As for Me and My House by Elizabeth Wiens

Raising Godly teenagers, courtship and marriage, coming out from among them and being different, standing firm in your decisions, honoring God....all of these describe this sequel to Bringing them home.

I really enjoyed Elizabeth Wiens first book Bringing them home; so I can't describe how excited I was when she asked me to review the books sequel As for Me and My House. I think I may have done an embarrassing little dance in front of my family when my husband told me it had come in the mail.

I started reading it that same day and finished it pretty quickly. Like its sister book it was an easy read in novel form. I liked the fact that you didn't need to have actually read the first book to understand what was going on in this one. But since I did read the first one; this was even more interesting to see the continuation of the characters and the Knight's beginning homeschool years to the ending result of their eldest daughters marriage.

As for Me and My House was informative and challenged me more as a homeschooling parent than Elizabeth's first book; because our family is just beginning to enter this phase of our homeschooling journey. It definitely gave me things to think and pray about concerning my own children's teenage and young adult years. It was refreshing to see that some of the things my husband and I had discussed about our children's final years under our roof was more than likely being discussed in other homes. The character family, The Knight's, are a down to earth family and can easily relate to any family trying to raise their children up in the Lord.

Thank you again Elizabeth for such a wonderful, enjoyable and Godly story about a family who decided to serve the Lord no matter what was happening around them.

*Please take the time to check out Elizabeth Wien's books Bringing them Home and As for me and My House at her website http://elizabethwiens.com/

When God created my toes by Dandi Daley Mackall

This darling picture book is a young girl's look at how God the Creator and We the created might have reacted when God made us. The rhyming text and the realistically funny illustrations make this book fun to read and leaves the mind open to the imagination of what it might have been like when God created us.

I especially liked all the possibilities the main character related to the reader and it made me think of all the questions little children have about life; especially about themselves and their relationship to God. The little girl reminded me of many questions my own kids have asked me about how they were made.

Very cute book with beautiful illustrations, a wonderful tool to get your child to imagine and think what it might have been like when they were created. What a marvelous way to introduce your child to God who perfectly made us unique.

This book was given to me by Waterbrook Multnomah in exchange for an honest review.

Daddy Dates by Greg Wright

Daddy Dates is a great book for fathers and daughters. The content is very practical and the chapters are short enough that the reader is not bogged down with too much information. I like the fact that the writer kept it real by giving examples of when the date did not go well. He even mentioned that there will be times when things won't go as planned, but to not stop. I especially liked the chapters that explained situations during various parts of a daughters life; like toddlers, tweens, college...etc. One helpful part of the book is the quiz at the end and the top 15 Daddy Dates. This book would be helpful to any dad who has a daughter; no matter her age.

This book was sent to be by Booksneeze in exchange for my honest review

Plain Wisdom by Cindy Woodsmall and Miriam Flaud

You might have more in common with the Amish than you realize? Cindy Woodsmall, author of Amish fiction and old Amish order Miriam Flaud share their experiences as mothers, wives, friends and children of God in this book. The title says it all. Plain everyday circumstances experienced by Amish and Englisher alike; you will laugh, cry and shake your head in acknowledgement to the stories shared. I learned alot about the Amish world that I never knew or expected. I realized how much women have in common experiences whether they are Amish or not; and how much these stories spoke out to my life experiences and were an encouragement to my faith. Definitely one to read and don't forget to try some of the many Amish recipes included in this book. Here is an excerpt from the book: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9780307459343&view=excerpt This book was given to me by waterbrook multnomah publishing in exchange for my honest review.

God's Promises Devotional Journal

First off, what a beautiful cover design. As soon as I received this hardback book; I immediately ran my hands over the upraised leaf design on the cover. This is a devotional journal and the gorgeous design on the front just pulls you in; compelling you to write something inspirational inside.

This book holds 365 days of God's promises; each day consists of a Bible scripture(various versions), a small passage from over 20 christian authors and a place to share your thoughts on the day's blessings. I found this book inspiring, encouraging and thought provoking. Having the journal pages inside the book allows you to be able to look back later and remind yourself of God's blessings at that moment in time.

This book would make an absolutely wonderful gift for a family member, friend, or someone struggling to find the good in their life.

*This book was sent to me by the Thomas Nelson Publishing company through their Booksneeze program in exchange for honest review.

Bringing them Home a Novel by Elizabeth Wiens

I am so excited to share this next book with you. Bringing them home is a novel about the Knight family's decision to homeschool their 4 children and highlights of that first years journey. This book is a novel with the Knight family as the main characters, but I have no doubt there are real families out there with similar experiences as this book describes.

Author Elizabeth Wiens is the very talented co-author of Destined for Eternity, served full time with Child Evangelism Fellowship for 16 years and now ministers with GoodSeed Canada. Mother of 4 girls and homeschooling veteran herself, this novel is a reflection of her own families homeschooling journey. She has done an absolute fantastic job in describing the feelings, uncertainties, strengths and passion of many homeschooling families today.

This book can serve many purposes. Most books out there about homeschooling are informational only and in short can be technical and boring. Since written in novel form, Bringing them home is not only informational, but also encouraging, engaging, personal and interesting to read. In fact, I had a hard time putting it down. What a great tool for first year homeschoolers, rewarding for veteran homeschoolers like myself, and thought provoking for those considering homeschooling or have friends or family who homeschool.

I have personally started a collection of books to give my children when they become adults and have children of their own. Bringing them home is a must have in this collection. I also plan to share this book with friends who homeschool and will most definitely recommend it to those contemplating homeschool or those who find themselves in the first year possibly uncertain of success. Look for the sequel, which will follow the Knight family through the teen years and courtship.

Elizabeth, I would really love to know the name of some of the curriculum resources the Knight family used for homeschooling.

I leave you with one of my many favorite passages of Bringing them Home.

"Why are you angry? I have entrusted these children into your care and ask that you raise them for Me, both for their sakes and for My glory. They are all that you have that is eternal, and I am not asking you to do the impossible. Remember, I will go with you.

Cassey sucked in her breath and looked around the room as if to expect to see someone standing beside her bed, but no one was there. With a shock she realized that the words she'd heard in her heart were true. To train her children for God's glory was the most awesome task God could ever give her. Was she willing to give it her best effort? Suddenly this whole dilemma was not just about the public school vs. the christian school or homeschooling, but about obedience to what God may be directing her to do. How could she best honor God and train up her children for Him, and was she willing to do it?"

God gave us so much by Lisa Bergren

Another heartwarming childrens book by author Lisa Bergren. This book combines 3 wonderful stories together in a hardback limited edition:
God gave us the world
God gave us love
God gave us heaven
Typical Bergren style with a family of 5 polar bears teaching little cub about God's creation and the love he has for her. Same beautiful and warm illustrations as past Bergren books about this polar bear family.

This book is a great tool with the younger group to explain God the creator, his love extended to us and through us to others, and our heavenly home. My 3 little boys loved little cub and her adventures; finding the stories humorous and heartwarming at the same time. Little cub has twin siblings; and since 2 of my boys are twins they really loved this scenario.

Since this is a limited edition it won't be available forever. You definitely want to add this one to your library.

This book was given to me by waterbrook multnomah publishing in exchange for my honest review.