Redneck Hot Tub

What?!?

 What is this?!?

Rocket scientist gone redneck.  Nice farmer's tan too, I might add.

Book Review - Story by Steven James

Story: Our Journey of Heartache and Grace from Eden to Evermore by Steven James is a book unlike any I've read before.  If you are someone who enjoys the art of language (words choice, imagery, voice), you will be amazed my the skill of author Steven James.  I was caught time and time again going back to read a paragraph just to unpack the beauty of his words and meanings. 

If you like poetry, unlike me, you may find the poems sprinkled throughout the text intriguing.

But there was a lot more to this book than just the language.  The ideas were ones that were fresh to me.  In the familiar biblical stories I've known for years, I saw things in new ways.  New perspectives.  New insights.  I would not allow myself to read more than one chapter, or sometimes part of a chapter, just to give me time to digest and reflect on what I had read.  I figured this would just be a summary of Genesis to Revelation but it was so much more.  God's character was exposed again and again.  His power, majesty, and grace shined throughout.  His mercy, humility, and gentleness were hard to miss.

I could see countless discussions coming from a group reading this book.  It would be ideal for a book club or a small group study.  It's also great for personal study time which is how I used it. 

It was a truly captivating book.

This book was given to me to review by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.  All opinions are my own.  I was not paid to write this review.

In Five Year Old World

I found this poem recently and it just about brought me to tears....and I'm not a crier.  I decided to share it with you for there is so much we can learn from a 5 yr old!

In five-year-old world …
There is freedom.
Freedom to tell it like it is.
Freedom to wear raspberries on your fingers—no matter what anyone else thinks.
Freedom to make up the words to the song that plays within your heart.

In five-year-old world …
There is time.
Time to stop and admire mystic clouds and find the beauty in a dandelion.
Time to give your waitress a hug.
Time to do it yourself … even if it takes longer … even if it’s not perfect.

In five-year-old world …
There is confidence.
Confidence to celebrate bathing suit season.
Confidence to pair unusual style combinations and wear them in public.
Confidence to dance when everyone is watching.

In five-year-old world …
There is safety.
Safety in the familiar glow of a bedroom night-light.
Safety in Daddy’s arms.
Safety in homemade forts built with your sister as rain beats against the windowpane.

In five-year-old world …
There is beauty.
Beauty in freckle-kissed noses and grass-stained feet.
Beauty in mispronounced words like “liberry” and “funder storm.”
Beauty in open-mouth laughter and disobedient curls on a warm summer night.

In five-year-old world …
There is comfort.
Comfort in mother’s scent.
Comfort in that certain pair of worn pajamas despite being two sizes too small.
Comfort in magical pink bunnies that sleep under your breath.

In five-year-old world …
The gaps between the teeth are wide.
Individual differences are noticed, but openly accepted.
Laughter between friends cures all ills.
Apple seeds can become trees if planted with love.

In five year old world …
Forgiveness is an abundant commodity.
Flaws and shortcomings are easily overlooked.
Bad breath and unruly hair are signs of good sleep.
There’s no such thing as having too many stuffed animals in your bed.

In five-year-old world …
There is no need to hurry.
Time is our friend.
We are loved.
And the world looks beautiful from down here.

By Rachel Macy Stafford, Author of Hands Free Mama

Thanks my little 5 yr old, for helping me learn so much about life!

Big Red Tractor

There's a commercial out there that has a man "starting a farm".

But then his wife says, "It's a garden."

"It's a farm!"  "A garden."

Later he pulls up in a super giant tractor.

"Hey honey, I got us a TRACTOR!"

I sort of understood how that wife felt when I witnessed my husband bringing his new tractor home.

(It's not really new.  He bought it off Craig's List.)

Galina grabbed her boots and cowboy hat (in her cheerleading outfit) and jumped right on.

Oh my....what have we got in store for us now?