Jesus Calling for Little Ones

By Sarah Young

This is a good size book for toddlers – easy to hold, great pictures, and a short word like Jesus is talking to them! I love the pictures. They will give your children something to look at while they listen to how Jesus loves them, protects them, and knows everything about them. I’m so proud to be able to add this to my child’s reading library. This would make an awesome baby gift or birthday gift addition. I recommend this book for all children, especially ages 2 to 5. 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

Bad guys, God & Jesus in 1, and Have you tried to Comet lately? - my 6 yr old

NIGHTTIME CONVERSATIONS WITH A 6 YEAR OLD ~~
At the end of his nighttime prayer: “Dear God, please make the bad people that will change good and to love you, and please hurry and just send the other bad guys to hell, Amen.”

Then after prayer, he asked was Jesus and God one person. I said well God was in heaven and sent a part of him to Earth to have Jesus be his son. They say Jesus sits next to God in Heaven. But a part of God is in Jesus. I explained it is confusing how people talk about it, but we will understand when we get to heaven. So I just know Jesus stands on our side to help us get into Heaven b/c we aren’t perfect people, but with Jesus we are forgiven. He said well I wonder how it is in Heaven when Jesus gets on God’s nerves and they fight or argue? I explained they don’t. Jesus is perfect and helps God. He thought for awhile and said, “I really still think God and Jesus are one person.” Later he said, “You think they are like an ugly dragon with 2 heads, but of course they aren’t ugly.”


THE NEXT MORNING>>>>

On our way to school, I was talking about how we needed rain to wash away whatever was messing with our allergies. I told him growing up, we sang a song at church called “Send Down The Rain Lord.” I started singing it.. “Send down the rain Lord, We need your rain Lord, Send down that Holy Ghost rain.” AND I immediately heard – MOM YOU just called GOD a GHOST!!! So why not go to the 3rd area of God. Well son, people call the part of God that Jesus left with us down here on Earth the Holy Spirit. “Yes I know that, Why did you call him a ghost!” I explained another way to say the Holy Spirit is the Holy Ghost. “SO we have a GHOST living in us!?” I knew his little brain was busy… I told him that is a little of God’s love that lives in all of us that helps others see Jesus in us.

“Oh!! So that is what bad people can see that makes them want to love Jesus too?” Yes. “So I can say really nice stuff to bad people, they will see God’s love, and it will make them turn good?” So we talked about how you can help others, tell them Jesus loves them, or just be really sweet to them so they can see Jesus in us. Per him, “That is called COMET! When you do things that other people see Jesus in you! You know like the stuff with planets, but different!”

Of course then the conversation quickly went to what size are planets. I told him that I had seen a picture of Pluto on the news last week, but they say it isn’t a planet. He informs me it was, but too many asteroids hit it and made it too small to be a planet. Wow, 6 year olds sure know things. Ha!

Her Brother’s Keeper by Beth Wiseman

Once again Beth has created a great book that leaves you inspired to see God’s love for what it is, simply love for us to be the best we can in life. When life gives us hurt, that is most of the time when God is the closest to us, leading us, developing us into who he wants us to be. This is a novel that keeps on your toes.. wondering why Charlotte’s brother would end his life… who knew things about him, etc. I think they led the topic at hand that no one is willing to touch in a great way. God’s final judgement – It isn’t ours to worry with. Depression is a big deal. Though it deals with such a deep topic, this is a touching book that led to me to laugh outloud a few times. Beth can always write a book that leaves a person pondering life and God’s love.. and hopefully leading us to be a better person.
I would most definitely recommend this book to everyone! 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

I’m Happy for You {Sort OF … Not Really}

I’m Happy for You {Sort OF … Not Really}

Finding Contentment in a Culture Of Comparison
By Kay Wills Wyma
I just loved the title of this book with the picture of the fish. Once I started reading I learned this is coming from a mom and she has a normal life that she is letting us look into. This book is full of truths that we need to recognize as women, moms, and just being us. It is an easy read as she tells certain experiences that she and her kids have had. She isn’t telling you this is how things should be done, this is more of just encouraging you on life’s journey as we do life together. There a lot of life stories and a lot of great quotes. Here are just a few: “OCD Obsessive Comparison Disorder; Comparison is the thief of Joy ~ Theodore Roosevelt; If you take comparison, change 2 letters you get compassion… “ We are on this journey together and we are not alone in our crazy comparisons and thoughts. This book is mainly to let you know you aren’t alone and try to encourage you. I would recommend it to a mom that has a chance to read. The back has discussion questions for a group of chapters. This would be a great mom book reading club book. The world is all about how we look and compare ourselves to each other. As moms I bet we all look at social media and see everyone portraying the happy life and all is good. I have really enjoyed the NoJealousJuly pics that some of my church members have started to show that they aren’t perfect. We need more of that! We all have our faults, but we need to look deep to see who God created us to be.. not what he created others to be. And if you get discouraged, try to change the Comparison into Compassion and go do something nice for someone! I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this honest review.

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?