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Nurturing moms in their walk with God

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Saturday Salutes ~ God’s Plans, Calming Psalms, and a Reading Update

August 3, 2019 by Tracey 6 Comments

Much has happened in the last couple of weeks! My husband and I celebrated our 28th anniversary on July 27th. Our daughters have been away at camp all this week, so we took a quick overnight trip to Kiawah Island. It’s been nice to have time for just the two of us!

Now I’m ready to welcome our girls back home this afternoon. It’s only three weeks until we drop our oldest off for her freshman year at college. I’m trying to process all that while preparing our youngest for her junior year of high school which starts on August 19th.

Here are some helpful posts I found over the past few weeks.

Jennifer asks Are Your Deadlines Flexible to God’s Plans?

Briana lists 4 Questions to Ask Yourself to Prune Away What Hinders Growth.

Danielle gives us 7 Psalms to Help Calm Anxiety.

Chelsia shares 5 Ways to Be Supportive of a Spouse Who Travels for Work.

And if you plan to travel with your children, Cori has Our Favorite Things to Do in NYC in the Summer with Kids.

Here’s an update on the books I’ve finished lately.

Both of my non-fiction books were re-reads. The Next Right Thing by Emily P. Freeman and Give Them Wings by Carol Kuykendall and Krista Gilbert were just what I need for the month ahead!

I read two fiction books. Effective Immediately was the third book in The Agency Series by Chautona Havig. I really enjoyed Love Starts with Elle by Rachel Hauck.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on a product link and make a purchase, I’ll receive a small percentage from any sales.  This does not affect your price in any way.

Filed Under: Read, Salute

Saturday Salutes ~ Grumpy Moms, Organizing, and the Books I Read in March

March 30, 2019 by Tracey 4 Comments

I didn’t share any videos last Saturday, so I thought I’d link a couple today. These two performances are from my daughters’ fine arts competition earlier this month.

This is my younger daughter’s sacred piano solo. She got 3rd place.

This is one of two songs their high school choir sang. They received first place.

Here are a few good posts I found this week.

MaryEllen shares 5 Reasons You’re a Grumpy Mom (And What You Can Do About Them!)

Sarah has a comprehensive post on Organizing Essentials – A Guide to Organizing Everything You Own.

Read about how to Create a Christ-Centered Home at Creative Home Keeper.

Elizabeth has 21 Cute and Easy Easter Treats for Kids.

It’s almost strawberry season here, and these Strawberry Shortcake Trifle Cups look like a great way to use some of those strawberries!

I didn’t finish as many books as I thought I would in March. Part of the reason is that I’m re-reading Heaven by Randy Alcorn and it is loooong.

I did read two books, both fiction, and the first one is also a re-read.

Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss is a book that I enjoy more each time I read it. I always see some new truth that didn’t stand out to me before. I’ve read this book multiple times, and it’s an all-time favorite of mine for sure!

I also enjoyed The Book of Hours by Davis Bunn. It was a very entertaining read.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Filed Under: Read, Salute

Make Time for Advent in Your Home This Christmas

November 28, 2017 by Tracey 3 Comments

It’s finally happened!  After thoroughly enjoying our Thanksgiving break, the Christmas spirit has started filtering in around our house.  (Well, our girls already had it; I was the one who was lagging behind!)

As we cruise through this last week of November, I have a question for you.

What do you want most out of the Christmas season this year?  Yes, I know we all mean to slow down and really celebrate the meaning of Christmas.  I hear lots of talk about keeping things simple, spending time with family and friends, and soaking in the sights and sounds of the holiday.

Yet in spite of all our good intentions (mine included!), it’s so easy to get caught up in all that Christmas brings.  From the concerts to the parties, cookie swaps to gift buying, we can breeze right through the season without ever making time to mark the real reason for Christmas with our families.

No matter what time of year it is, I always appreciate opportunities to put Deuteronomy 6:6, 7 into practice.

“And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:  And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”

Today I get to share a resource that can help us do just that!

I was given the opportunity to review Unwrapping the Names of Jesus:  An Advent Devotional by Asheritah Ciuciu.  Just seeing the pretty packaging got me into a Christmas frame of mind!  Moody Publishers thoughtfully included several Christmas cards.  Each is designed with a name of Jesus on the front, and a related verse and message on the inside.

Check out this Advent Devotional

Besides the beautiful cover, I like the layout of this book.

The content is broken down into four one-week sections.  Each section focuses on one of the four weeks of Advent – Hope, Preparation, Joy, and Love.  On Sunday, you could light a candle, if you wish, and read aloud with your family the devotional provided for the first day of the week.  It includes a theme verse, a Scripture passage to read, three discussion questions, and a Christmas carol to sing together.

Following that are five brief devotionals, to be done Monday through Friday.  Each one has a reading, a challenge, a prayer, and verses for further study.  At the end of each week is a list of activities and service-oriented projects.  You and/or your family could choose one or more of these to do.  They provide ways to put that week’s theme into action.

I’ll be honest – December is a hard month for us to have time together as a family.  Both girls play basketball at their school.  That means games twice a week, and some late practices other nights.  They’ve got a piano recital and a band/choir concert scheduled.  In a perfect world, we’d sit down to supper together most nights, but that’s just not happening often these days.

However, now that I have this book in my hands, I feel like making Advent part of our Christmas this year is doable.  It will only take a few minutes to go through each day’s reading.  I’m determined that we’ll find a way to make it happen!

Check out this Advent Devotional

If you’d like to check out the inside of the book, go here to read an excerpt.  Moody Publishers is graciously offering a 40% discount on the book to my blog readers if you buy the book through this link, and use the promo code ADVENT40.  (You must use the link provided in order for the discount to apply.)  It’s available in hardcover or an ebook version.

[Note: As I was putting together this post, the book was on backorder through the Moody Publishers website.  I’m hoping that will have changed by the time this post is published, but I wanted to let you know that it’s also available on Amazon.  Though the discount code won’t apply on Amazon, the book is still very reasonably priced.]

I also wanted to say that you could totally do this study on your own!  In fact, I’m considering doing it by myself each morning before going through it with my family in the evening.  I love the idea of focusing on Jesus in December, and anticipating the day that we celebrate His birth.

If you already celebrate Advent in some way, I’d love to hear about it!  I’m excited about getting into this book, and can definitely see this becoming a family tradition.

Moody Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.  All of the opinions expressed in this post are my own and I was not compensated for this review in any other way.

Filed Under: Read

7 Books I Read in July

August 5, 2016 by Tracey 3 Comments

Making it a goal to read four fiction books last month helped me get more books read in July!

 
This first non-fiction book is from my 2016 reading list.

Planet Middle School by Dr. Kevin Leman.  This book had some helpful advice for parents of middle schoolers (though I feel that Dr. Leman is occasionally crude in some of his language and stories.)  I would recommend Sue Acuna’s Middle School:  The Inside Story if you were looking for an excellent book on parenting this particular age group.

I read two other non-fiction books in July.

Unstuffed by Ruth Soukup.  I really wanted to read this book after thoroughly enjoying Living Well Spending Less.  In Unstuffed, Ruth did a great job of dealing not just with decluttering in every area of your life, but in learning what to value and how to choose the possessions and pursuits that matter the most to you.

Be Satisfied by Warren W. Wiersbe.  I read a chapter of Ecclesiastes each day for a couple of weeks and used this as a companion book.  It really helped bring out some of the truths Solomon shared.

Here are the four fiction books I read last month.

Sweet Olive by Judy Christie.  This is the first book in the Trumpet and Vine series and is a small town story about interesting characters with just a little bit of mystery.  I enjoyed it so much that I moved on to the second book in the series!

Magnolia Market by Judy Christie.  This book was as good as the first one, and I’m hoping there will be a 3rd!

Miriam by Mesu Andrews.  Read my complete review of this book here.

The Witnesses by Robert Whitlow.  My husband and I have enjoyed several books by Whitlow, and I really liked this one as well.  The story switches back and forth between current day and Nazi Germany.

Have you read a good book lately?

Filed Under: Read

Book Review: Miriam by Mesu Andrews

August 4, 2016 by Tracey 2 Comments

I’ve been hearing Old Testament Bible stories since I was a toddler.  I know well the story of how God used Moses to deliver the children of Israel from Pharaoh.  I also know about Miriam – how she watched over her baby brother’s basket in the Nile River, how she led the women in praising God after crossing the Red Sea, and how she joined Aaron in criticizing Moses over his choice of a wife.

 
Mesu Andrews writes a captivating story of what might Miriam’s life might have looked like during the days of the plagues and the Israelites’ subsequent flight from Egypt.  I appreciated the research that went into this book and how the author wove other recognizable characters – such as Eleazar and Hur – into the storyline.

While the developing of the details in Miriam’s life are fictional, reading this book helped me consider those parts of the lives of Bible characters that are not revealed to us.  God chose to tell us a segment of their stories, but many of the things that happened in their lives – the daily struggles, their hopes and dreams, their understanding of how they fit into God’s plan – are not given to us.  Yet we know that they were people just like us, with strengths and weaknesses, times of faith and periods of doubt. 

I believe the overarching lesson of this book is learning to trust God – something I certainly need to be reminded of every day!  I look forward to reading more of Mesu Andrews’ books in the future.

Blogging for Books provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.  All of the opinions expressed in this post are my own and I was not compensated for this review in any other way.

Filed Under: Read

5 Books I Read in June

June 29, 2016 by Tracey 5 Comments

My reading list is unusual this month in that I read more fiction books than non-fiction.  That almost never happens!

The first book is on my 2016 reading list; the other four were not.  All three of the fiction books were read just before or during our vacation week.

 
1.  Fervent:  A Woman’s Battle Plan for Serious, Specific, and Strategic Prayer by Priscilla Shirer.  This book on prayer reminds us of who our real enemy is and the importance of using prayer to defeat him.  Each chapter deals with a specific prayer topic, and includes verses to use in developing your own prayer for each situation.

2.  I’m Happy for You (Sort Of….Not Really) by Kay Wills Wyma.  This was a re-read; I just felt like I needed to be reminded of the truths that Kay shared in this book.  You can read my extensive review of this book here.

3.  The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin.  I actually got this young adult book to preview for my teenager, but ended up reading the whole thing myself before I passed it on to her.  It’s a Newberry Award winner, and quite a clever little mystery.

4.  The Patmos Deception by Davis Bunn.  Reading a story set on the island of Patmos was interesting and thought-provoking.  I’ve always related that location to the apostle John and his writing of Revelation, but it was neat to realize that it’s a place where people actually live today.  This book seemed a little slow at points for me….but maybe that’s because I ended up comparing it to my next read.

5.  Gold of Kings by Davis Bunn.  This was an entertaining read, with lots of adventure and mystery.  I really enjoyed this one!

What have you been reading lately?

Filed Under: Read

3 Books I Read in May

May 27, 2016 by Tracey 4 Comments

Except for February, I think this is my year of underachieving when it comes to reading!

I finished three books in May; the first was on my 2016 reading list, but the other two were not.

 
1.  Age of Opportunity:  A Biblical Guide to Parenting Teens by Paul David Tripp.  The author encourages parents to use the teen years to prepare their children for the life ahead of them rather than to see it as a season just to be survived.  He deals a lot with promoting their spiritual growth and maturity, which begins by living a Godly example before them.

2.  What a Girl Needs from Her Mom by Cheri Fuller.  I thought this book covered the mother/daughter relationship very well!  It talks about all the different ways we can develop our relationship with our daughters.  The author has good insight into issues we will face with them.  Much of her focus is on keeping the lines of communication open.  I had gotten this book at the library, but I bought a copy for myself so that I can read it again from time to time.

3.  Living Beyond Your Capacity by Paul Chappell.  This was a helpful read about viewing the Holy Spirit as a person and acknowledging all the roles He plays in our spiritual walk as well as appreciating the work that He does in our lives.

What have you been reading lately?

Filed Under: Read

5 Books I Read in April

April 29, 2016 by Tracey 6 Comments

I was missing in action here on the blog earlier this week as our daughters and I got to accompany my husband on a work-related trip to Asheville, NC.

We were blessed with beautiful weather!  My husband and the girls went ziplining on Monday, then we visited the Biltmore House and Gardens on Tuesday.

 

I’m also excited that I was able to read a few more books this month!  Here are the five that I read; only the first one was on my 2016 reading list.

 

  • Parenting for the Launch:  Raising Teens to Succeed in the Real World by Dennis Trittin and Arlyn Lawrence.  This book is all about preparing your teens to leave home.  My favorite chapter dealt with helpful skills we can develop to communicate effectively with our teenagers.  The authors also explained changes to look for and embrace, offered advice on preparing them to make decisions and build relationships, and how we transition into guiding and influencing our children instead of telling them exactly what to do.
  • Simply Tuesday by Emily P. Freeman.  Emily reminds us to embrace the small, the ordinary, and the every day; see the beauty in simple moments; and set aside time to let our souls breathe.
  • Hands Free Life by Rachel Macy Stafford.  I’d read Rachel’s previous book, Hands Free Mama, but I have to say that I really prefer this book to the first one.  I highlighted a number of passages (and already shared this quote).  The nine habits she develops throughout the book are all key principles for developing a well-balanced life.  I love the personal stories she uses to illustrate each of the habits, and I left the book with a new realization of the importance of relationships.
  • Meet the New You by Elisa Pulliam.  You can read my complete review of this book here.
  • Murder at the Courthouse by A.H. Gabhart.  Okay, this fiction book is not as dramatic as the title sounds.  It’s a small town mystery that I enjoyed reading while we were on our trip earlier this week.  I hope to read the second one in the series soon.

Have you read any good books lately?

Filed Under: Read

Book Review: Meet the New You by Elisa Pulliam

April 22, 2016 by Tracey 4 Comments

If you’ve ever wanted a personal life coach to guide you in changing the direction of your life, you might want to read Meet the New You:  A 21-Day Plan for Embracing Fresh Attitudes and Focused Habits for Real Life Change by Elisa Pulliam.

 
This book is laid out in 21 chapters, each with a particular theme.  The chapter opens with a couple of pages to read, followed by a “Trap and Transform” section, which gives activities that reinforce and put into practice what you’ve read.  Next, a few related questions are asked, with a place given for you to write in your answers.  Each chapter ends with a prayer.

Written from a Christian perspective, the chapter topics include such things as “order your priorities,” “discover your talents and spiritual gifting,” and “eliminate the excess and concentrate on what’s best.”  Some of the chapters have a lot of material to consider, especially if the particular topic is one you’re wanting to apply in your life, so you may want to take more than one day per chapter.  This would allow you to complete the assignments thoroughly and fully internalize the lesson being taught.

Since Elisa is an actual life coach, her perspective and guidance is helpful.  I think the book meets its goal, which is to “help you assess what your life looks like today while allowing you to gain clarity and vision about tomorrow.”

I also believe you will get out of this book what you put into it.  If you really dig in, put time and thought into answering the questions, and complete the activities given, you can gain a clearer picture of how you want to live, the habits you need to change, and clarity for a new direction in life.

Blogging for Books provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.  All of the opinions expressed in this post are my own and I was not compensated for this review in any other way.

Filed Under: Read

2 Books I Read in March

March 29, 2016 by Tracey 2 Comments

I knew going into March that I wouldn’t have much time for reading, but I was still surprised that I only made it through two books.  That makes for a short post!

At least these books were on my 2016 reading list.  They were both good, but not books that I plan to revisit.

  • You’re Made for a God-Sized Dream by Holley Gerth.  If you’re looking for encouragement to step out of your comfort zone and try something big and/or new for God, this book could be good motivation for you.
  • 9 Things You Simply Must Do To Succeed in Love and Life by Dr. Henry Cloud.  The author shares nine principles that can help you in your relationships and in pursuing your life goals.  He uses interesting metaphors as chapter titles, such as “Pull the Tooth,” and “Act Like an Ant.”  My favorite quote from the book is “Humility is not having a need to be more than you are.”

Have you read any good books lately?

Related post:  6 Tips for Getting the Most from the Books You Read

Filed Under: Read

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Welcome! I'm Tracey, wife and mom to two teenage girls. I seek to help Christian moms raise children who know, love, and serve God by sharing Biblical wisdom, helpful tips, and practical advice. Read More…

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