Girl Meets Change by Kristen Strong

If you have not met Kristen then you should.... right now.... go ahead.  

She is the blogger at Chasing Blue Skies.

Go take a look.... I will wait right here.

See, isn't she lovely?

She is also the author of a beautiful new book entitled 

Girl Meets Change:  Truths to Carry You Through Life's Transitions.

She is a girl like us... who wouldn't love someone who, and I quote, "I eat pie for my own happiness"

Anyone who eats pie is alright in my book!  LOL

She is the wife of a retired Air Force officer and mother of twin boys and a daughter.  She writes about that life a lot on her blog but this book is SO MUCH MORE than that.  It is for everyone who will ever experience change in their lives.... and that is EVERYONE!

This book is full to overflowing with examples in scripture and her own personal experiences and encounters with how change is good for us.

Change is an inevitable part of life and she shares with us how we can embrace it rather than cower in fear in the corner when it shows up.

She shows us over and over how God works through the changes in our lives to bring about His best for us.  She shares stories of hope in hard places and how God prepares us before we even know that the change is coming.

Chapter after chapter connects us to examples in God's word of how He used change to shape Abraham, Ruth, Esther, Joseph and others. She shares stories from precious women she has been blessed to know along the way.  She shares her own story with her family and change that has rocked their world.  We can take courage that He loves us every bit as much as He does those examples and that His will for our lives is perfected in change.

If you are experiencing change in your life I encourage you to read this.  If you are fearful or depressed over the changes you face take heart and trust God with every bit of it.

You can find Kristen's book...

at Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Christian Book.com

and

Dayspring

I am part of the launch team and was blessed to enjoy an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for a fair assessment of it.  I would gladly give this book a solid 4 out of 5 stars.

Book Review: Among the Fair Magnolias by four authors

The authors that shared stories here are Tamera Alexander, Shelley Gray, Dorothy Love, and Elizabeth Musser.

I don't often request fiction but this particular one has the appeal of being a collection of stories by four authors in the genre of historical fiction so I jumped at the chance to read it.

I am glad that I did!

Quick Summary 

(no spoilers!)

The historical time period for all four stories in this collection are set around the time of the Civil War.  Each story takes us to a different location and tells stories of strength in the face of some very hard circumstances.  They are all romantic stories and each has it's own unique twist.  There is faith and redemption in each story as each heroine takes her own journey to navigate the threat of and/or the consequences of a hard war and time in our nation's history.  Each story is about 80 to 90 pages in length and gives a beautiful sampling of each author's writing and story telling style as well as individual pictures of this time in our history.  

My Reactions

I have often felt like Christian fiction was predictable and slow but if I had any doubts about this collection I was quickly proven wrong.  The stories are beautiful and drew me along nicely through interesting scenarios as I enjoyed each one.  I loved the historical aspect and the places I could find on a map as I read about each setting.

Since these were shorter stories in a collection there was not a lot of deep character development one would get over a longer novel but the stories were intriguing and the heroines were realistic and dynamic as they moved through their stories.  The characters were not perfect and plastic-like.  The dialogue seemed natural and historically accurate.  The stories were inspiring with a spiritual aspect that I enjoyed.  The mention of God was not "in your face" but was naturally approached in the daily lives of characters within the stories.

Of course, as with any collection, I enjoyed some stories more than others but all were nice reads.

This book was the perfect vacation read!  I love a book of short stories when I am on the road because you can read a story quickly as you are riding along in a vehicle or take to the beach or cabin for some quiet reading on a lazy day.  I am so glad I requested this book and I would certainly read more by these authors.

Oh, and there are recipes that go with each story in the back of the book to enjoy, too!

I would give this book a solid 4 out of 5 stars and highly recommend it if you are an historical fiction fan.

This book came to me free of charge through Booklook Blogger Review Program courtesy of Harper Collins and all they ask in return from me is an honest unbiased review of the book based on my reactions and opinions.  

Thirty One Days of Jane Austen

August 1, 2015 begins a month of Jane Austen... Austen in August officially.

I plan on spending my month reading, watching, learning and exploring more about the life, times and works of Jane Austen.  She is well loved in our home.  My daughter is an avid fan and has drawn me into this world, too.

found this image at Shades of Cool blog

I thought I would start by putting a few official links up for us to explore as we go through this month.

JaneAusten.org is a great resource to get us started.

There is also an Austen.com with lists of fiction and fan fiction for you to enjoy.

There are several Jane Austen Society sites worldwide

North America

UK

Australia

and there are more if you look and there may be one in your particular neck of the woods.

There is an official Facebook Page, too.

PBS Masterpiece has several pages worth exploring with slide shows and if you can get your hands on them you can watch their productions of her works and biographical videos.

Susan Branch has part of her website devoted to her love for all things Jane, too!  She has great photos from her visit to see Jane's home at Chawton.

Don't forget to head over to Roof Beam Reader to sign up to join us as we read Austen all month and check out the Master Post that just went up yesterday, too.

Here is where I am starting...

Jane Austen (16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817)

Happy Reading!!!

Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin

I am a nonfiction junkie so this book was right up my ally.

Rubin takes a look at habits in this book.  She begins by helping us to see more about our own habits and tendencies.  She lays out four basic tendencies that most people fit into and discusses each one.  There is a quiz at the back of the book to help you figure out where you fall.  She elaborates on each one to help you understand them and yourself better.  

From there she takes us through several "opposites" to determine how we approach situations in our lives... for example, are you are marathoner when it comes to a project you must complete, a sprinter, or a procrastinator?  There is a whole chapter with these listed for you to work out your personal style and preference.  She gives valuable tips to use each one to your advantage.  

The second section takes us through some basic pillars of habits that most people experience.   It is a section of "strategies" that are valuable in understanding more about how we should approach a habit.  One example here that really spoke to me was the chapter on "abstaining" or "moderation".  I learned that I do better with particular habits when I just abstain completely from something instead of trying an 80/20 approach.  There are some things that I cannot do 80% of the time and let myself slide 20% of the time.  For me, it is often all or nothing.  Other people can do things in moderation but I find I am not one of those people.  I loved this section because it made me work through paying attention to the things I do on a daily basis.  Once one starts to see their patterns they can hone or change them to become more useful in one's everyday life. 

She leaves no stone unturned as she talks us through our motives and excuses that prevent us from becoming better at forming good habits.  It was very convicting to me to work through this section. She talks about how we interact with others and our environments.  She talks about rewards and treats and how they can help us or hurt us as we work through habit formation. 

This book is loaded with great information and practical help!  Her information is well researched and her presentation of information is very friendly and encouraging.  She also shares a great list of resources at the back of the book for further research and reading.

This book is for anyone who wants to change how they do life.  If you are struggling with forming good habits or breaking bad habits this will show you just where to focus.

I, honestly, cannot think of one thing I did not like about this book.  I guess if I am pressed I would wish this book was more from a Christian perspective but it is full of truth and truth is truth.  

I have never read anything else by her but I will seek out some of her other books to try because I love her research based approach and friendly writing style very much.

This is a book I have written in as I went through each chapter.  It will be one I reference again and again as I work through my own habits in the coming days.  If I could give one word of advice it would be to read it while you are young and working through college, maybe, or an early career/family lifestyle.  I wish I had found this book 25 years ago.  It would have changed how I do most of my life I suspect.

Great read!  I would give it 5 out of 5 for writing style, ease of understanding, educated research, and practicality.  

Find out more about Gretchen Rubin and her books at GretchenRubin.com 

or head over to her Facebook page

Want to see one of my favorite pages from her website?  It's all about her Pie Policy and you know how I LOVE PIE!!!

I was given this book for free in exchange for a fair and honest review by Blogging for Books.

Coming Soon... Austen in August

I am just going to put this down right here....

It is a fun and bookish challenge for the month of August.

Are you tempted to join me?

If you are you can go and sign up here!

I will be doing a giveaway for the challenge over on the host's page in the neighborhood of August 9th.  I hope you will join me in read something Austen for the month of August.  It can be a novel of her's or a biography.  It can be fan fiction and there is a LOT of fan fiction out there!

I have no idea what I will finish but I will read something from Austen every day for the month of August.  If you are joining in please feel free to let me know in the comments below.

I have a few books lined up already...

Just a few to choose from as I move through the month.  The bottom collection is my daughter's but I might need to pick one of those up for me at some point.  She leaves for college next year and I know she won't be leaving it with me.  ;)

Unequal Affections is actually written by my husband's cousin and is a huge favorite of my daughter's and her friends.  It is a fantastic fan fiction novel and Austenesque in every way.

Do you have a favorite fan fiction from the world of all things Austen you would care to share with us?

Again... leave a comment below and share it with us!

Your Sacred Yes by Susie Larson

What is this book about?

(and what I loved)

This is a Christian nonfiction book about how we live out each day seeking God’s will for every moment.  Susie Larson’s premise is to show us how valuable we are to Christ and how important it is to say no to the things that God is not calling us to and to say yes to His ultimate plan for each day.  The idea behind saying yes to God is to bring glory to Him in all we do.  She shows us how through scripture and theological wisdom as well as stories from her own walk with Christ.  She shares her experiences with us to show us how God’s best for us brings freedom, passion and joy to our everyday lives. 

It is beautifully written with a very encouraging tone.  There are spiritual principles and some very practical daily application that I took from this book.  It is loaded with scriptural messages straight from the mouth of God to embrace us as His own.   There is a lot of grace and mercy in Mrs. Larson’s words.

The format is one that can be read on one’s own or with a study group.  In fact, she is starting an online study for this book in the next week or so.  It closes each chapter with prayer, personal reflection questions, A Wise Word block, group discussion starters and a Faith Declaration statement.  If you are looking for studies for your small group Susie Larson offers this format in several of her books. 

What I did not love…

I am not a fan of The Message because I do not feel it is really a Bible but more of one man’s commentary on the Bible.  She uses several passages from this particular text when I felt like she should have gone with a more accurate text to quote.  She had some great quotes by some very stellar scholars, though, and I appreciated that.  (No, I am not a KJV only person)

She did repeat herself a great deal in certain chapters but I can see, in many cases, it was for emphasis on our value in Christ.  She is consistently reminding us that God loves us right where we are and I loved that part.  She just seems to be repetitive in places where it may not be necessary. 

Pulling it all together…

Mrs. Larson pulls it all together by adding a very practical challenge in Chapter 13 to change how we approach each day.  I urge you to heed the challenge if you are new to a daily Bible and exercise time.  

Who Should Read?

If you are living a crazy busy life and feeling burned out and tired I encourage you to read what Mrs. Larson has to say.  This is a book for people of all walks of life.  The message is timeless and spans across ages to reach us where we are right now.  This message is one we all need.

Overall, I enjoyed the book very much and would give it a 4 out of 5 stars.  I would gladly read other books my Mrs. Larson.  She has a beautiful spirit about her writing and this book really gave me pause to think about how I live my days for Christ.  There are changes I will make based on what she has shared.  Thank you to her for pouring out her heart in this very helpful and encouraging book.

Want to know more about Susie Larson and this book?

You can find out more here on her about page... (here is a clip from her page to get you started)

"Susie Larson is a radio host, author and national speaker. She hosts her own daily live talk show, Live the Promise with Susie Larson. Susie connects weekly with thousands through her radio program and her daily faith questions on Facebook. 

Susie has also served as a media voice for Moody Radio and as a co-host for Focus on the Family's daily live talk show, Everyday Relationships with Dr. Greg Smalley."

You can find her book page and study guide at SusieLarson.com and if you click through you will see that she is starting that online study of this book soon.

Take a look at Susie as she shares about session one of her study...

This book came to me as a free book through the Bethany House Publishing Company.  All they asked is that I give it a fair review with my honest opinions.  You just got that!  

Dewey's Read-a-Thon - Spring 2015

It is almost here.... 

As a matter of fact, it has already begun in a manner of speaking!

The official date is next Saturday April 25, 2015 but the warm ups have begun over on the website.

Check out the posts so far here

You can also check out the fun on FACEBOOK, GOODREADS, and TWITTER to catch all the excitement and buzz this week in preparation.

24 hours of reading and blogging about reading and cheering and encouraging and lots and lots of fun challenges are on their way for next Saturday.

Choose a book or two or ten...

Get your food and snacks and coffee and/or tea ready...

Get a good night's sleep Friday night and be ready to READ, READ, READ next Saturday.

I hope you will join us!

Hope to see you there...

If you are joining in the fun would you please let me know in the comments below with a link to your blog so I can visit you to see what you are reading and if you are doing any of those fun challenges?  

LET'S READ TOGETHER!!!

Planning for April Meals and Holidays

I cannot believe it is already the last Friday of March.  The week behind us has not been so stressful but with allergy season in full swing I have not been super productive.  I have, however, found some lovely links for you.  I am thinking about planning meals a lot this week.  I am also starting to think toward Easter and Passover.  We started the 1 Peter Study with Love God Greatly and I am continuing to read the Bible through and work through the If:Equip passages and videos to prepare us for Easter.  I have enjoyed my study time a great deal this week.  The more I study the more I want to study.  I have also been listening to some of the daily readings again on YouVersion.  I love that they have audio on many of the translations.  It is good to hear God's word read aloud.

I have spent some time menu planning for the month of April.  I am adding some categories to bring a little more creativity back to our system.  We will do a Pasta night, Asian night, Mexican night, Comfort Food night, Soup and Salad night, Vegetarian night and a CORD night.  CORD stands for Clean Out Refrigerator Day (got that from an old Once a Month Cooking book on the shelf).  I am trying to wean us down to one dessert night a week.  I am also trying to be more diligent in preparing things ahead for breakfasts and lunch.  I am going to add a day each week to make things for the freezer.

With all this talk of food most of my links are food related this week...

The standard things like muffins and waffles are easy enough to make ahead and freeze but here are a few more great ideas that I pinned this week.  I have some standard quick bread recipes that make great breakfast breads and I think adding a coffee cake (Overnight Coffee Cake) every now and then might be a really nice treat.  I want to make something that the kids can just take out of the refrigerator or freezer and heat up.  The less work for me in the mornings the better.  That way they don't have to wait on their arthritic mom to be moving quickly enough to feed them all.  They will be grateful, too!

We eat a lot of eggs so I thought this might be a great option for them... Egg and Spinach Quiche Cups - I would, personally, use whole eggs instead of just egg whites for this one.  I will be doing a test run on these soon.

Kat over at InspiredtoAction has mentioned that she does a bulk batch of burritos to freezer for her family so I took some time to look for a recipe to test drive soon.  This one is the one I like so far... DIY Frozen Breakfast Burritos

I thought if the burritos worked why not breakfast sandwiches so this will be happening soon, too.... Freezer Breakfast Sandwiches

There are days when my children just want a good thick smoothie to get them started so this is a great idea, too,  We can have Smoothie Kits ready to go in the refrigerator for them to drop in and blend.

Now, this idea might be a smaller serving than the kids would prefer but I have a jumbo muffin tin that might make it a better size for those teenagers.  I know my husband and boys are fans of oatmeal so this might be a great quick solution for those hurried mornings... DIY Freezer Oatmeal Cups

After all this work to prepare meals for my family I think I am going to need a little treat for myself once I get the chance to sit down for a few minutes.  A lovely Chai Tea would certainly do the trick.  I found a great recipe at Food52 for an Almost Instant Chai Recipe.

Now, for two more articles for Passover and Easter for your enjoyment...

Passover Holds a Special Meaning for Christians

10 Fun Ways to Keep Easter About Jesus

We have a slower weekend ahead and I have several books in progress that I am hoping to have some cozy time to enjoy.  Stuff in my "to read" stack for the rest of the month and forward...

and a commentary I am starting this weekend for the 1 Peter study...

I also have a great new resource I picked up to help me start to organize my personal recipes that I have written.  I have fallen in love with the Moleskine line of journals since I started my Bullet Journal last semester.  They have them for just about anything you can imagine from cooking/baking to music, wine, organizing, budgeting, etc...  Their website is a writer's dream!

I cannot wait to get started...

Happy Friday!

Read Every Day...

I endeavored to read a book a week as we began this new year and I have failed miserably.  I am approximately 8 books behind but I have five books in progress.  I am relentlessly famous for reading several at a time and taking forever to finish any one of them in an expedient manner.  It is a flaw.... a chink in my armor, so to speak.

I have evaluated this mess and come to the conclusion that I need to set daily goals to become successful at reading more.  I have done some research and made some lists and here are some things I have learned along the way.

1.   I, personally, want to read the Bible first... every day... before I read anything else.  

I want to open God's word before the computer comes on or the phone draws me in or before any other book is opened.  I have no excuse for not doing this.  There are helps all over the internet for this and Bibles specifically designed to lay out my reading plan each day.  The key is doing it!  I need to set that alarm and open that Bible first thing and read.  I have been reading through it again this year in the HCSB version and I am using a plan from an official Read the Bible in a Year website through the YouVersion.org app.  This does mean I have to turn a phone or computer or reader on to see the passages for the day but I am training myself to go just to the app and start without being drawn into all the other bells and whistles on the devices.  I have even taken to listening to my Old Testament passages through the auditory feature provided and it has done wonders for getting me through the Leviticus and Numbers sections.  I have stayed on track much more this year by using that feature.

2.   Why Should We Read Every Day?

Other people... smarter than me, have written about this so I thought I would share a quick list of my favorite reasons in link form to those articles.  The benefits are great for everyone in many facets of our lives.

7 Unconventional Reasons Why You Absolutely Should Be Reading Books

Why You Should Read Every Day

10 Benefits of Reading:  Why You Should Read Every Day

3.   Pick a Book and Make a Plan

Pick books you know you will enjoy.  I try to read authors recommended by people that like the same kinds of books I do or I read books by authors I already know I enjoy.  I read books on topics I really want to learn more about or on something that really sparks my interest.  I have put books down.  Life is too short to read a book you hate.  If it is going nowhere in about 50 pages I let it go.  If the author is just not connecting with me or insulting me I cut them loose.  No one needs to read stuff they don't enjoy.... unless it is necessary for a degree.  Those I have to finish.  LOL

Once you know what you are reading make a plan on how much to read each day.  Set aside time to read and hit that goal each day and in no time at all you will finish another book and your brain will thank you.

Here are more suggestions for making your plan from others who have found what works for them...

Read More:  The Simple System I'm Using to Read 30+ Books a Year

How to Fit Reading Into Your Schedule and Actually Finish the Books You Want to Read

Read More Every Day By Creating Reading Triggers

and my favorite...

How to Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks and Save Yourself $21,000

Now that I have some ideas of how to make this work for me I am sitting down with pen and paper and writing out some goals that I will put into effect immediately in hopes of getting back on track with my reading for 2015.  I won't let it defeat me!

I hear Dave Ramsey quote Charlie Jones all the time.

Motivational speaker Charlie Jones said,

“You’re the same today as you will be in five years except for two things: 

the people you meet and the books you read.”

So, what are you waiting for.... get reading every day and see how it changes you!

from EvolutionStopsHere (click photo for link to photo resource)

One more little bonus link for my bookish pals.  

If you want a cool list of literary events for 365 days of the year this is the one.... Flavorwire's Ultimate Literary Calendar.  

Check it out!

Cold Antler Farm

I have, now, officially read every book Jenna Woginrich has written except her book on chickens.  I plan to read that one when we get chickens again.... sometime.  

Her most recent book summarizes her adventures to date.  I have to say that the first book I read by her is still my favorite.  The first book I read was Barnheart.  It was charming and personable.  The second one I read was her first book called Made From Scratch.  This, too, was charming and personable.  

Each book was about the latest phase of her journey to a homestead/self sufficient lifestyle.  The most recent one shares new stories and new struggles with a bit more about her philosophy and how the journey has changed her over the years.  She shares vignettes about different aspects of her life on Cold Antler Farm and the community that surrounds her.  There are recipes, too.  It is a great memoir.  

I recommend you read her books if you are interested in rural farm stories from the life of a writer/farmer living and working in the northeast.  Reading her stories makes me brave.  I walk away feeling like I could move more toward that life, too.  It doesn't seem easy because it is anything but easy but she makes it seem more achievable.  It can be a stand alone book without the other books but it is really nice knowing the background of where this all started for her so if you are a completist like me then start at the beginning and work your way through them.  Feel free to check out her website, too.  

She is open about the fact that she is not a Christian and she is more into celebrating the more Celtic/Druid way of life and farming.  She is not crazy outspoken about it but she does mention it several times.  This particular book was not as full of that as the previous smaller book she wrote called One Woman Farm.  OWF was a bit of a gift type book precursor to Cold Antler Farm.  As a Christian I was not offended or put off by the things she shared even though I don't always agree with her.  She is not negative about those who have different beliefs from her.  The bottom line for her is a shared experiences and adventures with friends and neighbors in a peaceful and lovely setting.