A Patriotic Wreath

Look, a blog post that isn't a book review!  I know, I know, you're shocked.  Lately with all the homework I've had, it's all I can do to keep up with the book reviews I have to do.  :-)  With the long weekend, though I decided to take some time and get my crafty on.

I needed a wreath for my front door - I had bought some stuff to make this cute pinwheel wreath I saw on Pinterest....

Source: neverlandnook.blogspot.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

But since it's Memorial Day, I thought something more patriotic was in order - since I can leave it up all the way through Labor Day.  :-D

I took a straw wreath form from Hobby Lobby ($4), added some striped ribbon I had on hand and hot glued on some Dollar Tree flowers. Here's how it looks on my front door:

Happy Memorial Day!

Waiting for Morning (Book Review)

So, I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but Karen Kingsbury is one of my favorite authors.  I love the depth she gives to her characters and the way they leap off the page.  I love the way she weaves scripture throughout her novels, and the ways she approaches topics that are contemporary and relevant to readers.  I also LOVE her nonprofit organization that allows groups to "auction off" a character in her book - which I think is just .... neat. (sorry, my brain is full of Greek verb conjugations right now and that's the best word I can find at the moment!)

So when I saw Waiting for Morning on the Blogging for Books site, I just HAD to request it.  I mean ... get the chance to review one of my favorite authors?  Absolutely!

Waiting for Morning did not disappoint me.  I found myself connecting with the characters within the first few pages - and even though I knew what was coming, I was lost in the moment with them.  I teared up several times (you're gonna want a box of Kleenex to go with this one!).  There were times when I wanted to yell at the main character, or shake her ... Karen definitely makes the characters come to life!

In Waiting for Morning, there are several themes that Karen weaves into the story - forgiveness, pain, grief, suicide, and mourning.  Centered around a family that is torn apart by a drunk driver, these themes play themselves out with an honest look at what it means to be a Christian going through a difficult time, and how sometimes we feel like our faith is not enough, or not what we thought it would be.

If you're a Karen Kingsbury fan and haven't read this book yet, add it to your list!  It's a great story, with dynamic characters, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  If you've never read a Karen Kingsbury book before, this is a good one to start with.

I received a copy of this book for free from Blogging for Books in exchange for my review.  I was not required to write a positive review.  All opinions are my own.

Spirit Fighter: A Percy Jackson Alternative that ROCKS

I received Spirit Fighter from Booksneeze, and was blown away by how well written it was!  I knew it was an "alternative" book - you know the type: someone writes a great series and then the Christian community decides it needs their own spin on it (for whatever reason), so I was a little dubious, but after all the heavy reading I've been doing for my master's work, I needed something light.

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the writing.  I started off sneaking a chapter here and there between writing assignments, but by the fourth chapter, I couldn't stand to put it down!  The action of the story kept me involved, and I appreciated the depth of the characters even though it's only the first book in the series.

If you have students between 4th and 8th grade, you might want to check this book out.  The theology behind it is a little questionable (the main character's mother is one of the "Nephilim" - yes, like in Genesis), but as a fictional fantasy-style story, the plot is pretty good.  It's a little similar to a Frank Peretti book, but with more of a fantasy twist to it.

I highly recommend this book if you (or your preteen) is looking for some good summer reading.  This might even be a good read-aloud for the family, lots of good discussion points to spring off throughout the story.  Bonus?  It's available for the Kindle! :-)  Plus, when I last checked, it was available on Amazon for only $4!




You can also check out the author's website here.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my review.  I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

"Cussing": should you, or shouldn't you?

Scrolling through my facebook feed this morning, I came across a friend's question:

"Does cussing make you a nonchristian? Opinions please."

A few weeks ago, our youth pastor talked to the teens about the fact that statistics (done by the Barna Group) show that there is no noticeable difference between Christians and nonChristians.

None.  Zilch.  Nada.

I don't know about you, but that bothers me.  How can we be salt and light to the world if the world can't see our light or our salt has lost its taste?

Here's my response to my friend.

No.  Not having Jesus as Savior and Lord of your life makes you a non-Christian.  BUT that being said, as Christians we're called to be salt and light, and it's hard to do that when there's no noticeable difference between what we say and what everyone else says.  Also, Paul writes in Colossians 3:8 that believers should "rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips."
Psalms 19:4 says, "May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord."  I guess you'd have to ask, does cussing please God?
Ultimately, as Christians we're called to live a life that reflects God's love.  I don't think cussing does that.  Does that mean if you "slip" and cuss that you've lost your salvation?  No, it's a reflection of our sinful nature coming through in a fallen world. I do think, however, that our words and conversations should be seasoned with God's love and mercy.

What would you say to her?

Everything Romance: Not Just for Valentine's Day

A while back I received Everything Romance to review for Blogging for Books.  I had hoped to use it for a Valentine's Day blog, since it was about cultivating romance in your life.

That didn't happen.

I opened the box to get the book, cracked open the book, and realized it wasn't quite what I had expected.  Not a bad thing, but not what I had originally been going for.  I still needed to read it, and it's been a relaxing read.

I knew it was a gift book when I requested it.  The description I was given reads like this:

Romance is always in season when you’re in love.
Ready to create romantic memories? If you’re looking for new and unique ways to celebrate love, captivate the heart of your true love, or simply enjoy each other’s company, Everything Romance offers all of this and much more.

Inside you’ll find…

Ways to engage your loved one with conversation starters for couples; Fun and creative date and gift ideas for any budget; Heartwarming love stories and poems; Love busters and love boosters to add fun, zing, and zest; Trivia about the history of love and romance; Recipes to fan the heartflames.

Why wait for a special occasion to share the joy of being in love? Opening Everything Romance is like opening a door to romantic adventure—any day, any time!

Any moment is the perfect time for you as a couple to celebrate the beauty and wonder of love, especially when you’re equipped with a treasure trove of creative ways to do so. With a rich array of romantic gems, Everything Romance abounds with all you need to show your adoration, revel in your relationship, and create a legacy of romance to last a lifetime.

I was so excited when I read this description! We have been looking for more ways to "pump up" the romance in our lives and this seemed like a great resource for doing so.

Here are the things that stood out to me:
- conversation starters
- fun & romantic dates for any budget
- recipes to "fan the heart flames"

Unfortunately, I wasn't particularly impressed by any of those items in the book.

I did enjoy the quotes that were sprinkled throughout the book and the fictional stories (I actually wish there had been a few more of those!).

The conversation starters - thinking back, I can only remember one page of these!  I think there might have been 2 or three, but obviously they didn't impress me very much.

The date nights were "okay" - one or two were something that we might try.  None of them really caught my attention, though.

The recipes to "fan the heart flames" made me laugh.  Basically they took recipes and gave them really corny "romantic" titles.

Okay, so that's what I didn't like about the book.  I do think that it would be a nice anniversary gift for a couple that's been married for awhile - the quotes and love busters/builders are good, and it is a nice "coffee table" book.  It just wasn't what I was expecting from the description.


I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for my review from Blogging for Books.  This free copy did not in any way influence my opinion and I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for my copy.

Resurrection Rolls

This is the second year we've done resurrection rolls as part of our Easter tradition.  Last year Maddie liked it so much she wanted to do it several times!  In fact, now when she sees the jumbo marshmallows in the store, she asks me, "Can we make Jesus with marshmallows?"  :-D

If you've never made resurrection rolls, they are a really easy way to talk about the resurrection with your children - especially preschoolers!

For this activity, you'll need:

Melted butter in a bowl
Cinnamon Sugar (1 c. sugar mixed with 1 T. cinnamon - I throw in a 1/2 t. nutmeg as well)
Jumbo (not the campfire ones, but the regular jumbo) marshmallows
Crescent Rolls

Preheat your oven to 350*.

While your oven is heating, read the story of Jesus dying on the cross.  I really liked the version in the Precious Moments Storybook Bible, because it talks about how Joseph and Nicodemus put spices on Jesus' body before they put him in the tomb. (and that's what we're doing in this activity!)



Tell the kids that we're going to pretend that the marshmallow is Jesus.

Tell them that when they took Jesus' body off the cross, they put oil on it, so we're going to put butter (which is kind of like an oil) on our marshmallow Jesus.

After that, they put spices on Jesus' body.  Roll your marshmallow in the cinnamon sugar mix.

 (from last year's activity)

Then, they put him in the tomb and sealed it up.  Wrap your marshmallow in the crescent roll and seal it really well.

Put your rolls on a baking sheet (you might want to line one with parchment paper, the spices will ooze out and make a sticky mess!).  Bake for about 20 minutes (you should be able to see if the marshmallow is still there when you peek in the oven to check on them).

(I didn't put a parchment sheet on my stone.  You should put a parchment sheet on yours.)

Let them cool for about 10 minutes and then cut them open to see where Jesus is.... He's not there!  Hooray, Jesus is risen!

I hope you enjoy making this yummy Easter snack!

Top 10 Tuesday: Booksneeze Book Review!

Hello, stranger! Fancy meeting you here!

Okay, I know ... posts are few and far between at 31Mommy right now.  And, unfortunately, that's the way it's most likely going to stay for awhile.

I did, however, squeeze in some time this last week (hooray for spring break and down time between classes!) to read my latest Booksneeze selection: Stand by Me by Neta Jackson (author of the popular YadaYada series).




Here are my top 10 reasons why I LOVED this book:

10.  I loved Yada Yada, so I was excited to see some characters from a long time ago - I only read the first Yada Yada book, but it was nice to "see" some familiar characters!

9.  From the beginning I was hooked by the storyline - Ms. Jackson keeps the plot moving, and even though I can generally figure out where a book is headed, she kept me guessing several times.

8.  I can relate to the characters.  Even though I fall kind of in-between the main characters' ages, being on a college campus again (and working in youth ministry) lets me see the energy and passion some people have before the "experience" of life has worn it out.  I could see where both Avis and Kat were coming from.

7.  I loved the multicultural aspect of the book.  It seems cheesy to mention, I guess, but we live in such a multicultural world, it's nice to see it reflected in a novel.

6.  I love that the church in the book (SouledOut - what a cool name!) is a charismatic church.  As a Pentecostal, it's nice to see that part of Christianity represented in a positive light in a book.

5.  I loved the way the story kept moving.  I don't have a lot of time to read "fun" stuff right now, but this was a book I'm glad I selected!

4.  I liked how the author made Kat's frustrating character traits understandable ... so even though at times I wanted to shake her and say, "Um, HELLO? Is your brain on?" I knew that she thought she was doing what was right.

3.  I appreciated the characters' depth and dynamism.  I love how the way the characters were growing and changing as life's circumstances hit them was portrayed.

2.  I loved the way faith and prayer were woven into the characters' lives.  It encourages me to do the same in my life.

And the ONE thing I didn't like about the book?

1.  I have to wait to read the next one!

Thanks to Booksneeze for providing this copy for my review.  It did not influence my review in any way.