Happy Homemaker Monday - 02/24/2014

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend. As usual ours passed in a bit of a blur, but it was a productive weekend so I can't complain.

If you would like to participate in Happy Homemaker Monday head on over to Diary of a Stay at Home Mom, and link up! :)

Image Credit: Sandra @ Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

~As I look out my window~

All the snow is melted now except for a few random patches here and there. It's pretty chilly outside so I'm glad to be inside for the time being. The sun is shining though and I'm so excited for Spring! It's so close now! :)

~Right now I am~

Sitting on my couch writing this post while my little one naps.

~Thinking and pondering~

About all that is ahead this week. My youngest has a birthday on Saturday. He will be 3 and it is so bittersweet. I'm so excited and happy but I'm also nostalgic as well. It seems like just yesterday both my loves were tiny little babies smiling up at me as I cradled them in my arms. Now they are both busy boys that are whirlwinds and are all over the place. LOL I love them so much, and I am so proud of each of them at the young men they are becoming. I just wish I could stop the clock for a bit.

~On my bedside table~

I just finished this book:

It was an incredible read, and I honestly learned a lot from reading it. I'll be writing a review on it and posting it this week as well.

Now I'm contemplating what to read next. I have tons of books on my Kindle but I'm craving an actual book to read again. LOL I love ebooks to a point but sometimes there's nothing like holding the weight of a book in your hands, turning the pages, smelling the lovely book scent. :)

~On my TV tonight~

I haven't been watching a whole lot on TV lately. Mostly when I get the chance to watch TV I catch up on unseen episodes of Bones, shows on TLC, or I end up watching shows with the hubby. LOL

~Listening to~

Bones playing on the TV. I'm watching and listening to it as I type this up. Missed episode. :)

~On the menu this week~

Monday- Beef Stroganoff, mashed potatoes, peas

Tuesday- Fried Breaded Chicken, green beans, rice

Wednesday- Spaghetti & Garlic Bread

Thursday- Chili Cheese Dogs & Fries

Friday- Seafood Gumbo & Cornbread

Saturday- Pizza Hut (birthday boys choice)

Sunday- shopping day

~On my to do list~

Laundry

Ironing

Dishes

Vacuum floors

Re-arrange kids rooms

Go to the library

~Happening this week~

Karate practices

shopping for the little ones birthday

Going through storage units and purging things

~What I am creating, sewing, knitting, or crocheting~

Nothing at this time. I actually just finished mending some of my husbands work uniforms. He always comes home with snags and holes in them that are needing repaired and I was behind on them. 

~My Simple Pleasure~

Snuggling with my babies on the couch while we watch cartoons or movies. :)

~Looking around the house~

Gizmo is laying on the floor next to my feet sleeping all curled up. My little one is napping in his room. Lunch dishes are needing washed in the kitchen, and I need to put the crayons and coloring books up they are on the TV stand from this morning.

~From the camera~

Nothing this week. Although I did just get a new camera (YAY!) and so there will be photos to come. :)

~Prayer list~

A couple very close friends of ours who just got approved for buying their first home! After many obstacles on some other properties they finally found one that turned out to be everything they wanted and more! I'm so happy for them. They have been searching for well over a year now, and it has been hit and miss. So the fact they got the house of their dreams is just amazing. So now with it comes all the paperwork, moving process, homeowners insurance, and all those goodies. LOL So they are in my prayers as they tackle all of what is left.

All of my friends and family members. 

~Bible verse, Devotional~

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11, NIV

Discoveries in Bible Prophecy *Book Review*

• Series: Bible Prophecy Revealed
• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: Great Plains Press (December 19, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0615863973
• ISBN-13: 978-0615863979

::The Back of the Book::

::My Thoughts::
I always enjoy reading books on Bible Prophecy. So many people can form so many ideas, find clues, facts, etc. It's hard to let one book go by without reading it. As I knew I would be, I was particularly fascinated by this book. This book is completely different than much of the other books on Bible Prophecy I have read. One of the most interesting points the author makes in this book is his belief that not all Christians are Raptured at the same time. All of the author's viewpoints and findings are incredible and will shake your previous way of Christian thought. It's hard for some of us to take on another form of thought when we have been brought up to think a certain way. Especially when we hear it from parents, peers, elders, churches, etc. But this book will definitely have you contemplating everything you have learned. Not that anything you learned was bad, and it's not that I 100% agree with this author. However, I will be the first to admit that reading this book has shaken the ground for which I have always held beliefs on certain things concerning Bible Prophecy, and the Tribulation.
One thing I do know no matter how many books I have read is that nobody will ever know when "The End" of the earth will come. As Bible states nobody knows the day or hour. Guesses will continue to come forth, but above all we must pay attention to the world around us and just be prepared. That's all we can really do.
I love that this book is more than just making assumptions. Instead the author analyzes and explains all of his theories and beliefs. I don't want to spoil it for all you readers out there but there is one concerning the Statue of Liberty that will really get you thinking! I was honestly blown away!
Many have trouble seeing America's play in Bible Prophecy but it is there in the Bible. I will definitely be sharing this book with my friends and loved ones. My husband is already reading it!
I believe this would make a fantastic study book so readers can discuss it with others. It would make a great book for a study group or Christian book club.

If you are interested in purchasing this book it is available in   Print   Kindle   Nook




Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the BookCrash program in exchange for my unbiased review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Running Lean by Diana L. Sharples

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (August 10, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310734975
• ISBN-13: 978-0310734970

I really love how this book deals with present day issues involving teens, especially teen girls. This is a rough read but a good one and one I would recommend to reader teens and adults.
Stacey is a bright, talented girl who battled weight trouble in her past. She has so many inner demons due to some traumatizing moments in her young childhood, and she can't seem to shake them. Because of this she isn't comfortable in her own skin, and while others see her as pretty she just sees fat. Her friend Zoe is on a diet and continuously encourages Stacey on her dieting journey. However, Stacey takes things to far with her dieting and begins purging food. She becomes clever in her ways of hiding food and making it seem like she is eating when she isn't, and nobody is none the wiser in her presence. She wears baggy clothes to hide her weight so nobody needs question her. In love with her boyfriend Calvin she fears losing him most of all, but can't get her thoughts and actions straight enough to make all well between them. 

Calvin is a teen boy who helps his father work their farm. Recently losing his older brother he has his own demons to battle in the sense of emotion and loss. Hardly wanting to deal with life's harsh realities his dirtbike and girlfriend Stacey are his only moments of release and happiness. His dirtbike is ancient and begins to have problem after problem. If that isn't enough of a worry for Calvin his girlfriend Stacey begins to act unlike herself. He notices a few signs where she doesn't eat and he begins to worry about the amount of weight she is losing. When she starts passing out and he figures out some of her secrets of hiding or getting rid of food it's like a punch in the stomach. He urges her to see a doctor and stop the madness but she shrugs him off. He just can't bear to lose another person he loves in his life so he struggles with what should be done to save Stacey.

My favorite thing about this book is that the author hits a major issue head on. Anorexia, bulimia, eating disorders, etc., is something a lot of teens these days are going through. Media tends to portray "beautiful" as super skinny. We see it everywhere: magazines, commercials, movies, fashion, etc. In reality few realize that everyone is beautiful and nobody was created to be the same, but due to everything our impressionable teens are seeing it's hard for them to realize that they are all beautiful in their own way. Teens do not understand the dangers of eating disorders and generally become good at hiding them from loved ones. Not only does this book show some of the beginning signs of anorexia and health risks, but it shows that if someone you love needs help you have to just be there and get them help. Often teens with these disorders do not see them as a disorder and they do not see anything wrong with their train of thought. I love that this book does not sugarcoat anything of the teen lifestyle but keeps things at a clean level without getting too graphic. I felt this is a novel very real and down to earth. The author does a fabulous job of writing so you find yourself lost in the story, and characters.
I love the balance between these two main characters. Stacey is passionate and outgoing while Calvin is more reserved and laid back. The characters are so different but mesh so well, and reading that was wonderful.
I was hoping to read more about some of the other characters in the book. I felt left hanging when it came to Stacey's sister Renee, as well as with Calvin's friends Tyler and Flannery. I would have liked just a little bit more when it came to them, but maybe they will end up with their own stories, who knows?
I love the faith in this book. No matter how hard things get and no matter how often a lot of these characters want to give up they pray and let God lead them. It's a great way to show teens that God can always overcome any obstacle, and with God they can overcome anything.


This book is available in   Print   Kindle   Nook

Here's a book trailer:

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher for review purposes. 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