-Review- Heaven is for Real -Conversation Kit

My Opinion:

I enjoyed the Heaven is for Real (DVD-based conversation kit), it was great to have that as an extra resource for my own personal use but I'm not sure it would work very well in a bible study group as its intended to. I don't feel like it lived up to the expectations set from the book but nothing can really compare to that. I enjoyed listening to Todd Burpo recount the stories. 

Book Description:

The best-selling book about heaven that has changed the world is now a DVD-based conversation kit for churches and small groups. In addition to learning more about what the Bible teaches about heaven, groups will hear first-hand from the Burpo family about Colton's experience in heaven and the way it has changed their lives. Each video session features Todd, Sonja, and Colton, and is filmed interview-style with Natalie Tysdal, the Denver FOX/CW News reporter whose initial interview with the family has gone viral on the internet.

The Conversation Guide (ISBN 9781418550684) will take group members through key Bible passages about heaven, helping them understand more about who goes to heaven, when they go there, and what heaven is like.

Features include:

--5 (10- to 18-minute) video sessions featuring Todd, Sonja, and Colton answering frequently asked questions about heaven and their experiences

--A special message of hope from Sonja to women who have experienced miscarriages

--Conversation Guide written for both believers and non-believers in accessible language to help group members discover what the Bible teaches about heaven

I received one copy from Book Sneeze as part of their Blogger Review Program in exchange for my honest opinion.  No other compensation was provided. 

Great Strides 2012

This cheesy boy and I enjoyed our time at Great Strides this year. He got fussy quickly though so we didn't get to stay until the end but nonetheless we had a good time while there. He had a m&m donut, made a sign to show his support for Aunt Coco, went inside a PINK firetruck and saw some great friends! We ended up reaching our goal of $150 which we were happy about and came up with some ideas on how to raise more for next year. 

No rain on my sunny day!

A lot has been going on around here lately. I've got a lot going on, in life and in my mind. Things will calm back down soon.....I hope! We have a few extras around here, visiting for the summer. Its fun. It brings up a lot of emotions for me as well. I really am enjoying having a full house which makes me wonder if/when I will have a full house of my own. I haven't been sleeping well. I'm having health issues(see previous posts) again. I'm laying in bed now because I'm hurting. I've been sad. My tears just sit lingering at the edge waiting to drop. Things will be better though.

I have a LOT to be happy and grateful for. I have an amazing family. My mom is my rock. Oh and my friends, you wouldn't believe how big of a jackpot I hit on that one! They are awesome. I have the best nieces and nephew a girl could ask for. 

 I got Colt enrolled in Pre-K today. He is all set to go, just have to get school supplies...oh and wait until August for school to start! We are excited, I'm excited. We love the school we were at last year but we decided to switch him to public schools so this will be his first BIG school. Yay! My boy is growing up too fast. He got a big BIG boy bed last weekend. We got him a twin wood bed with a trundle and storage underneath. I love it. It's perfect for when we are having guest like we are now and it will be great for when he starts having sleepovers. It looks like the picture below only the wood is a bit lighter and the trundle mattress is where the storage drawers are at and our drawers are on the bottom. 

I won two giveaways recently. One of my favorite books is 'The secret life of CeeCee Wilkes' by Diane Chamberlain. I was absolutely thrilled when I found out that I had won one of her recent books titled 'The Good Father'. I'm only on chapter one so far and can not wait to find time to sit down so I can get further into it. It is going to be a good one. 

Here is how my morning started.....I was laying on the couch after the hubs left for work thinking to myself about how much I didn't want to get up and take the trash out. I didn't want to do it because two weekends ago our garage door opener broke. Or the belt broke? I don't know, whatever broke made it so that you can't just open the garage door without propping it open with something and risking it falling on your head. So I was laying there thinking how can I get the trash out? I could take it through the house..no thanks. I could walk it all the way around the house through the back gate...eh.. its too early for all that. I could lift the garage door with one hand and hold it up while I toss the bags out with the other and then go around to the front of the house to take to the curb. Ding ding that's the winner. Still a lot of work. I'm tired. :::Okay so that was my conversation with myself. I decided to procrastinate and check my email. Boy oh boy how excited I was when I saw that I had WON a new GARAGE DOOR OPENER!!! How amazing is that!?! Not just a regular old garage door opener either, this is a high-tech fancy schmancy one. Yay! I feel so blessed! My husband isn't believing it until he sees it though. It will be here soon...installation included...and when it is he said he will take me out on a date. I'm so excited to see his face when he realizes its for reals!! 

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

CONGRATULATIONS

The winner is ........................CASSIE BAKER!!!

I hope you enjoy the book with your kids as much as I have enjoyed it with mine!! Muah! 

-Review & Giveaway- I Couldn't Love You More

I Couldn't Love You More

by Matt Hammitt and Jason Ingram

About the book: 

In the same manner as touching picture books like bestsellers Let Me Hold You Longer and Love You Forever, I Couldn't Love You More tells a sweet, loving, yet powerful message: I couldn’t love you more, but there is someone who does. Through the unique relationship of adorable animals, the book shares that Christ is always with you and he loves you more than you can imagine. This engaging picture book combines lovable and irresistible images with the lyrics from the song (co-written by Jason Ingram and Matt Hammitt). Matt is lead vocalist for Sanctus Real, a Grammy-nominated Christian rock band. The song is on Hammitt’s latest album, Every Fallen Tear. When Matt and his wife, Sarah, were halfway through her pregnancy, they discovered their son would be born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), a rare congenital defect. Matt and Sarah’s son, Bowen, was born on 9/9/10 and received a huge following through the Hammitt’s blog (bowensheart.com), K-LOVE, and ABC News. A portion of the proceeds from the book goes to the foundation the Hammitts’ have started to help parents with children who have this heart condition.

My thoughts: 

Jesus has so much love for us and to know that is an amazing feeling. This is more than just a book,  it is a story of His love. It is important for my son to know just how much he is loved. I tell him all the time. He tells me all the time. He needs to hear it and he needs to feel it. We are all so busy that sometimes we get into a routine of things and it can feel just like it, a routine. Love is not routine. I make sure to love on my baby boy every chance I get, just because. Just because I love him. He knows that the only love greater than mine is the love of Jesus. 

We really enjoyed this book and will continue reading it nightly. I think this is a great book to use as a tool to help establish your childs faith. I hope all children know of His love. I hope they all are able to feel His touch through anothers embrace. 

I must also add that the illustrations in this book are absolutely stunning. The artist Polona Lovsin is an amazing artist. We loved all of the pictures, cover to cover, just beautiful! 

Win a copy: 

You can win a copy for your child by entering the giveaway. Good Luck! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received a copy of this book and a certificate for a free copy(per giveaway) in exchange for my honest review as part of the Tyndale blogger review program. No other compensation was provided. My thoughts are my own. 

Please tell me how you really feel....

I have never in my life been hurt by someone this much before. I had suspicions of how someone was feeling as they were more apparent than they realized but I was hoping I was just reading in to it all too much. I thought things had gotten better, but then I find something and now I'm stunned. Stunned by the words and the thoughts they had. I'm confused. I'm hurt. I'm disgusted. I would never tell someone how they are suppose to be feeling, or what they are NOT allowed to be feeling. I would never tell someone that they weren't as close with someone as they thought they were. The only people that know the real relationship, the real friendship between two people are the two people that the friendship is about. How in the hell is it any body's place to tell me how close I was with some one. 

From now on I will be keeping my thoughts and feelings to myself because I'm obviously not allowed to have them. 

The puppet master

I hope that one day I will be able to be me. Maybe some day me being me wont interfere with everyone else's plans and they won't mind so much if I have my own opinions. If I do what I want to do. If I smile at what makes me happy. Laugh at what I think is funny.
Maybe one of these days people won't treat me as their puppet. One day the strings will be cut and they will just let me be me.