Books I’ve Read {June Update}

Posted on July 1, 2015 by Joyce and Norm

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FINISHED

Notes From a Blue Bike by Tsh Oxenreider – I ended up not reading this book because I received the launch team copy of Longing for Paris, and didn’t have time to read both. (You can read more about this book HERE, and about us meeting Tsh HERE.)

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo – Hmm…where do I start with this one? I have lots to say about it, but that would turn into a long review, and I know you are in the middle of summer fun. I love Marie’s perspective on clutter. She pretty much says get rid of it all!! The more I have decluttered, the more happy I have become, for sure, but I can honestly say I will never be a minimalist. There are items in my life I would love to pass on to my future generations, photos or items that hold great memories which I will forget if I tossed them, etc. I really like the process she describes to go about decluttering so you can be tidy, but I am not a huge fan of all the talk about (spiritual) energy and saying “thanks!” to my possessions when I get rid of them. I think she does more or less trash (maybe recycle) all items leaving a home, which I don’t like because someone else really can use them, or you can sell them. I also don’t believe that she has kids…when you bring kids into the picture, it’s a whole different story when it comes to the rate of accumulating things. :p

Be You, Bravely: An Experiment in Courage by MOPS – So good! This book is a devotional for MOPS members this past year, so it is not a book you can purchase. I really enjoyed all the stories shared by the authors, and the questions at the end of each article were super thought-provoking. It gave me a new perspective on stepping out of my comfort zone and being brave(r) to do the things God has called me to do. I think there is a new book for the upcoming MOPS year, and I hope someone will let me borrow it when they are done reading it since I am not a member anymore.

Longing for Paris by Sarah Mae – I’ll be posting about this more later, but it is awesome. That’s all for now. 😉 It is only $8.37 on Amazon right now, probably for a limited time, so get on it! Anyone who pre-orders the book can fill out this form HERE and get an invite to a webinar with Sarah and Sally Clarkson. See the video about the book HERE.

READING
Looking forward to reading these books in July. Anyone else want to join me?

– Talking with Your Daughter About Best Friends and Mean Girls (8 Great Dates) by Dannah Gresh
– A Girl’s Guide to Best Friends and Mean Girls by Dannah Gresh
– Classical Christian Education Made Approachable by Classical Conversations
– The Get Yourself Organized Project by Kathi Lipp

20150708_165154 Have you read any good books lately? What are your favorite kinds of books to read – mysteries, biographies, historical fiction, cookbooks?To check out the books on my book list, you can READ THIS POST or visit our Amazon store.

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy here.

Books I’ve Read {May Update}

Posted on June 2, 2015 by Joyce and Norm

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy here.

FINISHED

Desperate by Sarah Mae and Sally Clarkson – It was a busy month, so I didn’t get through the entire book. This is my third time reading this, and I pick up a few more great nuggets each time. I actually have two copies of this book, and the one I’m reading is the marked up one with underlining, notes, and highlighting, which is fun to go through, remembering the last season I read through it and things that were happening at that time. Here’s one I posted to my HelloMornings group:

“And above all, I need to remember that “good” motherliness has nothing to do with how God sees me. Nothing. I am pleasing to Him on my good days and my bad days. His love for me never wavers…and never will. Because I’m His.”

Sometimes all we need are reminders like these…that someone knows exactly how we feel, and that it is okay in the rough seasons because God still loves us. Review

Flash by Rachel Anne Ridge – From the moment you read about Flash the Donkey’s ~~arrival~~ appearance in the Ridge family’s driveway, you will start to fall in love with his charming ways. I love Flash..both the book and the donkey. If you don’t think you could learn a thing or two from a donkey, think again! Flash may teach you something about life. Read more about the wisdom that Flash has to bestow upon us in the following links: Flash | My Day with (Flat) Flash.

READING
Looking forward to reading these books in June. Anyone else want to join me?

Notes From a Blue Bike by Tsh Oxenreider
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
Be You, Bravely: An Experiment in Courage by MOPS

Have you read any good books lately? What are your favorite kinds of books to read – mysteries, biographies, historical fiction, cookbooks?To check out the books on my book list, you can READ THIS POST or visit our Amazon store.

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy here.

My Brave Emily

Posted on October 30, 2014 by Joyce and Norm

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy here.

If you have been around the blogosphere recently, you will see that “Brave” is a hot word! Our MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) theme this year is Be You, Bravely! I love it! (You can tell by all the exclamation marks!)

I think most of us who are moms (esp during the new mom stage) sometimes tend to forget about who we are apart from our kiddos. I love how this theme helps us to not only remember who we were, but who we can become as moms, but also as we grow in this journey. I’m sure there are tons of books out there for us about being brave, but I loved when an email showed up in my inbox about a new book series for girls on being brave!

There are so many things we can be “afraid” of in this world, especially with how fast (bad) news can travel in a tap of a few keys. There are some brave women in the Bible who can show our girls how to be brave in a world that maybe doesn’t really agree with them. I was listening in on a conversation Emily was having recently with some kids she just met. She started telling them about A/OK (Alpha Omega Kids), which is a weekly kids’ group at our church where they have a worship time, attend different workshops (computer, cooking, crafts, recreation, etc.), eat dinner together, and have a Bible time. She told them that it was about God and how God loves them. One of the boys responded that it was weird…or she was weird. I couldn’t hear what he said. I was so proud of her for sharing her faith, but it also broke my mama heart. It didn’t faze her at all, and she just kept right on playing with them. I don’t want her to ever feel defeated by how others view who she is or what she believes, but how much easier it would be for me to tell her now to say those things because someone might not like her. I would hope and pray that those around her would love and accept her whether they share the same beliefs or not.

If you remember, I am not a huge gifts person. It is definitely not my love language, and we don’t always do Christmas gifts and such because we have enough stuff already and it really isn’t what Christmas is about, but I think these books will end up on the list. (The devotionals are available in March 2015 but you can preorder today.)