Reads Truth community off and on for a few years now. I love the insight from real women, digging deeper into the Word of God (and that it doesn't take a seminary degree to understand their devotions). image via Barnes and Noble website When Raechel Myers and Amanda Bible Williams came out with their book, "She Reads Truth: Holding Tight to Permanent in a World That's Passing Away," I was excited to read it. I was not really sure what to expect, knowing relatively little about their lives or writing experience outside of devotions. I had little to dread, however. "She Reads Truth" has provided a balm to my soul in a wearying time of the holiday chaos. Now, if I try to tell you about details of the book, I will mess up. It's written so that each chapter is by only one author at a time, telling a bit of her story and tying it to Scripture and lessons she's learned through reading Truth. While their stories are d...

Christmas is a time of joy for my family. We love the music (Pentatonix Christmas is our favorite this year), the lights, the food, the cookies, the movies, the atmosphere. But Christmas is so much more for us.  image via here I often forget that it's about more. I can get caught up in the hustle and bustle as much as the next person. But when I slow down, I can remember the real reason - Emmanuel. God with us. God the Son came to earth, born of a virgin, born in a stable. He came to be with us. He came to lead us, love us, and die for us.  Without Jesus, Christmas is bland. Gifts will break and be forgotten. Food will leave you too full and uncomfortable. Lights will be taken down, trees put away. But Christ is still Emmanuel.  This is a time to put aside our differences and love like He loved us. This is a time to count our blessings, one by one, to remember how He has been with us (even in those really hard times). This is the time to celebrate His birth! T...

"My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers has been on my night stand for a few years now. It's been pivotal in challenging me deeper into my faith. Since I've read most of it now, I thought I'd look for another devotional to do the same. "Devotions for a Deeper Life" by Oswald Chambers seemed like the next best thing. image via BookLook Many of these devotions were pulled from articles in God's Revitalist from God's Bible School and College in Cincinnati, Ohio where Chambers taught for six months in 1906. I have not gotten through all of this book as it's a devotional, meant to be read day by day. However, these have not been as challenging to me as those written in "My Utmost for His Highest." I'm not really sure why and perhaps as I lean more into it, they will begin to challenge me more. What I do like about this devotional is the suggested reading from Scripture and Prayer Thought at the bottom of each day...

I had a very hard time deciding whether to review this book or not because of the controversy surrounding Brandon Hatmaker and his wife, Jen . I decided to take a look at this book, reading it as I would any other book - with an open mind and a critic's eye (does that sound weird? I like to take a very close look at books, not just skim the surface). Please do not take this book review as condoning the statements made by the Hatmakers but take this book at face value. image via BookLook "Trading a shallow religion for a deeper faith" is the by-line that caught my eye about "A Mile Wide" by Brandon Hatmaker . I want a deep faith, fully connected with a relationship with my heavenly father. Sometimes I feel close to Him, other days He feels miles away...but I know He is always with us...so is it me? Probably. I am fleeting and sporadic in my spiritual disciplines. In order to learn more about how to grow a deeper faith, I picked up Hatmaker's book. I re...

When I first picked up Mindy Kaling's "Why Not Me?" I thought I'd read it already! Oops. That would make it a forgettable book, right? I'm not sure why I thought that; perhaps I read an excerpt somewhere before but as I got passed the first chapter, I definitely had not read this material. Unlike most who have read this book (in my assumptions), I have never seen an episode of The Office or The Mindy Project. They just have never filtered themselves into my must-see-tv queue. However, I am a fan of funny women and have read Amy Poehler's and Tina Fey's books. That is why I decided to pick up "Why Not Me?" . image via Google search What I liked most about the book is that Kaling does not seem to be fake. She talks about tanning and hair extensions and her issues with her weight. I, like many people it seems from reading her book, like that she's not a stick figure. She writes that she is "completely not at peace with the way I lo...