Book Giveaway

Hello! I have never done a book giveaway before so here we go! Since I know very few people read this blog it shouldn't be too difficult to have a good chance at winning.

My previous post was about the book Healing Your Church Hurt by Stephen Mansfield. Tyndale Publishing was doing a "blog tour" and gave me a certificate so that someone can get a free copy of Healing Your Church Hurt.

Here is how it will work, comment on this post sometime in the next week (ending February 28th) and then I will put the names in a random draw. Whoever wins I will contact right away in order to get a mailing address.

This should be fun!!

Healing Your Church Hurt Book Review

Healing Your Church Hurt by Stephen Mansfield was a much better book than I was expecting. It is not a book that will help all of your personal church problems, nor is it a book that will magically make you feel completely better about something that has happened to upset you in the church. Mansfield adds a touch of humor to his writing but gets straight to the point, he doesn't sugarcoat anything. Some parts of the book I found more interesting than others but only because I was reading from my personal perspective.

A sentence that made me think was, "Christianity is not the absence of stupidity and hurt. Christianity is the message of a God who uses our stupidity and hurt to make us what we are destined to be".

He also takes note of something that I think is very true that I had never thought about. "One of the most endearing features of the Bible is how God chose to portray people without apology in their raw and fallen state". This is so true when you think about all of the different people God talks about in the Bible. David-a liar, murderer, and so on.

Mansfield brings up a lot of new ways to think about things, not change what happened, but to see things in a different perspective.

Healing Your Church Hurt is a thought provoking read if not anything else.

Check out this link to find out more about the book.

"I received this book for free from Tyndale Publishing"

Making Leaf Placemats into Pillows

I typed in "leaf pillow" search after making my pillows and realized that I must be the last person to have heard about this fun idea. In any case I thought I would write a post about it and what I did that made it a bit cheaper to make.

I first heard about this idea while browsing on Pinterest and thought these would make the cutest pillows on our couch! I also realized that I had seen these place mats at Wal-mart for the last few months but did not want to spend the money on something I probably wouldn't end up using.

I paid $0.75 cents for each place mat and I bought all they that had left because this is a wonderful gift idea.

I then wandered back to crafts to buy the stuffing and realized that it is not cheap! Over three dollars for a bag that would not stuff all of the pillows I was planning on making. So, my husband ( I love him for this) suggested buying the super cheap regular pillows, cutting them open, and using that stuffing. The regular pillows are $2.50 and hold twice as much as a bag of stuffing.

I discovered that there was one seam that was the easiest to tear out on all of the pillows and then I stuffed the leaf.

I made nine pillows for extremely cheap, and you can't buy cheap pillows anymore, even the small ones! If Walt-mart had any left I would buy more. : )

I also discovered that the pillows will look great on our bed, not just the couch.

This was too much fun, especially on a cold day when you want to stay inside.

Has anyone else done any DIY projects? If so what were they?

Bible Tik Tak Toe

Last night Chance and I decided we wanted to play a game. We have all of our games in a big tub and I had forgotten that my dad had given us the old games I used to play when I was little.
As I was digging I came across Bible Tik Tak Toe. I used to play this game with my sister and I loved it! The gist of the game is you have this book full of Bible questions and if you get the answer right you can put your X or O on the board on that question space. Chance and I started to read each other the questions and I realized how much I had forgotten. I'm sorry to say that but honestly I couldn't remember some of the names or details to parts of the Bible that I had memorized only a few years ago.

I imagine I'm not the only one who has forgotten some things that I learned in Sunday school but it made me realize how much I want to remember all of the details again. I might go to church but how much do I really study and put into memory?

This led to my second thought. If I ever have kids I will want to raise them with a knowledge and understanding of Christ. How can I do this when I can't answer their questions?

I love how God put things like Tik Tak Toe in our lives to make us think.

Book Review: How Do We Know the Bible is True? by Ken Ham and Bodie Hodge

I got this book and discovered it was Bible Study material while being very interesting. I love knowing the little facts that set the Bible apart and make it real and honest. So many people try to twist the details into how the Bible isn't true or the facts in it are incorrect. Ken Ham is an author that I have enjoyed in the past and Bodie Hodge was a new name to me. I thought the two of them did an excellent job in portraying people's doubts and proving why the Bible is true. There are facts and references so you can look things up as you are reading. They include multiple verses to prove their point and discuss the historical aspects of many different issues in the Bible.

I would love to use this book as either a personal or small group study.

"I received this book for free from New Leaf Publishing."

When the Soul Mends by Cindy Woodsmall

When the Soul Mends by Cindy Woodsmall is the third book in the Sisters of the Quilt Series. I loved the previous two books and this last one was just as good! Woodsmall is able to write a book that is so very different than many other Amish stories. The first novel is about Hannah Lapp and a rape attack that made her flee from home. Woodsmall finishes the story in this third book by bringing Hannah back home and having her decide between two different worlds. It's a wonderful story of forgiveness and love.


"I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review."

Check out the first chapter here.

 

Pinterest and Inspiration!

I have recently discovered Pinterest. I had heard people talk about it but I wasn't really that excited about it...until I started searching and getting ideas.

Chance and I will be moving into a new house in a few months and hopefully someday renovating an older house. I LOVE ideas on decorating and paint colors and design and clever kitchen ideas and craft ideas! Pinterest was an ingenious idea.

I was reading on a dance website the other day and came across this paragraph:

We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another. The truth is, there’s no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when? Your life will always be filled with challenges. It’s best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway.

So Thought for the day: "Work like you don’t need money, Love like you’ve never bee hurt, And dance like no one’s watching.”

The Crossing- A Must Read!

The Crossing by Serita Jakes was far better than I expected. After the first chapter I wasn't convinced it was going to be interesting but the story took off from there. An excellent book that leaves you guessing. I couldn't put the book down, as Jakes created many twists in the story.
This book has a few different story lines, so it could be confusing to figure out at first. Jakes did a wonderful job in weaving God's love into a story so full of pain. I will advise that this isn't a lighthearted novel in the least and does have some graphic parts to it. I will be interested in reading more from Serita Jakes in the future!
“I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review”

This Week

Well I sure am not living up to my blogging new year resolution. It's so hard to find the time! This week has gone by so fast. College and working three jobs leaves little room for much of anything else!

I started a health class this past week and will probably report about it on here. I have come up with a healthy goal to accomplish in the next couple of months.

I made homemade bread this week but still need to experiment with the recipe. I also made Shrimp Scampi which actually turned out pretty good! I think that I need to visit Corpus Christi, TX again for real shrimp though!


Bible study this week was very interesting and thought provoking. Chance really got a lot out of this week and made him think a lot. We had a few discussions about it throughout the week, which I am so blessed to be able to do that with my husband.

I will no longer be working nights at the hotel, I gave my notice this week. The graveyard shift has been a learning experience but I do not wish to pursue it in a career. I have another opportunity with a coffee shop which was an answer to prayer.

That was pretty much my week, not exciting but very busy!

H20 Bible Study

During the past few months, Chance and I have been a part of a Bible study that we started with my boss and her husband. We meet once a week, and it has been such a blessing. This past week we started a new series that is made by City On a Hill Productions called H20. It is a video series, each are about 30 minutes long, and Kyle Idleman, the speaker is also a pastor at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY.

The first video is called "Thirsty" and talks about being thirsty for something more in life, it's like a longing for God. Idleman tells a story, in this case it was about a wedding ring, and relates it to his message.
 I really enjoyed the first study we did this past week and I think it is something that really makes you think.I will post more through the weeks as we go through them.

There also a video series called "Not a Fan" which we will start after the H20 videos.

Check it out! H20 Video

What Am I Doing?

 I have recently been thinking about what I am doing with my life and wondering about what God has planned for me. I have constant thoughts about what I am doing with my life for Him.  I have always believed that God puts us right where we need to be, but the patience to try and understand "why?" is difficult. This question goes far beyond " I don't know what I want to be when I grow up". This is so much more important to me.
We are here in this place (wherever that may be) for a reason.God doesn't make mistakes. He has my entire life planned out for a reason. This fact astounds me. This fact keeps me going. This fact is humbling.  I often feel like I'm not doing anything significant with my life. I'm continuing my education, I'm working hard, I adore my husband, I am a friend. Do you ever feel like there must be something else that God wants you to see in your life but you feel so blind? Perhaps these are the things God wants me to focus on right now but what if I am missing something?
The other day I was talking with Chance and I said, " We have lived about quarter of the average life. What in the world have we done with that much time? What have I done with my life that is for God?"
I want to live each day for Him and not for my selfish reasons.
This is difficult but something to think about none the less.