Book Review- His Steadfast Love

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Amanda Belle is a sophisticated Southern woman. She happens to meet Captain Kent and after many meetings in her father's church, she is secretly attracted to him. After a promise she made to her  dying mother to take care of her siblings, she knows love for anyone is out of the question. Then to every one's horror the glorious America begins war against it's own brothers. The country is divided in two: Confederates against the Union. Amanda's brother enlists in the Confederate army to keep the sunny south independent. Captain Kent has enlisted in the Union army to keep America a united nation and fight against the view of slavery. Amanda is torn between her loyalty to her native land and brother and heart and Kent. 

As the war progresses so does Amanda's love for Kent. She knows her situation is impossible, but nothing is too big for the Lord, right? Kent experiences the many horrors of war. The only thing that keeps him going is the beautiful memories of the woman he loves, Amanda. With the country divided  and families on opposing sides, a marriage between the two is highly unlikely.

With the fear of loosing her brother or the man she loves, Amanda is in a constant state of fear of the unknown. She still has to care for her young sisters and father, oversee the slaves' work, and make supplies for the army. Through this time she begins to question God. She is confused on what side she is on. She believes cruel treatment of slaves is wrong, but she still owns them. What side is God on? When she does not receive any answers, she turns her back on God.

What will become of Amanda. Will her brother and the love of her life return to her? Will she ever be able to give herself to God completely again? Journey with this woman through one of the most uncivil  times in history.

I thought this was a very sweet book. It was a nice, quiet read. It definitely did not have a fast pace rhythm but was still interesting. I thought the story was very complex and interesting; two opposing sides tugging at one woman's heart. This book was romantic, adventurous, and sad. After discussing with another reader about this novel, we both agreed that the author never clearly said what side Amanda was on. The book did not provide a satisfying ending.  Too many questions left unanswered.  

I would recommend this book to all those who enjoy a nice paced book and people who enjoy the Civil- War period. I would give this book a 4 out of 5.

I received this book free from Book Sneeze in exchange for my honest review.  This book can be purchased at CBD and Amazon.

Count Your Blessings

It has been such a wonderful week. On Monday, at around midnight we went to the airport to pick up my mama. It was so nice to finally see her after so long. Tuesday was a regular day. We looked at the goodies my mother brought back from Ecuador. On Wednesday, my mom had a dentist appointment. We had a no homeschool day! We later went to visit my grandma. I was supposed to get my package today, but I thought I was going to miss it because we were not home. My neighbor babysat our package so I did not have to wait another day. Inside the package was my new Vera Bradley purse! It is super cute. (On the I-touch the purse looks orange, but it is really a coral color)

We got to watch What If... with my mom, she liked it a lot. On Thursday, I had a light homeschool day. We visited the library. Today, we woke up late and went to Target with my aunt and cousins. I had a good time shopping with the girls. Now is when I actually feel like it is fall. It is no longer sweater weather :( Now I hear the hiss of the radiator reminding me of how cold it is outside. My dad brought back a yummy sweet potato pie. 

                                     

We had such a wonderful week, praise the Lord!

Soul Surfer Official Trailer

Soul Surfer is about a 13 year old girl named Bethany Hamilton. Bethany is such a wonderful surfer getting better all the time. She wins first place in a local competition and is going to be sponsored. Instead of going to the mission trip to Mexico she stays home to practice her surfing. As she surfs with her best friend Alana and her family her arm is suddenly bitten off by a shark. Now she faces the challenges of only having one arm. She knows her life will forever be changed.

The support of her loving family, prayers of her youth pastor, Sara (Carrie Underwood) and the support of her friends she makes it through this tough time in her life. With her heart, will, and determination she is able to surf once again. Journey with Bethany (Anna Sophia Robb) as her faith in Jesus carries her through her many trials. She endures the questioning glances, the pitying attitude of others and not being the good surfer she once was. All the time she thought surfing was her everything in life. It is not until she teaches one child in Thailand to surf does she learn that life is not all about surfing. Bethany's strong faith in Jesus Christ encourages many people. She encourages others to live up to their dreams and that anything is possible with Jesus.

This movie was based on the life story of Bethany Hamilton. I thought this was such a thrilling, fun, and heartwarming movie. I thought the quality of the movie was very good. It had a interesting story plot, wonderful actors, and beautiful scenery. The shark scene may be a little graphic for younger kids. Most of the time the actors are in bikinis  and are not wearing any shirts. Depending on how your view of modesty you may want to watch this movie just with girls. Other than that you could watch it with your whole family. I really enjoyed watching the surfing scenes, they were so thrilling and exciting. I give this movie 5 stars.

I got this movie in the library. You can purchase this movie at CBD. Here is the trailer, it was just as good as the movie :)

Book Review- The Harvest of Grace

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The Harvest of Grace is the third and final book to the Ada's House Series. This story starts with a new character named Sylvia. She is a hard working women, who helps in the family's dairy farm. When Sylvia is betrayed by her beau and sister she is determined to leave home for good. It is not until something unimaginable happens to her beau and her, does she actually leave. 

Sylvia moves to Dry Lake to help the Blank family out of their miserable debt. Suddenly, their son Aaron gets out of rehab to make amends for his past actions. His goal is to reconcile with his family and sell the farm. Sylvia's plan is to get the farm out of debt and on the path to success. With two different goals for the same farm they begin with a very rocky relationship. Can a romance bloom in such rocky hearts?  

This was a very nice Amish read. I liked the fact, that I was still able to understand the previous characters stories from the two preceding books, without having read the other books. This book does continue with Cara and Ephraim, Leah and Grey, Deborah and Jonathan, Israel and Ada's growing love for one another. This was a slow paced predictable read, however it was not boring. I thought the best part of the book was towards the end. I would give this book a 4out of 5. This book was very christ centered, but did not have a sermon approach.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. You can purchase this book in CBD and Amazon.  Here is the link to a small preview of the book.  

Count Your Blessings

1. This was another week that my mother has not been here. I am counting the days until she comes.

2. We had fun watching movies. We have watched What If..., No greater Love, Soul Surfer, Letters to God.

3. I tried this really cool hairstyle on my lil' sister.

4. I got His Steadfast Love from Book Sneeze.

5. I finally ordered my Vera Bradley purse! I am so excited to use it. I will keep the style and color a surprise.

6. I was messing with my hair and made a braid headband.

7. My grandma bought my family Dominos pizza. We chose half pepperoni, and cheese, and then a chicken/pepper. We also got Cinna Stix.

8. I had a fun time cleaning this week :)

9. I made a cool breakfast with these ingredients. I will share more about that later.

Book Review - OOPS!

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This story begins with two kids from the 23rd- century, named Tuna and Herby. They are doing their history project on a girl from the 21st century. While the guys are with her, some strange things begin happening. Occasionally TJ is chased around by an african elephant. Everyone around her can hear Tuna and Herby, but no one can see them. These things make TJ appear weird to everyone else.

When the boys break one of their machines they accidentally allow everyones thought to appear on everyone else's cell phones. Since we can not read each others mind, the true feelings of everyone surface. Now there is a huge mess, literally because everyone gets upset and starts having a food fight. Everyone blames the weirdo (TJ.) 

Popular Hesper Breakahart is angered by a text message she received from her boyfriend concerning TJ. She nominates TJ for a position in her show. TJ hates Hesper but goes along to please her father and sister. Hesper is making it impossible for TJ to say her lines. Each time TJ is almost done Hesper yells cut because something is not "right". Enraged TJ does not control her tongue and calls Heather a big baby. Thanks to Tuna and Herby's "modifications" to the broken machine now all of TJ's words come true. Thanks to TJ the director becomes a puppet, the crew become chicken- cats, and many more disasters.

What will happen to all those people? What will TJ do? Will she learn to think pure thoughts about others? When will she be able to say only Godly things about others?

This book had a wonderful message. It taught you to control your thoughts about other people, and to be careful of what one says about others.

I read mainly adult books so It was weird to read a book for my intended age. I did not like the use of slang. They used dude and "your dudeness". I also did not like the fact they referred to the girls as "babe." I did not appreciate the fact that the characters, Tuna and Herby repeatedly morphed themselves into objects. I also found this story very hard to understand. In the beginning a professor dressed himself in a mini skirt and wig for the acting tryouts. I thought that was totally uncalled for. If I was not obliged to read this book I would have stopped there. What I did like about this book was the message it taught.

I received this book as a free review copy from Tyndale Publishing Group and was not obliged to to give a positive review.

You can purchase this book at CBD and Amazon

More About Me

I have not mentioned a lot about my self in my blog. I hope through this post you may learn more about me. 

 1. High heels or boots? Boots 

 2. What time did you get up this morning? 7:00am I am not a morning person. 

 3. What was the last movie you saw at the theater? I think it was Charlotte's Web. That was in 3rd grade.

 4. What is your maiden name? I'm only 14! 

 5. What is your favorite T.V. Show? I do not watch tv I really liked watching Little House on the   Prairie in my grandma's house.  

 6. What do you usually have for breakfast? Oatmeal (not my favorite).

 7. What is your middle name? Ines that's my grandma's name.  

 8. What food do you dislike?  pickles, raisins, Cole slaw, frozen vegetables:(  

 9. What is your favorite CD at the moment? Here For You- Passion Band.  

10. What characteristic do you despise? Pridefulness 

11. Favorite clothing? Anything that doesn't require a specific undershirt underneath.  

12. Anywhere in the world on vacation? Israel 

13. Are you an organized person? Umm... Sort of. I like things organized but I'm not always organized. 
14. Where would you retire to?  The country and have a ranch:)  

15. What was your most recent memorable birthday? 13th birthday, we went to Bear Mountain and Olive Garden.  

16. What are you going to do when you finish this? Read  

17. Furthest place you have ever been to? Ecuador (I've only been on an airplane once) 

18. Person you wish you could meet? James Mac Donald?   

19. When is your birthday? July xx,1997 

20. Are you a morning person or a night person? Night Owl! 

21. What is your shoe size? 6.5-7 in women.  

22. Do you own any animals? If stuffed animals count, I have 1 bear, 2 dogs, and 1 bunny:) 

23. Any news you'd like to share? No not really.  

24. When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up? An artist, teacher, photographer, and ice skater.  

25. What is your favorite flower? I have no idea, their all so pretty. 

26. What day on the calendar are you looking forward to? Monday: My mom is coming back! 

27. If you were a crayon, what would you be? Definitely purple  

28. How is the weather right now?  Windy 

29. Last person you spoke to on the phone? My dad 

30. Favorite drink? Water:) Jk Lemonade.  

31. Favorite Restaurant? Olive Garden 

32. Hair color? Dark brown 

33. What was your favorite toy as a child? Barbies  

34. Spring, summer, fall, or winter? Definitely summer for my birthday.  

35. Chocolate or vanilla? Vanilla!!!  

36. Coffee or tea? If there was nothing left. I would say tea.  

37. Wish you were still young? I'm 14. I wish I was older:) 

38. Do you want to get married? OF COURSE! 

39. When was the last time you cried? I think I'm going to start crying now, because I can't remember the last time I cried! 

40. What is under your bed? My little sister's old stroller and my bins.  

41. What did you do last night? I ate Taco Bell.  

42. What are you afraid of? I don't like to use the word fear but if I had to pick one I'd say water-bugs.   

43. Salty or sweet? Depends on what food it is.  

44. Best quality you have? Kindness 

45. How many years at your current job? I am currently unemployed because of the economy;) 

46. Favorite day of the week? Friday because tomorrows Saturday.  

47. Favorite movie? No Greater Love 

48. Do you like finding all this stuff out about your friends? Of Course! 

49. What are your future goals for now? Become a missionary/ nurse. One day go to India. Get married and have children.  

50. Besides the Bible, what is your favorite book? The Love Come Softly series. I read those books like 5x each. 

Movie Review- No Greater Love

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It has been 10 years since Jeff's wife went missing, leaving him to raise their baby alone. Now, he is ready to forget his past and move forward. Everything in his life seems to be going great. Jeff's business is about to make a huge deal designing for a coffee shop. He has a loving, smart son named Ethan. He is about to ask his friend Katie to marry him. What could stop him?

Now that summer is here, Jeff agrees to send Ethan to a summer day camp, with his friend Dave's son. Ethan enjoys the camp immensely and even participates in a play for the parents. After the play, as Jeff is exiting the church he locks eyes with a woman that reminds him of his former wife Heather.

Now, Jeff is unsure of what to do. Should he marry Katie? Who was that woman? His heart is still devoted to Heather and he tries to locate her. To Jeff's surprise Heather is a member of a church ten minutes away from him. They plan a meeting and are unsure of what to do next. Will Jeff tell Katie and Ethan?  Will Heather move to chicago as planned? Is there a middle ground for all? Will Jeff ever lean that Heather's love is not greater than the Father's love for him. There are no coincidences in the Lord!

This was such a great movie. This was "Facing The Giants" quality. That means it had a good story, and was biblically based. I would rate this movie a 4.9 out of 5. It had such a good story plot. The actors were great, but the ending was whack. It left some things hanging, but besides that it was wonderful. I laughed and even teared up a bit.

If you are a  particularly  picky family movie watcher, there were some flaws in this movie.At some points the actors drank alcoholic beverages. The beginning looks a little scary but it is not bad. At the end there is some long kisses. I still would recommend this movie to watched with the whole family.

I got this movie from the library. You can purchase this movie at CBD or Amazon. I am so sorry that I could not share the entire movie with you, but the trailer was just as good:) 

Count Your Blessings

1. This week was so different without my mama. I miss her so much!
2. Daddy has to use the fruit that we bought and that my grandma so they do not go to waste. He made Apple-banana shake, banana shake, banana-pineapple shake (I did not really like this one) and Piña Colada.
3. I am adjusting to my new short hair :( (jk)
4. We have watched some new movies and ate popcorn.
5. My little sister and I have finished drawing our tiger lilies. I do not like to draw flowers because they look weird, but they actually came out nice.

6. Ordered some movies in the library that I am so excited to watch.
7. I did not have any more cereal, and today my dad brought a box that my grandma bought for me.
8. I have seen the new "Drops" candy and today I got a bag from my grandparents. They taste pretty good. I actually prefer the candy bar flavor of this one, rather than the drops.

9. Since my dad is on the quest to save the fruit he decided he was going to try to make an apple cake. I was excited to see him bake. So while I was finishing home school my dad was in the kitchen. I was surprised that he did not ask for any help with the instructions. As I enter the kitchen, I immediately see this brown mixture on the counter. I say something along these lines, "Daddy, why is it so brown? " My dad answers, " I had to put cinnamon in it." I just shake my head ok. Still meditating on why was the "batter" so brown, I reread the recipe. Then I ask my dad how much cinnamon did he put, he answers I put what the thing said to. Then he shows me the measuring spoon he used, all I could do was laugh. He used 1/2 tablespoon of cinnamon instead of the 1/2 teaspoon. It turns out that he put 1 tbsp. of salt, and cinnamon for the recipe! I had a feeling he did something wrong because the mixture had a weird color and consistency. I tell my dad baking is a science you just can not just throw some stuff together. He also added more of what the recipe called for. ( These pictures our fuzzy because they were taken on my i-touch.) Hope it tastes good. Doesn't it look weird?

90 Hours in 90 Days

For the past three months, my mom and I were trying to read the whole bible in 90 days. We have already finished it and are ready for a new challenge. Our new goal is to pray for 90 hours in 90 days. That is about an hour day. I like to break up the hour in half, 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the night. My mom likes to do 30 in the morning, 10 in the afternoon, and 20 at night. You can split the time in however it is convenient for you.

I started the challenge on October 01,2011 and I am aiming to finish before the new year! I am very excited for this challenge. There are so many things to pray about. I do not think I will run out of ideas. There are times when my mind wonders about, but it has been a blessing so far. One time I even prayed for all the members of our church.

You can always join too. This is a big growing experience for your spiritual life. It does not matter when you start or how long it takes you to finish. What does matter is that you spend good quality time in prayer with your Father. If you have any prayer petitions you can let me know so I can pray with you.

"You can do more than pray after you have prayed; but you can never do more than pray until you have prayed." A.J. Gordon

"Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons, but they are helpless against our prayers." Sidlow Baxter 

Hair Flower Tutorial

My new fashion phase is hair bows/ flowers. I think they add so much to your outfit. Well if your like me, this a easy flower you can make for your hair.

Getting Ready:

-Scissors 

- Marker or pen

-Thread and needle

- Fabric (I used an old shirt)

-Circle template (I used a cup)

1. Using your circle template cut out 5 circles.

2. Fold your circles into fourths.

3. Take your needle and do a running stitch.

4. Once you are finished with the first keep on attaching the fourths with the running stitch.

5. Next, when all five petals are stitched attach last petal with the first one.

6. Finally pull tightly to close the flower up

Your final product should look somewhat like this. I added a button to close the gap in the middle.

Let me know if you need help. Also if any one makes one, email me a picture so I can post about it.

Movie Review- Overcome

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Overcome is a movie focusing on two main characters, Sara and Colton. Colton is a high school student who is set on doing evil in every possible way. He is a bully, steals money, lies and can not stand others doing right. He is even "training" a new "friend" to follow in his steps. After many failed attempts to talk to Colton about his bad behavior, his parents pray for the Lord's intervention in his life. Little do they know that their prayers would be answered in the most close to the grave way.  Now, Colton's guilty conscious  is eating at him. Will he every be able to make amends with those he has hurt. Will Colton overcome his bad past or will it overcome him?

Sara is a very good tennis player. She has a chance to be chosen for an elite tennis summer program. Her dreams are suddenly dashed by the poor choices made by Colton. What will happen to her dreams if she can not even play tennis. Will she overcome her fear and play or will she be overcomed by them?

This is a story based on the conversion of Paul, and the steps to gain the trust of those you hurt.

I thought this was a very good movie. The story plot was very interesting. I would recommend this movie to teenagers however, the whole family can watch as well. I thought the parents "discipline" skills were lacking very much. This movie did contain some words that I wouldn't particularly use. I enjoyed the fact that there were not any mushy gushy kissing scenes. The closest thing to being romantic in this movie was a couple of friendly hugs. I would give this movie a 4.5 out of 5. I liked the plot but the acting skills were lacking. I got so frustrated when Sara would not stop rolling her head when she would speak :)

Well, since I love to share you can watch the movie here. This movie is not in one whole part, there are 9 total parts.

Leave me a comment if you watched the movie, and tell me what you thought.

Count Your Blessings

Peace of the Lord. I know I was supposed to write my blessings yesterday, but I did not have the time to.  Yesterday, I was awakened by the shouts of my mother. I had no idea what was going on. In my head I was wondering is there was a fire. When I finally opened my eyes and sat up my mom told me that at around 2:00 A.M. my great-grandmother passed away. I was completely surprised. Even though my grandma was probably 100 (I am not joking about her age) I was not expecting her to die so soon.

I praise the Lord because she was not sick. She did not have high cholesterol, diabetes she did not wear glasses, nor walk with a cane. She was totally healthy for God's glory. She was blessed with many years of life. She was about become a great great great great- grandmother! 

My mom is going to Ecuador with my grandma. Everything was happening so fast. My mom planned to stay a little while but my grandma wanted her to stay longer. She is coming back the 24 of this month. I am going to miss her so much! Ecuador is the middle of the world and it definitely takes awhile to get there. Without any stops it is about 6 hours. However, my mom had to stop in Panama for about 7 hours! 

I pray that our family may be comforted in this time.

I will not be able to post this weeks pictures until my mom comes back.

Benefits of the Library

The library is such a wonderful learning environment to be in. I remember when I learned to read, I enjoyed going to the little library in my school. There was such a different variety of books to read. The room was colorful, and the shelves were filled. The room was so inviting. After a while, I grew older and could no longer use our little library.

As you got older, your reading level increased so the books became too babyish for us. We now used the classroom library to read. Now that I am no longer in public school, I go to the  public library. I enjoy all the different varieties of things I can do.

Libraries are filled with all sorts of books. There are so many different genres of books to choose from. Since not all books are godly, we can not read them all. I have found a solution for this problem. All you have to do is ask your librarian if any library has the specific book or movie you want and if so, you can have that book ordered and brought to your library for pick up. I actually prefer going to the catalog online, and ordering them there. Since I live in New York I log on to NYPL put my account information and it works.  However, I do not know if all states allow this.

Most libraries have computers. All the computers in my library are free to use. That means you are allowed about 45 minuets or more each day free internet access. Parents save about 45 minutes of not paying Con Edison for the electricity:). 

If you are a child you are permitted 5 free prints. You are allowed to print whatever you want, up to five times, free! That saves money on ink. Many times when looking up information for a report we print out unnecessary information and later throw it out. All that paper and ink are a waste of money. Technically, you do not waste the ink when you use it in the library since it's not yours.  You should still be a good steward though.

I do not usually read the newspaper, but if you want your copy, you can get it free in the library. They are many different varieties of newspapers not just one. The way I look at it is why pay for something when you can get it for free? 

Most libraries offer many free classes and programs. My grandma once attended an English class. My little cousin participates in the Toddler Time program on Tuesdays. There are computer classes, book clubs, and even a teen lounge.

Summer days are very hot. Since the libraries are open to the public, they have to have air conditioners and fans. If you spend a couple of hours in the library, you can save again on your bills by not turning on your air conditioner!

As you can see there are many benefits in visiting your library. I encourage you to visit your local library and use its wonderful resources. Do not forget to bring your library card.  In order to take advantage of most (not all) resources, you may need a library card.  If you do not have one, you can apply for one for free.

Book Review- The Wonder of Your Love

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Katie Ann Stoltzfus is a 40 year-old new mother who has recently been widowed. She has remade her life in Canaan, Colorado. Katie Ann does not want to raise baby Jonas alone. Prior to her husband's death, he had hurt and betrayed her causing her to loose all trust in men.  With the possibilities so low of ever remarrying, Katie Ann wonders what are God's plan for her.

Eli Detweiler has traveled to Canaan to attend a wedding. After his wife's death sixteen years ago and finishing raising their six children, Eli is ready for a vacation. Now that he has no one to take care of, he is finally ready to only take care of himself.

Many people in the community have matched Katie Ann and Eli up. They are quickly attached but have resolved just to stay friends. They are completely opposite. Katie Ann is just starting her parenthood trials, and he has just finished them. A relationship would never work out. As their friendship deepens into something unimaginable, they begin to wonder what God's plan for their lives entails.

I enjoyed the plot to this story. It was interesting to read a love story surrounded by a middle aged couple. The author's repetition of the title throughout the book, kept me engaged. Wiseman created characters that were so real. They had many real emotions that made this story relatable.  This book will bring out so many emotions out of you such as anger, disgust, maybe some tears, hearty laughs, and a final sigh of a good book ending well.   Not being a first time reader of Beth Wiseman,  I was not surprised by this well written Amish story.  Although being the second  book in the A Land of Canaan Series,  The Wonder of Your Love, could be read as a stand alone novel. 

I would recommend this book to all those who enjoy Amish fiction, and all those who enjoy a good Christ-centered book.

I received this book for free from Book Sneeze Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review.

You may purchase this book at Amazon or CBD.