"The Blessings of Friendship, created by New York Times bestselling author and artist Mary Engelbreit, is a playful and poignant treasury of poetry, Bible verses, and quotes that celebrate the joy of friendship. Children will learn from timeless sayings and poems what it means to be a friend - helping, encouraging, listening, sharing with, and loving one another. Colorful and whimsical illustrations bring these words to life, as children learn the value of friendship. Verses from the Bible give us instruction on putting others above ourselves, loving each other, and being kind to one another. This book will make you smile with each turn of the page, remembering old friends and new friends alike."

The Blessings of Friendship Treasury illustrated by Mary Engelbreit is truly a gem!! This book is chalk full of poems, quotes and Bible verses on friendship. I absolutely love how this treasury features numerous different authors both modern and old. Some of the featured writers include Charles Dickens, Shel Silverstein, George MacDonald, William Butler Yeats, Henry David Thoreau and many more!

But what makes this book truly unique and special are the illustrations to go along. Mary Engelbriet captures the essence of old fashioned charm, simplicity and child-like wonder. I find myself flipping through the pages to gaze at the marvelous (dare I even say breath taking) pictures. It brings me back to my own childhood and yet inspires me to dream of the future.

I would highly recommend this gem of a book to anyone who is looking for a sweet read, especially those with young children at home. It would make the perfect baby shower gift to add to a baby's book collection or be a gift for that special little child in your life. I truly believe the adults will be captured by the illustrations just as much, if not more so, as the children will be!

I give The Blessings of Friendship Treasury 5 out of 5 stars. Be sure to pick up your copy ASAP!!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free from BookLookBloggers.com in exchange for an honest review. This however has not affected my opinions in the review in any way, shape or form. 

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Who doesn't love a good children's story? I know I do. There are actually still books from when I was a kid that I remember and love to this day. If I come across them in a book store I'll sit down and flip through the pages, reading, reading, re-reading the pages with a big smile on my face. Ahh! The simplicity and wonders of childhood.

Why is it we lose that simplicity and wonder when we get older? Sure we all have to grow up someday, but I find that only a select few hold on to that precious childlike wonder well into their adult years. So when we do come across a book that takes us back into a time of simplicity, imagination and wonder we cherish those moments in our hearts even more.

Today (Wednesday) I had the privilege of watching our annual kindergarten play where I work. Each year there is a different theme. Last year I got to travel deep into the ocean and watch as singing crabs, sharks and angel fish sang and danced across the stage! I still remember the boys doing their crab walk sideways, backwards, forwards and back again. Talk about adorable!

Today though the play was based upon a book series called "Pete the Cat." I'm in love with these books now and am seriously thinking about purchasing some off of Amazon.com!

The three kindergarten classes each chose one book from the series to reenact. For the sake of this post though, I'll only talk a "Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons." Actually, a fellow co-worker of mine told me that you can view the stories on Youtube. I've posted Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons below for you viewing. Please take a minute or two to watch it!


Don't you just love that? Isn't it so stinkin' cute?I may not be a kid anymore but one thing is for sure, this little children's book has such a simple message with big implications. This story helped me feel the wonder, the simplicity and fun of childhood again. It made me feel like singing!!

Even though there is no mention of God in this book, I can't help but see Him in the message. God used this simple story to not only tickle my funny bone, but really to speak to my heart. He helped me to see that things come and things go, but He remains the same. For this we can always sing.

As adults, we may not cry over lost buttons. But the application still holds true. Stuck in traffic? Keep on singing. Late for work? Keep on singing. Burned your toast? Keep on singing. Dishwasher broken? Keep on singing.

The moral of the story.....

"Did Pete cry? Goodness no! Buttons comes and buttons go. He kept on singing." (Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons)

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"Featuring favorite animals from all over the world, Curious Creatures makes reading and learning fun. This non-fiction collection includes four complete level 2 I Can Read!™ titles with photos and facts showing children the wonder of God's creation. All facts align with the Common Core Standards for informational reading, helping children grow in both reading and comprehension skills. Loved by parents, educators, and children alike, this Made By God bind-up also features bonus fun facts about these amazing animals. Titles include: Rainforest Friends, Jungle Beasts, Polar Pals, Curious Creatures Down Under"

Curious Creatures, a book in the Made By God series, is a sweet 4 in 1 book that highlights some of God's amazing animals around the world. It's easy layout and fun photos make this book a great read for children. I especially love the colorful photos that bring each animal to life for the young reader. It is educational but not boring. The authors did a wonderful job highlighting some important information about the habitats these animals live in as well as our responsibility to care for His creatures.

The faith based writing  helps explain to children how God made each and every animal different, yet He still loves and cares for them in a very special way. The text flows very nicely from one animal to another and has various fun facts in cute colorful bubbles on each page.

I highly recommend this book for all children, especially those with a heart for animals. It's a great way to introduce important truths about the animals of the world and our Creator Who made them. I feel that the children's theological truths packed into this book could definitely apply to other areas of life as well.

Overall I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. It's a fun, easy, lighthearted book with amazing photos, theology and a whole lot of cuteness!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free from BookLookBloggers.com in exchange for an honest review. This however has not affected my opinions in the review in any way, shape or form. 

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"Wrong turns, humiliating flops, painful heartbreaks—and happiness? Yes, believe it or not, they can go hand in hand. Blogger and author Mandy Hale, affectionately known as “The Single Woman” to her half-million social-media followers, is living an adventurous life that proves even our lowest lows and messiest mess-ups can point us toward our joy-filled destiny as single women."

 Mandy Hale,aka The Single Woman, has a heart for women. Often times while reading her story I couldn't help but feel her passion permeating the pages of her book. It was like grabbing a cup of coffee with a friend and listening to their life story. Her encouragement, honesty and candid reflections of life were a breath of fresh air.

In the book "I've Never been to Vegas But My Luggage Has," Mandy takes her readers by the hand and brings you on an an exciting adventure. She doesn't leave out the mistakes she's made, hiccups of life and humiliating experiences. She's honest about herself and what it is she's been through thus far. But somehow, in some way she weaves together a tapestry of life, love and lessons bringing the truth of Romans 8:28 into view: For we know that all things work together for the good of those that love God, to those who have been called according to His purpose.

Mandy is surely living out her purpose. The opportunities God has given to her and the love and passion she has for single women attest to this.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. If you're a single woman who is looking for some inspiration and a sweet friend to listen to than you need to grab yourself a copy of  "I've Never Been to Vegas But My Luggage Has" today!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free from BookLookBloggers.com in exchange for an honest review. This however has not affected my opinions in the review in any way, shape or form. 

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"When four-year-old Colton Burpo made it through an emergency appendectomy his family was overjoyed at his miraculous survival. What they weren't expecting, though, was the story that emerged in the following months—a story as beautiful as it was extraordinary, detailing their little boy’s trip to heaven and back.

This true story, retold by his father but using Colton’s uniquely simple words, offers a glimpse of the world that awaits us, where as Colton says, “Nobody is old and nobody wears glasses.”

Heaven is for Real will forever change the way you think of eternity, offering the chance to see, and believe like a child."

This miraculous story of one little boy's journey to heaven and back is nothing short of amazing. Each night before I went to bed I opened up this book and was captivated. Colton Burpo's accounts of heaven is a page turner. What Colton saw and experienced in heaven is astounding. Things a little boy could not and would not know unless he had been in heaven himself is revealed to the reader throughout the chapters.

What I particularly like about this book though is that the Burpo's are honest, genuine Christians who are being faithful to share their story with the world and thus helping others in their own walk with God. They don't claim to have all the answers nor do they seek fame from Colton's experience. They are people just like you and me who have been given a chance to reveal God's love and redemption offered to others. The Burpo's have received so many testimonies from others where healing and help have come because of their own testimony.

What the Burpo's went through during Colton's illness is indeed heart wrenching. They don't spare you details of the trials they went through previous to Colton's revelation of heaven. It's raw, honest and open. The pain they endured though isn't the end of their story.

Since the release of this book in 2010 Heaven is for Real has been widely successful. The Burpo's have traveled all over the world to tell their story. I wouldn't be surprised if millions have heard of sweet Colton and his family. Now their story is being made into a movie! The special movie edition of the book comes with loads of bonus features such as pictures from the set, interviews with the cast and crew and information on how this movie came about. I loved the updated interview with the now high school aged Colton at the end where he shares his thoughts on the upcoming movie and his life in general.

Overall I give this book 5 stars because it was genuine, heartfelt and an amazing testimony of eternity. I highly recommend anyone to go and get the new updated movie edition of Heaven is for Real for themselves.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free from BookLookBloggers.com in exchange for an honest review. This however has not affected my opinions in the review in any way, shape or form. 

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"It’s 1864 in Gladstone, England, a tiny village in the Cotswolds. Nothing out of the ordinary ever happens here. Except at Christmas time. This year, Edward Haddington, a lowly candle maker is visited by a mysterious angel. That angel silently imparts a precious gift. The candle maker and his wife, Bea, have to make a difficult choice—who among them most needs a Christmas miracle?"

Max Lucado did a marvelous job at capturing the spirit of Christmas in a quaint, small town in England. The Christmas Candle is a story of hope, love and faith. In a very easy, and child-like manner Lucado helps his readers to feel the love of God.

Every 25 years an angel sent by God comes and gives one candle a heavenly touch. Whomever then receives that candle can pray to God for a miracle and will indeed be blessed in whatever it is they pray for. This year however, after the angel visits, things are a bit different. With lessons of love, faith, mercy and forgiveness interwoven throughout the story, The Christmas Candle has now become one of my favorite Christmas stories. It ignites the soul with hope; real, living hope in God and somehow restores that child-like trust in our Heavenly Father.

While the story was quite short and I wished the story line was more detailed and lengthy I still have to give this book 5 stars. The Christmas Candle does a great job in keeping your attention, getting it's message across and capturing the feel of Christmas. I highly recommend this story to the young and the old!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free from Booksneeze.com in exchange for an honest review. This however has not affected my opinions in the review in any way, shape or form. 

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"Hope changes everything. It can disarm guilt, shatter shame, and put your past in its place. All you have to do is make the choice to let it in. It won’t be easy. It won’t be quick. But it is possible and we serve a God who promises over and over again that anything is possible.”

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For weeks now I've been meaning to write this post. It's been on the back burner of my brain to write a book review for one of my new favorite books Three Decades of Fertility, a Visionary Womanhood book. Unfortunately I've either been a) too busy or b) too lazy. An interesting paradox but nevertheless true. However it is with great pleasure that I bring you today my honest and heartfelt review of this precious book.

I've been reading the Visionary Womanhood blog for over two years now. When I first found the blog run by Natalie Klejwa I simply devoured each and every article and browsed through the archives of previous posts. Here was a woman, a God fearing, people loving, kindhearted genuine woman who took womanhood seriously. She didn't claim to have it all but the advice she gave always, always pointed back to Jesus Christ.

I recently came to realize that Natalie and all the godly women who write over at Visionary Womanhood have become mentors to me. For that I am truly grateful.

This past July, when the book Three Decades of Fertility was released I went on Amazon and ordered a copy. Now to be honest I was a bit skeptical about buying the book at first. What could a book about child-rearing do for me? I'm a 20 something single gal who only wishes she were in the same circumstance these women were in. (A.k.a married with children.) How could a book like that help me? I decided to buy it though because Natalie had never steered me wrong before in all of her book recommendations and because I had read a sample of the book on my Kindle and loved it.

I read the book within 48 hours after receiving it in the mail. It was just that good. Not only did I benefit greatly from the testimonies of the ten women who wrote about their journey in childbearing but I felt God speak to my heart in such spectacular ways.

Each woman's testimony was different. There were different life circumstances, different upbringings and different views on child-rearing from the get-go. Their stories are not the same but their love for the Lord as well as their trust in His faithfulness sure is.

These are stories of women who surrendered all to their Creator; who have suffered pain, experienced true joy and everything in between. Women who were not afraid to embrace life and raise children for God. Not only do I deeply respect these women but I thank them from the bottom of my heart. Their stories have given me hope. Hope not only for a husband and children, but even more for hope in my God. And hope is something that I've needed in this season of singleness.

I highly recommend that all women, single, married, widowed or divorced pick up a copy of this book and read it. There is something to learn in each page and I truly believe that God will use it to speak to your heart, expand your vision and help you to embrace life to the fullest.

Thank you to Natalie and all Three Decade of Fertility and Visionary Womanhood contributors. I am deeply grateful for you all.

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End of the Week Links

Hello everyone! I hope you've had a good week thus far. Anyone have special plans for this weekend? Now that summer is drawing nearer I find myself not being half as motivated to get work done at school with the kiddos. They too are having a tough time concentrating at the remaining work left these 2 last weeks, thankfully though they are pushing along and getting everything done! If you have any tips on how to encourage and motivate children please share your advice in the comments below.

And now here are the end of the week recommendations. Most of these posts are geared towards singles but anyone can be encouraged by them.

What Every 20-Something Needs to Know
@ HeadHeartHand

Re-Thinking Waiting On The Lord For Husbands For Our Daughters
@ The Focused Homemaker

A Promise Fulfilled
@ A Woman Inspired

A Must Read!

Also a great resource for single women is a book I just finished reading by Candice Watters called, Get Married: What Women Can Do to Help It Happen.

Candice is a wise woman who knows the many pitfalls and underlying assumptions most single women believe today. (Including me!) After reading her book though I felt renewed, inspired and full of hope. This is a book all single women must read. Candice not only addresses some of the passive truths that are presented today when it comes to finding a husband but she corrects the wrong ideas that seem to have been planted in so many hearts. The Lord has used this book greatly in my life and I would encourage all ladies to read this book if you have not yet. Click here to preview and purchase the book. I highly recommend it.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

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Singleness

Being single, especially in today's world, is not exactly easy. The world we live in puts guy/girl relationships on a pedestal; so much so that often times it feels like people may scratch their heads wondering when certain young people who are single and over a certain age, will finally meet someone. I still get the questions every once in a while.

"So is there anyone in your life right now?"

"Have you met anyone?"

"Oh he would be great for you!"

etc, etc

I try not to get too upset at these comments since I know most of them are made in love or even ignorance. But hearing them while still trying to wait on God's timing isn't always easy. I think that more often than not, people don't understand that as believers, we're told to wait upon God and let Him work out the circumstances of our love lives. Of course this doesn't mean we sit around and do nothing all day, twiddling our thumbs waiting for Mr. Right to show up at our doorstep. We still have to use our time wisely and prepare for the future. But in the meantime, what is a single girl supposed to do?

I have wrestled with these thoughts and questions for a quite some time now. After reading many books on marriage, biblical homemaking, true womanhood and how to be a helpmeet I was left with this feeling of isolation. The books I read were very good and I think they are much needed for many women both single and married today; however it didn't help me in my current situation. So when the book "Single Girl- the single woman’s guide to life, liberty and the pursuit of godliness" by Ashley Schnarr came out, I knew I would need to grab a copy and read it. And boy, am I ever glad that I did!

Single Girl: A Holy Spirit Inspired Book

Ashley is a young woman who gets it. She knows the dilemmas that a single girl may face. She understands the desires, longings and hopes in a single girl's heart. And she knows the struggles that the majority of single's will face today.

"Single Girl" is a treasure. Ashley wrote this precious book after realizing the need for one on this very topic. Through the years she has gleaned so much wisdom and insight that it only makes sense she would be able to not only relate to other singles, but also apply solid biblical principles to the life of a single girl. Her plentiful use of Scripture, which is both helpful and eye opening, answers a lot of questions that I didn't even realize were answered in the Bible even though I had read those same verses many times before. This book is Holy Spirit inspired and straight from the heart.

More than once I found myself nodding in agreement with what was written. A few times I wanted to shout "exactly!" because finally it felt like someone else understood what I was going through; someone else knew the struggles of my own heart. Her balanced approach on singleness is encouraging, eye opening and wise.

Single Girl also addresses issues that single women deal with but don't normally get talked all that much about. Things like modesty, identity, beauty, how to wisely use our time and possible jobs or ministries for single women are also addressed in the book.

Here is a quote from the book that really resonated with me:

"Believers, born again Christians, who affirm the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ, displayed in His death burial and resurrection can know where their identity lies. If a person has repented of their sin and asked Jesus to be the Lord of their life their identity is wrapped up in Him." (Single Girl)

Ashley doesn't claim to know everything. She is still learning herself. This book is for sharing with other single women what it is she has learned so far. I am extremely grateful that she has written this book and taken the time to share what it is she has learned with other women. Whether you're single or married this book is a must for anyone who wants to understand more about what single women face today as well as encouragement for those who are in a similar situation.

Ashely blogs over at Stay At Home Daughter where you can read even more of her writing and find encouragement in your walk with God. I encourage you to check out her blog and buy her book Single Girl. It's been such a blessing to me and I believe any single girl will benefit from this book. You can buy Single Girl the e-book here, at Amazon.

Thank you Ashley for being faithful to the call to write this book and for sharing your experiences, wisdom and encouragement with others.

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