Grace by Max Lucado

Grace. It’s God’s greatest idea.
It truly is more than I deserve. And it’s greater than I can imagine.

Let me say that I’m so very thankful I chose this book to review. Truly one I know was picked out, if not written just for me. It arrived right before we left for Virginia Beach. I never could read anything while traveling, but I read this entire book while on the road. Maybe it’s because I’m getting old. Or maybe because it was that good!

I think Chad heard two-thirds of the book because I repeated about everything I read. Max Lucado has a unique style of writing. He is very relaxed in his writing. It’s as if he and I were having a conversation over a cup of hot tea.

So grace. Did I really understand it? I don’t think I did quite like this. I’m not sure I still quite understand it all. But I accept it, and I have been changed by it. I’m changed every day by God’s grace. Although I could quote the whole book, here’s one example in the chapter “Heaven:Guaranteed”. Jesus is speaking to His disciples on the night before he died. This is Lucado’s translation:
Your fall will be great, buy my grace will be greater. Stumble, I will catch you. Scatter, I will gather you. Turn away from me, I will turn toward you. You’ll find me waiting for you in Galilee. (Matt. 26:31-32).
And this one because I had written “wow” beside it:
To live as God’s child is to know, at this very instant, that you are loved by Your Maker not because you try to please Him and succeed, or fail to please Him and apologize, but because He wants to be your Father. Nothing more. All your efforts to win His affection are unnecessary. All your fears of losing His affection are needless. You can no more make Him want you than you can convince Him to abandon you. The adoption is irreversible. You have a place at His table.

So yes, it’s a book you need to get and read. Today!

This book was provided to me free of charge from Booksneeze In exchange for an honest review.

Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil

I haven’t used coconut oil for long.  I bought some from Kroger several months back and have used it in a few ways.  Then I tried Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil.  Gold Label

The taste is completely different.  The texture is completely different.  The brand I bought from the store has no coconut smell or flavor, but this one does!  There is no comparison!

So what’s the difference?  Well, Tropical Traditions Gold Label Coconut Oil is:

“a truly unrefined coconut oil. This coconut oil is made on Mt. Banahaw and surrounding areas from organic coconuts. Coconuts are used fresh (within 24-48 hours of harvest) from small family farms on Mt. Banahaw and other rural places in Quezon Province, the coconut capital of the Philippines. Only the highest quality coconuts are hand-picked from each harvest. The volcanic soil of Mt. Banahaw makes these organic coconuts some of the most nutritionally rich coconuts in the world! Testing done in independent laboratories on coconut oil antioxidants reveals higher levels of phenolic antioxidants than other coconut oils.  The fresh coconut meat is shredded (wet milled), and then cold-pressed using the water from inside the coconuts to make coconut milk. The milk is then allowed to sit for about half a day, while the oil naturally separates from the heavier water. The oil is then filtered from the curds (coconut solids). No chemical or high-heat treatment is used, and this oil contains no trans fatty acids. We do NOT mass produce this oil. It is made by families who are coconut farmers using old-fashioned traditional methods that have been used in the Philippines for hundreds of years. Our coconut trees and family producers are certified organic according to strict USDA standards. The families who produce the oil are also trained according to GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) standards and re-certified each year. This high-grade Virgin Coconut Oil has a long shelf life due to the high antioxidant properties.”

And it shows.  I have been very impressed and delighted with its taste.  The first thing I made with it was Rice Krispy Treats for St. Patrick’s Day last month.  You simply replace the butter with coconut oil.  Yum!

Our favorite thing is popcorn popped in Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil!

And hidden in the cupcakes for today’s Easter celebration!

There are so many more recipes I’m going to try in the future!

We definitely won’t be buying anything but coconut oil from Tropical Traditions.  Such good stuff!  But even more, I like and appreciate this story the founder of this company has to tell!  Take some time to read it!

Tropical Traditions offers a variety of products.  Go take a look!

Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose.  Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

Readeez! A review on a super fun way to learn!

A good friend told me about Readeez.  Actually, her son told my son.  You gotta love it when your homeschooled children brag about something they are using at home!  It must be good if boys are sharing such info!

What is it?

Readeez are a new way to learn reading, math, ESL, spelling and other useful things. A Readee is a short video, usually musical, where you see and hear every syllable at the same time. We call this SyllableSync. More than 150 Readeez have been produced so far. Readeez were created by Michael Rachap.

So we checked out their website.  I was impressed right away,  and my boys were instantly hooked!  I was, too!  Mr. Rachap’s voice is great, and his daughter’s is as sweet as can be.  That’s a huge plus when you don’t mind hearing them play over and over and over again!

We have them in our iTunes, so they can easily watch them on our iPad.  It’s appropriate for multiple ages.  Andrew couldn’t wait to see “Volume 3” that he had heard about.  And they are 3rd graders!  Ethan was right there with him.

It wasn’t long before little brother showed up to watch…

Then little brother got a hold of it to watch the Nursery Rhymes video while eating crackers!  This picture makes me laugh.  This is the life.

So here we have a preschooler, a first grader and a third grader enjoying!

Watch some videos here!  We actually viewed “The Value of a Dollar” in our little money class here at home.  It definitely is cathchy and teaches them in a way that keeps their attention.  Learning to music is always great, in my opinion!

Math Folder Full literally is a folder full of goodies!  In these, you receive videos, audio clips and an ebook with great printables.

I cannot wait for more Bible videos to come out!  Share your opinion and suggestions!  Right now they have the Beatitudes.  We have taught our boys these recently, and this was a great help!

We have really enjoy the videos and the mp3s on every form of media we have!

So check it out!  I think you might be hooked, too!

I was provided the Readeez material at no cost in exchange for an honest opinion.

GrapeVine Studies – Wall Timelines!

We love our GrapeVine Studies –  Stick Figuring Through the Bible.  It’s so much fun!

Andrew and I are currently working on an Old Testament Wall Timeline.  It’s the newest product from GrapeVine Studies.

Using wall timelines are an effective way to teach the chronology of the Bible.
At Grapevine Studies we teach timelines using stick figures, words, symbols, and colors. 
Our unique timelines help students to be engaged in learning by using a multi-sensory approach. We have three wall timelines:
      Old Testament, New Testament,and Blank Timelines

I printed the timeline in color and cut around the edges.  So it looks old, like a scroll.

This time I hooked up the laptop to our small tv in the school area and put the drawings up there for Andrew to see.  We did a page a day mostly.  He begs to do more whether we have time or not!  That’s when I know this is for him.

I’m learning and he’s learning.  It’s quality time spent together learning about God’s Story.  This is what homeschooling is all about.

Promises, God’s Plan, His Sovereignty.  I have loved the discussions we have had together.  It’s so easy to do with this type of casual and fun way of studying history.

Eyes are looking forward to the promised Messiah throughout the Old Testament…

It’s going to stretch across a wall in the room, and we can’t wait to see it all completed.

I hope to do the New Testament Wall Timeline soon!  What better way to wallpaper your room!  But up next: The Resurrection!!

Check many more studies GrapeVine Studies has to offer.  You will not be disappointed, and your children will not be bored!  I seriously adore this way of study, and there’s no better company to support!

I received a copy of the Old Testament Timeline in exchange for an honest opinion.

Dayspring Cards Review and Giveaway!

Do you remember going to the card store as a teenager with your girlfriend?  I do.  I remember going through the cards that would make you cry, and then the ones that could cause you to make a scene when you busted out in laughter.  Cards say something.  They can express you and a relationship you have like nothing else sometimes!

There is nothing like receiving a card in the mail, especially during these times where much of our communication is on the computer or the phone.  It is so personal.  You know that someone took the time to pick that one out just for you.  There’s nothing like sending one, either.  It’s like Dayspring puts it:

Your heart.  God’s love.

I love Dayspring cards, and I love the cards I am honored to review.  I received the Simply Marvelous collection.

Messages of encouragement, friendship, and birthday greetings

I’m so glad I chose this one.  I so enjoyed sending some of these out already.  I picked each one up and immediately knew who it belonged to.  I love that.

This one was the first to be sent out…

This card is so girly.  I had the perfect recipient for her, too!

Another was this…

This one is a birthday card that reads:

(Cover) God knew one day the two of them would meet and their friendship would be good, beautiful, and true.

(Inside) And it is.  Celebrating your birthday and thanking Him for you.

 

Simply Marvelous, indeed.  You have to get your hands on some of these and bless someone today!

And finally what I’ve needed all my life.  The ultimate card organizer!  How lovely is this?!

It looks nice sitting out and serves as a good reminder.  “I will bless you…and you will be a blessing.”  That is what it’s all about!

Bless someone today!  And let me help you out!  Do you want to win $20 towards some Dayspring cards, or an organizer, or anything from their website?  Leave me a comment and tell me about the last card you received in the mail.  I will randomly pick the winner on January 26th.

Learning the story of Christmas through Stick Figuring

It’s the week before Christmas, so what better time to Stick Figure through the Bible on the story of Jesus! We had the opportunity to review this study.  Take a look!

Bible students on an unforgettable journey back in time to discover the amazing events that surrounded the Nativity. Your travels will begin in Nazareth with Gabriel’s announcement to Mary and continue through the return of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph from Bethlehem, to Egypt and ending in Nazareth. This hands-on children’s Bible study uses interactive lessons that young children love. Bible teachers will appreciate this unique way of teaching the birth of Jesus. This familiar nativity story will never be the same for your students after they have stick figured it!

Actually, this was supposed to have happened a couple of weeks ago. But the last month has brought some sickness and busy schedules. So we were finally able to do it, and loved it. I wasn’t surprised, though, after the study of Joseph we did.

We invited one of Andrew’s friends to join us. We were going to have a class with a girl their age, too, but she couldn’t make it. That’s the greatest part about this! You can do it as a Bible/Art class with friends in your home! I had the boys make covers for their booklets. I printed the student copy two pages per sheet to save on paper. That made a good size for a booklet, and just enough room for them to draw. They drew tiny pictures, anyway, which I though was funny! I had the teacher manual pulled up on my laptop and drew as I spoke… My favorite part? The Bible is used the entire time to tell the story. You read straight from scripture and guide them on what to draw. There’s nothing like opening up the Word of God! They both worked so hard, and stayed completely into the story… Their pictures were so great! They used some of their own creativity and boy humor. This is Mary and Joseph when they got married: And Jesus as he grew in wisdom and in stature: Such a great learning experience for us all! After they were done, we went over the story and answered the review questions. It was a success! I can’t wait for the next Stick Figuring story! We had a craft, made a snack and they all played with the Playmobil Nativity Set. Make plans to use this great way to study the Bible soon! What a great way to start off 2012!  You can receive 20% off your order until December 31st using code Advent11.  Hurry!

JM Cremp’s Adventure Store for Boys

How is your Christmas shopping going?  Chad and I went on a date a little while back.  After dinner we thought we would look at some ideas for the boys for Christmas gifts.  I was highly disappointed in what is out there in the stores.

So I was delighted when I received the JM Cremp’s catalog in the mail! I liked what I saw.  Good quality boy stuff.   My three immediately got a hold of it after I had a good look.  And the lists began…So who is JM Cremp?

You can read their story here, but the owners of this company know a little bit about raising boys.  They have five of their own!

You just can’t go wrong with JM Cremp’s vision is this:

Our vision is to help raise-up Godly people by providing resources to parents, creating opportunities for fathers to connect with their sons (and daughters) and to offer products designed to foster the spirit of adventurous boyhood. We strive to honor God in all we do, not claiming perfection, but claiming a moral compass pointing us in a focused direction. We will pursue excellence as a company by continually developing employees and being a resource for our customers. We will strive to respect the balance of growth and profitability seeking wisdom and discernment in our decisions.

I love it!

Our family has had an opportunity to review one of the products offered from JM Cremp’s!

My boys have been interested in wind energy for a while now because of their dad’s interest. So we chose the Wind Power 2.0 kit by Thames & Kosmos…

Build wind-powered generators to energize your electric vehicles and charge your rechargeable batteries! The wind spins the turbine, which turns an electric generator, which in turn charges your rechargeable AA batteries (not included). You can then use those wind-charged batteries to power the model vehicles you build. The six models include a glider, sail car, jetcar, tractor, race car and tricycle.

The Wind Power 2.0 kit includes two styles of wind turbine blades and a gearbox with three different gear ratios for experimenting. You can adjust the angle and number of wind turbine blades to make the best use of the wind, to make the LED light up brightly, and to charge the rechargeable battery as fast as possible. Explore this amazing, free source of renewable energy and store the electricity you generate for use in practical applications!

Our package arrived with their special mark, which I thought was pretty cool!

The boys immediately jumped inside the box and examined everything.  I was very impressed with the quality of this product.  All the pieces are very sturdy and begging to be built!

They could hardly wait for daddy to get home.  He read them some information found in the instruction booklet about wind energy to get them started.  The directions are clear and easy to follow with the help of daddy.

And that’s exactly what I liked most about it!  It was precious time spent learning and growing with daddy.

They put together the 3-bladed wind turbine first.  Here are some pictures from that project:

The boys enjoyed testing this one in front of the fan and outside in the wind! The boys (and mommy, too!) especially learned a lot about how generators work!

To change it up, they added the smaller blades…

Every child that stepped foot in this house was drawn to it!  It’s really big in size and it just says, “Play with me and learn!”

We also built the “Sail Car” that looked like this…

All in all, we were very pleased with this kit!  I would absolutely recommend it!

I am so happy to know we have a place we can turn to for fantastic resources for our three boys.  See for yourself!

There’s not just toys for boys, either!  There are some great resources for parents, as well!  I have The Birth Order Book in my cart ready to order!

Request your free catalog and put your order in before Christmas!  Your boys will thank you!  Or grandparents…a gift card would be an excellent gift!

Check them out and support a wonderful company!

I received this product free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

The Love and Respect Experience by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs

Have you read the book Love and Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs?  My brother suggested it to me a few years back.  It is a fantastic read!  It’s one of those books that really taught Chad and I a lot about each other and about how we can work together as a married couple.

Because a healthy marriage is so important.

Now we don’t have the perfect marriage.  Who does?  But I can say that I really enjoy being married!  It takes work, and Love & Respect has shown us how to work at it.  He needs to feel respected and she needs to feel loved.  It’s so easy to get in “the cycle” where I disrespect him and therefore he doesn’t feel like loving me.  Or he doesn’t love me, so I disrespect him.  On and on it continues.  I literally have that picture in my mind when I feel like that is happening between us.  I see a merry-go-round in my mind and make the choice to jump off or keep riding!  Great book.  Can’t say enough about it.

Well, now it gets even better!  Now there is a devotional that goes along with the book.  It is a 52 week devotion, meaning you do one per week.  That’s doable and that’s not intimidating to husbands like a 365 days a year one can be.

Each week is set up like this:

-A scripture to read together.

-A devotional with special insights.

-A prayer to pray together.

-A form of action -something to do exercise what you have learned.

An excerpt from the devotion of week 26 reads:

We know we should forgive, but between the knowing and the doing there can be a big gap.  And when you are sitting on the unforgiving side of the gap, you can pay a price.  Jesus warned His followers of how big that price can be when He taught, “if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:15 NLT).  Was Jesus saying that unforgiveness could cost you your salvation?  No, but it can disrupt your fellowship and favor with the Lord.  God does not damn us for unforgiveness, but He does enact discipline. 

…the path to forgiveness is to realize that the issue that prompts your need to forgive isn’t primarily about your relationship to your spouse; it’s about your relationship to God.  Suppose my wife is 100 percent guilty in wronging me.  Her guilt cannot justify my unforgiving heart.  I can remain unforgiving as long as I wish.  While I lick my wounds, I can argue with God and explain my “right” to be unforgiving.  But God’s spiritual law stands firm: if I don’t forgive, I remain in a place where God’s forgiveness will not go because sin blocks our fellowship.

You’ve got to read more of these short devotions that are packed full of good, godly advice!

Add this to your list.  And buy one for someone else why you are at it.  Our marriages are worth it!

This book was sent to me free of charge from BookSneeze in exchange for an honest review.

Raising Real Men – A Timberdoodle Review

Are you raising little men like I am?

How about raising real men?

I want to.

That’s why I loved reading this book I received from Timberdoodle.

A practical guide to equipping the hearts and minds of boys without breaking or losing your own.

Authors Hal and Melanie Young should know a few things about boys.  They have six of their own.

I LOVE having boys.  I’m not sorry about it at all.  But it’s amazing how I have had people “apologize” to me for having three boys!  And this is coming from people I don’t even know!  The nerve!  God has blessed us with three amazing children.  Three amazing BOYS.  Now having a house full of boys can be tough at times.  And let’s face it, being a mom and a female, sometimes I can’t quite get boys.  I’ll be the first to admit that!  Why they want to be dangerous, why they like gross stuff, or why they don’t care about brushing their hair.  But I am thankful and humbled that God has given us boys to raise in His way.  Boys that will lead in some way, someday.

Raising Real Men gives you practical and godly advice for doing just that.

It’s a biblical perspective on understanding how boys think.  The authors say, “As we’ve raised our sons, we’ve found that many of the troubles and concerns we had were clarified when we looked to what God intended them to be.  The situation looked different when we truly valued manly virtues and masculinity and when we understood that we had to rebuke sin but should not change our boys into something they were not.”

We are in our 4th week of school.  I have had some trouble with Andrew doing his school work, so I turned right to the chapter entitled “Your Own School For Boys”.  It gave me a lot of insight on how boys are and some things I can do to help them get their school work done, and to love learning.

This momma needs all the help she can get!  Time has already flown by.  We have such little time to train them, it seems.  I want to do the best I can.

If you have boys, you HAVE to get this book!  I’m telling you, it’s good!  Even my husband has picked it up and read it!  I can’t say enough about it.  It’s the 2011 Book of the Year within the Christian Small Publishers Association.

If you don’t have boys, this would make a great gift for someone!

Timberdoodle has some great resources to help keep those boys busy!  Check out all the boy-friendly fun things they have!!  My boys love their X-Scopes!

As a member of Timberdoodle’s Blogger Review Team I received a free copy of Raising Real Men in exchange for a frank and unbiased review.

WonderMaps! A Timberdoodle Review

I was excited to have the opportunity to review WonderMaps by Bright Ideas Press.

We really enjoy studying geography in our homeschool.  So this was perfect for us!

WonderMaps is designed with easy-to-use layers that allow you to enjoy great customizable features with just a click. Select:

• historical or modern-day maps
• outline, reference, political, or topographical maps
• black-and-white or color maps
• features including:  names, borders, rivers, cities, physical features, and graticules

WonderMaps includes:

• 60+ maps of the world
• 60+ maps of the USA
• 125 historical maps, including 25 biblical maps
• The complete map sets from The Mystery of History vols. I–III and All American History vols. I & II

If you are looking for some great maps to use in your studies at home, this is a great way to go.  The colors are nice and vibrant.  Here’s an example of one of the world maps.As mentioned, one of the features is historical maps.  Check it out!

This year we are studying American geography.  Our first stop will be in Virginia…literally!  So it was great to be able to pull up the United States map, click on the state of Virginia and print the pdf file!

There are several ways that you can view and print them, though.  If you want your children to color them or label them, you simply remove what you wish from the map with the simple click of a button!  I think that is what I like best.

It is a little pricey, but you can use it over and over again.  No searching for that perfect map on the internet.  It’s all included in this software!  I would recommend this!

Timberdoodle also offers other great geography resources, like their puzzles!

And more!  We love Timberdoodle! Get your free Timberdoodle catalog ordered today!

As a member of Timberdoodle’s Blogger Review Team I received a free copy of WonderMaps in exchange for an honest review.