Chronicles of our Journey: An Op-ed piece on the kidnappings in Nigeria

This is an eye-opening article, a must read!
Chronicles of our Journey: An Op-ed piece on the kidnappings in Nigeria

April 21, 2014 Ramblings

April 21, 2014
Today, I tried to renew my subscription to BookLook reviews.  However, I apparently now need to meet specific criteria in order to continue to be eligible.  One of the criteria is to have 30 members on my blog.  I have posted a note on my Facebook page asking my friends to consider checking out my blog.  Another of the criteria is that I now need to have entries on my blog on a regular basis.  So here goes...

We got home from AZ on Apr 9 so it's been just 13 days and have already made the adjustment to AB weather.  No difficulty as it was a good feeling to get back home.  But I could do without the unpacking.

Have caught up on some of my health issues, Scleroderma and A-Fib.

• The A-Fib clinic is Cgy has now scheduled my to see one of their cardiologists in late May but also sent me a large envelop of  information including blood work, ECG and lung X-ray request.  So I've been getting these items checked off the list.  So this week I have a couple of days set aside for these and also time to see my family doctor for some updates.  
• As far as Scleroderma, the cooler weather here in AB (I know it's spring but compared to AZ heat wave which began aggressively the end of March) has not been helping.  Achilles tendons have flared up again so I've got out the Salon Pas patches and also the turmeric tea. Hopefully, I'll see some relief.  I was on the SCL support site, Inspire today and comparatively,  I should have no complaints.  As well comparing my condition with that of my sister, Helen, again, I should also have no complaints.  But that's the nature of this illness, no two patients are the same even if their DNA is identical.  
• Another health issue is a cut on the top of my foot which I came by totally accidentally; if you can call dropping a butcher knife off the counter an accident.  Right, it fell sharp side down right across my big toe on the right foot.  Rather nasty when the SCL issues results in the slow down of the healing.  But I must say that since it happened, Apr 7 it has mostly pulled together.  (no stitches but it was deep).  Sitting in the car, driving for 2 days was good medicine.  But now at home, it has felt rather silly going out with sandals so on Friday afternoon I put on some runners to go for a walk and it simply didn't work.  Hubby had to run home for my Sorrels so that could have been a setback but thankfully, it wasn't.

So tomorrow is the second Tuesday at home already and Tuesday is always a welcome change of pace - the quilters meet for the whole day.  And I've got my stuff ready to go.  Working on a couple of little things, a small exchange project for MESO and LESO - making each of the girls a mini quilt of the other one's quilt.  Little, but still a bit of detail required to get it finished.  Also, ADD has a Love Is quilt square .- the first of nine but I'll have to play some catch up as making one a year is not going to be an option.

So I guess, the bottom line is going to be: GET ORGANIZED, as they say too many quilts and not enough time....and yes, hopefully will be able to get some of the gardening stuff underway!

Invisible

Invisible     Ginny L Yttrup            May 3, 2013

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their 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

 

This review has been posted on:        

·         http://www.christianbook.com/

·         Suzyquilter.blogspot.com

  

Overall rating I gave this book is 5+ stars.

 

This book is one wonderful book.  I thoroughly enjoyed it from cover to cover.

It is very intriguing to see the three main characters meet and develop very strong bonds with one another.  I also am impressed how the author gently introduces the subject of God and then continues to provide the message of the gospel; to use the author’s words in her notes at the end of the book: “This is a story of freedom from the bondage of shame.  Freedom found through believing the truth of God’s Word.”  The title is the one word that explains how we ought not to think that God sees us!

At the beginning of each chapter the author has chosen a quote from Saint Augustine and I wondered each time I read the quote how this would finally connect.  I was not disappointed as Ginny Yttrup does a subpurb job in in the development of both the characters and relates their issues to a man who lived nearly two centuries before. 

“Men go abroad to wonder at the heights of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motions of the stars, and they pass by themselves without wondering.” Saint Augustine

This author is excellent in describing issues that many women struggle with; she provides insight into the issues and provides the reader a first person account to gain understanding.  This is definitely a book that “encouraged, entertained, and energized” me “by this message,”  quoted from the review by Marilyn Meberg on the back of the book.

I can’t wait to read Words, and Lost and Found (other books written by Ginny L. Yttrup.

 

Bread & Wine

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their 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

 

This review has been posted on:        

·         http://www.christianbook.com/

·         Suzyquilter.blogspot.ca

 

 

Overall rating I gave this book is 3 stars,

 

The cover of this book is beautiful and the byline on it is:

            “a love letter to life around the table with recipes”.

 

However, I could not get why the byline?   The book is not anywhere near what the byline claims.  It is on very poor paper quality, there are no pictures and the words do not even come close to substantiate the claim.

 

What I liked was the table of contents that included all of the recipes.  At least this way I could quickly turn to a page that might capture my interest with a recipe.

Also I did enjoy the descriptions the author includes of why the recipe was meaningful to her.  And I do share with Shauna the idea that people I love “gather around my table to not only eat and drink, but to also tell stories, to be heard and fed and nourished on every level.”

 

To improve this book, additional cost should have been suggested and this would allow for a better product to be showcased and also include some pictures of both the recipes and also the people who she influenced with her culinary skills.

 

 

HEAVEN IS FOR REAL

Heaven is For Real

Using booksneeze.com, I received this book from Thomas Nelson book review bloggers program. http://brb.thomasnelson.com/

This review has also been posted on http://www.christianbook.com/

 
Written by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent

 You can visit:  http://heavenisforreal.net/ for a glimpse into this book.

 I needed another book for my next review.  There was only one available, this one.  But I hesitated and didn’t order it but waited a few days and checked again, but still only one.  So, “I may as well take it”.  When it arrived a week later, it sat on the counter.  It did catch my eye a few times and when I finally picked it up there was nothing going to get me to put it down.  Yes, I’d read a short preview But I was not really gripped as thought “how many books can there be about the NDE and this one happened to a 4 year old boy”?  I was totally unprepared for the intense emotion included in the story,

This book is written:

• In the first person of Colton’s father, Todd Burpo
• Both he and his wife were very careful to be factful in how they gained their understanding of their son’s time spent in heaven.
• As attentive parents, they both learn an immense amount of information from their child Colton
• Todd along with his wife, listened intently to the first hint as to what Colton had experienced, “I heard the angels singing” …
• Little by little the details came out and just when mom & dad thought they had the whole story, Colton would let another piece of information out!
• Colton’s dad Todd as a pastor and mom as a Sunday school leader were both extremely cognizant of the fact that they wanted the information to be Colton’s story and never planned to write a book about the family’s experience.  They also were intent on not “pushing” Colton to tell the story as wanted to ensure he voluntarily told the story and definitely did not ‘put words in their son’s mouth’

This book could be improved by:

Better promotion in order to capture the attention of prospective readers.

I gave this book a 5 star rating because it did simply because it capture my undivided attention and also told a very amazing story.

God's Promises for Women of Faith

This book is written:

• Entirely in direct quotes from the Bible
• In a straight forward manner as the author has categorized the promises into 12 different sections starting with God’s Plan for Women and ending with Dynamic Women of Faith.  So there is a promise given to women in many situations from comfort, blessings, growing and walking and gaining self confidence.  The author has only needed to organize the headings and includes 6 different issues in each category.
• It is a small sized book – 6 ¾ by 4 ½ and as such could fit into a women’s purse and be handy for reading just the right passage as needed throughout the day, i.e.: Cherish Being a Friend, Offer Encouragement, Power to Defeat Fear, Face the Years Ahead, Failure. Confidence and the list goes on.
• The book’s introduction is written by Mary Graham and in this introduction Gloria Gaither’s name is also mentioned.  So one can only assume it is Gloria who has written the table of contents.  So I was disappointed to read on the Thomas Nelson website the books author is actually a man – Jack Countryman.  However nowhere in the book is this name written.
• The book also includes 3 blank pages at the end for the reader to write their own notes.  This will definitely be a start in the reader journaling her responses to any issues they are encountering.

This book could be improved by:

• Providing a ribbon bookmark to mark your spot
• Providing a way to mark the places in the book that are specially written to bring meaning to your life

I rated this book 4 stars simply because it is directly quoted from the Bible.

One Hand, Two Hands by Max Lucado

I received this book from Thomas Nelson book review bloggers program. http://brb.thomasnelson.com/

You can visit the One Hand, Two Hands at http://www.maxlucado.net/_product_30438/One_Hand_Two_Hands_(Hardback)

I was very impressed with this book.

It is written:

• In an easy to read style with rhyming words on every page - 24 full pages

• The rhymes will be easily memorized by the child and will no doubt be used many times during the day.

• Although the illustrations use a little girl on each page, the words are gender neutral and one page does include a little boy.

• The little girl engages the reader by her interaction with her large St Bernard style puppy dog and also her pet kitty cat.

• The way she cares for her stuffed animals and make them come to life dancing with her in the garden is just what kids love to do – play pretend.

• It brings an important message to young children about Helping Hands, Kind Hands, and Loving Hands and also makes ordinary chores look like too much fun.

• I especially enjoyed the page where the little girl is sitting cuddled in her Grandma’s lap – “with hands and a hug, we make people feel better”

The pictures:

• Are certain to keep your little ones attention; with lots of details and color to look at while you’re doing the reading.

• One page shows the girl and her animal friends dressed up in baseball uniforms and a frog jumping excitedly on home plate.

• Another favourite page of mine is near the end where the little girl is kneeling beside her bed with the big puppy dog saying her prayers; the other animals are lined up on her bed, covered with a beautiful hand stitched quilt!

• The little girl is pictured as very independent – parents are only showed once.

• There is a lot of material on each page, providing good quality reading time

This book could be improved by:

• Making it in a smaller format – at approx 10 in x 10 in - it is hard for little ones to turn the pages but please keep the large format as well

• Including both boys and girls in more of the pictures