SmallTalkReview & Giveaway

"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

 Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

About the book: Softcover / 230 pages

Every day, one of Amy Julie Becker’s children says something that prompts her to think about life in a new way. “Mom, does Santa love me?” William asks, after his mother explains the meaning of Christmas…In a chat with her dad about the children who died in the Sandy Hook shootings, Penny asks, “Did they go to heaven?” …”You was a jerk, Mommy?” asks Marilee one morning in the car.

These conversations deepen Amy Julia’s relationships with her children, but they also refine her understanding of what she believes and what God is doing in her own life.

In Small Talk, Amy Julia draws from the wisdom and curiosity of those young voices to reflect on beauty and kindness, tragedy and disability, prayer and miracles. As she moves through the basic questions her kids posed when they were very young to the more intellectual questions of later childhood, she invites us to learn from our own day-to-day conversations with the children in our lives.

This eloquent parenting memoir is about the big questions little hearts ask, the thoughts their words provoke, and the laughter and soul-searching their honesty brings—to adult and child alike.

About the author:

Amy Julia Becker writes about faith, family, and disability for Parents.com, the New York Times Motherlode blog, TheAtlantic.com, The Huffington Post parents page, Christianity Today, The Christian century, and numerous other publications. Her first book, A Good and Perfect Gift: Faith, Expectations, and a Little Girl Named Penny, was named one of the Top Ten Religion Books of 2011 by Publishers Weekly. Amy Julia lives in western Connecticut with her husband and three children.

Official Website: http://www.zondervan.com/small-talk

Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFiRKM19JZY (<— please share!)

Amy’s Website: http://amyjuliabecker.com

Follow her on Twitter here!

Check out her Facebook page here!

My Thoughts:

This was a great book , and when you read it you can learn a lot.  It kind of made me realize what my kids are saying to me.  They pick up on so much from you as a parent, society, the TV, and the school system.  From the birth of our Children to when they finally just stop believing we tell them about Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, but at what age and why do really really tell them about Jesus Christ's birth and  being crucified on the cross for our sins to only rise from the dead 3 days later?
These are things that Amy's children ask her about and get her thinking about the true meanings in life and she breaks things down to how she explained it to them.   This was a really great guide on helping me explain things to my girls that are 6 and 10 and my son that is 16.  Not just Santa Claus but also everyday life and happenings. 

How do you explain to your child about ISIS and the Ferguson protests?  I asked my niece what she thought of these things and I was astounded by her response, to say the least.  She repeated what she heard on the TV even though I know she was raised differently.  Now don't get me wrong, I believe that we have to have our opinion on things and that we MUST stand for what we believe in.  Otherwise we too will do just as she has done and just repeat verbatim what we have heard rather it is right or wrong. 

In this book these are things that Amy's kids have said to her to make her think on a much deeper level and how to explain it to them not only so that they understand but I think so that me, you, and herself also understand better.   It is a really great book and I have one to share with one of my readers.  If you would like to win all you have to do is leave a comment telling me one thing one of your Children, nieces, nephews, Grandchildren, etc has said to you to make you think on a deeper level? 
This contest will end on 12/ 9 at 12 midnight EST.  Share with your friends, the more we have involved the more interesting it will be!

A LifeLong LOVE Book ~Review & Giveaway~

"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

 Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

About the book:

Hardcover / 316 Pages 

Discover how to live out a sacred marriage. You believe your marriage has eternal purposes. you long for it to reach beyond your home and encourage others. But what does it look like to have a spiritually intentional relationship in the midst of dirty dishes, work deadlines, and car pools? In Sacred Marriage, Gary Thomas showed us that God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy. Now, in A Lifelong Love, Thomas gives us the practical tools to craft our marriages into inspiring relationships that breathe spiritual life to others. Whatever season of marriage you are in, A Lifelong Love gives your the practical help you need to infuse your marriage with a spiritual passion that will not only change you but will change the world around you.

About the author:

Gary Thomas is writer-in-residence at Second Baptist Church in Houston, a frequent guest on Focus on the Family and FamilyLife Today radio, and a popular speaker. His award-winning books, including The Sacred Search, have been translated into over a dozen languages and together have sold more than a million copies worldwide. Thomas and his wife have been married thirty years and have three children.

My Thoughts:

What is Marriage to you?  Is it just a union by the State, extra benefits at tax time, a spouse that helps you manage a house, or is your marriage your best friend that you get to spend the rest of your life together?  I was engaged 3 times and on my second Marriage, not because I didn't love the others but because they were not meant to be.  This time I married my high school sweetheart, my best friend, and my soul mate! Marriage is so much more than just two people saying I Do.
As Gary Thomas states in his book in the beginning you spend the first part of your relationship talking about the past, then you get engaged, and before you know it you are saying I do. After you say I do it doesn't stop there, in fact that is where it all starts.

There are many aspects to a great Marriage and to me it starts with you.  You have to love yourself before you can love someone else, and if you are putting God first in your life then you will see that your love life will fall into place.  You will find a man that loves you for your brain, your soul, your relationship with God, and he will understand that he is second in this relationship.  So many times we jump into relationships based on looks, and they do fade,but it the marriage is built around God then your spouse will always see that beautiful husband or wife they married.

I see so many marriages now that aren't working and too many people getting married with the idea that if it don't work out then we can get a divorce.  I don't condone this attitude and think that a marriage is a lifetime commitment.  My first husband was very abusive and the second guy I was engaged to was abusive to my son from my first marriage.  I researched and study the Bible, I talked with my pastor and other elders in the church seeking answers and at no point could anyone so me where it says that when I said Til Death Doth Us Part, did it mean that my spouse would be the death of me.  I had others to think about and I left to save not only me but my son.  Then I reconnected with what is now my FINAL Husband.  Yes, he is my second husband , third engagement but this time I feel more and more everyday like it is the right one.  Do we fight? If I said no I would be telling you a lie, our marriage isn't perfect and yes we have issues.  But we try to work things out by talking and and understanding.  I can't leave out the most important component to a good marriage and that is God and also Prayer.  Trust me when I say that as a Mother of 3 children, a husband, a pit/rockweiler mix dog that I pray a lot. I also babysit a three year old and have an infant on the way in January so Prayer and God is my plan of action.

Would you like to win a copy of !A Lifelong Love~?  Maybe you know someone going through a hard time with their marriage and you would like to give this as a gift?  Well, here is your chance to win a copy of the book and you can keep it for yourself or you can give as a gift. It is easy peasy, just follow the reafflecopter below and you are entered!

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Me In a Tree Review

First let me say I apologize to both my readers and to the Me in a Tree panel.  I have been extremely busy with taxes, and then on top of everything else my dentists decides he is going to have to do surgery.  I had a tooth pulled and it originally broke pieces of bone off of my jawbone, in which was coming up through my gums.  It has been extremely painful but I think I am getting much better.  I go back in a month for my post post opp appt. and we are praying that the gum has decided to start healing like it is suppose to!

     With that out of the way, I have a wonderful program for the family that just never seems to have the time talk get together and talk or maybe you just don't know what to talk about.  Me in a Tree, is a program that allows all of the family members to set up an account and do different tasks.  The main task that we used as a family was the Family Huddle.  We all pretty much came to the office, found us a comfortable chair, and let the program guide us.  The program gave us topics to discuss and gives time for each family member to respond to that question and/or topic.  Some may be as simple as what was the most exciting thing that happened to you this week, or Did you have a bad day & how did you handle it.  It was more of a guide to get everyone involved in the conversations and they were allowed to speak their mind.  Once we were through with what the program suggested we even spent another 15 - 20 minutes talking with each other and me and the 2 girls started planning my oldest daughters birthday party. 

     Today March 17 is my daughter's 9th birthday but we will be having her party next Saturday.  So me and the girls have been using the tools that we learned form Me in a tree to learn how to talk to each other and learn what the other is asking or wanting.

     The me in a tree program offers several other great ideas to help the family stay organized like a to do list, a calender, and a journal for you to just take notes and keep up with your busy life that we as parents often have.  I know my schedule on a daily basis does not allow me to just sit around and watch TV for hours at a time or take extra long naps.  I have so much to do that at times I forget to do simple things or just opt to not do them because of time constraint.

     If  you have a family that is busy with ball games, school recitals, or just plain busy with work then I strongly recommend that you check out this program.  You will find that it will greatly assist in making time with the family and bring you closer together.