Children's Book Review

We had to miss church today due to illness.  Fortunately I had this book for review tucked away for a rainy day.  I was sad to miss Palm Sunday service, so we sat down as a family and read God Gave Us Easter by Lisa Tawn Bergren.



There are several books in this "God Gave Us" series.  We've read several and I've always loved the story line and the kids adore the fantastic artistry by Laura J. Bryant.

The illustrations are again gorgeous and contain many conversation starters just from looking at the pictures.  The author says the series is geared for ages 2-6 but the story line in this particular book seemed to be better suited for my seven year old.  My 5 & 3 year olds loved the pictures but the subject seemed a bit obscure for them.

I'm not sure where to start dissecting.  There are several fantastic topics covered in this power packed book.  Not only is Jesus the focus of this Easter book, but also the art of "listening with your heart" is broached.  I confess I got choked up a bit reading it out loud to the kids for the first time when Little Cub tells her dad:

"Papa, I think I heard God last night."
"You did?" he said, putting his arm around her. "Well that's the best Easter present ever! What'd he say?"
"I love you."
"Mmm, those are good words.  Perfect words.  And they really are what Easter is all about."

I really enjoyed sharing this book with my family.  However, I can't quite say that I loved it.  I'm not sure that I can quite pinpoint exactly why that is.  Overall it's a great book and I'd still highly recommend it.  However, I felt like perhaps there were too many things going on.  The story seemed sort of "busy" with lots of topics going on all at once.  Easter eggs, Noah's ark, God's rainbow promise, listening with your heart....Again, all fantastic topics, but it just felt like maybe too much of a good thing and it left me struggling to maintain the attention of my younger listeners.  Perhaps we just need to read it through a few more times so they can catch on to the story.  The author provides a coloring page to go along with it so maybe I'll try reading it while they color their page.  That trick often works to keep their attention focused.

You can get more details about the book and read an excerpt here.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post. Any opinions expressed are my own.

 

Stupid Cold

I got the crazy stupid idea to try to go for a run yesterday.  I should have known it was a ridiculous idea when there were only THREE people on the typically busy trail as I drove to the parking lot.

Two of those three were bundled like Eskimos.  True story.

 

Determined to have some pre-super-bowl-snacks caloric burn, I set out anyway.  Where I was layered with warm gear (three layers to be exact) I was ok...chilly, but not freezing.  Unfortunately, anything exposed was just downright painful.  About a half mile in I kept seeing something in my peripheral vision...took me a minute to figure out what it was....

 

The wind was bringing tears to my eyes and then it was freezing on my lashes!  You know it's stupid cold when tears freeze on your lashes.  I continued to press on, but about 3/4 mile in I realized my Achilles tendons were killing me.  It was loose packed snow, so think running on sand.  Not fantastic white beaches sand, but like nasty Lake Erie beach sand.  Needless to say I turned around after only a mile!  The gorgeous photo posted above was the silver lining of an otherwise frustrating run. 

Book Review: Blind Hope

As many of you probably know, my life has become quite crazy recently with the addition of a sixth member to our household.  Time for "leisure reading" has been sparse.  I've had my review copy of Blind Hope by Kim Meeder & Laurie Sacher for several months.  It's not that the title and concept didn't appeal to me, I just simply did not make the time to read it.  I was fully expecting a heavy tear-jerker story.  I just could not bring myself to commit to anything that would contribute to my already emotional state.

I was wrong.  In a good way.  This true story about "An Unwanted Dog and the Woman She Rescued" (as the title says) had a great mix of humor and silliness alongside the honest transparency of a broken human heart. 

A brief intro is that a mangy, bad breath, diabetes ridden dog (soon blind) slowly works her way into her rescue owner Laurie's heart.  Laurie realize that she's been living a facade life and that she needs to be as honest and open as her dog Mia is.  Mia helps bring Laurie closer to God and closer becoming the kindhearted person she had wanted people to believe her to be.

The story is inspirational and heartwarming, though I confess parts of it seemed a bit wordy for my liking.  I found myself skimming over sections to get the gist of it without reading through the redundancy.  Still, as a proud owner of a "rescue" dog, this story held extra appeal to me.  It is a quick read (not just because of my skim reading!) and I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for an uplifting read.  
 
 

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post. Any opinions expressed are my own.

 

Political Rant

 

Let me preface with this.  I know this is likely to be a very unpopular blog post.  If you're easily offended, I think perhaps you should reconsider reading this.  You've been warned.

I am soooo ready for this political "season" to end.  But not for the reason you might be thinking.  It's not because of the political commercials or even the signs and many fliers that have been clogging up my mailbox.  No, I'm ready for it to be done so I can stop feeling irrationally angry at my various "friends" on social media.

Ok, here's where the "unpopular" part comes in.  I am NOT one who will say "I don't care how you vote, just get out there and vote."  Quite honestly this statement irks me to no end.  If you are resorting to "inny minny miny mo" then please...just stay home.  If you cannot make an informed decision, then what's the point?  I also have very little patience for people who vote "the ticket" without researching where their affiliated party candidate truly stands on things.  Now, I know what you're thinking...it's often hard to find good un-biased info, but for crying out loud, at least try. 

Furthermore...what does "I don't care how you vote..." really mean?  Of course I care.  You probably do too if you're being honest.  If no one really cares, then please explain why so many people will be glued to the TV watching the little scrolling vote count as the precincts start reporting?  Maybe it's the competitive beast in me...but I do care.  I care how you vote.  I care because it directly affects whether or not "my" person wins or loses.  I know I like to "win," don't you? 

Oh...and don't get me started on the people who chose to ignore voting all together because they don't like either presidential candidate.  Quite frankly the local elections (that seem to get ignored by most voters) have a more immediate and direct affect on your community.  If you don't know, don't vote!  I'd much rather leave a spot blank than wrongfully and ignorantly vote for someone who has no business sitting on the judge bench, or on the Board of Education, or whatever.  You don't know?  Don't vote.  I don't think there has been an election yet where I haven't had to leave at least one spot blank.  Maybe that's a "shame on me" for not thoroughly researching it enough...but I'd rather not vote than find out later I voted wrong! 

Now, I'm not even saying you have to agree with my opinion on things.  You don't have to have the same core values and beliefs that shape how and who I vote for (although, if you did that would be fabulous because as we've already established...I like to win), but please be informed as to which candidate best meshes with your beliefs.  Be informed about local judges and what kind of people they're putting back on the streets.  Be informed about what kind of county sheriff you want overseeing your community (and your community's jails!).  Be informed about what state and local "issues" and levies are on the ballot.  Vote informed or don't vote at all.

Trail Running Ramblings

I ran my very first ever "trail" race on Saturday.  No, I didn't start with a 5k or even a 10k.  Somehow I jumped right to the half marathon.  When I trained for my first half marathon in the spring, I diligently followed a training plan by Hal Higdon.  I dedicated about 14 weeks to training for it.  This time around, I only had SIX weeks dedicated to training for the trail half.  I went into it realizing my time was going to be different.  A veteran trail runner told me to add about an hour to my previous half marathon time and that should be my expected finish time.  I finished my first (road) half in 2:06:46.  I made a goal for myself of finishing the trail half in under three hours.  

I'm so glad I had set a realistic expectation for myself.  (I even had a back up goal of 3.5 hours in case I fell short of the three hour goal...I just wanted to finish before the BMX bikers lapped me. ;) )  With this relaxed goal I was able to enjoy my "training" runs and really focus on finishing rather than focusing on a specific speed or time.  By the end of training for my road half I had started to really dread training and was sooooo ready for the race to be done and over with so I could do something (anything!) other than running.  I didn't want to get to that point this time, so I had a very relaxed training approach.  Fortunately, I was able to reach my goal with an official finish time of 2:54:44.

The actual race itself was unlike anything I've experienced before.  In more ways than one!  First, the camaraderie is amazing.  I rarely felt "alone" because you chat with whomever happens to be running near you at the time.  (Keep in mind this is predominately a single-file type trail.)  I had complete conversations with people without really making face to face contact.  I talked to a lot of backs of heads.  For the first four miles I was in with a pack of roller derby girls.  The. Most. Fun. EVER.  They were hilarious.  Made me want to dust off my skates and join the derby.  Seriously.  We laughed and giggled, and "boxed out" anyone trying to pass us.  (In completely fun and joking ways...we did follow "trail courtesy" don't worry.)  I ran with a guy who was using this half as part of his training plan for an Iron Man.  Holy smokes was he inspirational.  I ran with a 65 year old man who had the audacity to refer to this half as a "sprint distance."  He runs so many races/events that he said only about 4 days out of a year are "training" runs.  I ran with a gal who has written books and blogs about her experiences competing while traveling the country.  Her next event is an "extreme" triathlon in Florida.  I ran with a few Navy folks.  One got stung in the leg and though he was massively built was taken down by a little bug.  (Somehow this made me chuckle, though admittedly I should have been more compassionate.)  I slowed down to walk at one point and a random stranger came along side me and said "Oh no, you can't slow down, you've been my inspiration for the last five miles."  I grunted a very unlady like response and kept running.    I had the pleasure of meeting a lovely woman who had JUST returned from Kabul, Afghanistan.  She's a civilian working with the military.  She flew in last week.  Her family came to cheer her on and she came up and high-fived me after I finished.  I got to meet her family who thought we knew each other.  She shrugged as said, "Nope, but we bonded through miles 10 to 12."  (This is the gal who is in the photograph with me on my previous blog post with the bib #30.) 

I've never felt so physically depleted in my life.  I was so spent that I had to walk most of the last half mile.  And yet, I had a blast!  (It was slightly less fun when I was writhing in pain a few hours post-race because I was sooooo hungry my stomach cramped and convulsed when I tried to nibble on a cracker.  Poor Jeff thought I broke a rib or something.)  Will I run it again next year.  YES!  Maybe I'll actually devote the 12 weeks to training and aim for a 2.5 hour finish time.  I'm thinking I'd like to run a 10k trail race in the spring.  10k seems to be my distance of preference.  Looking at my "splits" I had really great times for the first six miles and dropped off drastically each mile thereafter.  So...who wants to run it with me next year???  :)

I Ran A Trail Half Marathon!

13.1 Because I'm Only HALF Crazy

Early mid life crisis?  Perhaps.  For some inexplicable reason, upon celebration of my 29th birthday, vowed to run a half marathon before my 30th.  Crazy?  Yes.  One short year ago I had diligently trained to run a 5k.  (For those who are metric-conversion challenged that's only 3.1 miles.)  Yet, somehow I had myself convinced I needed to run 13.1 miles?  Yup.  Crazy.

Someone once told me "A half marathon is only a 5k with a ten mile warm up."  Fiddlesticks!  That's a bunch of nonsense right there.  Training for a spring race proved to be quite the test of determination.  There is really nothing fun about running distance on a treadmill (or as Chanda calls it...the hamster wheel).  My hatred for the treadmill pushed me to running outside in all kinds of fun weather conditions.  Though we had an unusually mild winter, without fail we'd have amazingly gorgeous weather during the week and then craptasticly cold, wet, and snowy weekend weather.  Weekends were my "long" training runs.  Go figure.  

Little did I know how important this outdoor crappy weather training would turn out to be.  Friday packet pick up presented a gorgeous breezy 70+ degree day.  What a difference a day makes.  Race day was wet and cold.  So very very cold.  We got rained on and pelted with sleet.  Around mile 7 I calculated my time and distance in my head and determined my "goal" finish time was not likely to happen.  "Just keep running!"  I told myself.  I've been super spoiled by running the Akron Marathon relays.  The cheering and neighborhood support is fantastic.  Other than the occasional glare from disgruntled drivers, there were zero "neighborhood" folks along this course.  The "human cones" (race volunteers) would sometimes cheer halfheartedly.  (Though, who can blame them for their lack of enthusiasm when it was freaking COLD out!?!) 

Thankfully, I have an amazing husband.  (As does my running partner.)  Our men braved the dreary conditions to come cheer us on.  They endured three whole miles of trekking along the course to see us at three different locations (including the finish line.)  Three miles may not sound like much, but keep in mind they wore jeans, boots (work & cowboy respectively), and one even sported a cowboy hat.  Those of you who know our husbands can guess which of the two wore the cowboy apparel.  They sure do love us.

I crossed the finish line with a time of 2 hours 6 minutes and 46 seconds.  I finished at exactly the middle of the pack (over all, in my "gender" and in my age category.)  It was over my original goal time of finishing under two hours, but gosh darn it I finished.  At the advice of Nathan from one of his blog posts, I had armed myself with a "back up goal" of finishing with less than "ten minute mile" average pace.  I accomplished my "plan b" goal with an average pace of 9:41 minutes per mile.  I'll take it. 

Another Fantastic "Plain" Story

 

The newest release from Cindy Woodsmall, The Scent of Cherry Blossoms is a "Romance from the Heart of Amish Country."

I am a home-schooling mom of three.  That doesn't allow for much "leisure" time to devote toward reading.  Still, I finished this charming book in less than 48 hours.  It has a heartwarming story with thoroughly developed and loveable characters.  The imagery is so fabulous I could nearly smell the cherry blossoms as the story came to a close.

With an intriguing plot line that draws attention to the deeply drawn lines between Old Order Amish and Old Order Mennonite, I found this story to be thought provoking.  I love how author Cindy Woodsmall can entwine the Gospel message within a "Plain" setting.  I was immediately swept up in the family drama with Annie Martin caught in the middle.  I found myself cheering for Aden Zook as he struggles to find his own place in his family.

I loved the update glimpse of Mattie and Gideon from The Christmas Singing.  It was nice to see their wedding come to fruition.

I highly recommend this book.  My only regret is that it was over too soon.  I will miss my new friends from Apple Ridge.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post. Any opinions expressed are my own.

The Crossing by Serita Jakes

Imprisoned by memories, Claudia Campbell lives each day in the shadow of a ten-year-old murder. Who can set her free?
On the way home from a football game, a decade earlier, a masked gunman opened fire on a Texas school bus.  Cheerleading coach B.J. Remington was killed, but her murderer was never found. Claudia, who had a close friendship with the young, spirited teacher, constantly relives the anguish of that day, caught in one moment in time. When her husband, the assistant district attorney, becomes determined to uncover the mystery of that tragedy, the secrets buried over the years threaten to tear their family apart.

I received this book for review several months ago.  I knew from the publisher's description (as seen above) that this was not going to be a lighthearted read.  Though I hesitated to read it, now upon completion I'm glad I did.  I do recommend reading this thought provoking story about how one event can change the course of your future.

This book took some twist and turns that I didn't see coming.  The format was different than other books I’ve read, but it was easy to follow the developing characters.  I was especially fond of the internal monologue sequences that contained the dying thoughts of B.J. Remington.  It prompts you to take a good hard look at your priorities.  Does your focus line up with eternity?  Or are you hung up on the temporal trappings of this world?

Overall an excellent story and I highly recommend reading it.

 

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post. Any opinions expressed are my own.

Heart Warming Christmas Read

Author Cindy Woodsmall has again penned a beautiful Amish Romance.  This time the setting is split between both Ohio and Pennsylvania Amish communities.  The Christmas Singing explores the consequences of heartache and the hope of restoration.  I was immediately captivated by the characters, especially Mattie Eash.  The character is so well developed I find myself believing "Mattie Cakes" is a real place from where I wish I could order my next cake.

My favorite quote from the book encapsulates the heart of her character: "Look at who I am.  I spend months planning and preparing cakes that are marred with the first slice and devoured in minutes...But having something that I've worked on taken apart doesn't make me give up.  It's the thrill of creating it and the joy it brings to others and the memories it gives that matter.  That's who I am."

As we approach the Christmas season, I think this is a great story to help you recenter your focus on things that truly matter:  Jesus Christ and interpersonal relationships.  Don't allow the frenzy of Christmas (shopping, baking, etc) distract you from taking the time to treasure the precious moments with your loved ones.  We never know how long any of us have.  Make every moment count. 



I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post. Any opinions expressed are my own.