Late Summer Garage Sales

We haven't been hitting up garage sales as much as we had been earlier this summer, click here to see my previous finds, but this past Saturday, we loaded up again and went hunting!

I love looking for treasures and then actually finding some.  So much fun!

Here is what we found:

I'll admit it: I am a bookaholic.  I love to read and I LOVE to buy books for my kids and for me.  I really dislike paying full price though.  I found these books at one place and only paid $2 for them all.  As my 3 year old would say, "Sweeeeet!"  I got a Hardy Boys novel, 2 easy reader books, a Snoopy comic strip book and Pokemon, of course.  I also got a couple of Sandra Brown novels.  I have never read any, but they got high recommendations after asking around.

We found these at an estate sale.  I do believe it was our first one.  It was fabulous!  It wasn't run by a company, so the prices were awesome.  We got a 6 piece set of glasses, a glass pitches, a vase and a basket all for $4.  We weren't going to buy the basket, but they gave it to us to haul our glasses in.  I made my husband go back to buy the vase.  They only wanted 25 cents, but he just gave them $1 since they threw in the basket for free.  It is so fun getting super deals.  I wish there were garage sales all year round!  

Have you found any great treasures in your garage sale adventures?

Blessings,

The Irish Healer: A Novel by Nancy Herriman

This is a little review I'm writing, just because!  I read this book while driving on all of our recent road trips.  I tried not to spoil the ending.

It is the story of an Irish woman, Rachel Dunne, who flees from Ireland to London in 1832.  She leaves because she was accused of murdering a child she was caring for.  She has turned her back on God, because she thinks he has turned his back on she and her family. London is not home, but she takes refuge with a doctor, James Edmunds.  She is hired as his assistant to help pack for his move to the country.  He is fleeing from his own demons, one being the death of his wife.  James doesn't know if he can trust God anymore.  Rachel ends up helping him by sitting for his patients, the one thing she vowed she would never do again.  When cholera hits London, Rachel and James' lives are flipped upside down.  Rachel has to try and overcome her fear of helping patients again and James has to try and save his daughter's life, whom he has only seen a few times, while she battles cholera.  Can they overcome their fears, trust one another, learn to love and rediscover their faith?

This is a christian historical fiction novel.  I love this genre of books and have read many, so I have a broad knowledge base to go on.  Overall, I would recommend this book to read.  The characters weren't very complex, but were easy to fall in love with.  I did feel like the love connection between Rachel and James suddenly appeared, though.  There was not a lot of interactions or conversations between the two and before you knew it, they had feelings for one another.  It seemed abrupt.  Besides the surprise connection, the book was a good love story and kept you hooked at the end of each chapter.  I would read it again.

Enjoy your summer reading!

Blessings,

Devotions for the Whole Family

Prayer and devotions are an important part of the day.  It is a great way to get your kids introduced to daily time with God.  I feel it gets harder as you get older and busier, to incorporate it into your life if you haven't done so already.  Establish the habit early on.  Why not start young, so your kids center their days around devotions rather than trying to fit it in later?

We have been using The One Year Devotions for Preschoolers.  My kids have loved this one.  It has great pictures to look at.  The daily devotions each share a story, a bible verse and a prayer that we repeat.  Jman and BG spend a lot of time just paging through the book.


We also have God's Mighty Warrior Devotional.  This is a devotional that focuses on boys age 4 - 7.  The Bible verses are a little longer and there are articles that delve further into the verses.  There are also pages to write down prayer requests and answered prayers.  My oldest is 5 and really gets into the stories and activities!

I have personally used a few and have enjoyed them all.

Grace For The Moment by Max Lucado.  This devotional is uplifting and real.  It speaks to one and all.

My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers.  This devotional really makes you think about your character, as well as God's.  It can be transforming, if you want it to be.  

Come Away My Beloved by Frances J. Roberts.  This devotional will speak to your heart and encourage you.

Tramp For The Lord by Corrie Ten Boom.  My husband recommends this one.  :)  It isn't a true devotional, but can be read as one.  It is a book with short chapters, each centered around a Bible verse.  It is a powerful book!  My husband has multiple copies and gives them away.  That's how much he enjoys this book.

If you want to read Corrie Ten Boom's personal story, you can find it in the book titled The Hiding Place.

I pray that you find the time for family devotions and that this list may help get you started or give you new ideas for continuing your family time!

Blessings,

Amanda

My Joy of Reading

I call it joy.  My husband would say I have a problem.  Regardless of who you are talking to, I love to read.  I read any and every kind of book.  I am breaking my silence and recommending some of my favorites!

I'll admit it, I am a fan of Harry Potter.  I reread this series quite often just for the fun of it.  I love escaping into a world of imagination.

    While I'm in the genre of fantasy, I will also say that I love the Eragon series.  This is a series about elves, dragons, dwarfs...a fun read!  My friend back in the cities got me started on this one and I couldn't put it down.  I finished all 4 books within 2 weeks time (I may have a slight problem).

The Hobbit and J.R.R. Tolkien Boxed Set (The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings) make the list of fantasy novels as well.

MOVING on from Fantasy (I could spend some time there...) I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE historical fiction and Christian historical fiction.  Tracie Peterson is one of my favorite authors, along with the following:


  Redeeming Love is a book I will read when I want a love story that will melt your heart, make you cry, speak to your soul, and give you hope and joy.  It is such a good book!!!


      The Dakotah Series books by Lauraine Snelling are books I recommend to others all the time.  Growing up in North Dakota, these books are extra special for me to read.  I have visited the towns she writes about and can visualize the small towns in the days of the settlers.


        The English Garden Series by Lori Wick are excellent Christian historical fiction reads as well.  I enjoy a good love story that shows the struggles and triumphs of a man and woman striving to keep God at the center of their relationship.  These books are just what the doctor ordered if you are looking for the same kind of story!

Last books - I really like suspense, murder mystery, thriller books as well.  I told you I liked them all.  And I'm only showing you the tip of the iceberg in fiction.  :)

 Stephanie Plum novels have got me laughing out loud.  They are more comedic murder mystery, but they still fit in this genre.  The language is a little more crude than I would usually like, but she is so crazy, it's hard not to get into these.  A woman bounty hunter that has a reputation for blowing up cars...it doesn't get much wackier.

A start to my book collection for you.  I'll add more as I continue to find new, great reads!  It shouldn't be too much longer before I add more.  I have a lot of books on my reading list!  If you have any suggestions for me, PLEASE leave me a comment and give your recommendations!  I'm always looking for new books!

Blessings,

Amanda

Feeding Your Soul

Do you have those days where things don't go how you planned?  I'm a mom, of course I have them.  I have lots of them!  At these situations, I'm faced between choosing to proceed with disappointment or adjust and positively go with the flow.  It's easier for me to choose the go with the flow approach if I've been filling myself with Christ.

The world constantly bombards you with smut, temptation and anti-Christianity views.  It will wear on you if you don't armor yourself.  Satan is cunning and will attempt to trip you up anyway he can.  Keep  your soul, mind and heart pure.  I speak out of valiant effort and straight from the battle ground.  It is never ending and yet I press on.

How can you armor yourself?  First and foremost, get into God's word.  You can gain knowledge and truth from it.  God directly speaks about spiritual armor in Ephesians.  This is what Ephesians 6:10-18 says: 

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. (www.biblegateway.com)

There is much to do!

Besides God's word, you need to be diligent about what and who you are watching, listening to and interacting with.  You can see lots of things you shouldn't see on television, the Internet, billboards, etc.  Choose wisely.  If you have children, be especially diligent.  They are like sponges.  My boys repeat A LOT of what they hear or see.  It is almost scary how much they remember.

The radio is another place that can hinder your walk with God.  I try to listen to Christian music as much as I can.  There are times that I need to change the channel because I've heard the same song up-teen times.  I usually put the speakers faded to the front and turn it down a little, but I'll turn it up on songs that I know are okay.  I usually listen to country music as the backup, and find that lots of songs cross over with Christian messages.

Focus on the Family is another favorite.  What parent doesn't want to build their knowledge on raising Godly children?  And learning ways to keep your marriage strong is always welcome!  Our oldest son is just getting to the age where he will sit and listen to Adventures in Odyssey.  He really enjoys them and it is filling his little heart with Godly counsel.  My husband loves listening to conservative talk radio, so I get my fair share on road trips.  :)

Books on CD are another option.  You can get the Bible on CD, and other christian authors on CD as well.  Jan Karon's At Home In Mitford is good!!  I really like Lauraine Snelling.  She writes historical fiction books about the lives of Scandinavian settlers in the Dakota Territory.  There are many more books out there you can choose from.

One I feel that is very important, is who you interact with.  Surrounding yourself with firmly grounded Christians is imperative to keep you uplifted, accountable, and growing in your walk with Christ.  A church family, small groups, Bible study groups, etc are the best way to get started and keep connected.

Keep your feet firmly grounded, feed your soul with God's word and stand in God's armor.  God is our rock and we can win the battle with His strength.

Blessings,

Readers in the Making

When I was a little girl, I used to read ALL the time.  I had a special pink lawn chair that I would sit in under our flowering crabapple tree and read and read and read!  I used to walk to the bookmobile at the end of our block with my brother and sister and our 2 neighbor friends with a red wagon.  We would load it up with books and walk home to read.  I loved reading then and I still love reading now.  My poor husband, when I'm reading a good book, I am lost to my surroundings.

My kids have started to develop a love for reading.  I enjoy reading to them and sharing books that I loved as a kid.  

Here are a list of a few of our favorites!  (BG, my 2 yr old, is helping me compile my list and his eyes are getting bigger and bigger.  He keeps telling me we need to read that book, and that book, and that book...)  :)

Room for a Little One is one of my all time favorites.  It's the Christmas story told by the animals in the stable and the pictures are fantastic!  The boys know this is my favorite.

The Tale of Three Trees might bring tears to your eyes as 3 trees dream of being important, only to be cut down for scraps.  You'll need to read it to find out the ending of this sweet story!


The Story of Ferdinand is a great book for my wild and crazy boys!  Seeing gentleness is always welcomed.

Make Way for Ducklings is another one of my favorites!

Little Quack and all of the other stories about Little Quack are so sweet.  We enjoy them all.

Eating the Alphabet is a great way to introduce healthy fruit and veggies.  I love hearing my boys at the grocery store naming the peculiar sounding foods.  "That's kohlrabi and that's a pomegranate!"

The Grouchy Ladybug is a great book to incorporate when teaching your kids to tell the time.  We change the words to say "Want to wrestle?" :)  (My boys wrestle ALL the time!)

Little Critter books are fun.  We look for the spider and the mouse on every single page.  Grandma, Grandpa, and Me is the boys' preferred story!

Ollie's Easter Eggs was a book the boys got from my sister.  I had never heard of Ollie, but am so glad she found him.  They are the cutest little books.  We really get into naming the colors, animals, and whispering "My egg."

A House for Hermit Crab has great ocean creatures and incorporates the months of the year into the story.  Lots of fun.

I love sharing books we enjoy with others and finding new books to read over and over again.  I hope you enjoy our quick list of favorites!!

Blessings,