My Stubborn Heart {Review}

My Stubborn Heart by Becky Wade is another great summer read. Kate Donovan is a 31 year old social worker who has been praying for a husband since she was young. When she needs a break from her job, she heads to the small town of Redbud, PA with her grandma to help her renovate her grandma's childhood home, Chapel Bluff. Despite being cute, spunky, and fun, she seems to have low self-esteem and wonders if God will ever bring a husband into her life.
Enter Matt Jarreau. Matt is an ex-world famous hockey player, hiding out from everyone after the death of his wife. Matt has shut out all his family and friends, but as he works to renovate Chapel Bluff with Kate and her grandma, Kate is determined to become his friend. Despite Matt's determination to keep her out of his life and Kate's determination to think of Matt as only a friend, they both find themselves drawn to each other. As Kate's prayers for a husband and Matt's family's prayers for him are answered by God, they all find that God doesn't always prayers the way we expect!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and wished it could have gone on and on! I love that the end wasn't quite what I expected it to be, but it still ended so well. I think it was a great reminder that no matter how badly we want something, we always need to follow God's will for our lives. I highly recommend My Stubborn Heart and can't wait to read more from Becky Wade!

I received this book for free for review from Bethany House Publishers.

Blessings,

Linked up with:
Raising Homemakers
Far Above Rubies
The Better Mom
Teach Me Tuesdays
Titus 2sday
Women Living Well
A Delightful Home
Raising Arrows
The Modest Mom
A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

Getting Our Kids into God's Word

The main reason that we teach our kids to read is to be able to read God's Word.  Then they can read for themselves what God tells us, not just have to take our word for it.  Since both Buddy and Sweetie did such a great job of learning to read this past year, we gave them each their own Bible at the end of our school year last month.  We also gave them a blank journal along with it.

Even though we are officially on summer vacation, I don't want them to forget everything we worked so hard to learn, so I have been incorporating ways to get in some practice in some new and fun ways.  We also want to work on helping them get familiar with their Bibles this summer, so we have been using them while we practice writing verses.  A couple times I have used some of the Bible studies at Good Morning Girls (I highly recommend the Ministry of Motherhood and Proverbs 31 studies!) and have learned to use the S.O.A.P method when studying verses.  This stands for writing the Scripture, Observations, Application to our lives, and Prayer.  I thought we could incorporate that a little bit into what the kids do.  We have been using the book Little Visits With God and I love how easy it is to use with the kids.  I had this book from when I was young and I still remember reading through it. 

Each story begins with a verse that is explained through the story.  The stories are fairly short and really keep the kids' interest.  And then at the end there are questions that we can ask the kids (keeps them paying attention even more if they know they have to answer a question!) and a short prayer.

Instead of having the kids do the whole S.O.A.P method, I write the verse on our white board each morning and they copy it into their journal. (Writing the Scripture)

Then for the Observation, Application, and Prayer part, we read and talk about the story in Little Visits With God.  When they get older, then we can start have them doing that part on their own in their journals also. 

  I happen to have two copies of Little Visits With God, so if you would like our extra (gently-used) copy, just leave me a comment letting me know.  I would love to bless someone with our extra!  I will randomly pick a winner next Wednesday, June 27.

What do you do to get your kids into God's Word?  I would love to hear your ideas!



Blessings,

Linked up with:
Raising Homemakers
Far Above Rubies
The Better Mom
Teach Me Tuesdays
Titus 2sday
Women Living Well
A Delightful Home
Raising Arrows
The Modest Mom
A Wise Woman Builds Her Home

Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

Tasty Tuesday ~ No Bake Chocolate Cookies

It's been a while since I've shared a recipe!  Since I made these tasty cookies today, I thought I would share this easy recipe with you.  These are so easy to whip up and even my kids love being able to help with them.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup baking cocoa
2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 cups quick oats

Directions:
Combine the milk, butter ,cocoa, sugar and vanilla in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook for 1 minute without stirring.  Remove from the heat and stir in the peanut butter and oats.  Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper and let cool.  If they don't hold their shape very well, you can stir in an extra 1/2-1 cup of oats.

Enjoy!

Blessings,

Linked up with:
Raising Homemakers
Far Above Rubies
The Better Mom
Teach Me Tuesdays
Titus 2sday
Women Living Well
A Delightful Home
Raising Arrows
The Modest Mom
A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

9 Years Ago

Mark

1983-2003

9 years ago today God completely healed my little brother from cancer.  While it was not the way we were hoping, I am so happy that Mark will also be there to meet me when it is my time to meet my Creator.  We love and miss him and can't wait to see him again!

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

Blessings,

The Fiddler {Review}

If you are looking for some vacation reading this summer, I highly recommend Beverly Lewis's The Fiddler.  I have loved all of her books that I've read so I was excited to be able to review the first book in her new Home to Hickory Hollow series.  I was not disappointed! 
Amelia Devries is a very talented violin and fiddle player.  While she loves her music, she has been feeling like she has to follow her terminally ill father's dreams of touring around the world and making her music her life.  When she makes a wrong turn and finds herself lost in Amish county, she meets Michael Hostletler.  Michael is a young Amish man who doesn't want to join the Amish church, but knows that his parents expect him too.  Together Amelia and Michael discover how to choose their own path in life without hurting their parents.
This was a very sweet romance that blossomed slowly through out the story.  I look forward to reading the rest of the books in the series!

I received this book for free for review from Bethany House Publishers.

Blessings,