Book Rview: A Memory A day for Moms- 5 Year Inspirational Journal

Posted on by Mary

Memory

This little book is beautiful it’s artwork is amazing. The copper leaf work is gorgeous.  This little book is a journal with the idea to help moms record memories of the precious little ones.  the cool thing about this book is that ut spans a 5 year time period.  It has 366 prompts. and it has a prayer and a verse for each day of the year and that’s about it To describe this book in lengthy terms is not possible, other than what I just gave you I can say  “and the pages have a bunch of lines on it….Let’s get into my critique!

Pros

It’s beautiful- the color scheme is gorgeous.

It feels nice in the hands (it’s just the right size).

It’s a unique idea….BUT….

Cons

The copper foil used on the cover and spine have significantly worn off since receiving it a month and a Half ago.

What is a memory you want to Keep?

THE PROMPTS- ( when I requested this book I didn’t realize it had prompts.  Had I realized this I may have not requested it at all.) I was super excited about this journal and I showed it to a good friend of mine, a mom of 3 kids.  She loved the idea and opened it up. The very first two prompts she opened it up to were about your husband. now no big deal right but my friend left an abusive spouse and so this is rough on her and this spawned some in depth study.  I counted every prompt there are 12 that mention husband/ spouse.  the kicker is that most of them have nothing to do with being a mom (go back and review the title of the book if you are confused why this is a problem.)

As I began to count those something else occurred to me, so I began to count this too.  Out of 366 days there are 159 days that refer to the mother’s offspring as a singular child.  now I don’t know about you bu most of the moms I know have more that one child. SOOO how do you pick which child you will journal about? So you might say  “well Mary, how many prompts refer to multiple children? 100? No 50? Um no. 20? I wish BUT NO.

5. There are 5 prompts that refer to multiple children with a few others referring to “FAMILY”.  ok I get it you need to reach every spectrum of parents BUT that kind of unbalance????  Seriously?

On a whole I think the prompts are pretty much worthless anyway because honestly they really aren’t about “mEMORIES as the title would suggest. honestly I don’t want the memories of what the kids bedtimes were…THATS CHEEZY in my opinion.

the things I want to remember was that a certain child thought he needed to stand in the toilet to pee in it. (yeah that’s real life in this house) or the first day of camp, or first crush or  cute thing the littles talked about at dinner.

The prompts make the journal feel underwhelming and purposeless. it would be a much better book with out it.

The verses and prayers- Ive never been a fan of prayers written for me.  How about a prayer prompt instead?   Something to make you think and converse with God over.  I think that the Christian writing community has the idea that people don’t know how to pray for themselves.  this was a discussion not long ago amongst some friends.  The general consensus we would rather pray for ourselves so we skip them.  the verse a good idea but put it at the top f the page rather than an afterthought at the bottom.

Overall I give this 2 stars and you got them solely on Aesthetics.  I think you can do much better Thomas Nelson.

A Big thanks to book Look Bloggers for sending me this free copy for review purposes and for letting me write what I really think about this book

 

 

Crazy- Happy Homemaker Monday- 7/23/2018

Posted on by Mary

To say the last few months has been crazy would be nothing short of a gross understatement.  I sit here alone tonihght in our camper and my head is swimming with all that needs to be done, what I want to get done and what I want to do!

Here’s the thing…What NEEDS to be done is 3 hours from here and I can’t drive! Ha guess I am stuck

What I want to get done is  a ton of reading and writing…..the writing stuff I REALLY wanted to work on…left on my desk…at home …..three hours from here…AND  I can’t drive!!! as for the reading I’m just slightly overwhelmed by how far behind I am (they are my own goals- I should just say …SING IT WITH ME…let it go, Let it Go…..BUT I CAN’T!)

So here I sit doing what I want to do BLOGGING!  I haven’t in such a long time and I miss it more than anyone realizes and yet Life has been so crazy.

So let’s get into this!

The weather:::. RAINY and I love it.  It’s one of my favorite things while at camp is hearing rain on the camper roof

As I look outside my window::: Darkness…..

Right now I am:::  TYPING Duh.  and reading an ebook in between

Thinking and pondering::: about our 3 youngest kids who are at a different camp this week!

On my bedside table::: nothing there is no bedside table here but we can talk kitchen Table : 2 planners, 2 pen cases 7 books 4 notebooks, 3 journals and a trail mix container containing my own concoction of my favorite things

On my tv::: NOTHING (and yes we have a TV in our camper but it won’t get hardly used while I am here alone)

On the menu for this week::: There is no menu for this week.  It is all quick convince foods.  – not the healthiest necessarily but I don’t eat a whole lot this week either.

On my to do list::: read, write , pray, study the Bible, go to or listen to services on the radio

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating::: nothing though I did bring my painting/ drawing tools

My simple pleasure:::  chocolate while I write, though it is securely in the closet as we speak because it does horrible things to my stomach if I eat it at night!

Lesson learned the past week::: do not have your kids pack for camp while you are having a meeting AND Always check your son’s bags BEFORE they leave for camp.  I did this at the last minute and I don’t regret it.

Looking around the house::: the camper is neat as a pin!

From the camera:::  3 kids and there camp counselors  (and one crazy random child who wanted to photobomb)

crazy 1crazy 2Crazy 3

Prayer List::: On my prayer list for today are our four kids, three of whom are at camp. our youth group, ladies Bible study and me as I see to grow closer to God this week

Bible verse, Devotional::: I am currently reading about the woman at the well.  and the author I am reading posts out that Jesus intentionally met her there (at the well). He went that way to meet her specifically.  He  had purpose and the author points out the same thing about us.  God is intentional about meeting us where we are.  I needed that so much!

For more Happy Homemaker Monday posts check out Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

Book Review: I Can Only Imagine by Bart Millard

Posted on by Mary

Imagine

Why read the Book

Good evening everyone!  I am sure that most of my readers have heard the Contemporary Christian song “I can Only Imagine ”  written and sung by one of CCM’s (Contemporary Christian Music) biggest groups MercyMe, and maybe just maybe like me you have seen the movie BUT I’m guessing just maybe you haven’t read the Memoir of Bart Millard.  One might ask why should I read the book if I have already seen the movie.  Well let me tell you honey, the movie really is just a condensed snapshot of Bart’s life. The book has far more details and is a fascinating read.

One of the neatest things about this book is that each chapter is titled after  one of  MercyMe’s songs.  and then a snippet from the song.  Bart then takes the  theme from that song and the scriptural truth behind it and weaves in through the chapter.  You are left stunned seeing just how much his life has impacted the music he writes and we like to sing on the radio.

Bart’s Life

Bart’s life would be defined as difficult.  with an abusive father and a mother who leaves her husband and children behind (though not quite how it was depicted in the movie) it would be  understandable Bart rejected any sort of Faith.  BUT God…..had a much bigger plan for Bart! and just so you don’t think that life was all peaches and cream for that Texas boy once “I Can only Imagine” became a hit, you couldn’t be farther  from the truth.    just keep reading as you learn about the struggles that abuse can have on your life even after the abuse is over.  Then there’s the death of a loved one (not referring to his dad) and the lifelong illness of a child.

Bart skillfully writes a poignant autobiography that has you in stitches one minute and reaching for the tissues the next.   and back to laughing just a minute more.  This is the first review I have struggled to write in a long time, except for this time it’s not that it’s bad.  It is because it is soooooo good!  I know I am breaking how reviews are written BUT. this , this is different.  I struggle in what exactly to share only because I want to share it all, but that my friends would be plagiarism, and quite frankly I like to blog!

I’ve also said before that is so very hard to critique ones life story because it is their God-given story.  BUT there is something to be said about the skill level and talent in  writing ones story.  And just like his music Bart has written this  book with great passion, love and sincerity.  One of the greatest things weaved throughout this book is to see his passion for ministry and to reach others with the gospel of Christ.  * if you bear with me I will share a personal experience with MercyMe that exemplifies just that!- yep I said PERSONAL.

What is “I Can Only Imagine”

“I Can only Imagine” is the MercyMe song that talks about what heaven might be like.  It quickly rose to #1 on the CCM charts and surprisingly made big waves on secular radio as well.  It came from Bart’s Mammaw Millard’s statement about what her son was witnessing in heaven – so not only did Maammaw Millard  name the band, she also named their biggest hit.

This is quite easily the best book I have read this year.  It was so down to earth and real I couldn’t put it down.  I seriously read it in a week….and that’s huge for me!  I walked away feeling like I have been Bart’s friend for years.  That is just the way he writes.  Like it’s a conversation!  I walked away being challenged in my faith and to forgive !

I just wanted to say THANK YOU to Bart for such a real, open and honest peek into his life.  It is refreshing to know you aren’t alone in your struggles and that those struggles and insecurities don’t go away even when everything appears to be “better”. What an amazing testimony of God’s great love!

Another Amazing thing is the two resources at the end of the book.  The first is  a bible study of sorts.  It’s all about our Identity in Christ with verses that go along with each characteristic. And secondly is a run down on the history of the band….a bulleted timeline if you will.    I found it interesting going through the timeline I learned a lot.

Let’s Get Personal

Now on for my personal story with MercyMe.   First off let me just say I have never met any of them in person, but in October of 2017 we were able to go see them in concert.  We had a ball and they put on a FANTASTIC show (HAPPY DANCE-if you don’t know what on earth I’m talking about go to  YouTube and search MercyMe and Happy Dance, you will NOT be sorry!!) .  But as I said before  they seek  to lead people in worship and to have a personal relationship with Christ.   And that was exemplified through a rare action.  I have been to numerous CCM concerts BUT MercyMe s the only band I have ever seen that has put ALL of their CD’s down to just 5$ a CD. including their newest CD Lifer.   They do it for   Every. Single. Concert.  No joke!

It’s no surprise that I’m going to give this book a whopping 5 stars.

Now go get the book and be blown away!

Thanks so much to BookLook Bloggers for providing me with a free copy of this book for reviewing.  They never expect a positive review just my honest opinion and that is AWESOME!

Hello SUNSHINE!- Happy Homemaker Monday

Posted on by Mary

Happy

Well Hello there!  And Happy Tuesday Morning to you all!  Here is upstate New York it is SUNNY AND WARM!  It’s May 1st!  YAY. The Sunshine is so bright it seriously feels like we have just skipped spring and went right to summer.   I was swamped yesterday with “stuff”. More mental than anything else. So here I am Tuesday! BRING IT ON!

The weather:::.

Ummm did you read my first paragraph. HAHAHA the sunshine. is amazing though.  And I must confess I eellike animals cooped up in the barn all winter,  Let’s just say that when winter is long and gray the sunshine brings the weird and crazy me out!  I’m not even gonna tell you how many times I have been told that in the few short hours since I woke up at 6!!

As I look outside my window:::

Well TECHNICALLY I’m at church so it’s not MY window per se…but hey.  I see a building going up.  That’s right we are in full swing of our building project for the new add on.  If I were in my office/crat room I would see the most amazing sight. A lilac bush with huge buds ready to say HELLO SPRING!

Right now I am::: 

Writing this in our church fellowship hall.  I don’t want to be a distraction to hubby in his office. Next up is catching up on planning.  Last week (Spring Break) was amazing but I am a little behind!

Thinking and pondering:::

about speaking to the ladies of our church on Sunday.  Trying not to et my nerves get the better of me.  I love to speak I have since high school. I was even asked to be on the Forensics team (debate NOT dead bodies). but when you speak in front of people you know instead of complete strangers it has a different element.

On my bedside table:::

diffuser and oils.  books. hand lotion and some rogue jewelry

On my tv::

:nothing

On the menu for this week:::

Monday – pasta

Tuesday – Pork BBQ and Potato Salad

Wednesday – Burgers and Fries

Thursday – Chef Salad with chicken and Feta Cheese

Friday –  Taco Casserole

Saturday – Ladies Luncheon leftovers

Sunday – Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Potatoes

On my to do list:::

It’s the week of the ladies luncheon, what’s not on my to-do list is perhaps the better question.  I have a bunch of paperwork for end of school year stuff.   I have to keep the house in some semblance of order , prepare for Saturday.  bible studies.  Food for Saturday keep four kids alive, fed and make sure homework is DONE.  Im sure I missed a few things but it’s ok.

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::

Still working on the bulletin board for church.  and I have purchased all the fabric for the curtains in my office/craftroom- so now I actually need to make them.  I also have to paint the bare wood and the cabinet ends.We need to get the metal for 2 of the cabinet fronts and stain for the cabinets.  That is my project before the kids are finished with school in 4 weeks.  I also want to paint the downstairs doors in the house.  They need it desperately

My simple pleasure:::

SUNSHINE

Lesson learned the past week:::

taking the moment to just enjoy the simplest of conversations with the munchkins.  It’s the idea of being present in every moment.  That might mean crazy dance parties in the kitchen.  Or giggling over something funny said.  Or crazy antics playing pranks (HMMM). Oh the stories I could tell  of college days gone by.

Looking around the house:::

general pickup.  our weekends are NUTSY to say the least so I always feel like Monday and Tuesday is a huge game of 52 pickup. But I must confess that when the sunshine is actually warming the planet I want to be outside enjoying it.  Such is the life of an adult!

From the camera:::

This munchkin celebrated his 8th birthday over spring break.  And he wanted his sis in the picture!

Prayer List:::

The teenagers in my life. I see a battle going on for their hearts.  I see things that are encouraging and I see  some horribly hard things.  They are like my second set of kids.  And just like when my own kids hurt, I hurt!

Bible verse, Devotional:::

Devotions would be Leviticus 17-22. Yeah I am playing catch up, but that’s ok.  I really struggle through Leviticus and Numbers and I always come out the other side being thankful I have Grace over the Law.

I am also focusing on Esther Chapter 5  in my Bible study as I prepare for Saturday.  I have ALWAYS loved Esther but boy when I get to heaven I have some questions for that girl!  She is amazing!

For more Happy Homemaker Monday Posts Check out Dairy of a Stay at home Mom

Five Minute Friday- Stuck 4-27-2018

Posted on by Mary

Stuck

STUCK: That is how I would define November to March (So November 2017 to March of 2018) I wish I could pin it down to something in particular that made me feel so stuck-but I can’t.  I felt as though I was just spinning my wheels.  I know many of my Christian friends would have said that I just needed to pray and be in God’s word more, or…..you fill in the blank.  I really wish it had been that simple, but I was already doing the “right” things. In the end I just needed to be persistent.  I came  through that time of feeling stuck.  I learned that sometimes  persistence is the only thing  needed to get unstuck!

for more Five Minute Friday posts Check out Five Minute Friday

Have you ever felt stuck?

How did you get unstuck?