Young and Beardless - Book Review

I love the Robertson family and John Luke has always been one of my favorites.  I've read most of the books that have come out of the Robertson family and this one is by far my favorite.  It even topped Si-cology for me!

John Luke is very humble and it shines through in his writing.  He is not afraid to share that he still has a lot to learn.  His writing style is easy to read and enjoyable.  He shares with the reader what it has been like to grow up in his crazy family and things he has learned along the way.  He is actually very witty and I enjoyed the lightheartedness of the book.

This would be a great read for any young person who is trying to discover their purpose in life.  It encourages you to pursue your dreams and embrace the gifts that God has given you.  Topics include friendship, kindness, taking chances and choosing mentors.

This book is definitely geared more towards teens and young adults.  John Luke is only 19 after all. Even though it is aimed for a younger audience I think anyone can glean from it. I am 42 years old and still enjoyed this book.

With most of the members of this family coming out with books I would definitely recommend this one above all the others!  Great job John Luke!  Love your family and love your outlook on life!

***Thanks to Booklookbloggers.com for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A Month of Sundays

A Month of Sundays: Striding Towards Spiritual Refreshment One Sunday at a Time by Paula Hartman is a great book that will do just as the title suggests.  It will refresh you spiritually and leave you uplifted and entertained.

This book is filled with stories from Paula Harman's life of raising children, being a wife and her spiritual journey.  She has a witty since of humor and tells her stories in a way that makes the reader feel like they are sitting right there in the kitchen sharing a cup of tea and listening to a dear friend share memories.

At the end of each chapter there are recipes that are shared.  I love the recipes!  They are normal recipes that real people can make with ingredients that are already in your pantry.

It's basically a book filled with short stories and delicious recipes.  It will leave you feeling encouraged and enlightened.  The format allows you to read a little here and there at your own convenience which is perfect for busy moms.

I would definitely recommend this book and think anyone who reads it will enjoy it!

Thanks to booklookbloggers.com for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.  

Punderdome: A Card Game for Pun Lovers

I was so excited when Punderdome came in the mail.  I had high hopes for this card game, but was quickly let down.

The game comes with a stack of white cards and a stack of green cards.  You are to grab one card from each stack and then come up with a pun.  For instance you make draw "breakfast" and "studying" or perhaps "cats" and "breaking up".  My twenty-three year old son speaks in puns all the time and he is quite witty with this and even he found it difficult to come up with puns for some of the pairings.   I found it extremely difficult and would not recommend this card game.  If you are looking for a fun party game, look elsewhere.  This one will leave you scratching your head and wondering why you wasted your money.

The only thing that I enjoyed about this game were the punny question and answers on the back of the cards.  I guess they are put there for amusement purposes only, for they had nothing to do with game play.  They are rather cheesy, but did provide a few laughs.

Examples:

What do you say when you walk by a really nice cantaloupe? "What a melon."

What family member uses the most curse words? A Cussin.

Like I said cheesy. But it was the most enjoyment I got out of the game.

***Thanks to Blogging for Books for providing me this card game in exchange for my review.

Gardening, God and Grace

There are few things that I enjoy more than gardening. There is something very rewarding about working the land, planting, caring and growing your own food. I've always thought I'd like to live off-grid, homestead my own land and be self sufficient. Since that lifestyle is out of reach for me I do what I can in the place that God has put me.

This year my garden is a tiny bit smaller than previous years. We have woods on three sides of us and a field on the other side. The field is owned by our new neighbors and they have chose to let it grow up. This has happened one other year in the nine years I have lived here and that year my garden was a waste of time and effort. Between the deer, raccoon, groundhogs and squirrels I did not get and harvest that year. Naturally I am afraid of the same happening again. I have several plans to try to avert this, but I'll talk about that more in another post.

This past Tuesday was beautiful. The temperature was in the seventies, the sun was shining and there was a cool breeze blowing. I took advantage of the day by doing some garden work. I got it all tilled and hoed, my tomatoes staked, added some Epsom salt around some plants and worked on some ways to repel wildlife.

It felt so good to be in the sunshine. At the end of the day my body was tired, but my heart was happy and my soul at ease. I always get in some extra prayer time while in the garden and spending the day talking with God is what I needed most. This past year has been challenging. I have faced some things that have been very hard. Everyone has a battle they're fighting and I'm no exception. But one thing I know... God's grace gets me through. I often wonder how people who don't have God make it. He is my rock, my firm foundation. When the world around me shakes, He is my steady. Sometimes I just need a little garden time with God to be reminded of His goodness.

The Beautiful Pretender - Book Review

The Beautiful Pretender by Melanie Dickerson is a beautifully written christian fairy tale.

I absolutely adored this book.  It grabbed my attention from the first chapter and kept me turning the page with eagerness all the way to the end.  Avelina was such a fun character that was easy to connect to and I loved her courage and faith!  The Margrave of Thornbeck reminded me of the beast from Beauty and the Beast, he's a gruff and grouchy man that you can't help but like.

I have only read one other book by Melanie Dickerson besides this one.  This one has me so intrigued with her fairy tale series that I will be checking out the previous book in this series.

After inheriting his title from his brother, the margrave has two weeks to find a noble bride. What will happen when he learns he has fallen for a lovely servant girl in disguise?

The Margrave of Thornbeck has to find a bride, fast. He invites ten noble born ladies who meet the king’s approval to be his guests at Thornbeck Castle for two weeks, a time to test these ladies and reveal their true character.

Avelina has only two instructions: keep her true identity a secret and make sure the margrave doesn’t select her as his bride. Since the latter seems unlikely, she concentrates on not getting caught. No one must know she is merely a maidservant, sent by the Earl of Plimmwald to stand in for his daughter, Dorothea.

Despite Avelina’s best attempts at diverting attention from herself, the margrave has taken notice. And try as she might, she can’t deny her own growing feelings. But something else is afoot in the castle. Something sinister that could have far worse—far deadlier—consequences.

***Thank you to Booklookbloggers for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.