tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24412334215817554552024-03-15T20:11:50.546-05:00 S.A.G.A. Striving to know, love and serve HimUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger972125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2441233421581755455.post-15593125367236384252016-09-02T20:00:00.000-05:002016-09-03T08:14:46.873-05:00Troy Visit with John<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0k7tMaqkHovSfUrM705wn_tV6TXUC4wdeL3sQqWa4sOqhekVEHFwU03vsTe2IeUUxdBslKuBsWscV5jxpZSnOEfoSOJbXoHYvk08YX6b7Xz-1EbZxoiG__wvxR4mbs13DuxqwTKoPwG4/s1600/14202725_10209530637319259_4352154589157435537_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0k7tMaqkHovSfUrM705wn_tV6TXUC4wdeL3sQqWa4sOqhekVEHFwU03vsTe2IeUUxdBslKuBsWscV5jxpZSnOEfoSOJbXoHYvk08YX6b7Xz-1EbZxoiG__wvxR4mbs13DuxqwTKoPwG4/s320/14202725_10209530637319259_4352154589157435537_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
This was my second visit to Troy this year but John's first. We swung by ROTC in the morning to chat with them. We discovered that at Troy, ROTC is a minor which means even more credits added to an already packed Nursing schedule and requiring 10 if not 11 semesters even though scholarships are for 8. They do offer 15 housing scholarships each year that they share with AF ROTC. The ROTC scholarships do stack with university scholarships. She mentioned CLEPS as a way to get extra credits (had forgotten about that option). John was giving lots of reading materials as well as a Troy ROTC tshirt (Theresa is likely to try to steal it) and I was given some reading materials as well as an Army Strong coffee mug.<br />
We then scurried off to our campus tour meeting first with the admissions counselor. We chatted briefly and then Destiny took us on our tour. There were supposed to be 4 or 5 families but the others all either cancelled or didn't show up so we got our tour by golf cart. Destiny showed us all around campus including the cafeteria, three different dorms, and we swung by the Nursing dept. Sigh --- while this is John's second choice for the actual university/campus, their nursing program is number three on his list. After the first semester of Nursing courses, most clinicals require a drive to other towns (50-60 miles each way) and that would not be a good use of one's time when you have the extra of ROTC already. And their labs on campus are very limited compared to what we saw at UAB. They have a great NCLEX pass rate (96%) but the opportunities for skills just doesn't appear to be readily available.<br />
So it looks like UAB stays number one on the list.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2441233421581755455.post-11859925556593417862016-08-10T20:00:00.000-05:002016-09-03T08:23:25.037-05:00UAB College Visit with John<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6qaCqgO52BcelgEPxF4haEWGtiQ75-k4BmdUWr4AjJIu2bZ-R-HZ4AhNy5zOYziunPgQDi8J_Ei_xElC53Lvar4qCTpOV4aZs-Hm-M2qgQfzrVCO4s-TythTHxM9GQ2fR7agUfSDu-Ws/s1600/IMG_1978.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6qaCqgO52BcelgEPxF4haEWGtiQ75-k4BmdUWr4AjJIu2bZ-R-HZ4AhNy5zOYziunPgQDi8J_Ei_xElC53Lvar4qCTpOV4aZs-Hm-M2qgQfzrVCO4s-TythTHxM9GQ2fR7agUfSDu-Ws/s320/IMG_1978.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Today was our third college visit - this is the first time I've been on an official tour of UAB. The directions provided were easy to follow and the campus is just a short distance off I-65.<br />
<br />
We started out in the Nursing Department. The UAB Nursing program is 5 consecutive semesters (typical of most programs in AL) and has a high NCLEX pass rate (about 97%). There is an early acceptance program for which John meets the requirements and all he would need to do is maintain a 3.0 GPA to maintain that acceptance. There is also a specific Nursing honors program that provides research opportunities. During one's freshman year, the required 1st Year Experience course provides shadow experiences. A&P has the unique opportunity of cadaver labs. We were able to tour the simulation labs --- lots of 'people' in hospital beds and body parts on tables. The new Nursing building (scheduled to open Fall 2018) will provide even more opportunities. There are five hospitals within walking distance for clinicals.<br />
<br />
The Nursing tour ran long so we were a few minutes late for the overall campus introduction but I don't think we missed anything of importance. We were there for the info about scholarships - ROTC scholarships can be stacked with Academic scholarships. Two Trailblazers took us on a campus tour - it is way more urban than Memphis. We were told that jaywalking will cost one $180. Most of the campus is divided by city streets but there is a small park where student activities are held and a one block campus green surrounded by campus buildings. The new residence hall has two person rooms (carpeted, mini blinds) with standard furnishing, a private bathroom and kitchenette (mini fridge, microwave and sink).<br />
<br />
UAB has Army ROTC; we ran out of time to run by there but we did meet a young man who was in it his freshman year (has a medical condition that prevented him from contracting). They PT twice a week at 5:45am and are one of the largest batallions in the southeast as they have students from many other schools in the Birmingham area. I had already asked Nursing about the summer courses as that's the same summer as ROTC training and the Nursing dept and ROTC are good about working out solutions.<br />
<br />
Who knew that John would be a city boy? He now ranks UAB as his first choice and because of the unique cadaver lab opportunity, we are going to switch his DE class to our initial thought of Intro to Psychology.<br />
<br />
Update Sept 2nd:<br />
We met with Mr Garcia with ROTC on our way to visit Troy. ROTC cadets can be placed together in Blazer Hall for living. Only maybe 4% of scholarships are 4 yr scholarships. If for some strange reason John doesn't get a national scholarship, he said don't worry call him as he usually can make something happen. For Nursing students, MS2 and MS3 years are swapped so that one can concentrate on their Nursing studies. Advanced camp (or whatever that summer training is called) is after sophomore year for Nursing students as they have nursing classes summer after junior year. Their batallion is over 100 cadets.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2441233421581755455.post-77963170506103571752016-07-14T18:46:00.001-05:002016-07-14T18:46:41.489-05:00UNA Visit with John<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglEofZX-wwD5D61xnNNzDIcVTTFlp6WTsxnQcMn0DCXfqiDWr4vST7YbOZv5PGxZvW7wdtpgzA3v9R_oxMewPI3sK3xTaQpdxqwJAGmqD1qHce1vh4rK-cJVZs19JOkULCLy7YNFA2m8E/s1600/IMG_1907.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglEofZX-wwD5D61xnNNzDIcVTTFlp6WTsxnQcMn0DCXfqiDWr4vST7YbOZv5PGxZvW7wdtpgzA3v9R_oxMewPI3sK3xTaQpdxqwJAGmqD1qHce1vh4rK-cJVZs19JOkULCLy7YNFA2m8E/s400/IMG_1907.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
John and I went on his second college tour (I failed to blog about JSU) today to University of North Alabama. It was technically Transfer Tour day but that worked out fine as we got a great info session from the recently retired Director of Admissions. We learned that you can stack a Leadership scholarship with an Academic scholarship. She showed us a place on their website that shows the exact course equivalents for community college DE courses. She was just overall a positive first impression of UNA.<br />
<br />
Then we went on a campus tour. Got shown all the pertinant places on campus (Starbucks, ChickFilA, library, brand new Science building, etc) as well as the college mascots - Leo and Una (yes, they live ON campus). Learned that the old science bldg is being torn down in Dec/January and in its place will be a brand new Nursing building (This is also going to increase their Nursing program by about 50%). Evan (our guide) also took us to the new freshman dorms since they don't bring transfer students there obviously. The rooms are a decent size, carpeted, mini blinds, and private bathroom. Each floor has their own common area with a big screen TV as well as Study Rooms. Laundry is free for students in the dorm.<br />
<br />
We then met with Col Atencio and a brand new LT Nurse. They gave us lots of great information and encouragement. Learned a new tidbit --- when John applies in June 2017, the PT test is 1 min of situps, 1 min of pushups and a 1 mile run (all that doubles for the real thing). John even got an ROTC tshirt.<br />
<br />
And he likes UNA! Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2441233421581755455.post-3652121037927203352016-06-01T15:53:00.001-05:002016-06-01T15:53:16.240-05:00College Applied to and Accepted<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-4LAQYjMPucNk8-cVEiETVFXq40DxsLQ-Jz5gyJiEhz-sr-9zvmidbDc4z_Mn8Wot7rR7AFB9IETvBDjWaxhL6KhbeX1LJoOzOKjtSyq7suE-AvsbEpMV83ae95jDl_u_g4DVrMQTZYE/s1600/13346121_704403082995436_607860202774432134_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-4LAQYjMPucNk8-cVEiETVFXq40DxsLQ-Jz5gyJiEhz-sr-9zvmidbDc4z_Mn8Wot7rR7AFB9IETvBDjWaxhL6KhbeX1LJoOzOKjtSyq7suE-AvsbEpMV83ae95jDl_u_g4DVrMQTZYE/s640/13346121_704403082995436_607860202774432134_o.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>
<br />
Gotta love a student who applies to college and is accepted before her senior year of high school even begins.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2441233421581755455.post-24310470022302309742016-03-18T08:31:00.000-05:002016-03-18T09:01:13.439-05:00Busy Week with College Visits<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcVMTo7huKljbFFxwGd0n67WMcHMMIJdBoVCc4mXJaXkfJ23qkTawkbqkNbDsCDXa8d7uThk6jUMQRAWvBMiDip1794RpMhqMXemzbt7Io46kjslJ3sTJ9vXCBZzaUYA2e-TA7KW8qGCg/s1600/M.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcVMTo7huKljbFFxwGd0n67WMcHMMIJdBoVCc4mXJaXkfJ23qkTawkbqkNbDsCDXa8d7uThk6jUMQRAWvBMiDip1794RpMhqMXemzbt7Io46kjslJ3sTJ9vXCBZzaUYA2e-TA7KW8qGCg/s1600/M.png" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
On Wednesday, Theresa and I drove to the University of Montevallo for a college tour. It's a small school - about 3,000 students. It was a bit odd that unlike UNA, the Admissions Counselor didn't sit down with us individually. Our tour was one other student (a male athlete), his dad and us. It's a small quaint campus so I think freshman fifteen has the potential to occur. I must say my brain is mush and since I didn't take notes I have limited details. The campus is not far off I-65 but there is pretty much no town that we could see. The dorm rooms didn't have carpeting, each room may have a fridge or microwave (not both) unless you rent from the university at $80 a semester. Even if you bring your own, you must pay $10 for a sticker each semester/year (not sure which). They have a nice gym with workout room and waveless heated indoor pool (not that Theresa is interested in athletics). Their applications do open on June 1st --- earliest I've ever encountered. Their student/faculty ratio is 17:1 which is great for students but not for the checkbook.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKyIsUYHpZu3BiAFq4I_WPO81Mk_NfgADQu8rCxf3oQ2aJ9QyyTDG06PnkDW9rY-8GTVHyyja7ykpIq-MkuH6N-_Aa82R7KHw4dYr58qE5jDFZCV6y_oTpHvAxaS0pd7nveZ_CVEoLUHw/s1600/troy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKyIsUYHpZu3BiAFq4I_WPO81Mk_NfgADQu8rCxf3oQ2aJ9QyyTDG06PnkDW9rY-8GTVHyyja7ykpIq-MkuH6N-_Aa82R7KHw4dYr58qE5jDFZCV6y_oTpHvAxaS0pd7nveZ_CVEoLUHw/s1600/troy.png" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
After our tour on Wednesday we continued to head south and spent the night in Troy. We got up on Thursday for a 10am tour of Troy University. This is the first college tour with Theresa at a school I've not previously toured. It is an absolutely gorgeous campus. The academic buildings are arranged around a beautiful quad complete with a fountain. There were lots of students out and about as it was a beautiful spring day. We met with an admissions counselor. Theresa mentioned that although she knew no current students at Troy, she did know that a member of Newsies had attended. The counselor not only knew of him but had been in Intro to Theater with him when she was a student. We were shown dorms (although not the traditional style) and they were all nice. Students are permitted fridges and microwaves. In one room I also saw a Keurig, crockpot and toaster oven (my gut says these are contraband). There is no way I'm paying for my child to have a single room with a full-size bed and a mounted flat screen tv. But I am willing to pay a little extra for her to live in the Newman dorm. They have suite style - two bedrooms (for two students each) with a living area and a shared bathroom. And on the first floor is a small Blessed Sacrament Chapel. There is Mass on campus on Sunday nights in Sorrrell Chapel. The Newman dorm and chapel were not a part of the tour but Matthew took us there when the tour was complete. We saw classrooms---- from the small upper level to a 'large' lecture hall of 120 seats (enrollment is capped at 110). The campus is very diverse and is large enough to have activities for everyone. It's downside is it's more than 4 hours from home but other than that I loved it. Plus Theresa will earn a full tuition scholarship. Just FYI, they do superscore for scholarships.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
If I think of other details, I will come back and add them.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidkY-z7ptIl_31oTpQ92vJ-s3KzCcKlBZF2JA9adz9R9Q_cp-gdMLCWMHklS0e3d_CTjjex1OBOqhqcPs4EAugjt403CsWFyQ-5y6WKRO8WALz_Q_6F_CYDTCTpZmqC3f2MN5hzXJVwBY/s1600/troycampus-menu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidkY-z7ptIl_31oTpQ92vJ-s3KzCcKlBZF2JA9adz9R9Q_cp-gdMLCWMHklS0e3d_CTjjex1OBOqhqcPs4EAugjt403CsWFyQ-5y6WKRO8WALz_Q_6F_CYDTCTpZmqC3f2MN5hzXJVwBY/s320/troycampus-menu.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2441233421581755455.post-19962902229946616682016-02-17T08:20:00.003-06:002016-02-17T08:20:50.155-06:00My Daughter Rocks!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinqo2rOM2TiJer4Ar46rsVPqvoX1RF2ysHHb6fVJx6s9_IZjrYc5t-Vqn0vvX96NtwdiR6URFXD27KCbhVkkouBNOlxpD5Pt3N1a1nXN5u5-HhgT8SpzX_mlaPa894HSFHFTnw6sNUqQU/s1600/28.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinqo2rOM2TiJer4Ar46rsVPqvoX1RF2ysHHb6fVJx6s9_IZjrYc5t-Vqn0vvX96NtwdiR6URFXD27KCbhVkkouBNOlxpD5Pt3N1a1nXN5u5-HhgT8SpzX_mlaPa894HSFHFTnw6sNUqQU/s1600/28.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
From the toddler who couldn't sit on my lap for story time to the preschooler who spent many a morning in the director's office to the 6 yr old who struggled to learn to read to the high school freshman who scored a 18 on the preACT --------- the butterfly has emerged!!!!<br />
<br />
Not only did she get a 28 composite score, she got a 33 on the Reading section!! I am the world's proudest mom of Theresa's hard work and dedication.<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2441233421581755455.post-49403238209884772832016-02-10T14:08:00.001-06:002016-07-14T18:40:52.047-05:00College Visit #1 with Theresa<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh779pvWsFnOLdw49OVtlVkgxKiaaUMUlLo0W3cRJ9ky9LzSqfot2tFWBOiF5dJMbaq4m6nSg5FY8EqyIOJfJ66WywostF8KxPKRpp5HJDnsFTHaYu_A__H-YZjfN_qwy6gCioXGvFGO7M/s1600/UNA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh779pvWsFnOLdw49OVtlVkgxKiaaUMUlLo0W3cRJ9ky9LzSqfot2tFWBOiF5dJMbaq4m6nSg5FY8EqyIOJfJ66WywostF8KxPKRpp5HJDnsFTHaYu_A__H-YZjfN_qwy6gCioXGvFGO7M/s1600/UNA.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
This was my third visit to UNA as both Madeleine and Abigail also visited the campus. There has been a great deal of growth on campus since Abigail and I visited almost four years ago. There is a new Science building, a new Student Center building but most imporantly - <a href="http://una.orgsync.com/org/unareslife/New_Halls">new freshman dorms</a>. The rooms are carpeted and have their own private bathroom; defintely a plus not to have to shuffle down the hall in middle of the night.<br />
<br />
I love that the campus is less than a 90 minute easy drive from home. Maurice did a great job taking Theresa and I to see so many parts of campus and telling us about activities outside of academics. I think having a laboratory school on campus is a huge plus for their Education department. While tigers are my favorite animal; I LOVE that they have their mascots living right on campus - yes two lions live on campus - <a href="https://www.una.edu/lioncam/">Leo and Una</a>.<br />
<br />
We have two more visits next month so we'll see how schools compare in Theresa's mind.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2441233421581755455.post-56350748422507063832016-02-04T12:53:00.000-06:002016-02-04T12:53:45.853-06:00The Red Door Inn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcMsRIYsPsA7-wZ_1KuJiuTbwfTVqhGssYRwV_wYHwYIfhUU9WCl1qyON4n2N25Ql8-yFRafmaY4qCYA8J1-6_8wWP67cpa60-QuFR1czhkX7Lgv-70DUyFOyAeKLAQN9PVF2G08Lw3K0/s1600/Reddoorinn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcMsRIYsPsA7-wZ_1KuJiuTbwfTVqhGssYRwV_wYHwYIfhUU9WCl1qyON4n2N25Ql8-yFRafmaY4qCYA8J1-6_8wWP67cpa60-QuFR1czhkX7Lgv-70DUyFOyAeKLAQN9PVF2G08Lw3K0/s320/Reddoorinn.jpg" width="204" /></a></div>
<h3 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #333333; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong style="box-sizing: inherit;"><em style="box-sizing: inherit;"><br /></em></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong style="box-sizing: inherit;"><a href="http://www.lizjohnsonbooks.com/book/the-red-door-inn/"><em style="box-sizing: inherit;">The Red Door Inn</em> </a></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(Prince Edward Island Dreams – book 1)</div>
</h3>
<h3 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #333333; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">
Revell / March 2016</h3>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #333333; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 1.5em;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Marie Carrington is running from a host of bad memories. Broke and desperate, she’s hoping to find safety and sanctuary on Prince Edward Island, where she reluctantly agrees to help decorate a renovated bed-and-breakfast before it opens for prime tourist season.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #333333; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 1.5em;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Seth Sloane didn’t move three thousand miles to work on his uncle’s B&B so he could babysit a woman with a taste for expensive antiques and a bewildering habit of jumping every time he brushes past her. He came to help restore the old Victorian–and to forget about the fiancée who broke his heart.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #333333; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 1.5em;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The only thing Marie and Seth agree on is that getting the Red Door Inn ready to open in just a couple months will take everything they’ve got. Can these two wounded souls find hope, healing, and perhaps a bit of romance on this beautiful island?</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #333333; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 1.5em;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Step into the Red Door Inn, a lovely home away from home tucked along the fabled north shore of Prince Edward Island. It’s a place where the wounded come to heal, the broken find forgiveness, and the lonely find a family. Won’t you stay for the season?</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #333333; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 1.5em;">
<b>My Thoughts</b>: <span style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">On its back cove The Red Door Inn is categorized as a contemporary romance but it's more. It's a story of friendship, faith, trust, starting over and beyond. It was obvious that Marie and Seth would become a couple but I loved reading the ins and outs of how they managed to get to that point. In addition, there was another romance and a fatherly love, thelove of the Inn, and Prince Edward Island. </span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #333333; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 1.5em;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">I received a complimentary copy of this book along with other promotional items in exchange for my honest review</span>.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2441233421581755455.post-22231537258094365992015-11-16T10:51:00.001-06:002015-11-16T10:51:20.797-06:00Ishtar's Odyssey - A Story for Advent<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
<img height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEh-Ria8FYu4ooZMQfFYFMFWY1WEpjPjbzhFfogZa_m-3DbXh3b9oGuCZABiRqnso2_ybBLaz1OjIdWqxM4nZA1seROttYE_RX26emlC-5kMjX6MxmLGQnFsiftYYO2Grt9HaiQ6mn29TnCL1T3h4DQU0kF54-omckhGz0E_9UWHwiU_JZe8zcaBz0Ag9w3m08BVS7xowXNhCWUxf9E9-UkaJ2-sBax1INbaeRyfViUQOFRhjDILmKvchfIN-osRzELGSFomILGreQ=s0-d-e1-ft" style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; text-align: center;" width="253" /></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; text-align: left;">
<strong><br /></strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; text-align: left;">
<strong><br /></strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">
<strong>About the book:</strong></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><div style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">
A new Advent family devotional from the author of<em>Jotham's Journey</em>! Fourth in a set of Advent adventure books for families,<em> Ishtar's Odyssey</em> follows the ten-year-old son of a Persian wise man as their caravan follows a star across the desert. Ishtar would just as soon stay in the comfort of the palace, but slowly he learns that there's much to see, do, and learn in this world that can't be experienced in school. He eventually meets Jotham, Bartholomew, and Tabitha as he follows his father and uncles in their search for a newborn king.</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">
Arnold Ytreeide's family advent devotionals have become a much-loved Christmas tradition, enjoyed by multiple generations. With over 100,000 in print they include<em>Jotham's Journey, Bartholomew's Passage, </em>and <em>Tabitha's Travels</em>.</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">
<b>My Thoughts:</b></div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">
Another great book by Ytreeide to read aloud to your children during Advent. I love that there are now four books so that families can rotate through the various titles from one year to the next. This would also work great in a classroom setting as each day's reading is probably no more than a 10 minute read-aloud. </div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #626262; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 12.6px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b>This book was provided to me by Kregel Publications; I received no monetary compensation for my honest review.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div>
</span><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2441233421581755455.post-85069043299590704982015-10-05T09:00:00.000-05:002015-10-05T09:22:52.180-05:00The Methuselah Project<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcvaqS-XsGiKOUAKiiXP0uVdMHEvEgRLVHjDJmIfgmMtq4pAlDH2LO3oS8iLvmKChl9WXWyxi8puqU5ucusurd3yOPkbUL44su-w17yO0K3IHre4cYokk6jjR3J9AhVzzkiWgld95VMmg/s1600/Book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcvaqS-XsGiKOUAKiiXP0uVdMHEvEgRLVHjDJmIfgmMtq4pAlDH2LO3oS8iLvmKChl9WXWyxi8puqU5ucusurd3yOPkbUL44su-w17yO0K3IHre4cYokk6jjR3J9AhVzzkiWgld95VMmg/s320/Book.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b>
<b>About the Book: </b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Nazi scientists started many experiments. One never ended.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Roger Greene is a war hero. Raised in an orphanage, the only birthright he knows is the feeling that he was born to fly. Flying against the Axis Powers in World War II is everything he always dreamed--until the day he's shot down and lands in the hands of the enemy.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">When Allied bombs destroy both his prison and the mad genius experimenting on POWs, Roger survives. Within hours, his wounds miraculously heal, thanks to those experiments. The Methuselah Project is a success--but this ace is still not free. Seventy years later, Roger hasn't aged a day, but he has nearly gone insane. This isn't Captain America--just a lousy existence only made passable by a new-found faith. The Bible provides the only reliable anchor for Roger's sanity and his soul. When he finally escapes, there's no angelic promise or personal prophecy of deliverance, just confusion. It's 2015--and the world has become an unrecognizable place.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Katherine Mueller--crack shot, genius, and real Southern Belle--offers to help him find his way home. Can he convince her of the truth of his crazy story? Can he continue to trust her when he finds out she works for the very organization he's trying to flee?</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Thrown right into pulse-pounding action from the first page, readers will find themselves transported back in time to a believable, full-colored past, and then catapulted into the present once more. The historical back-and-forth adds a constantly moving element of suspense to keep readers on the edge of their seats.</span><br />
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><b>My Thoughts:</b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I usually don't enjoy books with flashbacks or alternating storylines but this one was an exception. I loved both storylines and especially loved how they intersected about two-thirds into the book. I don't want to risk any plot spoilers. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I think this book will be enjoyed by those that like stories of adventure, suspense, historical fiction, science fiction, romance and more. It will be enjoyed by both male and female readers. Although this book is promoted as Christian fiction, I think people of all faiths will enjoy this story.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 12.6px;">This book was provided to me by Kregel Publications; I received no monetary compensation for my honest review.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><br /></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2441233421581755455.post-85225650028098306212015-08-30T14:57:00.001-05:002015-09-08T16:46:23.334-05:0090 Minutes In Heaven - Review, Preview & Giveaway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGlEneZ1ofmo_xUVcd-je3GljJg3NnPn5mc9o2sqyiTxGGEfoJdStHPGtGw80rIMLo5aa8Ofdrb5JyKMKFXLR96AXULS-B_D0fp56I9xSE9Il9BB_mike3ttbCSx9PocUgeuF1AydxfIc/s1600/90+min.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGlEneZ1ofmo_xUVcd-je3GljJg3NnPn5mc9o2sqyiTxGGEfoJdStHPGtGw80rIMLo5aa8Ofdrb5JyKMKFXLR96AXULS-B_D0fp56I9xSE9Il9BB_mike3ttbCSx9PocUgeuF1AydxfIc/s320/90+min.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b style="color: #222222; font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif;">Releases in theaters everywhere September 11, 2015</b><br />
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif;">
<b>Rating: PG-13 (for intense accident and injury images) </b></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif;">
Starring Hayden Christensen (Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith), Kate Bosworth (Remember The Titans, Blue Crush) Michael W. Smith, Fred Thompson, Dwight Yoakam, and Jason Kennedy, <i><a href="http://90minutesinheaventhemovie.com/">90 Minutes In Heaven</a></i> is based on the inspiring New York Times best-selling book that has sold 7 million copies. </div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif;">
<div>
<b>About Giving Films:</b></div>
<div>
Giving Films is passionate about sharing hope-filled movies and donating <b>ALL </b>of their profits to charities and ministries who serve those in need. Beginning with their first film, <i>90 Minutes In Heaven</i>, Giving Films is allowing all of us to be a part of making a difference. Anytime you go to a <a href="http://90minutesinheaventhemovie.com/givingfilms">Giving Films</a> movie in theaters, visit <u><span style="color: #0056d6;"><a href="http://www.givingfilms.com/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.givingfilms.<wbr></wbr>com</a></span></u> and select which charities you want to receive the profits from your ticket. Their charitable organizations are Christian Alliance for Orphans, Faith Bridge Foster Care, Hire Heroes USA, Hope International, LifeWater, Street Grace, and World Vision.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<b>About the book:</b></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
Pastor Don Piper died January 18, 1989 when a semi-tractor truck crushed his car. Declared dead by the first rescue workers to arrive on the scene, Don's body lay under a tarp for the next 90 minutes. Don's soul, meanwhile, was experiencing love, joy, and life like he'd never known before. Don was in Heaven. </div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
When another pastor's prayers helped bring Don back to life, he became a living miracle! Yet this is one miracle Don wished never happened. Heaven's bliss was replaced by excruciating pain and emotional turmoil. With the support and prayers of his beloved Eva, their three kids, and friends near and far, Don clings to his faith in God and fights to regain a semblance of his previous life. The Piper family's incredible true story of perseverance and overcoming the challenges of life - and death - will bring hope and encouragement to all who see it. </div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<b>My Thoughts:</b></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<u>90 Minutes in Heaven</u> was a great book to read on a rainy Sunday afternoon. It's a book of hope, inspiration and a glimpse into heaven. Even though the author only spends a short time describing his experience in heaven, it is clear to the reader that it is beyond anything that we can imagine as wonderful and spectacular. It certainly makes one look forward to that day with joy instead of fear.</div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
Most of the book focuses on Don's recovery from the horrendous accident and his ministry. Although a minister prior to his "death", the experience of heaven gives his ministry a new focus. The new edition of the book includes a new preface, an update from the author, Don Piper as well as an additional chapter of Stories of Encouragement. Although the original book was published 11 yrs ago and the accident occurred over 25 yrs ago, the story is timeless. You can view the movie trailer <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOko8hlVAlM&feature=youtu.be">here</a>. </div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
Please leave a comment and a way to contact you and I will have a giveaway for a copy of this book on Monday September 14th.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising"): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opininos are 100% my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for ths review and post.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> Only one entry per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller/FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
</div>
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2441233421581755455.post-55411607880651033572015-07-23T19:24:00.001-05:002015-09-08T16:44:06.171-05:00The Perfect Son<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<h3 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #777777; font-family: Raleway-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.2em; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 0px; outline: none;">
Description</h3>
<div class="titleDetailsTextBox" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; outline: none;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 12px; outline: none;">
From a distance, Felix Fitzwilliam, the son of an old English family, is a good husband and father. But, obsessed with order and routine, he’s a prisoner to perfection. Disengaged from the emotional life of his North Carolina family, Felix has let his wife, Ella, deal with their special-needs son by herself.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 12px; outline: none;">
A talented jewelry designer turned full-time mother, Ella is the family rock…until her heart attack shatters their carefully structured existence. Now Harry, a gifted teen grappling with the chaos of Tourette’s, confronts a world outside his parents’ control, one that tests his desire for independence.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 12px; outline: none;">
As Harry searches for his future, and Ella adapts to the limits of her failing health, Felix struggles with his past and present roles. To prevent the family from being ripped apart, they must each bend with the inevitability of change and reinforce the ties that bind.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 12px; outline: none;">
<b>My Thoughts</b>:</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 12px; outline: none;">
I am glad that I went looking for this book based upon the recommendation of a friend. The Perfect Son was a great summer read as it was captivating but not fluff. It kept my interest but didn't require deep thought.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 12px; outline: none;">
I found the family very believable as they each struggled with the changes in their relationships. The speed at which the family adjusted was accelerated but that's only to be expected so as to not drag on a novel.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 12px; outline: none;">
Thank you to Net Galley for providing me the opportunity to read and review this title.</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2441233421581755455.post-91195142564300005752015-07-19T19:54:00.001-05:002015-07-19T19:54:51.439-05:00Would You Baptize an Extraterrestrial? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKVGKSkDVRQBN6Z_ClHSYtEoYvUVnicUv3JPiYlNBS-Sr7mJAhEn1kCS_iyMptgiIg8BFnIInqO1jH-JuKP98IYFVtF5vtHg9q1GfIgjk7lX8bItxHP97lFSrI4z-THnaB47_fneHl40c/s1600/ET.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKVGKSkDVRQBN6Z_ClHSYtEoYvUVnicUv3JPiYlNBS-Sr7mJAhEn1kCS_iyMptgiIg8BFnIInqO1jH-JuKP98IYFVtF5vtHg9q1GfIgjk7lX8bItxHP97lFSrI4z-THnaB47_fneHl40c/s320/ET.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Brandon Text', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Brandon Text', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 25px;">Witty and thought provoking, two Vatican astronomers shed provocative light on some of the strange places where religion and science meet.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4c4c4c; font-family: 'Brandon Text', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25px;" /><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4c4c4c; font-family: 'Brandon Text', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25px;">“Imagine if a Martian showed up, all big ears and big nose like a child’s drawing, and he asked to be baptized. How would you react?”</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #4c4c4c; font-family: 'Brandon Text', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25px;"> </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4c4c4c; font-family: 'Brandon Text', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25px;">– Pope Francis, May, 2014</i><br />
<i><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4c4c4c; font-family: 'Brandon Text', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25px;" /></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #4c4c4c; font-family: 'Brandon Text', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25px;">Pope Francis posed that question – without insisting on an answer! – to provoke deeper reflection about inclusiveness and diversity in the Church. But it's not the first time that question has been asked.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4c4c4c; font-family: 'Brandon Text', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #4c4c4c; font-family: 'Brandon Text', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25px;">Brother Guy Consolmagno and Father Paul Mueller hear questions like that all the time. They’re scientists at the Vatican Observatory, the official astronomical research institute of the Catholic Church. In </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4c4c4c; font-family: 'Brandon Text', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25px;">Would You Baptize an Extraterrestrial? </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #4c4c4c; font-family: 'Brandon Text', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25px;">they</span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4c4c4c; font-family: 'Brandon Text', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25px;"> </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #4c4c4c; font-family: 'Brandon Text', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25px;">explore a variety of questions at the crossroads of faith and reason: How do you reconcile the The Big Bang with Genesis? Was the Star of Bethlehem just a pious religious story or an actual description of astronomical events? What really went down between Galileo and the Catholic Church – and why do the effects of that confrontation still reverberate to this day? Will the Universe come to an end? And… could you really baptize an extraterrestrial?</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4c4c4c; font-family: 'Brandon Text', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #4c4c4c; font-family: 'Brandon Text', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25px;">With disarming humor, Brother Guy and Father Paul explore these questions and more over the course of six days of dialogue. </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4c4c4c; font-family: 'Brandon Text', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25px;">Would You Baptize an Extraterrestrial</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #4c4c4c; font-family: 'Brandon Text', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25px;"> will make you laugh, make you think, and make you reflect more deeply on science, faith, and the nature of the universe.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4c4c4c; font-family: 'Brandon Text', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4c4c4c; font-family: 'Brandon Text', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25px;">My Thoughts: </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: Brandon Text, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 25px;">I have to admit this book got lost in the shuffle of life (and my tbr book basket) for quite some time. I chose to pick this book up again during the heat of summer and found it to be much more readable than the first time I attempted. There are six chapters; each is a discussion between Brother Guy and Father Paul trying to explain the answer to readers. There is LOTS of science and theology along with humor; some is comprehensible and some is way over my head (just the science and theology; not the humor).</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: Brandon Text, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 25px;">My favorite chapter was "What Happened to Poor Pluto?" I am one of those school children who memorized our solar system's 9 planets (My very educated mother just served us nine pizzas) and was not happy about Pluto's demotion. While I am still not happy about the situation; at least now I have a better understanding.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: Brandon Text, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 25px;">My least favorite chapter was the one about Galileo. It just didn't clarify things for me to understand what happened between Science and the Church. If anything, the chapter confused me even more. It may be this chapter is one I need to read again while taking notes and highlighting but that was just not something for enjoyable summer reading time.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: Brandon Text, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 25px;">Living in a town full of rocket scientists in the south, I know many folks that will better understand this book. I know one in particular to whom I will be passing along this book before sending to my daughter in Washington.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: Brandon Text, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #faffff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I received this book for free from </span><a href="http://www.bloggingforbooks.org/" style="background-color: #faffff; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Blogging for Books</a><span style="background-color: #faffff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> for this review.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2441233421581755455.post-86088914289742436452014-10-09T15:21:00.003-05:002014-10-09T15:21:34.115-05:00Journey of a Soul<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja0mEKLueQDZM9VkBd3q-41ieVAFYCCALDEduKuJN6oXAtFCmJwDWWpeFgUUCRF8gtim5AkCQVFW97_HB_iuS-bn7TW0AEdlMjIzq-M2nlOWkDfzuaKlimT1TNiRmjzoTGmeohrC4XlEI/s1600/book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja0mEKLueQDZM9VkBd3q-41ieVAFYCCALDEduKuJN6oXAtFCmJwDWWpeFgUUCRF8gtim5AkCQVFW97_HB_iuS-bn7TW0AEdlMjIzq-M2nlOWkDfzuaKlimT1TNiRmjzoTGmeohrC4XlEI/s1600/book.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.imagecatholicbooks.com/book/22711/journal-of-a-soul/">Journey of a Soul</a> is the autobiography of Pope John XXIII, It is over 400 pages long and I'm sorry to say not my cup of tea. I tried reading this on multiple occasions but it just didn't capture my interest. The book is comprised of personal letters, spiritual notes and meditations gathered by <a href="http://www.imagecatholicbooks.com/author/4014/thomas-cahill/">Thomas Cahill</a> and it's just too deep for my brain to wrap itself around.<br />
I imagine a more scholarly reader would enjoy this book.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #faffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> "I received this book for free from </span><a href="http://www.bloggingforbooks.org/" style="background-color: #faffff; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" target="_blank">Blogging for Books</a><span style="background-color: #faffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> for this review."</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2441233421581755455.post-18101320730799129982014-10-09T14:49:00.000-05:002014-10-16T14:53:31.658-05:00A Worrier's Guide to the Bible<div style="text-align: center;">
<i> </i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtkYoI6CMuUwTvtpvLQvXprxfcJg4pNJ3tWfIDVWl9jxPYmitPHIA4bAkv-_VEVj-XxKYN7U1pmkeIWteLFFTVKPxuwmgPQ8IRqhWtlkCELoAZnjR7UozODaA-iq3JLNax53LkQavJaVM/s1600/guide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtkYoI6CMuUwTvtpvLQvXprxfcJg4pNJ3tWfIDVWl9jxPYmitPHIA4bAkv-_VEVj-XxKYN7U1pmkeIWteLFFTVKPxuwmgPQ8IRqhWtlkCELoAZnjR7UozODaA-iq3JLNax53LkQavJaVM/s1600/guide.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i> <a href="http://www.aquinasandmore.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/store.itemdetails/SKU/93974">A Worrier's Guide to the Bible: 50 Verses to Ease Anxieties</a></i> written by Gary Zimak is a book for all of us since despite what Scripture teaches, many of us still fall into worry over past events, the present and most especially the future.<br />
When I requested this title, I expected to receive little more than a folded pamphlet but Zimak was able to take the topic of worry and find so much in scriptures to produce a book of over one hundred pages to guide us toward peace in our lives. There are eight chapters: Confusion, Despair, Doubt, Fear, Persecution, Sickness, Trials & Tribulation and The Secret Weapon. Each chapter begins with an introduction followed by multiple Scripture verses, explanations (in many ways a devotional) and finally a prayer. The reader can go from page one until the end or jump around to a specific topic that speaks to one's heart. There is something in this book for everyone.<br />
Although I have yet to read all the entries, I have found nuggets of wisdom in each entry I have read. I was reminded that 'the most important lesson for us is that we should always turn to the Lord in times of confusion" and that "if something is in accordance with God's will, you'll often experience a feeling of peace and contentment".<br />
This book is one that would be perfect to leave in a doctor's office, a hospital waiting room, or even just on a park bench. Worry is such a constant presence in our lives and we all need the reminder that we are to turn to Him at all times in all situations.<br />
<br />
<br />
I wrote this review of <a href="http://www.aquinasandmore.com/title/Worriers-Guide-to-the-Bible/SKU/93974">A Worrier's Guide to the Bible</a> for the <a href="http://tiberriver.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/home.signupType">free Catholic Book review program</a>, created by Aquinas and More Catholic Goods.
Aquinas and More is the largest on-line <a href="http://www.aquinasandmore.com/catholic-books-gifts/catholic-books/category/2">Catholic bookstore</a>.
I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2441233421581755455.post-52222581763247174782014-07-21T13:48:00.002-05:002014-07-21T13:52:06.917-05:00ENOUGH - Book Review and Giveaway<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border: none; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; padding: 0in;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyWA2npPFtMsPYfp_H51TwGUZuWFDUJD3MU1uLH3f-vVBqaz-9mIr8lH_SD7IymQ-SE4kpsY__v2eEy8UX-xitIq7vjBC5eNWue9com74wKPL1bOy-ArJIYh5U6DdJapbcduUTZW2gTSg/s1600/enough.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyWA2npPFtMsPYfp_H51TwGUZuWFDUJD3MU1uLH3f-vVBqaz-9mIr8lH_SD7IymQ-SE4kpsY__v2eEy8UX-xitIq7vjBC5eNWue9com74wKPL1bOy-ArJIYh5U6DdJapbcduUTZW2gTSg/s1600/enough.jpg" height="320" width="208" /></a></div>
<i><span style="color: #141f2a; font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border: none; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; padding: 0in; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border: none; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; padding: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #141f2a; font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border: none; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; padding: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #141f2a; font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div style="background-color: #f9f9f7; border: 0px; color: #2f2e2a; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.6em; margin-top: 1.6em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
You are beautiful. You are valuable. You are enough.</div>
<div style="background-color: #f9f9f7; border: 0px; color: #2f2e2a; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.6em; margin-top: 1.6em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
In a book based on her run-away blog post “Ten Things I Want to Tell Teenage Girls,” which garnered more than 2 million views in two weeks, Kate Conner calls us to action in Enough. We all have teenage girls in our lives who we love, whether it’s a sister, friend, or daughter. Kate has identified 10 things these girls need to hear today from someone who loves her.</div>
<div style="background-color: #f9f9f7; border: 0px; color: #2f2e2a; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.6em; margin-top: 1.6em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
Peppered with wit and laced with grace, Kate’s list tackles relevant issues like Facebook, emotions, drama, tanning beds, modesty, and flirtation. Woven into each chapter is a powerful message of worth that transcends age, and will touch the souls of women, young and old alike: You are beautiful. You are valuable. You are enough.</div>
<div style="background-color: #f9f9f7; border: 0px; color: #2f2e2a; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.6em; margin-top: 1.6em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
A former youth-worker, wife to a college minister, and a young mom in her twenties, Conner stands squarely in generational gap, the perfect place from which to bridge it. Conner offers herself as a translator, helping you to speak your teenager’s language and equipping you with a fresh perspective from which to engage your teenage girl—one that may enable her to truly hear your heart (and your wisdom) for the first time since puberty.</div>
<div style="background-color: #f9f9f7; border: 0px; color: #2f2e2a; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.6em; margin-top: 1.6em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<b>My Thoughts</b>: I requested <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Enough-Things-Should-Teenage-Girls/dp/1433682931/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1405968355&sr=8-3">Enough</a> as I have two teen daughters as well as one young adult daughter. Not surprising I didn't find anything I hadn't told my girls but I can see how this book could be useful to a new mom of a tween daughter. I especially liked the chapter on modesty and the approach the author took towards this topic. I was hoping that there would be more guidance on how to discuss these topics with our daughters but it was limited. I did discover that the author has written <i>10 Things for Teen Girls</i>; I'm hoping the topics match. This book is an easy read and one you'll want to have your highlighter out to mark the author's gems such as: "Teach her to use modesty as a tool to pursue that which is greater: admiration, respect and love."</div>
<div style="background-color: #f9f9f7; border: 0px; color: #2f2e2a; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.6em; margin-top: 1.6em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
GIVEAWAY: Leave a comment about why you want to win a copy of Enough. For a second entry, comment with your best piece of advice to moms of teen daughters. Winner will be chosen by random drawing on August 1, 2014.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border: none; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; padding: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #141f2a; font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border: none; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; padding: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #141f2a; font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border: none; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; padding: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="color: #141f2a; font-family: Helvetica;">"<b>Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising):</b> Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border: none; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; padding: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="color: #141f2a; font-family: Helvetica;">Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.</span></i></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2441233421581755455.post-27856775861068911232014-07-06T17:36:00.002-05:002014-07-06T17:36:46.007-05:00The Girls of August<div style="text-align: center;">
<img height="320" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/netgalley-covers/cover23833-medium.png" width="213" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>About the Book</b>: <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Every August, four women would gather together to spend a week at the beach, renting a new house each year. The ritual began when they were in their twenties and their husbands were in medical school, and became a mainstay of every summer thereafter. Their only criteria was oceanfront and isolation, their only desire to strengthen their far-flung friendships. They called themselves the Girls of August. But when one of the Girls dies tragically, the group slowly drifts apart and their vacations together are brought to a halt. Years later, a new marriage reunites them and they decide to come together once again on a remote barrier island off the South Carolina coast. There, far from civilization, the women make startling discoveries that will change them in ways they never expected.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><b>My Thoughts: </b>The Girls of August was an easy summer read but not a top notch book. I felt that the story was too contrived. WHY would these women go on vacation with this newcomer when their tradition had always been as long time friends? It just didn't make sense to me. The three friends treated Babe worse than a pesky toddler; I felt they were taking advantage of her for the free use of the beach house. I also felt like I was left hanging with the ending; I need to know more in order to feel satisfied with the story lines.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: justify;">I'd like to thank the publisher for making a review copy available via NetGalley. </span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2441233421581755455.post-7104017641562191752014-06-16T08:00:00.000-05:002014-06-16T08:25:54.233-05:00The Power in Your Hands Writing Nonfiction in High School<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img height="320" src="https://scontent-b-mia.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/t1.0-9/1017401_10202903339478367_389783879106443229_n.jpg" width="320" /></div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
</div>
Year after year I am on the prowl for a better writing curriculum; it is definitely the weak link in my teaching repertoire. I was thrilled to be offered the opportunity to review Sharon Watson's <a href="http://writingwithsharonwatson.com/the-power-in-your-hands/" rel="nofollow">The Power in Your Hands - Writing Nonfiction in High School</a> which is designed for those in grades 9-12. This writing program comes with both a large Student Text and a Teacher's Guide. The text provides the instruction as if the instructor were talking directly to the student. Some assignments can be completed in the text but a 3 ring binder with plenty of loose-leaf would be helpful to keep assignments organized.<br />
I spent quite a few hours reading through many lessons to be sure this would be worth attempting in the new school year and much to my daughter's dismay, Theresa will be using this program for the upcoming school year. This program doesn't spend time working on sentence writing but we focused a good deal on that this past year so now we can turn our efforts to more essay writing from a variety of persuasive essays to compare/contrast. I love that some more practical aspects of writing are included such as condolence and thank you letters while at the same time providing college prep writing experiences such as a position paper and literary analysis.<br />
The Teacher's Guide shows more clearly to the parent the major writing assignments of which there are twenty-one which might be more than one needs for an academic year but that leaves one free to leave out those that are least beneficial to the individual student. For instance, we will probably skip learning how to write a devotional and a testimony as those are not as academically focused nor something that would interest my daughter. There are over 30 pages devoted to assisting the parent in grading writing assignments; included are various evaluation forms, examples of A-F essays, and practical info about editing, proofreading and reluctant writers.<br />
Want to see more for yourself? There are samples available from both the <a href="http://writingwithsharonwatson.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/the-power-in-your-hands-sample-pages.pdf" rel="nofollow">Student's Book</a> and the <a href="http://writingwithsharonwatson.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/the-power-in-your-hands-teachers-guide-sample-pages.pdf" rel="nofollow">Teacher's Guide</a>. Not only is this a top notch program it's reasonably priced at under $60 for both volumes (or under $50 if you buy from a discount curriculum company).<br />
<br />
<u>Product Info Summary:</u><br />
The Power in Your Hands Writing Nonfiction in High School @ <a href="http://writingwithsharonwatson.com/" rel="nofollow">writingwithsharonwatson.com</a><br />
$39.98 Student Book & $14.98 Teacher's Guide<br />
<br />
You can read more reviews of this product as well as those of a middle school writing curriculum and fiction writing curriculum <a href="http://homeschoolmosaics.com/writing-with-sharon-watson/" rel="nofollow">here</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSexwdBeul6hxBnHOR5vvrFryzlm4rsqz-WHzzrzJT9Vbb5h3mUl4zEk-t2JosXBcaMWTEytRSkFJclq4c9cMO4vS9MuLp7cgXAE2YNRU5AkaAUN4JXAEZ7ifwIsHPOsdDXR7SUy9zIbq9/s1600/Mosaic+Review+Disclaimer.jpg" /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2441233421581755455.post-27903707183347768902014-04-28T12:30:00.000-05:002014-04-28T12:38:37.596-05:00Legacy of Love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<img alt="Legacy of Love: Biblical Wisdom for Parenting Teens and Young Adults" src="http://img1.imagesbn.com/p/9781616360016_p0_v2_s260x420.JPG" style="text-align: center;" /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.aquinasandmore.com/title/Legacy-of-Love/SKU/25518"> <i>Legacy of Love</i></a> is the fourth book in Kimberly Hahn's Life-Nurturing Love series based on Proverbs 31. In this title, Hahn focuses on parenting teens and young adult children as well as reaching out beyond our family. Like the third in the series,<i> Legacy of Love</i> is divided into six parts focusing on various verses from Proverbs 31 starting with verse 20 and ending with verse 30.<br />
The book starts out with "she opens her hands to the poor". Hahn shows readers a multitude of ways to reach out to the poor even if you are not wealthy, Then 'she looks well to the ways of her household" and "does not eat the bread of idleness" while teaching us how to better parent our teens. Part four provides us with guidance for dealing with adult children in the home and transitioning them to marriage which then leads into the fifth part about being an in-law. She wraps up the study with instruction pertaining to being a witness to the world while still balancing our priorities.<br />
This is not a typical Bible study as there are not extensive readings from Scripture. There are questions for each book part but they are tucked away in Appendix B. They are divided into two sections: questions for group study and questions for personal reflection. As a personal preference, I wish the questions were placed immediately after each chapter.<br />
Kimberly Hahn is a very accessible writer that teaches Catholic truths in a non-threatening manner; her writing style will appeal to the ordinary mom in the church pew. This book will be of great value to the individual reader, but I think even more could be gleaned if used in a small group setting. An ideal group would be a mix of moms of young teens through those with adult children so that younger moms could be mentored.<br />
I wrote this review of <a href="http://www.aquinasandmore.com/title/Legacy-of-Love/SKU/25518">Legacy of Love: Biblical Wisdom for Parenting Teens and Young Adults</a> for the <a href="http://tiberriver.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/home.signupType">free Catholic Book review program</a>, created by Aquinas and More Catholic Goods.
Aquinas and More is the largest on-line <a href="http://www.aquinasandmore.com/catholic-books-gifts/catholic-books/category/2">Catholic bookstore</a>.
I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i><br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2441233421581755455.post-6290755343526165762014-04-22T13:43:00.000-05:002014-04-22T13:43:38.481-05:00Plans for the New YearMy article, <i>Rainy Days Can Be Productive</i>, is posted on Home & School Mosaics <a href="http://homeschoolmosaics.com/rainy-days-can-be-productive/">here</a>.<br />
<br />
This is a followup:<br />
<br />
Just hours after Rainy Days was posted, I got word that John came off the waiting list for Lions Gate Co-op. He is now registered for three classes: Algebra II, Composition/Literature and Debate Club. I've heard positive feedback about the Math instructor and I personally know the English/Debate club instructor. Unfortunately Biology was not offered and we decided to study Spanish at home.<br />
<br />
Theresa is going to also study Spanish at home, we have decided upon American History (just debating between two texts) and Lightning Literature along with Essentials in Writing. She was not interested in any electives that were being offered.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img src="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT4uO7fOyWXLuT8a0lpu9TRNlxRvlRO4mkdL6s7WD053wGkn6xtdA" /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2441233421581755455.post-40129874609502656512014-04-13T14:44:00.000-05:002014-04-13T14:44:26.066-05:00Hope Runs<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Cover Art" src="http://assets.bakerpublishinggroup.com/processed/books/covers/listing/9780800722791.jpg?1389185314" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<strong style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">She went to Kenya to climb a mountain. But God had other plans.</strong><br style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;"> When Claire Díaz-Ortiz arrived in Kenya at the end of an around-the-world journey, she decided to stay the night, climb Mount Kenya, and then head back home. She entered an orphanage, seeing it as little more than a free place to spend the night before her mountain trek.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;"> Sammy Ikua Gachagua had lost his father to illness, his mother to abandonment, and his home to poverty. By age ten, he was living in a shack with several other children and very little food. He entered an orphanage, seeing it as a miracle with three meals a day, a bed to sleep in, and clothes on his back.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;" /><em style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;"> Hope Runs </em><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">is the emotional story of one American tourist, one Kenyan orphan, and how one day became one year that would change the course of both of their lives forever. It's</span><em style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;"> </em><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">about opening your heart to outrageous possibilities. It's about what it means to hope for the things you cannot see.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;"> It's about how God can change your life in the blink of an eye.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<strong style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">Claire </strong><strong style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">Díaz-Ortiz</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;"> is an author, speaker, and technology innovator who has been named one of the 100 Most Creative People in Business by </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">Fast Company</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">. Claire was an early employee at Twitter, where she still works, and over the years has been called everything from "a mover and shaker" (</span><em style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">Mashable</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">) to a "force for good" (</span><em style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">Forbes</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">). She is the author of several books, including</span><em style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;"></em><em style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">Twitter for Good: Change the World One Tweet at a Time</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">. She is a frequent international speaker and writes a popular business blog at </span><a href="http://www.clairediazortiz.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;" target="_blank">www.clairediazortiz.com</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">Claire holds an MBA from Oxford University and a BA and an MA from Stanford University. She is the cofounder of Hope Runs, a nonprofit organization operating in AIDS orphanages in Kenya. She has appeared widely in major television and print news sources such as CNN, BBC,</span><em style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">Time</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">,</span><em style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;"> Newsweek</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">, the</span><em style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;"> New York Times</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">, the</span><em style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;"> Washington Post</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">,</span><em style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;"> Fortune</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">,</span><em style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;"> Forbes</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">,</span><em style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;"> Wired</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">, and many others. Find her on Twitter @claire.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;" /><strong style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">Samuel Ikua Gachagua</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;"> was born in rural Kenya in 1992. After losing his parents at a young age, he struggled to survive until he was placed in an orphanage in Nyeri, Kenya. In 2009, he received a full-ride scholarship to Maine Central Institute, granting him a rare US visa and the chance to begin his sophomore year of high school under the guardianship of Claire Díaz-Ortiz. After graduating from high school, he spent a year serving in Ecuador as a fellow for Global Citizen Year. He is an up-and-coming motivational speaker and can be found on Twitter @sammyikua.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;"><b>My Thoughts:</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;"> <i>Hope Runs</i> is one of those books that restores one's faith in mankind. It's always heartwarming to know that there are folks out there that truly do make a significant difference in someone's life. Mother Teresa said "Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love." Claire is an example of someone doing those great things and is an inspiration to me to keep doing small things with great love.<i>Hope Runs </i>was a page turner that was difficult to put down when life called; I hope that Samuel (or Claire) will write another book as he does great things in his life.</span></div>
<h1 class="quoteText" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px;">
<br /></h1>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 12.600000381469727px;">This book was provided to me by Baker Publishing Group; I received no monetary compensation for my honest review</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2441233421581755455.post-21930951066154401632014-03-31T19:32:00.000-05:002014-03-31T19:32:05.519-05:00St. Peter's Bones<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img src="http://www.randomhouse.com/images/dyn/cover/?source=9780307985095&width=125" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> In 2006 the author, <a href="http://www.imagecatholicbooks.com/author/69067/thomas-j-craughwell/">Thomas Craughwell</a>, went on a tour of the excavations below St. Peter's Basilica in Rome where he saw the bones of St. Peter through a glass door. This lead him to his research for <i>St. Peter's Bones</i>. He didn't have to go far to begin in that several works by the excavation archaeologists were available as English translations at a university library just 30 minutes from his home.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I found St. Peter's Bones to be a fascinating and fairly easy book to read. It was written for the common man in the pew to understand the history behind what has happened over the past 2000 years to the remains of our first Pope - St. Peter. In addition, we learn Roman history, Church history and enjoy a real life mystery.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I suggest you read the <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/183987071/St-Peter-s-Bones-by-Thomas-J-Craughwell-Chapter-1">first chapter</a> for yourself. I will be adding this one to my library as I believe my young adult children will find it fascinating as they too have been to Rome.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About the Book:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #373737; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="color: #373737; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">In this fascinating account of the search for the remains of the world's first pope, none other than Peter, the chief apostle of Jesus, Thomas J. Craughwell takes us on one of the most exciting archaeological finds of the twentieth century.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;"> In 1448 a team of architects and engineers brought Pope Nicholas V unhappy news: the 1,100-year-old Basilica of St. Peter suffered from so many structural defects that it was beyond repair. The only solution was to pull down the old church--one of the most venerable churches in all of Christiandom--and erect a new basilica on the site. Incredibly, one of the tombs the builders paved over was the resting place of St. Peter.</span></span><br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"> Then in 1939, while reconstructing the grottoes below St. Peter's Basilica, a workman's shovel struck not dirt or rock but open air. After inspecting what could be seen through the hole they'd made in the mausoleum's roof, Pope Pius XII secretly authorized a full-scale excavation. What lay beneath? The answer and the adventure await. In this riveting history, facts, traditions, and faith collide to reveal the investigation, betrayals, and mystery behind St. Peter's burial place.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #373737; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #faffff; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">I received this book for free from </span><a href="http://www.bloggingforbooks.org/" style="background-color: #faffff; color: #1155cc; font-size: 13px;" target="_blank">Blogging for Books</a><span style="background-color: #faffff; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"> for this review.</span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2441233421581755455.post-32391144336779356532014-03-17T14:56:00.003-05:002014-03-17T14:57:27.029-05:00Pine Bros Softish Throat DropsDisclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial. <a href="http://www.tomoson.com/?code=TOP710bd4cc198f2529cb1733896a984e4f" rel="nofollow"><img style="display: none" src="http://www.tomoson.com/images/front/pixel.png" /></a>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiQ2mnnR7HKzNotDqufGXDa3j_iCWoZhNJz51_hfkOyxAW2qahbs55J_ZNF_ZzmGJ6V9isD6fNPiaMtGUllik3fNiuu0Pyyq0HYEqZ6IF-29W6ZIHg7xL4bn-Attr_KlEqTdmuSiKMeXA/s1600/pinebrothers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiQ2mnnR7HKzNotDqufGXDa3j_iCWoZhNJz51_hfkOyxAW2qahbs55J_ZNF_ZzmGJ6V9isD6fNPiaMtGUllik3fNiuu0Pyyq0HYEqZ6IF-29W6ZIHg7xL4bn-Attr_KlEqTdmuSiKMeXA/s1600/pinebrothers.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.tomoson.com/?code=TOP710bd4cc198f2529cb1733896a984e4f" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://www.tomoson.com/images/front/pixel.png" style="display: none;" /></a>
I was excited to receive three different flavors of Pine Bros as I remember these from my youth. I'm not thrilled with the bag packaging as the lozenges are not individually wrapped and the bag then needs a clip to keep fresh. I do like the round plastic 'tins' as it's more convenient to throw in one's purse as well as being easy to close to keep the product fresh.<br />
<br />
I tried the Licorice flavor first and found that it was not a very strong flavor. I suppose for some folks that would be a positive but I would prefer a strong black licorice flavor. Next I tried the Natural Honey. The scent was strong when I opened the bag but the honey flavor was quite subtle. Wild Cherry was probably my favorite; the flavor was stronger and was the most soothing.<br />
<br />
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using <a href="http://www.tomoson.com/?code=BOTTOM710bd4cc198f2529cb1733896a984e4f" rel="nofollow">Tomoson.com</a>. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2441233421581755455.post-29490479939780973212014-03-15T14:23:00.001-05:002014-03-15T14:24:54.525-05:00Be Ready for Spring CleaningRead how at <a href="http://homeschoolmosaics.com/pre-spring-cleaning-tips/">my March article</a> at Home & School Mosaics.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwMWG3KSTxzMw9c7w7MQ6Nfg8JseAj7jdugxfLlH4oZlXmTey2JAJOExNwlMKrvv3W7o_lEl5mexYrqecZHETMajasfTWCWV1CYntoaKRR8oGu0vY8JbAr5-Y5h0ZydXMayLSC8uBwnE/s1600/HM-IWrite-125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwMWG3KSTxzMw9c7w7MQ6Nfg8JseAj7jdugxfLlH4oZlXmTey2JAJOExNwlMKrvv3W7o_lEl5mexYrqecZHETMajasfTWCWV1CYntoaKRR8oGu0vY8JbAr5-Y5h0ZydXMayLSC8uBwnE/s1600/HM-IWrite-125.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2441233421581755455.post-439639778412313752014-03-10T07:00:00.000-05:002014-03-10T07:00:15.767-05:00Highway to Hell<strong style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></strong>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhOfksY9MeVVuClTCjB7EV11utX65w5VF9xBKSli4pt3QFMZtOBA30-_mZe28q_ej-OXAeeUG8VFI1QTowtnJOUmPKLENWjwTHI32Ik1NOxjvsLl_eohA-3uxeTcDLBD9CdyjKw0A9py0YSt9GJ6GntIbq-eWopY1pQHNbWYy-HsGw6himXoWrKbg=s0-d-e1-ft" /></div>
<strong style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></strong>
<strong style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></strong>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong>About the book:</strong><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> </span></span><br />
<div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">A child is sold for sex every ten miles on Brazil's BR-116 motorway. This 2,700-mile road is "The Highway to Hell" for the thousands of children, some as young as nine, who are trapped in sophisticated child prostitution rackets organized by businessmen and politicians.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">An experienced journalist, Matt Roper has witnessed the extent of the trafficking firsthand. <em>Highway to Hell </em>documents his journey on this road. He meets the girls and hears their stories; he interviews truck drivers, pimps, brothel owners, and traffickers; and he talks to the brave souls who are trying to make a difference.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Part documentary, part personal memoir, Matt honestly shares his struggles to understand what his Christian faith has to say about the things he encounters and how God wants him to respond.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>My Thoughts:</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"> I thought I would love this book, not that the subject matter is anything to love but I thought it would be a captivating story of how one man discovered the travesty of child prostitution and came to the rescue of hundreds of young girls. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"> On one hand Matt Roper did learn much about the devastation of child prostitution along a Brazilian highway and he did start a foundation that is rescuing girls from this destructive lifestyle but it just didn't captivate me.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"> Despite the less than stellar writing style, I would still recommend <i>Highway to Hell</i> as I had no idea this was happening in Brazil as I suppose it is happening in more places than we want to imagine.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">This book was provided to me by Kregel Publications; I received no monetary compensation for my honest review</span></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0