Love You More by Jennifer Grant

Love You More, by Jennifer Grant is a book about the joys and trials of adopting a daughter. Grant goes through the entire process detailing what they went through in deciding to adopt through to bringing their daughter home. The family had three biological children and then became interested in pursuing adoption.While not an easy procedure, the author confirms repeatedly that the end result was worth every minute of the journey. This family will never be the same again and neither will anyone who reads this book.

I picked up this book because of an interest that I have had for years in adoption. Coming from a family with adopted children, I have always kept adoption in the back of my mind for my own family. This book is an excellent resource for anyone who is considering adoption or just for an inspiring read. Her style is warm and captivating with a refreshingly honest perspective. It is a practical yet truly funny book; easy to read and entertaining. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found it helpful in its informative nature. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in adoption or just for the pure pleasure of this storylike narrative of a family's journey to become complete.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

This is Your Brain in Love by Earl Henslin

This book is based on the premise that in order to be the best lover that you can be to your spouse, you need to be your best. In order to accomplish that you need to recognize any problems in your brain that may be hindering your ability to respond to your spouse in an appropriate and loving way. Henslin chose five different types of problems that can be present in the brain and affect the way we respond to each other. He addressed each type specifically by describing the problem, its symptoms, and how it can be treated with drugs and supplements, as well as ways for the affected person and their spouse to cope with the issue. I appreciated the fact that the author encourages couples to work on their problems and gives hope for resolving conflict within a marriage.

I picked up this book not expecting to be very enthralled by it but I was pleasantly surprised. Henslin's writing style is easy to read and informative. This book was one of the easiest to read nonfiction books that I have ever read. I enjoyed the practical nature of this book. It was written in a way that made it practical to a layperson who has little experience with problems of the brain. I learned things about myself and why I respond to my spouse in certain ways. It was a very helpful book and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to make their marriage better.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

I have a love-hate relationship with my sewing machine!

Ah the joys of the modern age! I can sew at the speed of light compared to hand sewing. That is if my machine will cooperate with me. I have been sewing all evening and not a misstep anywhere! It is truly amazing. Yesterday, however, I sewed for 10 minutes and had to take every seam out and resew just to take it out all over again. I'm not sure where the difference is. It boggles my mind!
I am attempting to sew a large quantity of products for my business in order to build up my inventory. I am planning to begin sales imminently, hopefully on a large scale. I am working on a blog, Etsy store, and a Facebook page to use as advertising and sales tools. I am also hoping to attempt selling at a farmer's market probably in Medicine Hat for the summer and in Edmonton in the fall. I have been able to do quite a bit of work despite the problems with a temperamental sewing machine!
Thus my love-hate relationship with my sewing machine! I couldn't work with out it but some days it won't work with me! Thank God for the times when it does work and I can get lots done!

Thoughts of late...

Jesus I Come by William T. Sleeper

Out of my bondage sorrow and night,
Jesus, I come, Jesus I come.
Into Thy freedom, gladness and light
Jesus, I come to Thee.
Out of my sickness into Thy health,
Out of my want and into Thy wealth,
Out of my sin and into Thy-self
Jesus I come to Thee.

Out of my shameful failure and loss,
Jesus I come, Jesus I come;
Into the glorious gain of Thy cross
Jesus, I come to Thee;
Out of earth's sorrows into Thy balm,
Out of life's storms and into Thy calm,
Out of distress to jubilant psalm,
Jesus, I come to Thee.

Out of unrest and arrogant pride,
Jesus, I come, Jesus I come;
Into Thy blessed will to abide,
Jesus, I come to Thee;
Out of myself to dwell in Thy love
Out of despair into raptures above,
Upward for aye on the wings like a dove,
Jesus, I come to Thee.



I was practicing this song on the piano today and realized that this song speaks to exactly what I need to be doing right now. My life is in a rut and I need to make the decision to crawl out of my self-pity and despair and cling to the freedom that I have in Christ. Unfortunately, it seems to be something that I will have to do everyday. Or more to the point...every time I feel discouraged and stuck in a rut. God help me to remember that when I feel least like doing it! It is time to take charge of my life.

Softly and Tenderly by Sara Evans

Softly and Tenderly by Sara Evans (with Rachel Hauck) is a story about an average woman whose average life is thrown into turmoil with a single piece of information. Jade Benson is the proud owner of two successful shops, happily married to a successful lawyer, and has finally moved beyond her past into a promising future. So she thinks. However, in one fell swoop her life is turned upside down when she learns that her husband has an illegitimate son conceived one week before their wedding. Jade is thrown into an adventure that has her questioning very aspect of her life, past and present, including her relationship with God.

When reading this book I was moved and responded to the character of Jade Benson in many of her struggles. She is a real character with real struggles that are similar to those of many women. She deals with these struggles in a way that is true to life and they come to resolution in a way that leaves the reader satisfied and not skeptical. One of the few complaints that I had about this book was that it refers to events in the previous book too often. As a reader who had not read the first book in the series, it was hard at times to understand what was being referred to because I did not have background information discussed in the first book. However, I still enjoyed the book and it actually made me want to read the first book in order to understand more fully the second. So I suppose that would be a positive affirmation for the author!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

"Living with Confidence in a Chaotic World" by Dr. David Jeremiah

The subtitle of this book quite accurately describes the purpose of the book. “What on Earth Should We Do Now?” This book describes ten principles that should drive our lives in this 21st century. The author describes the chaos of the world around us and directs our attention to ten Biblical principles for living confidently in the world. Dr. David Jeremiah uses key examples from history and current events to illustrate his points which draws the reader into the book as if it were a storybook. It is written in a casual style that allows the reader to feel as if they are speaking with the author in a one-on-one conversation. This book challenged me to live with an eternity focused mindset. The principles mentioned in the book are simple but profound, the type of principles that it takes a few minutes to read and understand, but a lifetime to master. He speaks of staying committed, consistent, and centered on Christ. I was challenged and convicted by the words of Jesus that were echoed throughout this book. I would recommend this book to anyone who is serious about following Christ or interested in what being a Christian is about. A great read that will change your life and give you a new perspective on who you are and what you are doing here on this earth.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Diagnosis

Well, I know have an official diagnosis of sorts. Its complicated but they want to do more testing and stuff. Basically I have diabetes and now get to start the journey of revamping my life to deal with this disease. Its tough some days. Especially when I am craving a sour cream glazed donut or French fries. But I am getting through. I am learning to read labels even more than I already did. I was always a healthy eater but now I need to really cut back on fat and sugar which is a challenge. It means that I can eat hardly any processed foods/fast food/dessert, etc. Not that I ate a lot of any of those things but the occasional Jr bacon cheeseburger from Wendy's is a pretty important part of my diet! =)

I have been doing some more work on my new project and have discovered that its very hard to make brownies taste delicious without using fat. However, I have discovered some sweet muffins that are really good for you with no fat (besides a few almonds). Stay tuned for the recipe. I will also be putting up a new recipe for a pasta sauce containing vegetables, chicken, cheese, and no fat beyond the cheese. Here's a tip for you: when trying to cut back on fat try using a nonstick frying pan to cook and don't add oil or butter to the pan. Most things will cook fine without added fat. If it seems too dry you can add a bit of stock or water to help it cook.