book review – The Language of Love and Respect

Book Description:

An in-depth study of why your communication styles are not wrong, just different!

Finally an answer for the number one problem in marriages—communication! This analysis of the vital principles of cross-gender communication helps couples recognize they speak two different languages. They are sending each other messages in "code" but won't be able to crack that code until they realize that she listens to hear the language of love and he listens for respect.

Most advice on this subject fails to understand that husbands and wives are wired very differently, and when those wires get crossed, the communication sparks can fly!

Dr. Eggerich's best-selling book, Love and Respect, launched a revolution in how couples relate to each other. In The Language of Love and Respect he shares how that message can be applied.

Formerly titled Cracking the Communication Code.

 

My thoughts:

Altogether this is a good book full of sound advice and practical tips. It wasn’t anything incredibly earth shattering for me because I knew that one of the largest needs for men is respect. The Language of Love and Respect is helping me to see areas that I need to improve and ways I have been unintentionally wounding my husband without meaning to do so. I also really liked that  this was God centered because God is a very important part of a Christian marriage.

 

Would I recommend this book to others? Yes because I think it has something to help almost every marriage.

Why my middle name is not Grace

Today I was enjoying the day outside with the beautiful sunshine. It was so nice out there. Warm but not stiffling you know.

Then it got to be time for Hubby to go to work and I needed to run in the house for a minute.

Did you ever notice how dark it can be inside after you have been outside? And you can't really see? "They" say that when you fall, it is like it is in slow motion but "they" aren't always right.

Somehow I ended up on the floor, on my back with my feet in the air - my sweet daughter compared me to a beetle on its back. I had twisted my ankle some how and that caused the fall but I don't know what I twisted my ankle on or what my toe hit.
I do know that I hit my head hard on the back of the recliner.

Since the room kept going dark (as I was trying not to pass out), I was concerned about a concussion so off to the doctor we went. Not to mention my toe hurt badly enough to cause me to burst into tears.

Well no concussion, although I do have a lump on the back of my head. And I broke my big toe bad enough to need a walking boot.

The thing that is aggravating, breaking a foot sounds really impressive but breaking a toe, not so much. It is just 1/2 an inch difference but a broken toe is almost the equivalent of a hangnail. And there have been times that I thought I broke my little toe (maybe I did, maybe not) but they didn't hurt nearly as bad as this did.

As tempting as it might be to curl up in bed until the month is over, there is some good stuff about to happen. I get a new baby niece soon. My baby boy turns 7 (ok that one is a bit bittersweet). My little sisters creep closer to 30 (hehehehehe). Plus I am sure there will be other blessings coming up later in the month. I just need to focus on the good stuff.

And I am glad my parents didn't name me Grace because that would be so ironic. Not to mention it would have bugged my great-grandmother if I was named after her sister instead of her.

book review – Sons of Thunder by Susan May Warren

 

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Sophie Frangos is torn between the love of two men and the promise that binds them all together. Markos Stavros loves Sophie from afar while battling his thirst for vengeance and his hunger for honor. Dino, his quiet and intelligent brother, simply wants to forget the horror that drove them from their Greek island home to start a new life in America. One of these sons of thunder offers a future she longs for, the other the past she lost. From the sultry Chicago jazz clubs of the roaring twenties to the World War II battlefields of Europe to a final showdown in a Greek island village, they'll discover betrayal, sacrifice and finally redemption. Most of all, when Sophie is forced to make her choice, she'll learn that God honors the promises made by the Sons of Thunder.  
Sons of Thunder launches the new Romantic Suspense line for Summerside Press - it will be available to purchase in Wal-mart mid-January. Also - its uniquely written - its an epic suspense story written as three novellas - 3 points of view, 3 settings.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Susan May Warren is the award-winning author of seventeen novels and novellas with Tyndale, Steeple Hill and Barbour Publishing. Her first book, Happily Ever After won the American Fiction Christian Writers Book of the Year in 2003, and was a 2003 Christy Award finalist. In Sheep's Clothing, a thriller set in Russia, was a 2006 Christy Award finalist and won the 2006 Inspirational Reader's Choice award. A former missionary to Russia, Susan May Warren now writes Suspense/Romance and Chick Lit full time from her home in northern Minnesota. Learn more about Susan here: www.susanmaywarren.com

My thoughts:
This wasn’t quite what I expected – I thought  it would be more like a light and fluffy romance novel set during before and during WWII. Instead I found myself gripped in a story that was so much deeper than I expected. The characters were very realistic and battled emotions and problems common in people today. 

 

I would highly recommend this book.

 

I received this book free for the purposes of review from LitFuse Publicity but received no other form of compensation. These opinions are all mine.

book review – Lady Carliss and the Waters of Moorue by Chuck Black

Lady Carliss and the Waters of Morrue:

Determined, smart and a master of both the sword and the bow, Lady Carliss has proven herself as a veteran Knight of the Prince. Returning from a mission of aid, Carliss is plunged into adventure once again as she searches for the marauders responsible for kidnapping a friends’ family. Along the way she is reunited with Sir Dalton and discovers that the struggle in her heart is far from over. When Dalton falls to the vicious attack of a mysterious, poisonous creature, Carliss finds herself in a race against time. As Dalton clings perilously to life, she must find the antidote in the distant and strange city of Moorue .

While there, Carliss uncovers the master plot of a powerful Shadow Warrior that will soon overtake the entire Kingdom. Her faith in the Prince and her courage as a knight are tested as she faces evil Shadow Warriors and a swamp full of dreadful creatures. The lives of many, including Dalton ’s, depend on Carliss. But she cannot save them all, for time is running out.  She faces an impossible choice: save Dalton , or let him die so that others may live.

Author Bio:

Chuck Black, a former F-16 fighter pilot and tactical communications engineer, is the author of nine novels, including the popular Kingdom series. He has received praise from parents across the country for his unique approach to telling biblical truths. His passion in life is to serve the Lord Jesus Christ and to love his wife, Andrea, and their six children. He lives with his family in North Dakota .

 

My thoughts:  

Oh my goodness! This book grabbed my attention from page one and held on to it until the very end. It is fast-paced and has bits of humor sprinkled in. I can’t wait to check out the rest of the series. 

 

This is book 4 in the series but I was able to keep the characters straight and enjoy the story even though I haven’t read any of the others.

 

I also read the introduction to my daughter and she wants to read it.  She really wants to read it which is very impressive for a reluctant reader.

 

I heartily recommend this book. you can purchase it here through Random House.

 

I was provided with this book by Random House for purpose of review but have received no other form of compensation. The opinions expressed are mine.

Right now

I am doing better. The tears still flow fairly frequently but they aren’t quite as close to the surface. I am feeling so grateful for so many things.

 

• I am grateful for having such a good Daddy – although it does make it harder that he is gone.
• I am grateful for the fond memories my kids will have of him.
• I am grateful for the little miracles that kept him healthy – his first oncologist basically said to wait at home to die,  the second gave him another 4 years of living.
• I am grateful for feeling closer to God rather than anger at Him.
• I am grateful for my family and friends who have prayed for us during this time.
• I am thankful that I could celebrate my Daddy going home even if I wish he could have waited longer.

The saying goes “the devil is in the details” but it is also so true that God is in the details.  There are so many little details that God took care of as a reminder that He is there.

 

I don’t know why my dad had to get cancer. I don’t know why it had to be an aggressive cancer. But I do know that God is in control, that He will work it for good somehow. I know that right now He has my hand and he won’t let go.

And for my Dad, I love these verses:

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.                2 Timothy 4:7 & 8

WFMW – Speed Dial

This is a new one for me, my (much taller) little brother just showed it to last week so I haven’t gotten it completely figured out but I love it so far.

 

I use a laptop and with the rectangular screen, space is at a premium. I had actually gone through the trouble of making my own toolbar just to have more space for the frequently used links. Yep I am a nerd. And a computer geek.

 

As a side note, part of the problem is that everyone uses my profile. You know how you can set up different profiles on the computer so that everyone can have their own background? Or their own favorites. Or whatever. My family won’t use them. They use my profile. So I have all my links plus any that anybody else thinks is important. I could lock them out of my profile but that is a little snarky – not to mention a pain for me because I would have to get the other one set up.

 

Anyway, my little brother saw the frightful mess of links across the tool bars (and the number of toolbars) and suggested I look into Speed Dial instead. It stores the webpages that you load in (which is really easy to do) along with a screenshot so you can easily glance and find whichever website you are wanting.

If Speed Dial is set up as your homepage and set to automatically open in new tabs or windows,  then it is easy to go to any of you favorite places.

 

You also have the ability to put more spaces in the screen as well as having more “groups.” I have my main group, then a blogging group, one for my husband and then one for my kids.

 

Easy Peasy.

 

It is just a simple little download. My only complaint is that I don’t think I can have the other household computers all synced  with this. There is the ability to export settings so I assume that once I get it the way I want, I can import the settings on the other computer. But if I want to add a new webpage, I will have to do it on each computer.  On the other hand, because it is simple to work, Daisy could add the websites herself.

 

Notice to the FCC – I am not getting any compensation for this review. Speed Dial does not know who I am nor do they care. I got speed dial for free but so can you. 

On death and dying

We buried my dad today.

 

To be honest, it was both expected and unexpected. He had end stage cancer but we really thought we had a few more weeks or even months.

 

For his sake I am so very, very glad that he is no longer in pain and has energy again.

 

For his sake I am glad that he is in heaven with his precious savoir.

 

For our sake, I miss him. I wanted him to meet his other grandchildren who are yet to be born. I wanted him to dance with my mother at my daughter’s wedding. I wanted him to call me up a few more hundred times to just say “hi.”

 

But I would not have asked him to live one more hour in pain.

 

Posting may be somewhat sparse in the next few weeks but I will be back soon-ish.

Book review - All Things Hidden by Tricia Goyer

ABOUT THE BOOK!
The past is brought to light...
Charlotte is cleaning out the basement of Bedford Community Church when she comes across a tattered and yellowed newspaper article. The clipping, published more than a century ago, implicates her great-great-grandfather in the loss of funds intended to help finish building the church. Charlotte has heard stories about the incident through the years, but now it seems the past has come back to haunt her. Is it just her imagination or are people treating her differently now that they think she's descended from a crook? Will Charlotte be able to clear her family's name once and for all?
Meanwhile, Sam is spending time with a new girl in town-and is keeping secrets from his grandparents about where they go. Christopher is trying to get an article published in the local paper, and Emily reluctantly partners with a foreign exchange student on a class project and eventually comes to see that they're not that different after all. As old secrets are brought to light, the whole family is reminded that the truth is often more complicated than it seems.
Come home to Heather Creek. Get to know Charlotte Stevenson, who is raising her grandchildren on the family farm after a tragic accident changes all of their lives forever. With the help of her husband Bob and a close-knit circle of friends, she will do whatever it takes to keep this fragile family together. See how God, who makes the sun rise and the crops grow, watches over our lives too.
ABOUT HOME TO HEATHER CREEK:
Charlotte Stevenson's world is turned upside down when her daughter, Denise, dies in a tragic car accident. She ran away at eighteen and Charlotte has never forgiven herself. Now, Denise's children, abandoned by their father, are coming from California to live on Heather Creek Farm in Bedford, Nebraska.
--
Tricia's first book in the Home to Heather Creek series was Sweet September (book two) followed by  Every Sunrise (book seven) last spring and Sunflower Serenade this summer. All Things Hidden is book eighteen in the continuing story of the Stephensen family!

 

My thoughts:

I hate to admit that this is not my favorite Tricia Goyer book but it is still a good book.  I just didn’t relate as well to the characters, maybe because the main character is a grandmother and the other three main characters are teens.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Tricia Goyer is the author of several books, including Night Song and Dawn of a Thousand Nights, both past winners of the ACFW's Book of the Year Award for Long Historical Romance. Goyer lives with her family in Montana. To find out more visit her website: www.triciagoyer.com
BUY THE BOOK!
http://www.guideposts.com/heathercreek or you can call 1.800.431.2344

 

To read what others are saying about this book you can go HERE.

Life Lessons From a Horse Whisperer

While I have always liked horses, I wasn’t the horse-y one in my family. My sister was more into horses than I was, and she still is. So when I saw this book I was thinking about her.

 

But I really enjoyed it myself.

 

Dr. Lew Sterrett has written a fascinating and insightful book about what he learned about human relationships from training horses.  It is more similar than you might think.

He talks about

• getting a horse’s “want to” going and I know that is something I need to work on with my children, especially with school work.
• if a horse (or a person) is struggling “getting” a task, then break it down into smaller steps and if needed then go back to basics
• the importance of gaining trust, without trust the task is much harder – if not impossible.

Horse lovers will adore this book but you don’t have to love horses to enjoy it. Unless you are a hermit who avoids people and animals, you can learn something from Life Lessons From a Horse Whisperer. Dr. Sterrett style is engaging without being “preachy,” he shares what he has learned but doesn’t tell you what to do.

 

I highly recommend this book. You can read what others are saying about this book here.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR!
A champion trainer and true horse whisperer, Dr. Lew Sterrett has used patience and a firm but gentle hand to earn the trust of more than 3,500 horses. Dr. Lew Sterrett (Ph. D) had little idea that his boyhood interest in horses would open doors internationally for speaking and training. During his years in 4-H, he savored many opportunities to train and show horses and earn national recognition. As a student leader at Penn State University he benefited from many mentoring relationships from which he received valuable training, experience and honors. This foundation provided a basis for an extensive horse career with a unique emphasis on training youth and community leaders.
Lew has served as the Executive Director of Miracle Mountain Ranch Missions, Inc. (MMRM) since 1977. MMRM, located in northwestern Pennsylvania, is home for a summer youth camp, and a leadership training center for youth, adult, and family groups. He has also promoted safety in public riding programs, serving as President of the Certified Horse Association for 7 years. A licensed pastor, certified Youth, Marriage and Family Counselor, he earned his PhD from North Tennessee Seminary in 2007.
Find out more about Dr. Lew Sterrett on his website: http://www.sermononthemount.org/

 

I was provided with this book, free for purpose of review by LitFuse Publicity. I am not compensated in any other way.

House Rules

One of the house rules that makes life simpler is the “No candy before lunch” rule. This typically cuts down on a lot of the begging and pleading. Of course the rule has been ammended to include the provision that lunch can’t be before noon – otherwise lunch would be eaten at 8 am.

 

So yesterday Junior, who is 6, stated that he was going to have marshmallows with his cereal – the giant strawberry marshmallows not those little mar-bits. And told him he was not, so he said he would “try” just one.

 

No, remember no candy before lunch.

 

“Mom” he pleaded “I just want to try one.”

 

So I asked if he planned on chewing it up and then spitting it into the trash can.

 

He looked at me and said “Would that work for you?”

 

Ummm, no but good try.

Figure Skating

I am not very into winter sports, I don’t like being cold in addition to not being athletic, but I enjoy watching figure skating. Much to my families disgust and dismay. hehehehe.

 

I know very little about it, I couldn’t tell a lutz  from toe jump from a salchow (I always thought they were saying sow-cow). But I enjoy watching the grace (or lack of grace when they fall.)

 

Tuesday night though, I saw something that brought tears to my eyes.

 

I don’t know if you have been following the Olympics, especially figure skating, but you may have heard about Joannie Rochette of Canada. She was expecting a normal Olympics (is there really such a thing?)  and her parents had arrived to watch the weekend before her first skate.  Her mom unexpectedly had a massive heart attack on Saturday and died Sunday morning (news article here). And still she skated on Tuesday night.

 

She skated heart-breakingly, beautifully and as the last notes faded she had a brief expression of “this is for you mom.” Then it seemed as though a wave of grief swept over her as her face crumbled up.

 

As a mom, I would want my child to take the opportunity and skate because that had been the goal for so many years.

 

As a daughter, I would want to be curled up in the fetal position and crying. 

 

The sad part to me (beyond the loss of her mother) is that the Olympics will always be a painful memory for her. Whether she wins or not, every time she thinks of the Olympics, she will also have the association of her mom’s death. Even getting the gold metal would be bittersweet.  If she doesn’t place, she might wonder if she would have done better without the added burden. 

 

It is just sad.

You can watch her skating the short program here.

I cry in church

I am very, very blessed in my church home. It feels like home, it is comfortable and safe there. I try not to cry in front of my kids but they are frequently busy somewhere else at church or they are busy singing along with the music.

 

It is partly the music’s fault. As I sing How Great is Our God my heart and head are praising God for his greatness – even when things are dark. I am reminded that even in the midst of sorrow God is there, His hand is there.

 

His hand shows up in little ways, “coincidences”  that He engineers. Reminders that He is there and cares. Friday someone sent me a message on Facebook, something seemingly random but I am convinced that God had a hand in it. She probably didn’t really know what was going on when she sent me the message.

 

It is these sort of things that I remember when singing praise songs or hymns. It is when I am praising Him that I most feel like I am curled up in my Abba Daddy’s lap and can’t help but have tears stream down my cheeks.

 

On those days that I am feeling emotionally bruised, I grab a few kleenexes and keep them ready to dab the tears out of my eyes. Because I will probably end up crying in church.