The No More Excuses Diet by Maria Kang

I was curious to see the ways she might outline to lose weight and get in shape. Overall it is a good book if a person is ready to get in shape, willing to read everything on exercise, how to get fit, and how to change their life. It is basically the same stuff you have heard over and over again if you are familiar with diet and exercise. She does give you an outline of some exercises you can do. A lot of them are mainly with a mat and dumbbells. My favorite part is the Appendix that gives you more details on each exercise you can do and how to do it. There are exercises, stretches, and yoga poses. There is an area in the book that breaks down foods and ideas on what you can eat to eat healthier. I guess I was just expecting fun different little exercises I could sneak in while the kids were in the bathtub or while doing laundry. It is a white hardback book with only the picture and description on the paper sleeve cover. This book would be most recommended to those ready to make a commitment to lose weight, eat healthy, and to break out the dumbbells. I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this honest review

The Good, the Bad, and the Grace of God What Honesty and Pain Taught Us About Faith, Family, and Forgiveness

By Jep and Jessica Robertson, with Susy Flory

I was happy to see Jessica come out with a book telling her story. Knowing Jessica in High School and youth group, it intrigued me to see what she had to say. I knew Jep from just seeing him around town. We do come from a small town. This is one easy read. It is like they are sitting there telling you their life story – from their grandparents, childhood, to their hurts and failures, and how they came to be such a sweet couple. They are open and honest about hurts and how God can restore a person. Their picture is only on the slip cover and not on the hardback book. I sort of wish their picture was b/c my kids can tear up my paper covers that aren’t attached to the book. There are color photos in the book so you can see them as they have met and grown up. At the end of the book is a question and answer section, which is great to have with this book. Each chapter is either written from Jessica or Jep’s point of view, and it tells you in the title of the chapter. I would recommend this book to anyone that wants to know about this couple. Jessica is a very sweet person. Thank you to Thomas Nelson and Book Look for this copy in return for my honest opinion. Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Heaven ~ Conversations with a 6 yr old.

My 6 year old is a deep thinker. Last weekend out of the blue, I hear, "Momma Does God sleep?" No. God is always awake. "Well he must really get tired." No one needs to sleep in heaven. We won't get sleepy there. "Really! But what if you want to sleep, will Jesus let you sleep?" I bet you could go lay down by a tree and go take a nap if you want too. "People don't get sick in heaven right?" No sickness in heaven. Everyone will not get sleepy or sick in heaven or sad. "Do you know that that means? There is no POLLEN in heaven! God knows he made his people allergic to pollen, so there has to be NO Pollen in heaven." Either that are no one is allergic to it any longer. "COOL!" and that was the end.

I love seeing how little eyes view heaven. He doesn't ever seem scared of the idea of heaven. I guess because he knows people that are there already. There are nights he says he isn't ready to go, unless I go with him. I think even as we know that we face the end times and sad things are happening around us, heaven just seems so peaceful. I know God is coming soon. I strive daily to prepare myself and my children. In the end, I pray that I am with my children with that time comes. Are you ready to go?

Have you been a friend lately?

I'm not sure if it is true for you, but to me a true friend is really hard to find. True friends realize you are going through things, even if you don't chose to broadcast it. Maybe you think, well I don't see my friend often. Well do you just send a quick text or email or call just to check in on them? To have good friends, you have to be a good friend. It is easy to find ourselves getting depressed b/c we haven't had the ones we thought really cared for us checking in, but have you stopped to check in with anyone?
I have learned during difficult times that you can't hide - sick loved one, death in the family, these are the times you see who your true friends are. The ones that walk with your daily life and then stand stronger with you during those times. Treasure these friendships.
One awesome quality of a good friend is the ones that love you even when you aren't perfect. They forgive, don't hold grudges, and love you regardless. I pray my children have these type of true friends.
Today stop and think have you been the friend that reached out to maybe touch a friend that really needed to hear from you? Have you shown Jesus to that friend? And in the times you need a friend and one wasn't there, have you thought maybe Jesus was standing over your shoulder waiting on you to lean on him?