YBC Book Review - "The Witnesses" by Robert Whitlow

I've done a lot of reading lately, so here's my next review.

"The Witnesses" by Robert Whitlow.

I requested this book from BookLookBloggers as a change of pace of my normal genre of novels.  And I was glad I did.

And if you enjoy historical based fiction, you will enjoy this book too.

Parker House is an up and coming lawyer who shares a "gift" with his grandfather, Franz Haus, who was an officer in the German army during WWII.  The gift is the ability to see snatches of future situations.

Franz runs away from the war, changes his name, and ends up in North Carolina.  The years go by, and one day, Franz's history runs smack dab back into his life, and Parker's life.  The ending was very good, and tied up the loose ends wonderfully.

If you enjoy history and suspense, and even romance, you'll enjoy this book.

Be blessed,
Debbi

*I received a free copy of this ebook from Book Look Bloggers for my honest review.*

YBC Book Review - "More" by Todd Wilson

Do you ever wonder why?

Why are you here?

What are you supposed to be doing?

Is there more?

Than maybe this book is for you.

Todd Wilson asks, and answers, these questions, and many others in his book, "More".

More is full of scriptures and ideas for those who are looking for their place in God's world.  How to be an effective witness.  How to bloom where you're planted.  And how to find your personal calling from God.  We all have one, but many of us don't know what it is or how to look for it.

More not only describes what a calling is, but helps us to ask ourselves questions to find our own.

The main questions of our lives is BE - DO - GO, and these represent the core dimensions of our personal callings.  Not everyone is called to the mission field, or to the pulpit, but we are all called to be His Hands and Feet wherever we are in life.

Personally,  I found this book a bit dry, but then again I am not questioning my calling anymore.  I have read and studied and applied many books on that subject already.

But this book would be great for new christians, and as a group study, or school curriculum.  You can purchase this book (and request an exam copy) direct from Zondervan here.

So, until next time,

Be blessed,

Debbi

*I received a free copy of this book for my honest review from Zondervan and BookLookBloggers.*

YBC Book Review - Betting On Hope by Debra Clopton

Betting On Hope

When looking over the selection of books up for review on BookLookBloggers, my daughter Hannah decided to help me choose, and she chose Betting on Hope by Debra Clopton.  So I requested it, explaining to her that she would have to read it and write the review as part of her homeschool.

Well, she hates to read, and likes writing even less, so I ended up reading this book.

As first I was frustrated with Hannah, because fictional romance is NOT my favorite genre of book.  But I do have to say, that I did enjoy this book.

It wasn't your normal rich man meets poor woman and rescues her crap. lol

This was a story about 2 people dealing with hurts in their life that resulted in not much trust or faith in the opposite sex.  And while there was some references to their mutual attraction, it was not hot and heavy, or distracting to the story.  I also enjoyed how the author added other interesting characters and story lines to the main story to give it more depth.

Here's a brief synopsis...

Journalist meets rodeo star for story.

Journalist opens her mouth and puts her foot in it (I can relate to that) and ends up doing a long series on how above rodeo star must teach her to ride a horse.

Journalist comes to the aid of a homeless pregnant teenager.

During the training period, there are some fun stories and intereactions with the townspeople.

Journalist and rodeo star help each other learn to trust again, and fall in love.

I give it 4 stars....

:0)

Be blessed,

Debbi

*I received this book free from BookLookBloggers in exchange for my honest opinion.

A 50 Year Silence by Miranda Richmond Mouillot

I want to share with you this wonderful book I just finished reading, "A Fifty-Year Silence" by Miranda Richmond Mouillot.

Published by Random House, this is the story of Miranda's grandparents, and their life during, and after WWII.  Through conversations, and letters, and documents, Miranda spent most of her life tracking the ebb and flow of her aging grandparents broken relationship, and gave us a glimpse of how their lives affected hers.  It is truly a love story, and while it may not have the required "happy ending", it is real, and it is captivating, and it is worth remembering.

WWII is more than just a time in history, a school lesson, or a documentary.  We must never forget that it was life, peoples lives, and families, that were forever changed by the circumstances of war.  Any war.  Every war.  There were times reading this book that I almost forgot about the war part of the story, and became more involved in the people part of the story.  But that is what life is about...the people, and how circumstances change people.

Usually, once I am done with a book, I will pass it on.  But not this one.  This will be in my bookshelf, for another read in the future, and to share with my kids when we study WWII in our homeschool.  Because it matters, and we all need "to remember".

So I highly recommend this book.  And I also challenge you.  Once you finish reading this book, think about what happened during the Holocaust, and then look around you.  See what is still happening around the world, and try to make a difference.  One life at a time.

Be blessed,

Debbi

 "I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review."

Something new...and a little bit scary

Life here has been hectic lately, besides homeschooling, my blog (which I have sorely neglected), my shop, creating, fall and holiday craft shows, and promoting The Craftstar, I just entered a writing contest....and boy am I nervous.

I have written poetry in high school (in another life time), and then most recently I started to write short stories (again), which you can find under the Yankee Burrow Storytime tab and on my writing blog Debbi's Shorts.  I have always enjoyed writing, and since I have gotten some nice comments on my short stories here, when I received the email to enter this contest, I decided to just close my eyes, plug my nose, and jump right in.

Wheeeee.....

First prize is having my story published...in a real book!  Wow.

Now to decide what to write, I'm thinking of expanding one of my short stories, but I don't know which one...what do you think?

Time For A New Life

The Power Of Love

Remembering

Should I do this? Should I not? Ugh....please let me know your thoughts, before I make a complete fool of myself!

Be blessed,

Debbi

Book Review - Framing Faith by Matt Knisely

Today I would like to share with you my review of the book "Framing Faith" by Matt Knisely published by Thomas Nelson.

 

 

Matt is an award winning photojournalists with a heart for God.  And in this book he shares with us the importance of slowing down and taking time to see God in the every day moments surrounding us.  My highlighter got a lot of use with this book, so many great nuggets of wisdom.

Let me share a few...

 

"Our lives are not lived in a vacuum, but rather they are interconnected, woven together, and inseparable.  For me to withhold my story would be to rip out a thread from the tapestry of humanity.  God has woven me in just as he has woven her in, and him in, and them in...and you in."

 

"At times we find ourselves in a spiritual crisis, and in those moments
God is speaking to us amid all the confusion of our lives, against all our comprehension and controlling...but we don't hear him.  Christ is making an appeal that disrupts the way we think and know and believe...but it disturbs us, so we tune him out.  God want s us to be story listeners.  He wants us to listen to our story and to his story."

 

"We've become so accustomed to God's Word and his story that at times we let it have little value in our lives.  When is the last time you celebrated the incredible gift of your salvation? So often we are bored by it - uninterested and apathetic toward the story that changed the destiny of all of mankind."

 

Man, talk about stepping on my toes.  There is so much truth and encouragement in this book that I plan to read it again, and again.  And I happily recommend this book to anyone that wants to enjoy life more, to slow down and hear from God on a daily basis.

 

Be blessed,

Debbi

 

**I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLookbloggers.com® book review program.  The review is totally my own opinion.**

Homeschool Monday - Book Review for Teens

I love to read, and I am at my wits end trying to instill that same love for reading in Hannah.  She just does not like to sit still long enough to read.  But she does enjoy mystery, and I enjoy encouraging her faith to grow.  So my first book review for Book Look Bloggers, (Harpercollins Christian Publishing) is a book I chose for her.

"Samantha Sanderson - At The Movies" by Robin Caroll.

(published by Zondervan)

Hannah loved this book, and gives it a 4 out of 5 stars.  (I did try to get her to write this review, but she's on summer vacation, lol).  In order to write this review, I also read this book, and I also give it 4 out of 5 stars.  It was easy to read, which is good for young girls, but the story line was engaging and kept me (an adult) interested throughout.  Plus the faith lessons were very good.

Samantha is a middle school student that is on the schools newspaper, her mother is a famous journalist, and her father is a police detective.  This story follow Samantha as she reports on a local bombing story while learning God's truth about reporting, not jumping to conclusions, and relationships.  It was a very good story.

So if you have a young girl that likes to read, and even those that don't like to read, I recommend you get them this book.  The best part? It's the first book in a series, so there will be more for your child to look forward to reading in the future.

 

(*I was given this book at no charge in exchange for my reviews.*)

 

Be blessed,

Debbi



TBN Book Review - "Beautiful On The Mountain"

This past Saturday I received a new free book for review from Tyndale Publishing as part of my Tyndale Blog Network.  Guess what? I finished it already, it was that good!  The book is "Beautiful On The Mountain" by Jeanne Light, and it warmed my soul.

It's her real-life story of the years she spent as a lay minister in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and it really blessed my heart.  The stories she shared were captivating, and it's been a long time since I read a book through like that.  No TV, no internet, not even any texts, it was that good.  But more than just the story and how it make me feel, it also made me re-examine my life.  Am I doing all that my Father has called me to do?  I pray so, every day.

Here is one of my favorite parts (and there are many)...in the story Jeannie is up on the mountain repairing wire fencing with a friend and was clearing out the underbrush.  Which, by the way, is a never ending chore.

"When we arrived, I went to work with my pruning shears, cutting my way through the tangle of vines.  When I'd cleared a space, I stepped back to judge where to go next.  To my amazement, I saw a stream of clear sap gushing from the raw, freshly cut end of the vine's trunk.  The sap had been surging up toward the leaves and tendrils, preparing for the plant's resurrection.  I watched in awe until Charles called me back to the task at hand.

Somehow I sensed that God was showing me a real-life parable, thought at the moment I didn't make the connection.....

Until I was willing to let God cut the excess branches from my heart, His life would not be able to flow abundantly through me - for my sake and the good of His Kingdom."

Whether you're a child of God or not, there are lessons in this beautifully woven story about love.  Loving yourself, and loving your fellow man.

I heartily recommend this book to everyone, and I mean everyone.

Be blessed,

Debbi

"Courageous Grace" by Gayle Haggard, a TBN book review

It's that time again....time for another Tyndale Blog Network book review.  

And this time I chose the book "Courageous Grace" by Gayle Haggard.

This book was an easy read, full of stories and scriptures.  At first, I thought it would be more of a study kind of book, and while there are study questions in the back, I found it to be more encouraging than anything else.  Here are a few quotations that I especially liked...

"God is not shocked by our sin..."

"Forgiveness means we let go of our right to punish others for their wrongs against us."

"Forgiveness acts as a healing balm that soothes the heart of the forgiver."

Now, this book is not really about our walk, but about how we respond to others that have tripped and fallen in their walk with God.  I've always wondered why the army of God shoots their own wounded.  Ultimately it is up to each of us individually to extend the grace that Jesus showed us, to others.

I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars.

Be blessed,

Debbi

**Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of Gayle Haggard's book, 

"Courageous Grace" for my review. **

"A Call to Resurgence" by Mark Driscoll, a TBN book review

WOW! A MONTH? REALLY?

I can't believe I've been AOL from my blog for almost a whole month, and I've missed you all so much too. :-)

Now that the holiday rush is over, and most everyone in the family is healthy, it's time to get back into my routine, and I will start with my Tyndale Blog Network book review.

I have to tell you, I love TBN.  They have tons of great books, and this month I chose the book

"A Call to Resurgence" by Mark Driscoll.

What caught my eye was the writing on the front of the book, "will Christianity have a funeral or a future?".  When I watch the national and world news I am amazed at just how much our world and world views have changed, and not all for the good (in my opinion).  And I become concerned for the future of my children and grandchildren.  As a child of God, and a disciple of Christ, I want to leave them a better place to live, and I thought that this book would give me a place to start for change.  I was slightly disappointed over that point.  It wasn't a "how to" book, or even gave concrete suggestions on how to change.  But the book was very good at describing how we Christians cause most of our own problems, which I totally agree with, like that old saying, "the army of God is the only army that shots it's own wounded".  Unfortunately that's true.  But Mark calls for all of us to work together to bring change.  Here are a few lines that I enjoyed and highlighted for future reference.

"The church is facing a great opportunity - to be part of a far-reaching and substantial movement of the Holy Spirit to see many come to Jesus".

"How much time and energy is wasted in warring that could be better invested in witnessing?"

"We are a minority in an increasingly hostile host culture, and the sooner we accept that reality, the better off we will be.  We have to stick together around the national border issues, stop wasting our energies on infighting, and start investing our energies in evangelizing."

And my very favorite line in the book...

"The Bible is not a book of principles to live by but rather a Person to live for"!

The rest of the book is an overview of the way too many different denominations and the history of the churches.  So over all it was a good read and I give it 3 out of 5 stars.

Until tomorrow...

Be blessed,

Debbi

**Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of Mark Driscoll's book, 

"A Call to Resurgence" for my review. **

Tyndale Blog Network Book Review - the one year book of Bible Trivia for Kids

Today I am sharing a review on a book we received from Tyndale House.  First I want to remind everyone that I do not get paid to review these books, but I do receive a free copy of the books I choose to review.  

The most recent book I received is 

the one year book of Bible Trivia for Kids by Katrina Cassel.

I don't know about you, but sometimes getting my kids to sit still for a family devotional time is not easy.  They squirm.  They talk.  They roll their eyes.  LOL.

But they do love games, and puzzles, and trivia.  So this book makes a great addition to our arsenal of bible tools so we can "train up our children in the way they should go".

The daily devotions are short and to the point, and in an easy to read format.  The devotion for the day starts with a multiple choice trivia question, which I read and see if they can answer before we start.  Then a section talking about the scripture story, and how it applies to our lives, and then the actual scripture answer.

This is a book geared towards young children, but for older teens and adults looking to study God's Word, this book is too simple.  I love the fact that my kids are having fun while learning.  You can purchase this book by clicking on the link above.

Be blessed,

Debbi

let's do a Friday finds...new handmade items I found

I've been a bit MIA from my second home this past week, so today I'm looking to see what I missed in the land of handmade.

Let's start with The Craft Star, my new home sweet home...

Here's a sweet idea, a crochet necklace from the shop of Thread Headz.  She has actually listed 3 new crochet necklaces, and is having a crazy good sale going on right now in her shop.  You need to check it out.

Oh....I need to get this for Quintin.  How adorable is this crochet cowboy boots and hat? And I've seen regular baby booties, roller skates, and so many other great baby items in this shop, Handmade Gifts by Barb.

Look what I found in the vintage section!  An amazing turquoise pendant. This was in the shop of Retro Sideshow, whom I featured just last week.  Amazing shop with amazing items.

Now I'm off to visit some old friends at Handmade Artists.
This handbound book would be a great gift for any student in your life. You can find books of all sizes and kinds in the shop of Blue Highway.

Cari from Crochet Hooked makes these amazing bracelets.  She somehow crochets them.  I tried this, and let me tell you...it ain't easy. lol.  I love the warm brown color of this braidlet bracelet.

Well, I'm running out of time, and need to go and start dinner, so my shopping time is done.  But you can continue to discover the beauty of handmade just by clicking on any of the links above.

Be blessed,
Debbi

My Friday finds...at The Craft Star

Yep, I've done it...I've opened another shop.  This one is at The Craft Star and will carry our vintage and vintage inspired items.  I only have a few handmade jewelry pieces there so far, and I'm still learning my way around the shop and forum, but today I want to share what I found there...

Isn't this pink and white bracelet cool? I love the look of the pattern with the middle white beads.  It's handwoven and closes with a magnetic clasp.  I love those clasps...no running for help when putting it on. 

You can find this piece and many many others at the shop of JenJohnson42. 

Last Tuesday, while I was on the site playing with my shop, I got an invite to their meet and greet.  At the bottom of the site page are chat room boxes, much like you'll find on facebook.  So you can connect to others with just one click.  Like I said...cool. :0)

Speaking of cool, look at this etched copper bracelet from FonteNoir.  Isn't it awesome???  You want to know what else is awesome?  On the item page, if you mouse over the picture, it will magnify that section for great close ups on the item you are looking at.  Try it...you'll like it.

Now back to last Tuesday, I accepted the invite thinking I was just going to a chat room and "talk" to some other shop owners.  But on Tuesdays (and Wednesdays I think) they have a LIVE meet and greet.  Bethan chooses artists/shop owners and interviews them and you get to watch it live, and learn a little background of the artists you purchase from...like I said...pretty cool!

A new "thing" at The Craft Star is vintage.  They have opened their site, and their arms, for artists like me, that just love vintage.  And that's where I found this wonderful starburst clock.  I remember seeing many like this when I was growing up in the late 60's.  I found this clock in the shop of Retrosideshow. 

There are clubs in the CraftStar forum, somewhat like a team, but better.  You join the club simply by participating in a discussion, no invitation needed.  And you can come and go as needed, so no major requirements, which is nice for those times of life when there is just no extra time.

The last item I would like to share is this vintage book on the Lawrence Welk Show.    I remember watching this show with my Daddy.  It was one of his favorites, along with HeeHaw.  I wasn't crazy about this show, but I was crazy about my Daddy, and spending time with him was worth sitting through this show.  I found this in the shop of Red Shoe Affair. 

Being creative makes me content, and collecting vintage makes me remember, and smile.  And The Craft Star gives me the best of both worlds.  It's a new site, and still growing, so they have some growing pains.  There is no "perfect" site, but TCS has the potential to be amazing.  Check it out and decide for yourself.  You'll find me there under Yankee Burrow Vintage.

Be blessed,

Debbi

my 10 day YOU challenge - 4 books



Hey y'all...here we are at day (week) 4 of the challenge from BlogLoveTherapy. 

 

4 books....hmmm, this is going to be very difficult because I am an avid reader and can not possibly narrow it down to 4.  So I will be breaking it down to 4 categories.

 

1)  My most favorite book is my Bible.  Yes, I go to church and have faith, but you see, I don't have "religion", I have a "relationship".  And my bible is God's love letter to me.  And one I could not live without!

 

2)  Next up, my favorite books from my past...you know the kind of books that are so well written that you can close your eyes and remember the story years, even decades, later?  I have read 2 like that...J.R.R Tolkiens "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" series, which probably everyone has read, or at least seen the movies.  Let me tell you if you have only seen the movies, the books are sooo much better.  The other series is "The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant" by Stephan R. Donaldson.  They are similar to Tolkiens books, but instead of being a separate world, we are pulled into the world of "the Land" through Thomas Covenant, a modern day leper who finds himself pulled into the Land in his sickness.  If you haven't read it, I won't tell you anymore.

 

3)  The books I find myself drawn to today are mostly series and my favorites are...

"The Mitford Series" by Jan Karon.  A great series about the life of Father Tim set in the funny and cozy world of Blowing Rock, NC.  Only it's not called Blowing Rock in the series.

"The Left Behind Series" by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins.  If you are interested in end time prophecy, these are great fiction books to keep your interest, and I have found them to be scripturally accurate when compared to the Bible.

Any of the many series written by Beverly Lewis.  She is an amazing author who writes stories about life in the Amish community.

And I also love books written by Karen Kingsbury and Ted Dekker.

 

4)  This last category I am going to leave open, because there are so many books out there just waiting to be discovered. 

 

So, that is my challenge for this week, click on the link above to see what other great bloggers are reading.

Be blessed,

Debbi

Back to school specials

Yes, I admit, I have circled the date on my calendar and I am counting the days till my girls

GO BACK TO SCHOOL! 

I think, no, I know, I am more excited than they are, lol.  But to help them get excited, I did some shopping for back to school specials and here they are....

For the collage bound student, WhetherBags on Etsy has this daytripper / messenger bag on sale for an amazing 57% off.  This bag is made from vegan-dyed organic cotton canvas with a hemp canvas liner and strap.  There is one inner pocket and it closes with cotton snap tape.  Lisa is retiring this style, and there is only 1 left, so you better get it now.



While this item is not on sale right now, I have to share with you the amazing work of Blue Highways over at Handmadeartists.com.  She makes the most beautiful journals, all hand cut and bound.  The details on these journals, and the fact that Andrea retires the fabric after only 3 books, makes these well worth the money.  You can find a journal in all sizes and for all reasons, lined and unlined.  Any student would love to complete her English essays in a journal like this one.  And this one, with the bright orange butterflies, is by far my favorite.  It even has a name, Unquestionable Peace.

Now, for the little girl in all of us, Sassafras Gifts is having a Back to School Special....20% off hair accessories.  I for one, know that I need to get my girls out of bed early enough that they can change their outfits 5 times, and fix their hair, all before the bus arrives.  Oh, the hard life of a middle schooler, lol.  Now these Zebra Gerber Daisy hair clips are adorable for grammer school, and still fun and funky enough for the older girls.  And with 18 pieces in this set, share time!!!

There is still time to order and receive these items before the first day of school, or click on the links above and check them out today.

Be blessed,

Debbi

HAF artist spotlight....Blue Highways

The road less traveled...

the scenic route...

that's the road I love to take because who wants to be like everyone else?

And that's what I like best about the Handmade Artists shop of Andrea...

Blue Highways.

Andrea also enjoys traveling the back roads, and as far as originality goes, her hand bound books are true originals.  Because after 3 books, the fabric is retired, never to be seen again on any other book.

When my family takes a "ROAD TRIP", we not only take tons of pictures, but I try to keep a journal to jot down our itinerary, and memories of all that we did, and the fun times together. 

 Now here's a great journal for your next family trip...

Beautiful Chaos.  I love the bright colors on this 5.5" x 8.5" book, hand bound with 200 lined pages.  Being left handed...I cannot journal on unlined paper, otherwise my words just slant down, down, down.  And check out the detail of the threads on the spine.  All her books have beautiful spines.

Another great part of taking a vacation is the time I get to just doodle and sketch.  And for that I will need another kind of journal....like this one.

Papillions Azur.  The fabric cover is amazing!  And with 96 pages of 90# natural white watercolor paper.  Watercolor paper is also great for soft pastels, which is my medium of choice.  This book measures 6"x9", just large enough for some great sketches, and small enough to carry around with you.

Andrea lives in Ohio with her husband and boxer dog, and is a full time book binder and artist.  Book binding is a craft I know nothing about, and I have the highest appreciation of those who can create such beautiful places for the ideas and sketches of the rest of us.

My last share with you is another unlined book, for us doodlers.

This Songbird Book is covered with birds, and swirls, and flowers, and colors, to get your creative juices flowing.  And inside this 6" x 9" book you'll find 200 pages of premium white acid free 80# drawing paper.  Great for pencils and inks.  And if you can write in a straight line, this would also be a great journal for your thoughts and dreams.

Seriously...if you would love a special book like these, rush over to Blue Highways and talk to Andrea.  She loves to make her customers happy, and will do all she can for you.  So if you see a fabric you like, but want a different inside...just ask.

Andrea is setting up a website...Blue Highways Books.  It will be up fully by June 30th, but go there now and bookmark the page!  You can also follow any of the links below.

Website / HA shop / Etsy shop / Blog / Facebook / Twitter

Be blessed,

Debbi

Andrea will be on vacation until the 29th of June,  so you have time to browse.  Just be sure to bookmark her pages!!!!