Book Review

{Everything: what you give and what you gain to be more like Jesus} by Mary DeMuth

When the book, Everything, came up on my list of review possibilities, there was just something about it that caught my attention and I knew I wanted to read it. Possibly it was because I have read a couple of other books by Mary DeMuth and appreciated her style and honesty. Maybe it was this simple sentence of review by Leonard Sweet, "No one closes this book unchanged. It ennobles desires. It releases dreams." Whatever it was, I am very glad that I requested it!

Usually, I fly through books pretty quickly and enjoy my time in them and move on. Everything has been on my window ledge for several weeks as I have slowly been making my way through it. The pages are dogeared and my marking pen has been busy. I found so much in this book that I didn't want to forget, that I wanted to take time to chew on a bit and ponder, and much that I wanted to pray about.

DeMuth's journey of life has been full of hard times, the book, Everything, begins with reflections on time her family spent in France as missionaries. She shares brokenness, heart ache and discouragement. It moves on and is presented in three sections; Head- What We Think, Heart- Who We Are and Hands-How We Live. Each chapter ends with questions for personal reflection or that could be used in a small group for a book study.

Several times while reading, I studying what redemption truly means and what is can look like in our life. Demuth's writing challenged me again and a again to really look at God's plans for my life, for my family and what following Him can really look like. 

I pray that I can live out this thought by DeMuth; 

"So controlled by the love of God, our lives should be marked by hope, power, peace, grace, joy. In a sin scarred world bent toward darkness, our well-lit lives should stand out.We may live in a night like world, but as we follow Christ, that redemption within shines all the brighter on the darkened backdrop."

Hard subjects are addressed in this book, but Mary DeMuth approaches it with grace, encouragement, and hope for each of us. I recommend this book to anyone who is really wanting to dive deeper and be like Jesus. I am looking forward to slowly working my way back through it one more time in the near future as God continues to work on my heart and change it for His glory.

Disclosure of Material: 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. 

{This Mama's Daybook}

Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2012

Outside my window... A very frosty morning, when I went out to move the van so Shawn could head to work, the windows were frosted over and the grass was beautiful with the little frost crystals all over it!

I am praying... for orphans in China... for those who loved this little man and serve children who wait and hope for forever families and for those who will never have a family to call their own... for families who are currently traveling to bring home their little ones... and for families waiting for approvals to travel to squeeze their little ones for the first time.

I am thankful for... time we had with our families over Thanksgiving. It was fun to see cousins and watch the kids play, catch up with each other and just enjoy time together. 

I am thinking about... Christmas, I love this time of the year. It is so easy to get caught up in the craziness, but I want to find ways to point my children back to Jesus every day. I have been working on our lesson plans for December adding in craft ideas and a wonderful read aloud book list (I will post our Christmas Book basket list soon!) We will be at home for Christmas for the first time in 15 years, I am looking forward to celebrating in our own home this year.

I am wearing... a grew KUMC sweatshirt that has been around for 16 years but that I still love, little spots and all. It reminds me of the early years of our marriage, school and friends that are far away but still close at heart after all these years. I am looking forward to hearing from them at Christmas and seeing how much their families have grown and changed. Black yoga pants and fuzzy socks to keep my cold toes warm.

I am creating... Christmas crafts, photo books for gifts, candles with the kids for the Christmas Bazaar this weekend, still working on activity bags with the kids and lesson plans for December.

I am going... to the bank and the post office today, then taking 2 kiddos to piano lessons.

I am reading... Still LoLo by Lauren Scruggs with Marcus Brotherton, it is excellent!

I am pondering these words... “But I cannot tell that to this old sinner, and I cannot comfort him either; he has made himself unable to hear my voice. If I spoke to him, he would hear only growlings and roarings. Oh, Adam's son, how cleverly you defend yourself against all that might do you good!” ― C.S. Lewis, The Magician's Nephew

While we were traveling for Thanksgiving, we listened to the Chronicles of Narnia with the kids. It was so fun to hear them use their imagination as they listened but also as they began to grasp how Aslan is like Jesus.

From the kitchen... Eli made his favorite Chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast. We are going to try our hand at making home made pasta, I have a new pasta maker that we want to try out. We also are enjoying this yummy lemon-lime soda cobbler as I work to use up items in our pantry.

From the learning rooms... Next week we are going to begin our study of Christmas celebrations around the world. We are working on Subtraction for Abigayl & Eli, reviewing multiplication facts for Lenna. Nate has taken off reading with the Sonlight K readers and the rest of the kids are moving through their reading quickly. 

Things I love... snuggling in homemade quilts and toys while reading stories to my kids.

A great memory from this week... our boys are involved in 4-H shooting sports and are pretty good little shots. They were practicing with their daddy with a target that you can reset. While Daddy was taking careful aim and shooting the 4 target you hit before resetting, Eli was sitting an waiting, daddy would take out a few targets, then Eli would shoot the reset before daddy could finish. They had a blast shooting together over Thanksgiving break.

Around the house... school happening- one practicing piano, one reading a story to another, English lessons being written and the giggle of a little sister who adores this crew!

A few plans for the rest of the week... we have a birthday to celebrate this week, it's hard to believe that someone in our house is turning 8! We have gymnastics practice as usual for the girls 2 nights and the boys have practice 1 night. Saturday is the Christmas Bazaar at church, the kids are selling their candles to raise money for their mission trip to Eastern Europe with Shawn in Feb. to be a part of the SHARE Conference for missionary families.

A peek into my world...

A few pictures taken on the trip home from Dallas last week as we stopped to enjoy God's creation and the colors of fall...

Favorite Photo Friday

This past week, Clara and I made a fast trip to Dallas for the celebration of life service for my cousin, Doug. He had fought his battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) with grace but had went to home to be with the Lord after a fall and complications.

We spent 2 evenings with family and friends, celebrating his life with pictures, stories, laughter and tears. I am thankful for the time we had, please continue to pray for Juli, his wife as she grieves the lost of her soul mate.

The hard thing about a fast trip to Dallas was the hours in the car for Clara. We stopped in OKC to stretch our legs and wiggle on the way down.

It was a beautiful fall day and Clara was loving it. 

She was proudly sporting her JOY shirt in honor of Ivy Joy, a little girl adopted from China with a very complex heart defect.

 Ivy is only 1 day older than Clara and her story has touched our hearts deeply as we loved a little guy in China who had a very broken heart as well but never made it home to the arms of a daddy and a mama. Clara was sharing the JOY...

What JOY this sweet girl brings to our lives as well!

"And the ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away." Isaiah 35:10

49 years ago... (Nov. 22nd)

President John F. Kennedy was shot at Dealy Plaza, Dallas and history changed for our country. We made a quick stop at Dealy Plaza on our way home on Tuesday. Though I wasn't born yet, I remember growing up and always hearing my parents and grandparents talking about where they were when they heard about the shooting. My mom was in the military and was in the operating room at a military hospital in Alaska. Tuesday, she told me all about it again with memories still very clear. I think it was an event like ones in my time... knowing exactly where I was when President Reagan was heard, when the Shuttle Challenger exploded and the morning of Sept. 11, 2001.

Looking up across the plaza towards the old courthouse.

 Standing in front of the building where the shot came from. The window is covered by the trees but it was from the 6th floor corner window.

Here you can see the window, 2nd set down on the left- it is rectangular, the rest in that row are curved on top.

My niece took this picture, the x marks the spot where the car was when Kennedy was shot on the street.

 We walked up the motorcade route for a little bit and talked with the kids about what took place that day and in the days following before hitting the road to head on home.

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours...

coffee with friends

 "The world would be so lonely, in sunny hours or gray. Without the gift of friendship, to help us every day." - Hilda Brett Farr

Clara and I got up Monday morning and headed to Cedar Hill to meet up with friends for a quick cup of coffee at The White Rhino. It was so good to see them even for the short time we had. Their kids were working on their math and worked away as we chatted.

We enjoyed our treats outside of the porch...

 we laughed...

 sweet moments we were thankful for!

A quick trip to Dallas- 1st stop, OKC

Clara and I left Sunday morning with my mom, my brother and his family to head to Dallas for my cousin, Doug's, celebration of life service. It was a very fast trip but a blessing, packed with many adventures along the way.

Sunday afternoon, we stopped at the Oklahoma City National Memorial to let the kids out of their car seats to move for bit. Though I have been there many times, I love to stop and visit and and walk through the memorial. I remember exactly where I was the morning of the bombing, something I will never forget. This memorial is a beautiful tribute to the 168 lives lost that day and those who came to the aide of victims and families.

"Jesus Wept..."

This beautiful statue stands on the church grounds at west end of the memorial.

 Clara and one of her cousins standing at the reflecting pool at the east entrance...

 "We come here to remember those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever. May all who leave here know the impact of violence. May this memorial offer comfort, strength, peace, hope and serenity."

beautiful...

words I am pondering today...

"The greatest of man's power is measured by his surrender. It isn't a question of who you are, or what you are, but whether God controls you." ~ Henrietta Mears (1890-1963)

I don't know about you but it is easy for me to get caught up in "my world."

Focusing on what I want, where I want to be and what my dreams are...

for my life, my kids, my home, etc.

Lately, God has been challenging my heart about the I's, me's and my's that I am holding on to...

and teaching me to let go.

Because, really... He has held it all along, I have just thought I had some control.

I have been studying Matthew 6:19-34... it has challenged me.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?~Matthew 6:25-27

How valuable we are to Him!
How He wants us to trust in His care!
He provides... faithfully!

{Moments from the last week}

the moon rising...

 enjoying the last of the fall leaves...

 school time...

 reading together...

 helping daddy with laundry...

 What moments do you not want to forget?

At Every Turn- Book Review

Book Review- At Every Turn 

by Anne Mateer

At Every Turn is a new Christian historical fiction novel written by Anne Mateer and published by Bethany House. The story takes place in 1916, auto racing was taking hold and was considered to be a man's sport. Alyce Benson is the daughter of a wealthy businessman with an interest in auto racing and recently returned home from studying in Chicago to her small hometown. Though Alyce's family does not attend church, she does and make a commitment of three thousand dollars to visiting missionaries to help with their work in Africa.

Alyce does fit in the box of expectations of her time. She loves to drive her own car, a gift from her father and the faster the better. When Alyce's plan of where the money she committed to the missionaries would come from falls through, she must devise another plan that can help her come up with the amount very quickly. She turns to what she loves, auto racing, and builds a friendship with her father's mechanic who is building a race car in the family's garage. Questions arise about who she can trust and if she get the three thousand dollars in time.

Over all, I enjoyed this book. It was an easy read and kept my attention from cover to cover. The time period in which it takes place is one that is not often written about in Christian fiction so I appreciated the author tackling this era and the information she gathered to make it accurate in many ways.  Alyce's character is very free spirited and her desire to be faithful in her promise drives her decision making both for the good and bad. She is young and has much to learn about responsibility and the author does a good job writing about her struggles, especially when she is has a faith that is not shared with all her family members. I found it to be a bit predictable but still exciting. I would recommend this book to others. 

 I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers.   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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

This Mama's Daybook

Nov. 12 , 2012 (started it on the 12th...)

Outside my window... the sun is shining but the temperatures have dropped and it's 30 degrees outside, the wind is blowing making it feel about 19!

I am hearing... Clara belting out Jesus Loves Me along with the Adventures in Odyssey episode we are listening to.

I am praying... my cousin, Juli, and her daughter as they grieve the loss of Doug (my cousin with ALS). My cousin, Brad, wrote this after my cousin, Lynne, passed away a few years ago, also of ALS. Lynne was Brad and Doug's sister.

I am thankful for... Our "thankful tree" on our dining room wall. Each day we are adding leaves with something we are thankful for. It is fun to see the little things that kids are learning to be thankful for. It is a great reminder to our family of the faithfulness of God.

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. Psalm 107:1

I am wearing... black yoga pants, a long sleeve "Defend the Orphans" t-shirt and fuzzy socks.

I am creating... still working on candles and activity bags with the kids.

I am going... a county extension meeting tonight.

I am reading... Fearless Daughters of the Bible by J. Lee Grady to review. Just finished 2 Christian historical fictions that were good.

I am pondering these words... "When the train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don't throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer." ~ Corrie ten Boom (1892-1983)

From the kitchen... cinnamon coffee cake for mid-morning snack.

From the learning rooms... God's Great Covenant, we have really enjoyed working our way through this book and studying Old Testament history. Because of the ages of our kids, it takes us longer on some chapters but we take the time to read all the chapters together out loud and work our way through the lesson plans. We just finished up Joseph, one of my favorite OT stories that is a beautiful reminder of God that can come from heard times.

Our Bible verse has been: You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. Genesis 50:20

Things I love... books, I have always loved reading and in the last year I have worked hard to add time in my schedule to read more for myself again along with reading with the kids. Our kids also love books so you can often find stacks of books all over the house that someone has been reading...

Around the house... candles lit in the fireplace, snuggly blankets and pillows to curl up in as we read stories on this chilly morning, hot chocolate and cinnamon coffee cake.

Plans for the coming week... a strong week of school, piano lessons, gymnastics, working on candles and getting some more listed, getting things ready to travel to my cousin's memorial service next week, dropping off more shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child.

A peek into my world... 

Please pray for Ivy Joy today...

You can read the update on her mom's blog here. She had another heart cath this morning, I am unsure of the results of it but there were complications with her heart once again. Please pray for this tiny treasure!

Recipe {Chicken Curry}

Curry is a favorite food at our house, rarely do we have any leftovers when we have it and if we do it's just enough to freeze for daddy to take for lunch another day.

There are a lot of curries out there to choose from, some are spicy but others are not. They also come in a variety of colors and from many different parts of the world. Curry isn't just one spice but a blend that varies depending on where it is from. I first fell in love with curry when we were in Kenya several years ago. There was a can of curry on the shelf in our apartment and I had no idea what to do with it. I ask our house helper to teach me how to cook with it and we fell in love at the first taste!

I keep three curries in my cabinets that we love...

Yellow curry- this is the mix that we found in Kenya years ago.

Green Curry Paste- I buy a Thai mix of this, I have also used powder and it was good too. It has a bit of kick to it, I love this with veggies and it was amazing this week in the curried butternut squash I made off my friend's recipe.

Panang Curry- this is a Thai curry as well, specific to a region of Thailand. Our favorite way eat Panang Curry is with shrimp and basil.

My friend, Amy, requested the chicken curry recipe that I use so here it is.

Chicken Curry

4 chicken breasts or 6 chicken thighs, thawed and cut into cubes

2 Tbs. Olive oil

2 Tbs. curry powder

1 tsp. ginger

salt & pepper to taste

1 can coconut milk (if you use lite, it will not thicken like regular but still tastes wonderful)

1 zucchini/summer squash, cubed

1/4 c. chopped onion or 6 to 8 chopped green onions

2 potatoes, cut in cubes

6 to 8 fresh basil leaves (you can use about 1 tsp of dried basil instead)

Cube chicken and put it in a large skillet. Sprinkle with curry powder, ginger, salt and pepper and coat it well. Let it sit a few minutes. Add the olive oil and onion, then brown the chicken. Next add the can of coconut milk and stir, add cubed veggies. Let simmer until until the veggies are tender, add the fresh basil leaves.

Serve over rice.

***cubed winter squash tastes wonderful in this too! Peeled, seeded and cubed.
***we also love it with young fresh green pumpkin in late summer before they turn orange and the skin is still tender.
*** Beef stew meat can also be used, make the same only simmer the curry/coconut milk mixture and meat on a very low temperature for several hours to allow the meat to become very tender. Add the Veggies about 20 minutes before serving and continue to simmer until they are tender.

Joanna's Curried Pumpkin (winter squash)

1 Can Coconut Milk (you can use lite but it will not get thick and creamy)
1 Tbs. curry powder
salt to taste
1 squash/small pumpkin (peeled, seeded and cut in chunks)

Mix the coconut milk, curry powder and pumpkin chunks in a pot on the stove. Simmer until the pumpkin is tender, salt to taste.

We like it served over rice.

We hope you like it!

ALS {Pain, Heartache and what it has taught me...}

***updated: Thank you for your notes and prayers for my cousin, Doug, and his family. He passed away this morning with complications from the fall and ALS. It has been a long road for his family and I ask that you would continue to pray for them.

Five years ago, someone we loved dearly finally went home to Jesus after a long battle with ALS. Before Lynne's diagnosis, I had heard of ALS but had no idea what it was. After her diagnosis, our family and others who knew her came to understand all too well what this terrible disease is.

She lost the ability to speak and for awhile her hands spoke for her with a marker on her white board. Over time, she lost the ability to use her hands and then her eyes spoke volumes... pain, frustration, sadness and from time to time... a little joy. Each day was a struggle for Lynne, she lost her ability to eat, to get around her home, to dress herself... each day became a challenge every waking hour.

I wrote about her illness here and the things it taught me... hard things. But I also learned more about love through Lynne's life than I ever imagined.

I wish I could tell you that we grieved and my life hasn't ever been touched again but ALS, but I can't. I received a message this morning that Lynne's brother is in the hospital after a fall. He too has been battling ALS for the last few years. This time it has been from a distance as my cousin lives a few states away, but my heart aches for his amazing wife and daughter as they walk this road. 

Five years ago after we said "farewell for now"to Lynne, I remember several days when we as a family were together, going through belongs and home with her 2 brothers. Little did we know then what would be ahead.

Maybe you know someone who has ALS or maybe you know a caregiver of someone with ALS... if you do, please take time to see them, to encourage them, to walk this difficult road with them. It will be hard, it will be painful and frustrating, but it will be worth it...

And if you have a moment, please pray for Doug and his family today.
*Update: Doug is now in ICU, please continue to pray for him and his family during these challenges days and the ones ahead.

{This Mama's Daybook}

Thursday, Nov. 8, 2012

Outside my window... the sun is shining and it is a beautiful fall day! It's a chilly 53 degrees but no wind which is rare for our part of the world.

I am praying... for our country.

I am thankful for... this past weekend and the chance to get away and spend time at a retreat with other adoptive moms. It was refreshing and encouraging to my soul.

I am wearing... black yoga pants and a pink WEPAC t-shirt.

I am creating... kids activity bags! The kids and I picked out fabrics to make these awesome bags. Our church has had many young families start coming and sometimes church can get long. We decided to make and stock these bags and make them available each Sunday in the entry for kids to use during the service. The pattern is fun and easy!

I am going... to visit a friend who had her baby yesterday and taking her daughter and our kids for a quick visit after lunch.

I am reading... Against the Tide by Elizabeth Camden, a book I received from Bethany House to review. I am enjoying it. I have read her other books so when this one became available I was excited.

I am pondering these words... "Mama, I want Pepperoni, I dying here!" I know it's the words of a 2 year old but they are so sweet to my soul. How thankful I am that when God called, we answered and added another little on to our family through adoption. This week I have prayed often about the Orphan Crisis in our world today and am constantly reminded not only by the three precious gifts God has given us but the words of my 6 year old after watching, Hope is Fading on Orphan Sunday... "What about my friends, mama, they are still in China without a mommy."

From the kitchen... curried chicken & pumpkin with rice. Curried Chicken is always a favorite around here but a few weeks ago when our friends were visiting, they introduced us to curried pumpkin and we fell in love! I am actually using butternut squash instead of pumpkin today but it is awesome as well!

From the learning rooms... we have been so busy lately that we have gotten a bit behind on our Art projects as we work our way through this book, How to Teach Art to Children. This afternoon we are going to spend working on some painting projects. The kids are so excited!

Things I love... Pumpkin muffins on a fall morning. Giggling of kiddos in their rooms when they wake up in the mornings. We have 3- 7 years in the house for a few days which is an adventure:)

A great memory from this week... getting family pictures taken by friends on Sunday afternoon and putting together our Christmas card to order. All these pictures just make me smile!

Around house... laundry, I never win this battle... share your ideas of how you conquer your mountain- please!?!?!?! Books! It is so fun to have 4 kids around the house who can read now, I love hearing them read to each other. The other night, Eli was so excited that he got to read Nate his bed time stories and read him the Adventures of Danny the Dinosaur.

A few plans for the week ahead... the week is almost over and it has been busy so today I will just put a few things we did! We went to see the play, The Three Little Kittens, that was presented at a school a few hours away. We have been to gymnastics and will have practice again tomorrow night. Piano lessons for 3 kiddos- they are all working on pieces for the Piano Festival in January and are excited about them. Christmas musical practice at church for the kids. 

A peek into my world...

Clara, 1 year ago Sunday...

This past Sunday...

Standing on this mountaintop

Looking just how far we’ve come

Knowing that for every step

You were with us

Kneeling on this battle ground

Seeing just how much You’ve done

Knowing every victory

Was Your power in us

Scars and struggles on the way

But with joy our hearts can say

Yes, our hearts can say

Never once did we ever walk alone

Never once did You leave us on our own

You are faithful, God, You are faithful

~Matt Redman, Never Once

{wordless Wednesday}

I am still laughing...

One of those conversations you don't want to forget...

We have a lot of these at our house and I need to record them more often!

Lenna:    Mom, I don't like being the first born in our family!

Mom:     Why not?

Lenna:    Second born would be better because you have it ( parenting, teaching) figured out by then. If it didn't work on me you know not to try it again!

Oh honey, if your Daddy and I ever have it figured out it will be a miracle!

Weekends are for walking and laughter...

The weekend was beautiful here.

The kids spent a ton of time outside enjoying it.

I got to sneak away on Saturday to a wonderful adoptive mom's retreat and my heart was refreshed and blessed!

Sunday afternoon we went out with some other friends for a walk and to get a few pictures, hoping that maybe we could get something to work for a Christmas Card.

We'll see on the latter part but there was lots of walking and laughter...

Sweet Baby F always makes us all smile...

 It was nice to just walk with my man too...

 We found things to climb on...

 someone loved being up there so watch everything going on around her...

 We jumped a lot...

 snuggling with a baby always makes a day better....

 We practiced drinking "Solomon Island style..." to share...

 some more snuggles....

 and enjoyed some lemonade on the way home...

 What a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon!