Thursday, August 23, 2012

Cleaning House by Kay Wills Wyma

Tired of tripping over laundry lying all over the floor? Sick of dishpan hands? Want to teach your kids a sense of responsibility? Or want to have your family more unified by doing their part?
Join author Kay Wyma and her five kids as they conduct a one year experiment to decrease their sense of entitlement and teach a sense of responsibility. This book has 12 chapters, each chapter has one task the family undertook for that month. Each chapter consists of their personal experiences, lessons they learned, and  ideas for implementing the task   Tasks include topics such as: employment, laundry, bathroom, kitchen, manners and many more.
With 4 kids and a world that constantly teaches our kids that they are entitled; this book was refreshing to read. As a christian family it is very important to us to teach our children about self-sacrifice and service to others. What better place to start than at home with our families.   I did alto of laughing as Kay shared some of her family's experiences throughout this process; and just imagined what my kids would say once we start our cleaning house.
This book is great for any family who is just starting out with young kids and even those who have older kids.
Families, single parents, grandparents acting as parents, parents to be, bible study, and church ministries would benefit greatly from this book.
 *This book was sent to me by Waterbrook Multnomah in exchange for my honest review.
 

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Asher of Bethlehem by Howard Rodney Jones

I have heard the Nativity story many times, including many fictional versions; but I have never read quite a story as Asher of Bethlehem.
Where: Bethlehem
When: During the birth of Jesus
Who: A beggar, his best friend and the birth of a child
What: God's Provision
This 119 page book is a simple read for preteen-teens. This is a fictional account of the birth of Jesus. Using a historical and biblical account of this time period the author gives the reader an account of the nativity through the eyes of one of Bethlehems teen beggars Asher and his friend Medad whos parents own the inn that Joseph and Mary come to. The main theme throughout this book  is "God will Provide".

What I liked: I felt the author did an excellent job in representing the time period in which this event took place. His description of Bethlehem and its people gave me a greater understanding of the possible characters and their roles during one of the world's greatest events. I loved the twist of an outsiders, a beggar in fact, viewpoint on Joseph's, Mary's and Jesus' stay while in Bethlehem. It was great to imagine if there had been such characters at Jesus birth that their lives would have been changed forever and that God would provide for them.

What I didn't like: Personally I believe that the wiseman did not see Jesus in the stable but a year later in fact. I realize to make this particular storyline work the wiseman's presense at the stable were required. They were an integral part to the ending of the story. That being said, overall  it did not affect the story or message at all.

Would I recommend this book? YES 
A great read for teens or adults, this book would be great for personal enjoyment, book reports, supplement to any bible curriculum or christmas study as well as character studies.

Disclosure of Material: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookCrash.com book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive, review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR Title 16, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Awesome Science: Explore Meteor, Crater and Petrified Forest

Description: How do meteors, craters and the petrified forest back up the Biblical Worldwide Flood? Join 14 year old Noah Justice in this 30 minute DVD as he explores meteors, craters and the petrified forest and shows how they are evidence to a biblical worldwide flood. Beautiful video footage of the Petrified Forest National Park, Tepee formations, and a meteor crater in Arizona; along with other historical picture documentations of studies done on craters make this DVD visually stimulating. A well written and given presentation by Noah Justice appeals to young and old alike.
My Opinion: I absolutely loved the whole biblical application and use of scriptures throughout the video. A short presentation of salvation was also included. I would recommend this video for Middle Schoolers and up(alot of the scientific terminology and explanations would probably be a tad boring for the younger set). Overall, a wonderful presentation of scientific facts for the proof of Noah's Flood. I look forward to watching more awesome science videos in the future.
My Kids Opinion(12 year old): I liked this video and learn many things I never knew about petrified wood and craters. My favorite thing was when I learned about the only man buried on the moon(watch the video to find out if you don't know who I am referring to). Noah was a great host and the added blooper reel was hilarious. It helped me alot with being able to defend my belief and the truth of the flood in the Bible.
Summary: A wonderful addition to any homeschool or Christian school science curriculum. Make sure to get the Study guide along with the video(full of review questions and activities).

*This book was sent to me by New Leaf Publishing Group in exchange for my honest review. This book can also be purchased on Amazon.com