Holiday Vox Box!

I FINALLY got my VoxBox from Influenster about a week and a half later than my other Oregon friends.  Apparently the postal service wanted to hang on to it for a little bit longer than I would have liked.  They must have wanted to check out the awesome products for themselves :)

AND because my Blogger account and YouTube account are not playing nicely with each other, you'll have to click the link to watch the video instead of watching it in a sweet little embedded video player: WATCH ME!!!

Go sign up to be an Influenster 

For Posterity's Sake

 At almost 14 months old Baby Mange...

GUB's Chair

• Can say "dog" (dah), "duck" (duh), "chicken" (baw baw), "Hi" (Yeh), "ball" (bah),"Veggie Tales" (Tee Tah!), Mom and Dad
• Likes to sweep (wave the swiffer around in the air and nearly poke our eyes out and shatter the TV and computer screens)
• Likes to "help" vacuum (watches while mom or dad work and then tries to ride, poke, pull, prod until the vacuum goes "night night" in the closet)
• Loves anything with buttons that beeps and lights up (Phones, kitchen timers, remote controls)

Robot Cowboy

• Loves Bananas, Cream Cheese, Grilled Sandwiches, Tomato products (Ketchup, spaghetti sauce)
• Would rather be running around than sitting down with mom and dad
• Is still nursing because he refuses to drink cow's milk

• LOVES to dance.
• Claps and sings along with his favorite songs which are:
• The Hairbrush Song (Veggie Tales)
• His Cheeseburger (Veggie Tales)
• The Earth Is Yours (Gungor)
• Baby Elf (Veggie Tales)

I can't put my arms down!

• Loves dogs, trees, birds and lights
• Does not have time to have his diaper changed.
• Wakes up at least once a night for a cuddle and a snack and no amount of cajoling, trickery or negligence will convince him that this is not necessary.

 And if I don't write it down here and now, I'll never remember this stuff for his baby book which is buried...somewhere in my room.

The Christmas Singing and 30% off!

If you're a fan of Amish fiction, you might be interested in WaterBrookMultnomah's, The Christmas Singing.  Watch the book trailer and read the first chapter below.

You can also receive 30% off and free shipping off of The Christmas Singing (or any other title) when you use promo code CHRISTMAS11 at checkout on WaterBrookMultnomah.com. The coupon code expires on December 20th, 2011.



The Christmas Singing (Chapter 1 Excerpt)

Raised Right: How I Untangled My Faith From Politics

I have never had an interest in politics.  None.  Zero.  Zilch.  Nada.  Having been raised in a Christian home and surrounded by Christian friends, the few political opinions I had naturally leaned more to the right.  But over the past few years I realized that those opinions were not really my own.  I had adopted them because that is what a "good Christian" is supposed to stand up for.  Hoping to find a voice that echoed my frustrations, I decided to read Alisa Harris', Raised Right: How I Untangled My Faith From Politics.  Born to a politically active, conservative family in New Mexico, Alisa shares stories of her family standing by the highway holding picket signs when she was a girl too young to really know what they were taking a stand for.  She shares her starstruck story of touching then Republican presidential nominee, George W. Bush.  "My fingertips just brushed the hem of his sleeve.  It was enough."  Her home school field trips to the state capital where she and her classmates were unleashed upon unsuspecting liberals to practice conversation techniques meant to remove the scales from their eyes and sending them running to the GOP confessing their many sins along the way.  After moving away from home, the events of September 11th, the resulting Iraq War and through forming relationships with fellow New Yorkers, Alisa realized that she had mixed up her priorities.  That being a follower of Jesus' teaching didn't necessarily go hand in hand with the GOP's political agenda and that those who cheered for the opposing side weren't as misguided, uninformed or evil as she was taught to believe.

This book isn't so much a guide to how to untangle the reader's faith from their politics as it is a memoir of Alisa's faith journey.  The last few chapters, while important felt different from the rest of the book in tone and subject matter and I felt that they could have been developed a little bit more to better tie into the rest of the book.  The chapters read like blog posts and are therefore easy to read.  There are a few scriptures that she references as a basis for her belief change but for the most part, she speaks of general christian concepts and examples from conversations with liberal christian friends.  If you're looking for a book to help you untangle your own faith/political crisis I think you'll be disappointed by Raised Right.  (However, there are many other authors who may be better able to tackle the theological task of untangling the Christian Conservative Agenda from the heart of God and the example of Christ.)  If you're looking to identify with a young person who has struggled with finding their identity in our country's limited political landscape, you'll most likely find a kindred spirit in Alisa.

Read the first chapter below and don't forget to rate my review! Thanks!!




*I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review*

Raised Right by Alisa Harris (ch. 1 excerpt)

Heros and Villians of the Bible

Heros and Villians of the Bible takes the individuals in the bible and categorizes them into Heros and Villians.  The text is derived directly from scripture and includes chapter and verse references.  Some of the stories are accompanied by computer-generated illustrations of the character in the story.  Each story is preceeded by a short synopsis and followed by a summary of the story and a simple application that is easy to understand for young children.  The summary also includes additional scripture reference.

For the most part, this was a good book.  I thought the illustrations were pretty creepy but little boys might not be bothered by it.  The other thing I didn't like was that there were not illustrations for each bible story presented.  Overall though, the application at the end of each story was pretty good.  In some of the stories, Mary's for instance, I might have gone a completely different direction with regard to the application but what is provided gives parents a good starting point for discussion with their kids.  For young children wanting to know more about the people in the bible, this is a great tool for bringing them together in an easily accessible way.  Because the text is directly from scripture and includes chapter and verse references, those wanting to learn more about their favorite people can easily find it in the bible.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

I love the smell of productivity in the morning!

This morning during Baby's Mange's nap, I prepped lunch (tuna fish with shredded carrot and chopped celery on honey wheatberry bread), prepped dinner (shredded cheese and toppings for whole wheat pita pizzas), prepped tomorrow night's dinner (homemade cream of chicken soup base for Chickeny Rice).  All at once, strange and foreign feelings began to stir inside me...I had heard many speak of a feeling they call "accomplishment" and I decided that certainly this must be what others have boasted of.  I kind of liked it.  I felt light and joyful as I reached for the tupp...er...ware...  Where is the tupperware? 

Oh, yeah.  It's sitting right where baby mange left it two days ago. 

Right where I decided to leave it because it was easier to pick my bowls up off the floor as I needed them than put everything away only to have Baby Mange scatter them to the four corners of the earth later in the afternoon.

Thing 3

This is the third in a series of posts sharing what God has taught me during the last few months

The grass is not greener...just a different shade.

When we finally made the decision to leave Portland I was terrified of not having a "paycheck job" anymore.  I was also very excited about the time I would be able to spend at home with my son.  I thought that we would get to do all kinds of fun things together.  I thought that I would have time to do the laundry, vacuum, blog, brush up on my culinary skills, play at the park, take walks every day, take pictures every day, record videos of the wonderful things that Baby Mange is learning to do and on and on and on...

Well, I haven't.

For one, all of those extra hours I thought I would have to do all of those amazing things are spent vigilantly watching my child.  Baby Mange has been walking with assistance since he was about seven months old.  He started walking on his own four days after we moved into our apartment.  Four days.  Our tiny little ten month old was toddling between teetering towers of boxes.  Now, the place is childproof as far as his safety is concerned but it's nearly impossible to childproof the place for my sanity.  There are just certain things we can't move or keep out of his reach because we don't have room to store them or the means to purchase giant locking boxes that can be lowered from the ceiling or raised up out of the floor to keep his tiny little hands away from the computer, lamp, television buttons, etc.  The experienced parents are laughing at me; or maybe you're nodding your head in agreement.  Either way, the kid keeps me on my toes.

So while the living room might be relatively picked up it's because I have stacks of boxes and papers and other things hiding in my bedroom.  And though the laundry is clean, it still sits in a basket in front of the television so that Baby Mange cannot turn it on and off or hide his blocks behind the entertainment center.  And we're eating a lot of Mexican because it's fast and Baby Mange loves beans.  And Bananas.

And Dancing!

Worlds Collide

It's time for another book review!  This one got pushed back a little bit because of our move but it was so nice to have something to read in the evenings when I was sick of sorting through boxes.  I've had a few weeks to mull over the story between Baby Mange's naps, temper tantrums, and attempts to learn how to walk (which he succeeded at a couple of weeks ago - but that's a story for another day).  So without further ado...

Originally published in 2005, Worlds Collide was Allison Strobel's first novel.  Set in Southern California's media obsessed culture, Worlds Collide follows the story of Hollywood Hearthrob, Jack Harrington and Midwestern Girl-Next-Door Grace Winslowe.  Jack's search for companionship and greater meaning literally collides with Grace on a rainy evening and their lives are changed forever.  But rather than living out a fairy tale courtship, Jack and Grace wrestle with their vastly different values in light of the future they want to have together.  But God shows them that they are part of a much larger plan that is meant to glorify him and reach others for Christ - and that none of us have as much time to impact the world around us as we'd like to think.

At some point in her life, every girl dreams about meeting their favorite actor/musician/athlete, falling madly in love and living happily ever after so the concept of this novel intrigued me.  I appreciated Strobel's honesty in depicting Jack's "Pre-Grace" life in Hollywood.  (I'm a fan of any author who tells accurate and honest stories about non-Christians.)  I found myself liking Grace immensely.  In light of our current life-situation I saw my own struggles in her search to find friends in a new place.  I cringed as I read her account of the compromises she made and the shame she felt after because I've been there.  The "I can win him for Jesus" approach to dating is all to seductive to many young women and poor decisions are made in the process of both individuals losing ground in their walk with God.  The story is not nearly the tear-jerker as some indicated on Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble (for an emotional read, try Kim Cash Tate's Cherished - I sobbed like little girl as Heather repeated scripture to remind herself of her identity in Christ) but I feel okay telling you that Worlds Collide is not the "happily ever after" tale that you might find on many Christian bookstore shelves.

The few criticisms I have do not pertain to the plot but more with how the story was told.  I received a digital copy from MultnomahWaterbrook Press and as a result, it's possible that there were typographical and formatting issues that detracted from the ease with which I read it.  The book is sort of a story within a story and there were a few times where I was confused about who was talking about what and what timeline we were in.  Each chapter is told from a different person's point of view but there wasn't much to differentiate each character in the way they told their own story.  In my opinion the character of Jade was more of a distraction than anything - the story could have been told just as well without her.  To be fair, this was Strobel's first book and knowing that, I was willing to overlook a lot of the things that bothered me.  Based on the originality of this story, I'm willing to give the books she's written since this one a try.

Bottom line: It's worth a library checkout but don't spend your money on this one.

Scribd didn't have a preview widget available but WaterbrookMultnomah has the Prologue and the first chapter of Grace's story right here.

Remember to rate my review so I can keep getting access to great books!


**I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group in exchange for my honest review**

Guest Post: GUB's (Great Uncle Bill's) Adirondak Chair

GUB has been working in his workshop.  GAMJ took pictures of what was in the works.  Goodness, gracious.  I do believe it is an Baby Mange-sized Adirondak chair.  Here are some pictures:

 

 

 

PS  GUB said he designed the chair so that you could easily get into and out of it BUT he made the seat nice and wide so a grown-up could sit in it if they wanted to.  Isn't that a great idea!

Thing 2

This is the second in a series of posts sharing what God has taught me during the last few months
 
I am so proud of my husband!

Those of you who know Matt, it comes as no surprise to hear that he doesn't like school.  But he worked really hard to finish his masters degree because he wanted to be a campus minister at a four year university.  Then the landscape of collegiate ministry changed in the Northwest and Matt wasn't sure what was going to happen.  Over and over he would ask, "Should I even bother with this anymore.  Should I just go out and get a "real job?"  Again and again I would ask, "do you think God is done with you in campus ministry?"  Matt's answer was always no.  So he continued to raise support while I worked.

Then Baby Mange was on his way and we were faced with how to pay the bills when I was on maternity leave and the questions started again.  "Should I quit?"  "What does God say?"  "I can't quit."  And we made it work.

Then the offer to come to OSU arrived.  His hard work at seminary and struggle with sticking to "the plan" paid off.

God is not done with my husband.  The world around us has changed but His calling on my husband's life has not, of that we are certain.  I am so proud that time and time again, he has listened to and followed God's plan for his life.

Thing 1

This is the first in a series of posts sharing what God has taught me during the last few months

My credit score is not as important as someone's soul.

Yes, we need to make wise decisions about our spending and be responsible with our money.  Yes, we need to fulfill our obligations to others.  But this is not a post on how to be responsible with our finances.  This is mostly a post about the treasures in our hearts.

I do my best thinking in the shower.  Big heaving sob, bright blotchy skin and runny, snotty nose kind of thinking.  So imagine my surprise when God sat me down for a chat just a few weeks before our move and pretty much told me that I needed a major attitude adjustment.

I had prayed more for our home to sell than I had for the students we would be ministering to after our move. 

"You need to take up your cross and follow me.  What good is it if you gain the whole world but lose your soul?"

Hmmm...that sounds familiar.  Let's look into this a bit further, shall we?

Luke Chapter 9 verses 23-25:

²³ Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. ²⁴ For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. ²⁵ What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? 

Okay, confession time.  I'm horrible at scripture memory and recall.  So the fact that these words popped into my head the way that they did gave me complete confidence that God was trying to tell me something pretty important.  And here is what he was telling me:

Jackie, your house might not sell, you might not find renters.  What then?  What if you lose the house to foreclosure?

But God, that won't happen!

What if it does?

But it won't.  I asked you for that to not happen.  Remember?

But what if my answer is no?

Hmph.

Will you go anyway?

Yes.  We told you we would.

Then what is the worst that could happen?

We lose the house and I have to wait for my credit score to recover so we can purchase a home again.  My reputation as a credit-worthy consumer will be completely trashed!

Is that the worst thing that could happen?  Ever?  Would you be willing to trade this house and your credit score for one student to hear and believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ?  To spend eternity with me?

So, like a trade?  A Soul for a house?

You could say that.

Well, when you put it like that, I feel silly.  Short-sighted and silly.  Because that's a completely fair trade.


There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.  Give me your credit score too.

John 15 too?  Wow, you're really swinging for the fences on this one, aren't you?


It is important to me.

So, I laid my hands on the shower wall, said a short prayer and gave my house, my credit score and my reputation back to God. I also asked for the strength to ignore the "wisdom" of the world and determination to store my treasures in heaven.

(un)Settled

We're here.
Somewhat unpacked.
Completely overwhelmed by the massive amount of stuff we've accumulated over the last five years.
Dog tired.
Invigorated by new routines.
Waiting expectantly for what God has planned in our little corner of the universe.

The Corruptible

Ray (not Raymond) Quinn has been run through the ringer.  A shattered hip, a dead finance, not much cash, and a couple of big guys who want to permanently remove Ray's head from his body - nothing this retired-cop turned PI can't handle.  A wealthy new client and a few bottles of Jack Daniel's will have Ray back on top in no time.  But when finding his client's missing information leads him to a seedy motel and a dead, dirty cop, Ray quickly learns that PI work is not the same as police work and completing the job he was paid for is not the same as seeking justice and righting wrongs.

The second book in the Ray Quinn Mystery series by Christy nominated author, Mark Mynheir, starts out slow but picks up speed about half-way through.  I was tempted to set it aside and not even finish it.  Not having read the first book, I didn't particularly like Ray and found his partner/sidekick Crevis to be too-goofy to be believable.  But as I delved further into the story, I was caught up in the details Mynheir sprinkled into the story about detective work and police life. Little by little, the curmudgeonly private investigator shows his softer side and Crevis' eagerness to please Ray becomes endearing.

Ray is not your typical Christian publishing house hero - he doesn't buy the whole religion thing and you can forget about Jesus - but I really liked that.  I want to see Ray battle his demons one day at a time rather than have a big miraculous conversion in the final chapter.  He's ultimately lying to himself about how well he can cope with the trauma he experienced and the darkness and oppression seen during his time as a homicide detective.  But when the time comes for Ray to make a choice between sinking into the bottle or becoming a stronger, better man, he finds the courage to be honest with himself and the people he cares about.

After a rocky start, I genuinely look forward to catching up with Ray's story in Book One, The Night Watchman and Mynheir's subsequent books.



Corruptible by Mark Mynheir (Chapter 1)

**I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group in exchange for my honest review**

Cherished by Kim Cash Tate

Have you ever done something so bad that you didn't feel as though God would ever forgive you?  Or found His forgiveness only to have someone remind you of your past wrongs at every turn?  Maybe you were the one pointing out others' sin?

Cherished by Kim Cash Tate is a heartfelt story of fresh starts, forgiveness and reconciliation.
Ten years ago, Kelli London had her heart broken by her high school sweetheart. While he went on to accept God's grace and forgiveness for his sin, she allowed the regret, guilt and bitterness to stifle her dreams.  An unexpected meeting brings them together after years apart, and opens up past wounds as God seems to ask the impossible.

Heather Anderson searches for validation in the arms of one man after the other.  Humiliated and broken she finds forgiveness and a new identity in Christ.  Through their friendship and support of each other, Kelli and Heather realize their dreams as they never thought possible.

Set aside a big uninterrupted chunk of time to read this book.  I couldn't put it down and read into the wee hours of the morning.  Tate does a wonderful job of creating characters that evoke strong emotions in her readers. I found myself sobbing along with Kelli and Brian then bursting with pride and joy for Heather.

While the story was uplifting and encouraging, every time a character was facing a decision someone would say "let's pray about it!" or "God's opening doors!"  It seemed unrealistic and cliche that someone could be so spiritual all the time.

If you like stories with strong female characters you'll probably enjoy this book.  While I liked it and am glad to have it in my library, I probably won't read it again and again like I do with some of my favorite titles.

*I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

Guest Post: (Great) Aunt Mary Jane

Today's post is brought to you by my Aunt Mary Jane (and Baby Mange's Great Aunt Mary Jane) from our visit at the beginning of August.  (I FINALLY got the pictures to format correctly!)

Baby Mange was here for a little visit yesterday. He met Myrtle-The-Turtle and it was love at first sight.

Luckily Myrtle weighs a ton or he would have taken her away from her pond-side happy home. By the way, Myrtle has never been much of a swimmer. It's probably due to her "lucky" front legs. You know.....just like Nemo in the movie "Finding Nemo" who had a smallish "lucky fin".

See that smile. That's his "I love Myrtle-the-turtle" smile.

Then Uncle Bill and Baby Mange had a man-to-man talk.

Baby Mange smiled and said he'd remember what Uncle Bill said.

And then it was time to check out the curious fish that squirts water out of its mouth...

and then head on out. It's hard to stand still when you have rocket ships on your feet.

Come back again Baby Mange and Mama Mange.  The piazza/terrazzo/whatever you call it will be done by then.

Love, GUB (Great Uncle Bill) and GAMJ (Great Aunt MJ)

Attack of the Killer Baby Raccoon

**This is an old post that somehow found its way to the top of my blog feed. I don't know what day I oringially posted it, so I'm just gonna leave it.**

We have a feral cat problem in our neighborhood. Naturally, my husband has taken it upon himself to solve the problem. Surprisingly, when some of the neighbors got wind of it, they were totally cool with the idea and have offered to borrow our cat trap every once in a while in order to launch sneak attacks from their yards.

Last night Matt did not succeed in catching a mangy feral cat who had been digging under our fence but instead caught the little baby raccoon who had been digging under our fence. This morning, one of our neighbors trotted out to us as we left the house to go to church to let us know that we had a really angry mama raccoon on our hands. We assured him that it was okay, it was just the baby in the trap. Eventually everyone realized that where a trapped and scared baby raccoon an angry and vicious mama raccoon is sure to follow.

Matt gathered reinforcements in the form of a couple of our college students and went to work after church to free the cute little guy (who was chirping, groaning and muttering at me as I washed dishes and watched from the kitchen window as if to say, "How can you let this happen? You're going to be a mom, can't you do anything about this?")

When I saw the baseball bats go out the door with the boys I knew I had to document the event for you all to see. I hope it's as enjoyable for you as it was for me - though I feel the need to clarify that the baseball bats are for defense - not offense. (Kecia, I remarked to my husband while he waited for the boys to show up that this whole situation felt like something that Mike would have called Matt come help him with when we were in Idaho.)

Here We Go!!!

August 15!  Just a few more weeks now before we pack up and head out.  New job, new town, new home.  There are still quite a few things up in the air.  As of right now our house has not sold and we are going to attempt to rent it.  We're getting closer to our monthly financial goal but we're not quite there yet.  But in spite of the uncertainty, we are confident that we are within God's will in our decision to embark on this new adventure.  He has given us little bits of encouragement and confirmation along the way and these "bread crumbs" keep us going when doubt starts to creep in.

As we enter a new phase of life, it seems only natural the blog enters a new phase as well.  Don't panic!  It's not really changing - it'll just be more organized and I'll be posting on a more consistent schedule.  The look will pretty much stay the same and because Baby Mange is in his "chew everyone's face off" stage, our little Mange Monster up in the corner over there is quite appropriate.  At the bottom of each post, I'll be adding a gadget for you to find other stuff around here that you might like (thanks to Michelle for having this feature on her blog - I had no idea that I could do it too!)

I'll also be putting all of the posts into new categories:

• Drama Queen (where I release my inner Drama Queen - the sole reason we I started this thing in the first place)
• Baby It! (The best of Baby Mange)
• Live It! (General stuff about our life)
• Buy It! (Where I tell you what to buy)
• Read It! (Where I tell you what to read - or not to read)
• Eat It! (Yummy stuff to eat)
• Love It! (Stuff I love that you need to love too)

So there you have it.  I'll be spending some time getting all of my posts into the new format so it might be a little while before I have something new for you.  In the meantime, I have a guest post from someone special coming and a couple of book reviews to post as well.  Stay tuned!!

God's Love Letters to You

I recently received a book from BookSneeze to review called God's Love Letters to You.  It's a 40-day devotional book based on Dr. Larry Crabb's , 66 Love Letters.  Every day, Crabb summarizes a different book of the bible and explains how it is God's way of encouraging you and showing that he loves you.  Each day starts with a Love Letter from God followed by a few points to reflect upon and a short prayer.

God's Love Letters to You is easy to read and understand.  There were a few days that felt "theology light" but overall, most of the days directly spoke to my current struggles and journey and were very encouraging.  The tone of the book was very Message-like in that it really did feel like a conversation between friends.  (So for those that are not Eugene Peterson fans might not find that this suits their tastes.)  There were many days that made me want to crack open my bible and read the entire book that was being summarized to see if I could come to the same conclusion as Dr. Crabb - not an easy feat (hello, Leviticus!) - and I am certainly interested in reading Crabb's 66 Love Letters to get a more in-depth perspective.

While I'm not sure I would recommend to a friend that they purchase this book, it's certainly worth a library check-out and may be good to use with a pre-believing friend or a new believer.



*I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

Can You Beat a Dead Horse With a Soap Box?

Consider yourselves informed...

And about that inexpensive wrap dress? A good bra will help it fit perfectly, but even a costly dress won’t cover the gruesome effects of a cheap or ill-fitting bra. It’s called foundation wear for a reason.

Don't think this applies to you?

Think again.

Read more: What Should Busty Ladies Look for in a Bra?

What Are You Waiting For?

It's book review time.  This one's a doozy girls so get out your checkbooks, cash envelopes, debit cards or budgeted ministry allowance because you're gonna want to buy this one...

"What Are You Waiting For?" by Danna Gresh has "one surprising word for you" that provides a wealth of insight on God's view of sex.  Filled with personal anecdotes, scientific studies, biblical truths and a few not-so-scientific surveys, "What Are You Waiting For?" is a MUST READ for anyone who spends time ministering to young women.  She tackles some tough topics in chapters titled, "Our Porn Problem," "The Line," "Sex is Not a Solo Sport," and "The Lesbian Question."  Pretty much all the stuff that your average single girl might want to know about but is too embarrassed to ask.  And certainly it contains answers to questions that your average Christian girl doesn't want to rely on Cosmo to answer.

I might be in the minority on this one, but I think the secular world talks about sex too much and the church doesn't talk about it enough.  Gresh's "One Thing" made me want to jump out of my seat and do a little fist pump.  (I won't spoil it for you - you can read it for yourself.)  It succinctly put into words all the reasons why I felt it was so important to remain sexually pure until I was married.  It's not "NEW" information but it's presented in a relevant way and I heard my own voice and heart more often than not in the words that she put on the page.  Of all the "virginity apologetics" books I've read, this is the only one that didn't make me roll my eyes in exasperation.

For those interested in using this book as a tool in their ministry, Chapter 13 titled, "Starting Over," covers breaking soul ties to past sexual partners, confessing to your husband or future husband and provides a framework for facilitating a sexual healing prayer.  It's pretty intense.

The book is also a lot of fun too.  Gresh sprinkles enough anecdotes of courtships, dating relationships and engagements to make the romantic in all of us swoon with delight.  Jane Austen eat your heart out; Elizabeth and Darcy have nothing on some of these lovers.

Bottom line:  Buy it.  Read it.  Embrace it.  Preach it.

Read a copy of chapter one here and don't forget to rate my review.  You'll be automatically entered to win a copy of the book and you'll help me maintain access to other great WaterBrook Multnomah titles.



What Are You Waiting For by Dannah Gresh (Chapter 1)

**I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group in exchange for my honest review**

Babyproofing

On Sunday, Baby Mange wanted nothing more than to cruise around the house on the furniture.  I preceded him into every room, removing anything that might end up in his little hands or mouth.

I think I went a little overboard.

For The Girls

Okay boys, this is a girls only post today.  Seriously, scram.  I'm not supposed to talk about this kind of stuff in mixed company.

Are they gone?  Okay good.

Ladies, today we're going to talk about The Girls.  Yes.  Those Girls.  It's gonna be a quick chat so hold on to your brassieres.  Actually, don't hang onto them because that's what we're going to talk about today.

I read a statistic a while ago from the international association of bra makers (or whatever they're called) that said the most common bra size sold was a 34B.  Comparing that information with the "80% of women are wearing the wrong bra size" statistic that has been thrown at us over the years, we can assume then that most women are not, in fact, a 34B.

Eh, that's good enough GaGa

So this is my public service announcement for the day:  Please, please, please go and get your precious little self fitted by a properly trained individual.  And no, Suzie Prom Queen down at Victoria's Secret doesn't count.  Go to Nordstrom or some other place of business that sells a WIDE variety of sizes and have one of the sales associates escort you into a dressing room with that tiny little measuring tape.  Don't be scared, you don't have anything that they haven't seen before.  It may be two of the more awkward minutes of your life but it will be one of the best decisions you will make regarding the form and fit of your clothing.  Birds will sing.  Rainbows will appear.  Cats and Dogs will dance in the streets.  Lady Gaga might even wear pants.

Skeptical?  I was too before I went in and found out that I was one of the 80%.  The scales fell from my eyes.  There were birds and rainbows and unicorns and puppies and happy things in my world again.  My posture improved, my clothing fit better, I stopped fidgeting and I think I even became a nicer person.

If you're like me and learn that it's going to be a little harder to find stuff on the rack at your local JC Penney's or Target check out Nordstrom Rack for your support needs - I have never paid over $20 for a single item there.  Or better yet, try on different styles at the expensive stores, jot down some notes and hop on to the interwebs.

You may now return to your regularly scheduled program.

Baby Love, I Need You, Oh How I Need You

In case you didn't know, I love my library.  And not just my library - ANY library will do.  Short ones, tall ones, fat ones, skinny ones...hmmmm.  I think I may have mixed that up with something else.  Anyway, a few weeks ago, our family took a short little walk to the library.  Baby Mange was strapped to dad's chest in the Baby Bjorn, I had a couple bucks in my pocket (you know, just in case we needed to stop and refuel at the drive-in with a couple of ice cream cones.  Six blocks downhill can seem like a long way when you're out of shape.  Don't judge.)  Our library recently had to relocate to the Carnegie Center (built in 1913) and as a result, most of the books have been put in storage and its inventory at the new location has been decreased to one tenth of its old size. I had no idea what I was looking for or what I would find but I had a feeling.  A good feeling.

And then I saw it.  THE book I was looking for.  My prayers had been answered.  Baby Love.  How to make your own baby food.  And it wasn't just a boring old book filled with recipes.  It looked easy (as I imagine most baby food recipes are.)  It had pictures!  And they were bright and beautiful and everything I have always wanted in a cook book.  I haven't gotten past the purees but I look forward to it based on how well my initial efforts turned out!  There are even some recipes in the back for mom and dad.


My first attempt at Sweet Potatoes turned out great so I decided to use the peas I had in the freezer for my next batch.

They didn't turn out as smooth as they did in the picture.  Then again, they have a commercial grade blender and I don't.

Owen's Food - Don't Touch!
Not that anyone would want to; that's breast milk in them thar tubes.

Clean up is a cinch!

I love the bright green colors and perfectly shaped little squares.
They nurture the obsessive compulsive beast inside me.

Baby Mange says, "YES PEAS!"  Heh, see what I did there?

Now gimme that camera so I can rub peas all over it!

Baby Mange didn't even mind the chunks of pea skins that didn't get pureed.  A lot of them ended up in a nice, neat little pile in that impossible to clean spot under his chin but we've gotten the hang of eating chunky food in the days following these pictures.

Now if only I had a chest freezer and more babies to feed.  (The chest freezer is for the food - not the babies.)

Indelible

Indelible by Kristen Heitzmann
(read the first chapters below)

Chilling.  In a word, that's how I would describe Kristen Heitzmann's new book, Indelible.  The story centers around sculptor, Natalie Reeve, and former Olympic Skiier turned Outfitter and Rescuer, Trevor McDaniel.  After rescuing Natalie's young nephew from a mountain lion attack, the two are naturally drawn to each other with Natalie's eidetic memory and Trevor's playboy history combining to create the necessary romantic tension.  In the midst of this, Trevor has acquired a menacing admirer.  The anti-hero to Trevor's good looks, charm and seemingly super-human abilities, we are given very little information about his motives until the end of the story.  The incorporation of John Milton's Paradise Lost further drives home the idea that while we know very little about him, we are dealing with a spiritually tormented individual.

As with her previous novel, Indivisible, Indelible is set in the fictional town of Redford, Colorado and incorporates many familiar characters.  While it is not necessary to read Indivisible first, it does help in the way of navigating a very large cast of supporting characters - some of whom may not seem important enough to mention to the uninitiated reader.

I enjoyed the relationship between Natalie and Fleur, a blind painter who works out of Natalie's studio.  Fleur seemed to make the room brighter every time she entered which was often a welcome break from the dark subject matter.  I would have liked the book to be longer and felt that it ended too abruptly.  I hope that we see resolution of some of the supporting characters' stories, like Jaz or Piper and Miles, in her next novel.


While I found the book extremely compelling, those expecting Heitzmann's usual brand of story telling may be disappointed.  Idelible is darker and more ominous than even her last couple of books, Indivisible and Edge of Recall, but it's not so terrifying that it will send you running room to room, turning on all the lights in your home.  Consistent with her earlier novels however, is Heitzmann's ability to create an urgency about the lost-ness of the world and the unseen, but often ignored, spiritual warfare all around us.

*I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group to review.  Be sure to rate my review!*




Indelible by Kristen Heitzmann (Chapter 1 Excerpt)

I Am A Child of the 80's

The Bad News: My hair started falling out around month five after Baby Mange was born.  And while I was expecting it to happen, I secretly hoped that I would defy the odds and keep my new beautiful thick hair.

The Good News:  It's starting to grow back!

 

The Bad News: I look like a Popple.

Where Are Your Parents??!!

I am so riled up right now I need to blog just to blow off the extra steam.  I've already vented to my husband and repented to my Lord and Savior but I'm still a little keyed up after grocery shopping tonight.  Drama Blogging relaxes me.

"Who the heck goes full-on grocery shopping at 11:00 at night?!"

That was the 16 year-old kid behind me in line at the grocery store tonight.  And for the record it was only 10:30.

"Seriously, this is ridiculous!"

Ugh.

You know what kid?  People with small children and full-time jobs go grocery shopping at 11:00 at night.  So I'm sorry if I'm cutting into your Red Bull-chugging, Grand-Theft Auto playing, Pokemon card collecting, skateboarding time but the next time that you and your little posse of snot-nosed friends get the midnight munchies, I suggest that you buy your Snickers and Monster Energy drinks at the Plaid Pantry down the street, the line is shorter.

I really wanted to say all of that but I didn't because as Nathan Fillion says, "It costs very little to say something nice, and even less to shut up all together." (Yes, I just quoted Nathan Fillion - you wish you were me right now.)

And of course there's that whole Proverbs 15 thing about a gentle answer deflecting anger and harsh words making tempers flare.  Really God?  You're gonna do this to me now?  I guess that's what I get for asking Him to make me more like Jesus on the way to the grocery store.  I just didn't expect the response time to be so quick.

So I kept my mouth shut.  And I kept my mouth shut as the cashier couldn't get my $5 formula rebate check to run through the machine and the kids rolled their eyes and grumbled and the line behind me got longer and longer.

And I kept my mouth shut as I walked outside to my car and two 11-year olds in the parking lot (seriously, where are these kids' parents?) complained about their friends taking too long in the store.

And I kept my mouth shut as I heard the kid come out of the store and loudly complain to his 11-year old friends that people were buying too much stuff and the lady in front of him had too many coupons.

And I didn't drive past them on my way out of the parking lot because I couldn't promise myself that I wouldn't "accidentally" drive over their skateboards.

So if you, my dear reader, learn anything else from my encounter this evening, remember this: Jesus didn't love-bump the pharisees with the fender of his car so neither should you.

VOXBOX!!!

To become a member, go to http://www.influenster.com/ and sign up.  Seriously.  Go.

Did I Mention That I Love Spam?

The Chambers of Richard Gilbert QC and Associates
2 Bedford Row
London
WC1R 4BU
United Kingdom
 
Tel: +44 (0)703 190 1802
Fax +44 (0)700 606 6349
DX LDE 17
Email: barr.rgilbert@qatar.io
 
Attorney at Law
Faegre & Benson LLP, UK.
 
Office Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00a.m. - 5:00p.m. Evening Appointments
Available
 
On behalf of the Trustees and Executor of the estate of Late  Engr. Jurge
Krugger. I once again try to notify you as my earlier letter was returned
undelivered. I wish to notify you  that late  Engr. J?rge Kr?gger made you
a beneficiary to his WILL. He left  the sum of  Thirty Million, One
Hundred Thousand Dollars ($30, 100.000.00) to you in the Codicil and last
testament to his  WILL.This may sound strange and unbelievable to you, but
it is real and true. Being a widely traveled man, he must have been in
contact with you in the past or simply you were nominated to him by one of
his numerous friends abroad who wished you good. Engr. J?rge Kr?gger until
his death was a member of the Helicopter Society and the Institute of
Electronic & Electrical Engineers.
 
According to him this money is to support your humanitarian activities and
to help the poor and the needy in our society.  Please if I reach you as I
am hopeful, endeavor to get back to me as soon as possible to enable me
conclude my job. I hope to hear from you in no distant time.
 
Note: You are advise to contact me with my personal email address:
barr.rgilbert@qatar.io
 
I await your prompt response.
 
Yours in Service,
 
Barr. Richard GIlbert QC.
Tel: +44 (0)703 190 1802
Fax +44 (0)700 606 6349
Email: barr.rgilbert@qatar.io
Attorney at Law Faegre & Benson LLP, UK

___________________________________

Dear Sir,

I regret to inform you that it is unlikely that the Late Engr. Jurge Krugger

left his estate to me.  You see, when we last spoke, I said some things that

he found extremely offensive.  I believe the words "shorts," "eat," and "my," 

may have been used in some form or another.  It is more likely that you are

trying to reach his other long lost niece who is in fact very active

philanthropically.  It is my understanding that her next project is to

build a monorail for the town of Springfield.  I am unsure as to where this

project is located but I'm sure you can track her down eventually.

Sincerely,

Jackie 

I Love Spam

Hi Dear,

how are you today I hope that everything is ok with you as it is my
great pleasure to contact you in having communication with you
starting from today, i was just playing around through the internet
search when i found your email address,i want to make a very new and
special friend,so i decided to contact you to see how we can make it
work if we can. please i wish you will have the desire with me so
that we can get to know each other better and see what happens in future.



My name is Tracy Williams,i am from United State of America but
presently i live and work in England, I will be very happy if you
can write me through my private email
address(tracymedicine01@yahoo.com) for easy communication so that we
can know each other, I will give you my pictures and details about me upon hearing from you.

I wish you all the best.

your new friend

Tracy Williams

________________________________

Dear Tracy,

I also am from the United State of America.  The other 49 take excelent with us calling it that but the rest of we Oregons sit on our choise to do so.  I am sorry to notification you that I have many friends today.  Two many two add one more.  I are not always a good friend to the ones I have and it be not kind to forget them more.  Starting from today my junk mail filter is set to exclusive.

I wish you all the best

Jackie