Balsamic Chicken with Mushrooms

I got this recipe from the Weight Watchers website.   ENJOY!

Balsamic Chicken with Mushrooms

2 tsp. canola oil

3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 garlic clove minced (i used granulated garlic)

4 (4 oz) boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 cups mushrooms sliced

1/3 cup chicken broth

1/4 tsp. dried thyme

Mix 2 tablespoons of vinegar, mustard and garlic in a bowl.  Add chicken and turn to coat. 

Heat one teaspoon of oil in a non stick skillet.  Put chicken and vinegar mixture into hot pan.  Saute chicken until cooked through.  Transfer to platter and keep warm.

Saute mushrooms for 1 minute.  Add chicken stock, thyme and other tablespoon of vinegar.  Cook stirring occasionally until mushrooms are deep brown.  Pour sauce and mushrooms over chicken.

Weight Watchers Pita Bread

These are actually very good.  I have a number of ways I plan on using them.  I'm not quite sure why they have them pictured on the front with strawberries but ok.

Just a word of caution when using them...they are very thin.  They do break at the seam very easy.  I used them with my tuna salad today.

Tuna Salad

1 can of tuna (packed in water) drain well

2 tsp. light mayo

granulated garlic or one clove of garlic minced

one small onion diced or onion flakes

1 small cucumber diced

any other seasonings you might want...I use dill or red pepper flakes

Mix it all together and enjoy.  For those who are on Weight Watchers this meal is 7 points!!

The next thing I'm going to make with these is a pizza.  Then I might do a taco pizza with it.

Happy Homemaker Monday

The weather in my neck of the woods...

50 with rain

Things that make me happy...

knowing that spring is right around the corner

Book I'm reading...

10 Lessons from a former fat girl by Amy Parham

Weight Watcher cookbook

What I'm enjoying on TV...

nothing at the moment

On the menu for dinner...

Balsamic Chicken with mushrooms (recipe later)

On my To Do list...

Menu plan!!

New Recipe I tried...

Turkey and Vegetable Chili

In the craft basket...

nothing

Looking forward to this week...

my first weigh in at Weight Watchers

Dinner at a friends house

Tips and Tricks...

Don't be afraid to try new foods with family.  You might be surprised and they will like it!!

My favorite blog post this week...

The Change that Needs to Be!

Blog Hopping (new discovered blog)...

Weight Watcher Wannabe

Favorite picture...

From the Denver and the Mile High Orchestra concert Saturday night.  If you have never seen these guys in concert you really HAVE to.  What a great group of guys.

Lesson learned this past week...

It's not all about me!  I keep having to remind myself it's about God and God alone!

On my mind...

My first weigh in!

Charity Bible Church

friends and family

Middle East

Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses...

Matthew 24:5-8

"For many will come in My name, saying, I am the Christ, and will deceive many.  And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.  See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginning of sorrows."

Sounds like what is going on in recent months!  Very exciting times we live in.  But I'm also heart broken for those affected by all these wars. 

To see other Happy Homemaker posts visit Diary of a SAHM

TOS Crew Review~~Math Rider

PRODUCT INFORMATION:

Math Rider is a downloadable game for kids to practice their math facts. 

Kids can practice their addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. 

The more they play the better they get.  Each child creates their own rider.  The game runs on Windows, Mac and Linux platforms.  The cost of the program is $37 and you will get an instant download.

You can go to their homepage and watch an informational video HERE.

 Children do not need really good typing skills to succeed at Math Rider.

OUR THOUGHTS:

The children loved this game.  They soon found out tho that if they answered slowly it would make the horse run slower.  They really picked up quick on the math facts and enjoyed playing this game.  We will probably purchase this later for continued use.  With three children to teach it's nice to have some educational game play for them while I'm working with the others.  The only way children will learn math is by doing it over and over.

The game controls are very easy and the kids liked that a lot.  There is nothing more frustrating for our children than to try and figure out a learning game.  While at the same time trying to learn math facts.  This was great for just that reason.  A few minutes of instruction and they were off and running.  This is a big hit in our house.

Go HERE and see what other crew members are saying about this. 

Change that needs to be!

All my life I've struggled with my weight.  I was always the chubby kid in school.  In high school I was in a lot of sports so that helped keep me at the same weight.  After high school I joined the fire department and that helped keep the weight at an ok number.  I started having kids and it went through the roof.  I had c sections with all the kids and my stomach muscles are shot.  Or should I say they need a lot of work.

In 2001 my sister decided she wanted me to loose weight for her wedding.  She had just gotten her personal trainer certification and needed someone to beat...I mean train.  Boy she did not go easy on me at all.  I lost 90 pounds in about a year!  I was thrilled and must say I looked good for her wedding.  I felt great for the first time in years.  Fast forward to 2007-2008 I broke my back and had surgery.  I was laid up in bed for about a month.  Gained the weight back and then some.  I was devastated and embarrassed to show my face out anywhere.  But I've learned through out my life to suppress my feelings and not show how I'm really feeling.  I still do that to this day.  I wear that happy go lucky expression and people think I'm all with it.  But I struggle deep down inside.  Praise the Lord I have my faith in God that gets me through the tough times.

A friend from high school whom I've reconnected with has really inspired me to get this weight off!!  She has lost 89 pounds plus.  You can read about her journey HERE.  She is changing my life in ways she does not even know.  We were friendly in school but not really friends.  We played a lot of sports together.  But as adults I can say I consider her a friend now.  We have a lot in common.  So yesterday I went up to the local Weight Watchers meeting center and signed up!!  I was a member of TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) but I need a more structured program that WW has to offer.  Yes it is more money, but I think of what it will save us in the long run.

So stop by and check in with me every Friday as I journal my journey to loose this weight.  I'm breaking out of this cocoon into a beautiful butterfly!  If you would also like to join in on Fit Friday Mommy go on over to Got Chai?

Cooking Thursday~~Stuffed Pepper Stew

I've posted this recipe before.  But now I can post pictures with it!!  Thanks to my honey and my new camera!

I make this a stew by adding just a little more rice.  My family likes it better this way.

Stuffed Pepper Soup

2 Pounds Ground Beef

2 Cups Chopped Green Bell Pepper

1 Cup Chopped Onion

2 Jars of Spaghetti Sauce

2 Cups Cooked Long Grain White Rice

2 Beef Bouillon Cube

1/4 Cup Packed Brown Sugar

2 Teaspoons Salt

1 Teaspoon Pepper

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, brown beef with peppers and onion.

 

 Add remaining ingredients, except rice and bring to a boil.

 

Add rice reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes

or until rice is tender.

 

To see other recipes visit Diary of  a SAHM.

 

Expo To Go

The ultimate online homeschool convention is coming up soon!!  But if you can not attend the live expo the Expo To Go tickets are available for pre order.  I've said this many times before....I loved the online expo last year.  Not only did I hear from great speakers, I met SO many wonderful homeschooling families.   There was one woman who I really connected with.  We chatted through out the whole week.  The more we chatted the more we realized we lived in the same state.  BETTER yet we lived only about 30 minutes away!!  We have still not met in person but we do chat online a lot.

The Expo To Go tickets are only $19.99!  But wait there is more....I've always wanted to say that. 

You will also get these below for free....

I can not stress enough how important these yearly pick me ups are to me.  I get in a rut around this time of the year.  This gives me something to look forward to.

Happy Homemaker Monday

Weather in my neck of the woods...

snowing again!  Last week we had a few days of mid 50's and a day at 60!  Next day was a snow storm.

Things that make me happy...

Being home with my family.

Book I'm reading...

A few for review.  But I'm reading through my owners manual of our NEW camera!!

What I'm enjoying on TV...

Absolutely NOTHING!!

On the menu for dinner...

Tater Tots and Sausage

Ham and scalloped rice (do not have any potatoes)

On my To Do list...

Learn about our new camera!!

Clean the house

Laundry

New recipe I tried or want to try soon...

15 minute Nacho Dinner

In the craft basket...

nothing much

Looking forward to this week...

Denver and the Mile High Orchestra concert.

Tips and tricks...

Enjoy the little moments in life.  Everything can change in a moment.

My favorite blog post this week...

Quiet Life

Blog Hopping (new blog to share)...

Quiet Life she takes amazing pictures!  Also, the post she did about her daughter was truly heartwarming.

Favorite Photo...

The other day it was 60 degrees out.  We all went outside and had a snowball fight.  What you can't see is my children had shorts on...LOL!  Andrew was covered in mud.  We all had a great time.  Right after this shot Hannah was nailed with a snowball in the back.

Lesson learned the past few days...

Take time out of your day and have fun with your children!

On my mind...

A family in our town lost their 14 year old son to suicide.  Please remember them in prayer.  God knows who I'm talking about.  Our Church is going to reach out to them on Tuesday.

Devotionals, Scripture reading, key verses...

Romans 12:15 (NKJV)

15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.

 

To see other Happy Homemaker posts visit Diary of a SAHM.

TOS Crew Review~~Kid Scoop The Reluctant Reader Solution

We have 2 children that do not like to read one bit!  So when this came up for review I was game!!  Anything to get them interested in reading.

Kid Scoop is offered in three parts:

FIRST - FREE

People can go to the website Kidscoop.com to sign up to receive daily "Make Reading Fun" tip for 30 days.

SECOND and THIRD

The purchase price is $97 which includes: Reluctant Reader Solution a downloadable ebook.  The link to download will be emailed to you after purchase.  This ebook is a number of mini unit studies all in one zip file (which takes up less space on your computer)  You can see a picture of some sample pages below.

Second part included in the purchase price is an online newspaper for kids.  This is a monthly subscription.  You will receive an email with a link to access your monthly newspaper.

MY THOUGHTS:

PRAISE THE LORD for this product.  My 2 reluctant readers have now started to enjoy reading!  Our oldest daughter who is 16 just did not care to read one bit...unless it was on the computer.  The first day we started using these she did the typical teenager thing and sighed with a roll of the eyes.  But I said just please humor me!!  She actually loved the worksheets.  She would go through and pick out the great recipes that were in some of them.  She also enjoyed writing some of the silly stories they asked her to write.

Our son is the other in the family that does not like reading.  But when he found out all the cool things about baseball he could know just by reading he was THRILLED!!  His favorite was the "Play Newspaper Baseball" worksheet.  In order to get a home run he had to write a number of stories.  So not only was he starting to enjoy reading he was writing as well!  I am SO overjoyed with the progress of his reading and writing.

Best of all there is very little preparation on my part.  I gave them the list to choose from and they picked out what they wanted to do.  Another neat thing was each day I received an email with a topic and fun thing to do.  They then grab the newspaper and circle whatever they were asked to find.  This was their favorite thing to do.  Now if I were to ask them before Kid Scoop to grab the newspaper and look for something I would of been met with sighs and complaints.  Thank you Kid Scoop!!

To see what my other crew members have said go on over HERE and visit them.

As a part of TOS CREW I received this product free for review in exchange for my honest review.

Download N Go Review~~Expedition Ireland

Thank you to Download N Go and Amanda Bennett for sending me this unit study free to review in exchange for my honest review.

Ireland is one of those countries we want to visit.  Since it is impossible for us to go there right now we did the next best thing.  We studied it with Download N Go.  This study was jammed pack full of great information, yummy recipes, and videos.  Not only did we learn about Ireland but we EXPERIENCED it as well.  Download N Go studies keep you interested in the subject.  Not once this week has the kids been "bored" with learning.  Our week looked something like this:

Day 1: Where on Earth Is Ireland?
Day 2: Some of the Special Places in Ireland
Day 3: A Bit of History
Day 4: Cool Things to Know About Ireland
Day 5: Fun and Games in Ireland

When we sat down to learn about Ireland I asked my children, "When I say Ireland what is the first thing that comes to mind?"

Katrina-cool dancing

Hannah-sheep

Andrew-green

Doing this helps me focus on things they do not know.  Although the dancing is something I've always been drawn to regarding Ireland.  We love the Irish music!  It is so soothing and relaxing.   Something else that comes to my mind when thinking about Ireland is potatoes and castles.  Expedition Ireland is jammed packed full of beautiful videos and pictures of Ireland.

Each day we learned a word of the day.  This is a great way to expand your child's vocabulary.    I even expanded my knowledge of different words used in Ireland.  I will not go into anymore detail on these...you will just have to go and get this unit study.  The Expedition series of Download N Go will fulfill your child's geography requirement.

For ONLY $7.95 here is a peak of what you will get:

You can also take a peek inside the unit HERE.  March is the perfect month to be learning about Ireland.  Instead of just "celebrating" St. Patrick's Day make it an experience for your children by taking them on a journey without leaving your home.

See what other review team members are saying below:

Cooking Thursday~~Cherry Coffee Cake

Sometimes you just need a quick go to dessert.  This is one of those for us.  I think I first saw it in the Bisquick cookbook.  I've used other types of pie filling before as well.

Cherry Coffee Cake

4 cups Original Bisquick® mix

1/2  cup granulated sugar

¼ cup butter or margarine, melted

½ cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon almond extract

3 eggs

1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

1 to 2 tablespoons milk

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom and sides of a 13 x 9 pan with cooking spray. In large bowl, stir all coffee cake ingredients except pie filling stir until well blended.

Spread about 2 1/2 cups in baking pan. Spread pie filling over batter (filling may not cover batter completely). Drop remaining batter by tablespoonfuls onto pie filling.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until light brown. Meanwhile, in small bowl, stir glaze ingredients until smooth and thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle glaze over warm coffee cake. Serve warm or cool.

Makes 18 servings

To see other Cooking Thursday posts visit Diary of a SAHM.

Book Review~~10 Lies Men Believe

Product Details:

List Price: $14.99
Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Charisma House (February 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 161638137X
ISBN-13: 978-1616381370

***Special thanks to Anna Coelho Silva | Publicity Coordinator, Book Group | Strang Communications for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

J. Lee Grady is contributing editor for Charisma. He was the magazine's editor for 11 years. He has been involved in Christian journalism since 1981. A native of Atlanta, he has been with Charisma since 1992, serving as news editor, managing editor, and then becoming editor in 1999. Lee's book 10 Lies the Church Tells Women, published in 2000, opened a unique door for him to preach internationally. He has since traveled to 12 nations, challenging the church to release women in ministry and to end abuse and gender discrimination. He and his wife, Deborah, have four daughters.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

10 Lies Men Believe is a compassionate but confrontational look at the reasons why so many Christian men today are in serious crisis. The author, who has spent eight years confronting the abuse of women in more than twenty countries, believes men are failing in marriage, fatherhood, friendships, and careers because of ten wrong mind-sets inherited from culture. With gut-level honesty, the author offers practical answers for men who struggle with a variety of issues, including addiction, abusive tendencies, pornography, controlling behavior, and emotional problems rooted in a lack of proper fathering. The book is also an excellent resource for women who are suffering because of mistreatment by the men in their lives.

MY THOUGHTS:This was a good book full of things that many churches do not want to address.  These are real problems in families today.  When difficult problems arise it is the way of most people to sweep it under the rug and let God handle it.  Yes we need to let God handle it, but we do not and should not try and minister to those hurting.  This is a great book!  I'm passing it onto my husband.

LitFuse Book Tour~~Life Ready Woman

B&H Publishers, $14.99, ISBN: 9781433671128

**I have been given a copy of this book to give a way on my blog!  Just leave me a comment to enter.  It's that easy.  If you are not a follower and would like to follow me I'll give you another entry.  If you are already a follower of mine I'll give you a second entry as well.  This will be open until February 22.  I will use Random.org to draw a winner on February 23.  Please leave your email address when entering.**

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Whether a stay at home; or working mom, an airplane-hopping executive, an empty-nester caring for multiple generations or a single juggling high demands of career and personal life, today's fast-paced modern world leaves women gasping for balance. We as modern Christian women want to look to the Bible for guidance on how to manage our lives -- but because the world of women looks so different today than it did when the Bible was written, it is hard to find chapter and verse that seems to apply to our situation today.

Thankfully, God has given us exactly that timeless, unchanging guidance for how to find peace, clarity, and God's best for our lives once we know where to look! The Life Ready Woman: Thriving in a Do-It-All World, reveals a profound biblical roadmap for how each of us can find the abundant life we are longing for, rather than the stressful, torn, how-do-I-balance-it-all life we often feel like we are trying to keep up with today. Actually being a LifeReady Woman means that you are clear about your life, bold in your faith, and able to find God’s best for you, and the end result will be that you not only survive but thrive in our do-it-all world.

MY THOUGHTS:

I think we live a pretty simple life.  But so many times lately I feel like the woman on the cover of the book.  But without the smile, makeup and hair that looks that good.   I honestly do not know how women work outside the home and still manage to keep it together.  I've been struggling a lot lately to keep everything running smooth in our household.  Then the guilt sets in because I feel like I'm failing.  This book was JUST what I needed to help me put it into perspective.  Each chapter I read I found myself relating more and more to.  It was like she was writing just for me.  I highly recommend this book to every woman.  No matter where you are in your life.  A quote from the book that has really struck me is, "Each of us has to fight the tendency to trust ourselves and not trust God, especially since the areas that are hardest to trust God in are the most important for us!"

I was not aware of the site Mom Life Today.com until this book tour.  Well they are giving away a Weekend to Remember Get a Way. 

In celebration of Shaunti Feldhahn’s Life Ready Woman, MomLife Today is giving away 2 Weekend To Remember Gift Packs and much more!

Not only, is MomLife Today helping promote Life Ready Woman, but they are thrilled to announce that Shaunti will be joining MomLife Today as a regular contributor!!!

Weekend To Remember Get-Aways offer marriage-changing principles that you can take home and apply to your daily lives to strengthen your marriage. Whether you are newly engaged or have been married for 50 years, you will find value in the tools provided at the getaway.

The winner will be announced March 2.  These are great get a way weekends for couples. 

Thank you LitFuse for giving me this book for review in exchange for my honest review.

Happy Homemaker Monday

The weather in my neck of the woods...

First thing this morning it is 43 degrees!!  HEAT WAVE!  Time for the shorts. 

Things that make me happy...

spending time with our new church family.

Book(s) I'm reading...

Bible

Textbooks

Life Ready Woman (review)

True: God's 5 Promises when Life is Hard (review)

What I'm enjoying on TV...

nothing at the moment.  I'm in the mood for Love Comes Softly series.

On the Menu for Dinner...

I really need to be better with this!! 

On My To Do list...

Menu plan!

clean

laundry

New Recipe I tried or want to try soon...

Amish Carmel Pie

In the Craft Basket...

Nothing special.

Looking Forward to this week...

Girls weekend...My husband and son are going on a father son campout. 

Tips and Tricks...

Make a menu plan...it will save you money.  I really need to take my own advise!!

My favorite blog post this week...

I have not read many blogs this week!  My schoolwork has been taking up a lot of my "free" time.

Blog Hopping (a new discovered blog you would like to share with the readers)...

Nothing new!  I have found many many great blogs by clicking on "next blog" at the top of the blogger dashboard.

Favorite Picture/Photo of the week...

Father and son time!!

Lesson Learned the Past few days...

I am not doing things with joy.  I spend more time complaining or being grumpy lately.  It's more of a lesson learning.

On my Mind...

a lot of stuff!

Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses...

"Growing closer to God has a whole lot less to do with any action we might take and a whole lot more to do with positioning our heats toward His." ~~Lysa TerKeurst "Made to Crave"

To see other Happy Homemaker posts visit Diary of a SAHM.

TOS Crew Review~~The Curiosity Files~~Quicksand

ABOUT:

Discover how the unconventional things that God has made reflect the beauty of His creativity. The Old Schoolhouse® presents the first nine unforgettable unit studies in this outstanding E-Book series on two CDs or available by download.

Explorations with Professor Ana Lyze—Expert in Outlandish Oddities, keeping kids ages 8–13 mesmerized and asking for more!

You won’t have to do much nudging to get kids involved and learning with such an exciting and fun format. Bursting with approximately 80–100 pages each, these studies are jam-packed with intriguing, well-researched information and engaging activities for a complete unit study.

What’s so captivating about The Curiosity Files™? Look at what’s included in each unit:

·    Unduly inquisitive topics
·    Stunning presentation and illustrations·    Hyperlinked table of contents
·    Bible study and Bible memory applications·    Science, math, history, and geography investigations
·    Literature and suggested book list·    Writing, spelling, vocabulary
·    Beautiful copywork pages (manuscript and cursive)
·    Discussion questions, special projects, and experiments
·    Arts and crafts, drawing and coloring pages
·    Lapbook/notebook pages and helpful lapbooking links
·  Special needs, hands-on discoveries—good for all learning styles·    Internet resources, video links, and answer keys

PRODUCT INFORMATION:

Purchase the CD or Download all nine now!

Grab the best deal by purchasing all nine!
Two options: the CD is only $49; or downloadable E-Books $46

Titles may also be purchased individually, please see The Schoolhouse Store for current prices.

MY THOUGHTS:

My kids are very curious about everything.  That is a really good thing.  So for the TOS Crew we were able to choose which study we wanted to do.  That was VERY difficult.  We ended up putting the titles in a hat and had to draw one.  We just could not pick what we wanted.  The title we choose was.....

It's no secret we love unit studies.  Having one topic with every subject included makes it so easy to teach a wide age range.  It is also a "sneeky" way to get your kids excited about a subject.  If I were to ask my kids HEY do you want to learn about quicksand? I would of been met with all kinds of sighs and walls!!  I even dressed up as Professor Ana Lyze...sorry guys no pictures of that one...LOL!  It was such a fun week of learning.

Our daughters have learning disabilities and have trouble retaining information taught to them.  But when you make it fun and very hands on they remember SO much.  This series is JUST that.  Who would of thought our kids would be learning about Physics and remembering it!!  They were even excited about writing.  I can not tell you how much of a struggle it is to get them to do so.  Maybe it's because it wasn't "Mommy" telling them to it was "Professor Ana Lyze".  I need to come up with a character for the rest of the subjects.  LOL!!

I love edible quicksand.  You will just have to go on over to The Schoolhouse Store and purchase this study to find out about that.  It is ok to eat sand!!  I'm going to purchase the rest of the titles and use with our homeschool co op group!!  Yes Professor Ana Lyze will be there.  **Wink wink**

As a part of the TOS Crew I received this study free in exchange for my honest review.



Book Review~~Come to Me by Laura J. Davis

Word Alive Press (October 21, 2010)

***Special thanks to Laura J. Davis for sending me a review copy.***

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Step back in time and experience the life of Christ through the eyes of His mother. Come to Me offers the reader an intimate glimpse into the lives of Jesus and His family in a way that brings them to life. The themes of trusting in God and surrendering to Him are evident throughout this remarkable story.

From the cradle to the cross, Come to Me speaks to the hearts of those who are seeking, and deepens the faith of long-time believers. It is a moving tale of the life of Christ from the mother who raised Him to become the Saviour of the world.

Product Details:

List Price: $15.95
Paperback: 338 pages
Publisher: Word Alive Press (October 21, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1435705564
ISBN-13: 978-1435705562

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A singer and songwriter for over 25 years, Laura J. Davis began writing full-time, after an emergency surgery caused the loss of her singing voice. She is a member of Canada's largest community of writers who are Christian, The Word Guild, where she volunteers as a first editor. Laura and her husband, Jim, reside in London, Ontario.

MY THOUGHTS:

This book was breath taking!  I have often wondered how Mary felt about things.  How her life was before, during and after Christ.  Although I realize this is completely fiction and made up, Laura's words made it seem real.  I was totally emerged in the story.  I was walking on the dirt road, feeling the dust on my skin.  I LOVE stories like that.  Chapter 37 made me feel as if I was standing at the cross during the Crucifixion.  I was filled with emotion!  This is a book everyone should read!!  I will be reading it again and again.  I believe this is her first book... I really hope she writes more books.  She has such a way with words.  I'm going to read this with my kids!! 



Book Review~~Trusting God to Get You Through by Jason Crabb

Charisma House (January 4, 2011)

***Special thanks to Anna Coelho Silva | Publicity Coordinator, Book Group | Strang Communications for sending me a review copy.***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Best known as the powerhouse lead vocalist for one of Gospel’s most acclaimed and awarded groups, The Crabb Family, Jason Crabb’s career has already been an incredible ride. While garnering multiple Dove Awards, three GRAMMY nominations, and 16 #1 singles with his family, Jason has become one of the Christian music community’s most acclaimed vocalists. Crabb has become a “fan favorite” at the Grand Ole Opry, appeared regularly on the Gaither Homecoming Series videos, and was honored to sing for the Rev. Billy Graham’s final crusade in New York. He has sung with the legendary Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, among many other diverse and prestigious opportunities. His solo album debuted at #1 on Nielsen SoundScan’s Christian/Gospel Christian Retail chart the week following its release in 2009.

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

More than anything else, this book is about an amazing God who reaches down and touches ordinary lives. It is a testimony of all He has done for Jason Crabb's family and for the people he has been privileged to meet throughout the years on the road. He wrote this book because every soul walks through the fire of adversity. Most of us have walked that plank several times. Whether the life of your dreams is unfolding before your eyes, or you are losing hope that it ever will, you have tasted a trial or two. No human being with breath in his lungs can say, "Difficulty has never darkened my doorstep." You may have entirely different life experiences than Jason. Yet, when you look in the rear view mirror, you can see the high points and low points of days gone by. The important thing—the truly amazing thing—is that like Jason—you came through all of it. There may be a scar or two to remind us of the past, but the past is behind us. Jason Crabb wants you to know that you came through it for a reason.There is something God is yet going to do with you. The important things to remember is that you can go through the fire—any fire—with God's help.

Product Details:

List Price: $14.99
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Charisma House (January 4, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1616381744
ISBN-13: 978-1616381745

MY THOUGHTS:

I've been a fan of The Crabb Family's music for along time.  This book made me realise we ALL walk through trials.  Many times when you hear people on the radio you think to yourself...boy I wish I had it all together like they do!!  I never stopped to think that they struggle just like we do...many times more than we do.  They have this "image" they have to keep.  In the book Jason talks about his past and the scars.  My past is something I struggle a lot with!!  But God saved me for a purpose!  I really think everyone should read this book.  It is a great uplifting book!  I realized that I'm not the only one with a past!

Book Review~~The Purpose and Power of Authority

Whitaker House (January 4, 2011)

***Special thanks to Cathy Hickling of Whitaker House for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Dr. Myles Munroe is a best-selling author, founder and president of Bahamas Faith Ministries International, a motivational speaker, and consultant for government and business. He has spent the last thirty years training leaders worldwide in business, education, government and religion. Dr. Munroe completed undergraduate and postgraduate studies at Oral Roberts University and the University of Tulsa. He is the recipient of honorary doctoral degrees from a variety of schools and serves as an adjunct professor of the Graduate School of Theology at Oral Roberts University. Dr. Munroe and his wife Ruth are the parents of two grown children and travel as a teaching team.

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Are you walking in your unique calling? Do you know that you have an inherent, personal authority that is meant to guide your life? In his new book, best-selling author Dr. Myles Munroe explains that many people don’t know how to live out their dreams or find their place in the world because they don’t understand the principle of true authority. Until one discovers his or her unique, God-given areas of authority and responsibilities, he or she may spend a lifetime feeling unfulfilled or lost. Discovering one’s personal authority is the key to fulfillment and effective living, Dr. Munroe maintains. He explains not only how to discover one’s inherent authority, but to how to respond constructively to others with confidence, free of fear and intimidation. Dr. Munroe has said that he feels this book contains his most significant teaching to date.

Product Details:

List Price: $12.99
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Whitaker House (January 4, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 160374262X
ISBN-13: 978-1603742627

Happy Homemaker Monday

The weather in my neck of the woods...

A lot more mild...35 degrees today with some snow.

Things that make me happy...

Studying God's Word

Book I'm reading...

Bible...book of Judges

Textbooks

Life Ready Woman (review book)

True (review book)

What's on my TV today...

Waltons

On the menu for dinner...

Chicken and stuffing

On my To Do list...

cleaning

homework

homeschool

enjoy my children (I often see many people have so much in their lives they do not spend quality time with their children.)

New recipe I want to try...

Crock Pot Pork and Apples

In the craft basket...

nothing new

Looking forward to this week...

Charity Bible ladies group on Tuesday

Wed. night kids club

Thursday Bible study

Thursday afternoon play date

Favorite photo...

The photo from last week was where we thought God wanted our church.  The first building fell through.  There was so much wrong with it.  We have found this one.  It is located right in the center of town. 

Lesson learned the past few days...

God's plans are not always our plans.  But we need to remember His plans are always the right ones.  Like I mentioned with the building...the landlord of the first building was not being up front and honest with us.  So we prayerfully asked the Lord for directions.  Boy did He come through.  This new building is HUGE and the same rent.  We had our first service yesterday!!

On my prayer list...

Family

Charity Bible Church

friends

Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses...

Psalm 97:10

"You who love the LORD, hate evil!
         He preserves the souls of His saints;
         He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked."

Visit Diary of a SAHM for more Happy Homemaker posts.

Download N Go review~~George Washington

Just in time for his birthday we were able to review George Washington this week!   He is one of our favorite historical people.  Our week looked like this:

Day 1: Who Was George Washington?
Day 2: People and Places in George Washington's Life
Day 3: The Accomplishments of George Washington
Day 4: Lessons to Learn From George Washington
Day 5: Remembering George Washington

Who knew that you would be learning fractions while studying George Washington!  That is what I love about Download N Go....your kids are learning all types of things centered around a topic.  I've said this before, but Download N Go are made with children in grades K-4 in mind.  But I have been using these as a spring board and add more to fit the needs of our family.  So do not let the ages keep you from using Download N Go with  your older children.  I let the children pick a day, they then research the information for that day.  They are then the teacher of the day!  It really is great.  Gets the older children working on their leadership skills.

A peek at what you get in the ebook:

The best quote we came across from this week is:

"It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible." George Washington 

If only our nation would come back to God AND the Bible.  Don't get me started on that one!!  Anyway...To date this has been our favorite unit.  Do you want to read more about what other review team members have been saying?  Go HERE to see them.

Download N Go has several bundles greatly discounted this month!

Mom's Favorites Fun Pack (Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Chocolate Challenge and
Pizza Party)...regularly $28, on sale for $14
Seasons Fun Pack (Winter Wonders, Spring Surprises, Summer Sensations, and
Autumn Treasures)...regularly $28, on sale for $14
19 DNG Fun Pack....19 DNG titles, including Birthday Bonanza...use coupon code
19DNG20Off for 20% off the regular price of $120.

We also have an awesome Giveaway. Check out the details here:
http://downloadngo.blogspot.com/2011/02/february-specials-and-fun-4-mom.html

Up for grabs is a $75 gift card for www.amazon.com OR a yummy Gift Basket worth almost $100!

The Old Schoolhouse Expo

One of the most interesting sessions for me coming up in the Expo is the Teen Track and teens starting their own business.  I know at our local homeschool convention the waiting area is set up just for teens to "show off" their businesses.  I tell you what, I really wish I had done that when I was a teen.  Gena Suarez (owner/publisher of the magazine) has written an article about her own son's businesses.  You can read it HERE.

The great thing about an online Expo is that you can all listen at once in the comfort of your home.  You don't have to worry about keeping other children quiet!  Your teen can listen right along with you.  The greatest feature I like about the EXPO is even if you are like me and forget about the sessions, your ticket price includes access to the download of ALL sessions once they are available...usually about a month after the EXPO.

Tickets are limited...so if you want to attend do it today!  The Early Bird Sale ends February 9 at 11:59pm the early bird price is $19.50.  BUT only until the date above...after that the cost will be $29.00.  Do not wait.  The spots could fill up before then.  Don't wait, this was the most uplifting homeschooling event I attended last year.  I was even able to do it in my jammies!