How Should a Christian Live? Word of Promise Next Generation

I chose this book to review because I have a teen granddaughter that will enjoy reading this book and journaling. My eight year old grandson expressed interest in the games. When I read the book I could see the value of the issues covered. This book breaks down the sections in easily digestible segments. It can be read easily and comprehended with no problem. The text is very interesting yet covers issues that young people today deal with.

As a grandmother who is bringing up her grandkids, I am thrilled to find a book that we can read together and discuss. I will recommend this book to anyone who has teens or who works with teens. I think it will be an invaluable addition to any library.

This book was donated by Thomas Nelson for the purpose of an honest review.

The Bridegrooms by Allison Pittman

This book was provided for review by Waterbook Multnoman Publishing Group.

Tragedy strikes the Allenhouse family on a hot summer night in Ohio when a mother abandons her husband and four daughters. The daughters are now grown and still bear confusion of why she left. Vada is the oldest and has had to take on the task of protecting her younger sisters. She must also be the confidant to her father lovingly called Doc.

By day she was the errand runner for the Cleveland fledgling amateur orchestra. Her strait laced lawyer suitor was in the orchestra. At night she kept company with him. Her life had taken on a routine and heavy with the responsibilities of her family.

The family's life changed when the Brooklyn Bridegrooms came to town to play the Cleveland Spiders. A stray ball hit a spectator in the head knocking him unconscious. Since Doc was the local doctor, the unconscious man was brought to the Allenhouse house for treatment.

Vada's heart is torn between her steady but passionless suitor and a "man of the world" ballplayer. We are taken on the ride of confusion and self-imposed guilt Vada struggled with. Her three sisters are also thrown into emotional whirlwinds as they also struggle with the attention given to them by the visiting ballplayers.

This is only one conflict that these sisters must struggle with. Ms. Pittman deftly and effectively explores the complex inner workings of both familial relationships and the emotions that can come to the surface for young women just embarking on their life's journey.

I enjoyed reading this book and will read other books by Allison Pittman. I will pass this book along to family and friends and recommend it.

As the Baseball Flies So Go the Nights of My Life

Home at last! When I left here this afternoon at 4:00 I had no idea if I would see my home again. You guessed it, t-ball, softball, and baseball once again dominated my life. While some women have glamorous evenings out on the town or (sigh) a nice quiet night at home, I am sitting on cold bleachers watching future all stars strike at high balls, low balls, or any ball that falls in between. But the truth is I love watching my kids play. Of course, there is the usual sibling rivalry from the one that is not practicing at the time but I have learned to deal with that by tuning out the crying and fighting until I see blood or see a bone poking through the skin.

Of course foul balls are always a hazard of the game. The other night I was watching practice and actually felt the breeze of a wayward ball zoom by my head. Would I lie to you? I heard the fateful words, "Heads Up" and froze in place. Fortunately, I did not look up or I would have the imprint of a baseball right between the eyes. Oh well, I guess that adds to the excitement of the game.

This weekend is going to be a non-stop marathon of games. One boy has a game Friday night, and all day Saturday. The other boy has games in between the games of the first boy. Confused yet? I am. But hey, what can you say about an old woman hauling the kids to their games. Was boy 1 supposed to be at Field 2 at 1:00 or was boy 2 supposed to be at Field 1 at 2:00?

Wow! I am getting more confused by the minute so I had better try to sleep before my befuddled brain starts smoking and completely blows up on me. \

So until next time, if I can keep dodging the foul balls, this is my life. As a TV family always says: "It's a crazy life. But it's my life."

Until next time may God keep you in His loving arms and protect you from all the "stray balls" life throws at you. God bless and good night.

Hunter's Moon by Don Hoesel

Some secrets are not made to last forever. This is what CJ Baxter found out when he was summoned back to Adelia after the death of his grandfather. Seventeen years before he had left his hometown vowing never to return. He had moved to Tennessee and had become a famous writer. But with his marriage falling apart and numerous legal issues facing him he hound his life becoming more complicated than the characters he wrote about.

His brother was about to be elected senator and a black sheep brother returning to town was not exactly what a up and coming politician needed. The long-buried secrets would definitely put an end to this career, as well as the lifestyle that had become very comfortable to the Baxter family.

This book was a surprise to me because I usually do not like political novels. However, I found this book to be much more. It covered issues of family dynamics and dysfunctions.

I will recommend this book to my family and friends because it can appeal to a wide range audience.

I reviewed this book for Bethany House in exchange for an honest review.

Spring Break is Over!

Well, Spring Break is over for another year. I have enjoyed the break from getting up soooooooo early but trying to clean house with the kids home was next to impossible. So I did what any normal, worn-out woman did--I didn't try to clean. Just maintaining a sense of order was hard enough.

Monday was my birthday and the little ones showed me they loved me by giving me a surprise party. Of course the food was peanut butter sandwiches (made by their own little hands) and kool-aid in a bowl with a soup ladle ( a punch bowl of course). There were games of charades and plenty of dancing. It was the best birthday party I ever had. Now I know I am appreciated by them.

But----since the kids are back in school I guess I had better do some heavy duty cleaning today. So---it's back to work for me but I will see all my friends again soon. Until then, take care and remain blessed.

The Rewards of Simplicity A Practical and Spiritual Approach by Pam & Chuck D. Pierce

I reviewed this book for Bethany House Publishers. I recieved this book for the purpose of an honest review.

Although this book is fairly short (194 pages), I did not find it an easy read. I am very interested in simplifying my life but found the idea of purging mental and spiritual clutter an interesting idea.

Although Pam and Chuck address the subject matter with authority, I found the book hard to follow. There seemed to be many "side streets" they went down that was both confusing and irrelevant to the topic at hand. The most memorable story to me was the one Pam told about the water damage and the experience of only having the necessities of life. This story did hit a chord with me because we can live with less stuff if we have to.

I would not recommend this book. I did not agree with the authors theologically. I am satisfied with the few useful points I was able to glean from reading the book. However, the book is not one I would pass along to my friends.

A Fun Week! Whatever

Well, this has been spring break for my darlins. It is now Friday night and I am totally exhausted. The kids have a new tree house though. Oh, no I didn't build it. It is still standing after all. I did inherit the chore of running errands, holding tape measures and cleaning up the mess. Just a normal day around "the edge" for me. I am happy about the tree house too--it will make a dandy hiding place for me to relax (if ever I get that chance) and read. I took the kiddos to the park today thinking it would run the down for bedtime. Yeah, you guessed it, the joke's on me. Not only did it invigorate them it wore me out and I still haveto cook dinner. Maybe I will do a clean the refrigerator night. Oh, can't do that, cleaned frig yesterday. Maybe bread and water would be a good choice. See, how life is on the edge. Never a dull moment. Well, life is something to be lived and children make it worthwhile. Or so I'm told. If you are not familiar with my blog and are reading it for the first time don't get me wrong. I absolutely love my kids and will fight to the death to keep them safe. I just get overwhelmed at times and need to regroup my few brain cells and renew my energy. I'm sure you mothers can understand.

So until next time--this is life on the edge. Have a wonderful weekend and don't forget to thank God for your blessings--even the ones disguised.

A Kaleidoscope of Proverbs

I jumped at at the chance to read and review Kaleidoscope by Patsy Clairmont and I was not disappointed. Filled with the wit and wisdom that is a Patsy Clairmont trademark, the book was truly a blessing to me as it will be others who read it. I have always enjoyed reading the book of Proverbs because of the wisdom and instruction I hAVE found there. As Ms. Clairmont says, "it is an in-your-face" kind of book.

Ms. Clairmont has written an easy to read book but one that is filled with wonderful insights Through many personal anecdotes she explains how the passage was relevant in her life.

I have been a fan of Women of Faith speakers and writers and highly recommend this book to other fans or to anyone who enjoys an easy to read relevant book.

This book was reviewed through the Thomas Nelson (Booksneeze) review program.

Start Here by Alex & Brett Harris

Although this book was written by and for teen, I found many of the ideas present could be used by anyone wanting to stretch themselves and get out of their "comfort zone". In fact I felt encouraged and empowered by some of the suggestions found at the end of the book.

I believe that God has a plan for each of us and, as this book shows, He will provide the means and abilities we need in order to fulfill His plans for us.

With the bad press given to teens today, it is refreshing to read about teens who are truly dedicated to God and helping other people in their community and around the world. The teens represented in this book are to be commended not only for their accomplishments but for giving God the credit and glory for them.

I recommend this book and feel it would benefit youth leaders. In fact it should be a must read for everyone who works with and influences today's young people.

This book was reviewed for RandomHouse.com where it may be purchased.

Another Day on the Edge

Well, it's Monday again here on the edge. After getting the kids to their respective schools, I attended my exercise group. Quit laughing, I am still able to touch my toes, barely. I went to kindergarten for computer lab-hey, I volunteer there. I already know the basics of computer use. I then paid the bills, and attended the kindergarten "tea" and book fair. By then, my teenager called and needed something she had forgotten to take with her this morning, so I had to take that to school for her. After all this is taken care of I really need to go home and clean house. That done, I planned supper for the "crew" and found I needed to go to the grocery store. Arriving home once again, I remembered that 2 of the darlins' had basketball games,sooooooooooooo after rounding up uniforms and washing them, I sat down for a minute. The next thing I knew the teenager was home and shaking me awake. Was this day a dream (nightmare). No, I saw the pile of receipts and exercise clothes thrown in the corner of my bedroom. Oh well, at least I have made it through another day of life here on "the edge."

I hope your Monday went smoother than mine. But even if it didn't--I hope you remembered to stop and thank God for your blessings He gave you today.

Until next time, this is "life on the edge."

Awesome Book!

I had the opportunity to read "Beautiful Things Happen When a Woman Trusts God" by Sheila Walsh. I read this book through Booksneeze (Thomas Nelson). In her latest book, Ms Walsh shares her personal battles with clinical depression. She relates this part of her life in order to show how trust in God will bring us through whatever circumstances we might find ourself in.

The manner she relates the stories of several "heroes of the faith" was fascinating. Through stories I have heard since childhood, I learned that there were times in their lives when they found it difficult to put their complete trust in God. This was very comforting to me since I sometimes find it difficult to trust God.

I read the book and now intend to re-read it and complete the bible study enclosed in order to further enhance my understanding of this issue. I highly recommend this book to other women who find their circumstnaces make it difficult to trust God's word.

If God's best friend, Abraham, found it difficult to trust God and God was always with him, I know that God will be with me when my faith wavers.

Missed Signals

Said the Preacher to the farmer: "Do you belong to a Christian family?"
Farmer: "No, my folks are the Jones, they live two farms down the road."
Preacher: "No, i mean are "you lost?"
Farmer: "No, I've been here 30o years."
Preacher: "I mean, are you ready for Judgment Day?"
Farmer: "When is it?"
Preacher: "Could be today, could be tomorrow."
Farmer: "When you find out for sure, let me know. Me and my wife will probably want to go both days."

I read this in a church newsletter. I needed a "funny break" after the hard weekend. I had 2 extra kids (I had total of 6 kids: 4yr old, 5 yr old, 6 yr old, 7yr old, 8 yr old and 15 yr old.) On top of that I had to get our income tax filed.

But God was with me all the way. He made sure I kept my sense of humor.

Until next time--that is life on the edge.

This is God's Day

This is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it. Ps. 118:24 I taught this verse to my grandchildren and we would recite it every morning as I drove them to school. One morning after taking the kids to school I realized that no matter what happened today, this IS God's day. Whatever happens today, He sees. He gave me this day to life for Him. Even a "bad" day can be a day used for God's glory. It's not always easy for me to see the positive things mixed in with the chaos of my days because I am so focused on the negatives in my life. On the days the kids are fighting, are totally unaruly, and are making more messes in the house than I can clean, I admit I do get frustrated and think "What's the use of trying to clean this house?" I read somewhere "Trying to clean house while the children are small is like shoveling the sidewalk in a blizzard." This is so true at my house. But when bedtime finally comes around and I am tucking the little "darlins" in bed, they throw their arms around my neck and hug me and say "I love you, Nanny." This somehow makes all the frustrations and headaches during the day dim. I realize what a blessing from God these four children are in my life. God has entrusted their care to me and I rely on Him to give me the strength and wisdom to "bring them up in the admonition of the Lord."

In the middle of the day to day chaso, I seem to forget that the simple things in life are often my greatest blessings. Many times O meed tp be reminded that God's blessings can always be found even though they sometimes are disguised in the dailyt struggles of living.

When I look at my daily to-do list I realize there are blessings beyond measure in each task that I have listed: For all the dirty dishes, although I never seem to keep them all clean at the same, reminds me that we do have food to eat; mountains and mountains of dirty clothes that are like the dishes --never seem to be done, makes me thankful that we have clothes to wear; the never-ending piles of bills remind me that we do have the money to pay them; putting gas in the car reminds me to be thankful that we do have transportation to take us to where we need to be. After looking at these tasks and the blessings I get daily, I am reminded of the kids. They remind me to be thankful that God trusts me enough to place them in my life. They keep me "grounded" whenever I feel that I am being overworked and under appreciated. I have learned to solely rely on Him to give me the strength and wisdom to teach them about His wonderful love and mercy. I have learned to thank Him for each day He gives me and yes this is the day the Lord has made. I choose each morning to rejoice and be glad in it.

A Beautiful Mess by Diamond Rio with Tom Roland

Recently I read A Beautiful Mess, the story of Diamond Rio. For country music fans, this is a familiar name. Some of their hits include "Meet in the Middle" and "A Beautiful Mess."

This book chronicles the "ups" and "downs" of the six musicians that comprise this award winning band. I enjoyed reading this book and learning the origins of this group of talented musicians and how the band came into existence. I found it refreshing to see how the members' faith in God brought them through many tough times and their faith helped them to remain clear minded when success finally came their way. It is this faith in God that has given this band the distinction of remaining together longer than any other band. The band members have not fallen prey to the traps that other bands have found themselves ensnared: problems like power and money for instance.

Although I did find the book slow going and dry at times, I did enjoy reading it. So many times celebrities seem so much above their fans and "untouchable". I felt as though I were in a friend's living room and taking part in an honest and down-to-earth conversation.

I do recommend this book to anyone who wishes to learn about some to the struggles and obstacles some of our idols go through.

It's Life on the Edge

Well, it's me again, friends. I think my life is finally returning to normal--for me that is. My DH went back to work last week. I praise God because no one thought he would be able to work again. I hope I can post regularly again. I am snowed in with 4 kids yesterday and today so I feel like I'm sliding off the edge. Oh, well, life goes on and the kids grow up fast enough. I have missed posting on my blog but please be patient and hopefully if life is returning to normal, then my posts will be more frequent.

It's good to be back and that my friends, is life on the edge. Please pray that I don't lose my footing and slide over the edge.

Life Might Be Returning to Normal--puleese!

I hope my life is returning to normal after all the activity of the holidays.  The kids will return to school tomorrow and maybe I will at least to get a chance to breathe without hearing "Nanny, Nanny, Nannnnnnny!"

I have been so busy I have not had a chance to write much but hopefully now I can be more regular in my postings.

I hope everyone had a good holiday and the new year is what you expected or, as in my case, not as bad as it could have been.  God is so good even when I don't deserve it.

I have got to get the kids ready for bed so tomorrow can go as smoothly as possible with 4 sleepy kids to get up and shove out of the door.

I will be back tomorrow so everyone have a good evening and don't forget to thank God for his blessings for last year and the ones that are waiting for us in this new year.

The Language of Love and Respect by Emerson Eggerichs

Emerson Eggerichs has uncovered the secret of communication between males and females. According to him the woman sees though pink glasses and hears through pink hearing aids while the man sees through blue glasses and hears through blue hearing aids. This difference in how the male and female speak and hear can cause much confusion in their communication. Although something is said that in itself is not meant to cause miscommunication, because the pink and the blue hearing can create confustion. This is called the "crazy cycle" and we must decode what is meant through what is said. A woman wants to feel love and a man wants to feel respect. Eggerichs tells us we must ensure that our spouse is made to feel loved/respected by what we say. If the husband's words makes the wife feel unloved she will respond in ways that, to him, seem disrespectful. This works in reverse--if she says something that makes him feel disrespected, he will respond in a way that make her feel unloved.

Eggerichs also explains the chairs/couple concept to explain this difference and what males and females must do in order to communicate with each other better. These concepts, as well as the TUFTS concept are presented in a clear, understandable way that makes them easy to internalize and use in real life.

I enjoyed this book and plan to use these concepts in my own marriage and relationships. I recommenc this book to other couples who need help in communicating with their mate.

This book was reviewed for Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Like Sands Through the Hour Glass

Well, chaos agains reigns "on the edge." It has been a couple of days that would send a stong man run screaming. But since I am not a strong man--or even a man, I stayed the course.

To really start things rolling downhill, the kids' bus was 15 minutes late. This doesn't sound like a major problem but with a kid to dress and feed and send to preschool, this set my already tight schedule back. This meant playing catchup the rest of the morning. Oh well, I'm used to rushing to get things done. But, when I picked up the preschooler, I needed to take her and the other darlins' to get their swine flu vaccines. I arrived at the location on time and was in line for the nurses to administer the vaccines. However, since it was given at school and time was running out for the older kids to catch their buses, we were instructed to let them go first. OK, no problem, another 45 minutes and we were almost to our destination again, when we were instructed to move to the back of the line to let an even larger group of students go first. Yeah, bus problems again. After another 45 minutes of standing in line, attempting to keep 3 kids corraled and cooperative, we were told that the elementary students weren't supposed to be there for another 2 hours. After much grumbling from other parents (not me, I am so easy to get along with. Yeah right) we were finally allowed to go through the staff line. All in all our total waitning time was about 2 hours. Did I ever tell you that patience is not my strong point. by this time my entire body ached and I'm afraid that I was not as nice to kids as I normally am. Oh no, I think the vaccine has infected my brain. Did I just say that I am always nice to my kids? You other mothers know what I mean, don't you?

OK so that is one day in a week of torture. The next day I attended the annual Thanksgiving at preschool. Well, when I arrive, my darlin' informed me she did not feel so well. Guess what, she has the same "bug" she had earlier this month. I took her home and she went to sleep and slept all day. Thank God, her fever did not get as high as it did before but I called her doctor for a prescription for her.
She slept fine all night but I didn't. I was always waking up to check on her.

Now, I have to take the boys to church for their Upward Basketball evaluations. I am glad they want to participate in this but it means I will be "On the road again." I just hope the road does not lead me over the edge. Life on the edge is enough for me.

Well, time is awastin' and I have things to do. So I guess I had better go and get to doin'. I hope you are encouraged by my life--if only to say to yourself "glad that's not my life."

Until next time, this is life on the edge.

Regret-Free Living by Stephen Arterburn

This book gives us tools to use to change our regrets and live regret-free. Arterburn tells us that not only must we forgive others but the biggest obstacle to the life that God plans for us is our inability to forgive ourselves. He actually relates an incident from his past to illustrate this concept. He is very open and honest in relating this major event and the process he had to go through in order to forgive himself and receive forgiveness from the other person involved in the situation. By following this process he shows the reader how much work is involved in the process but how satisfying his life became once he was able to find true self-forgiveness.

I enjoyed this book because it helped me release past regrets from my own life. In parts of the book I felt as though Arterburn was speaking directly to me Perhaps the most important and helpful information I gleaned from reading this book was when I read "don't take on more responsibilty than you actually own for a situation with another person." I have a tendency to focus on my mistakes and deceive myself into thinking I am the sole cause for a situation in my relationships. After reading this book, I will make a conscious effort to accept only my part in a problem.

This book was reviewed for Bethany House Publishers.

Another Birthday

Well, another major birthday party today. She has left the 4 year old "little kid" phase and is now in the "BIG" girl stage of being 5. What a major step that is. She let her wishes known in no uncertain terms. The problem here was explaining that some of thse wonderful inventions would have to wait until the next important holiday--Christmas. She did enjoy the cake and is still buzzing from the sugar high. As for me, I am dragging but what to me is an end of an exhausting day is the beginning of a new adventure for her. After all, she is not a baby anymore but is now considered one of the major league players in her game of life.

Oh well, this year will also pass and the next one will bring more adventures and life changing events.

Sorry, the post is so short tonight but as I said, this is the end of an exhausting day. So until tomorrow that is life on the edge tonight.

Have a good night and enjoy your kids while they are young. Too soon they will be a member of that alien group called teenagers.