Bo's Cafe

A couple of weeks ago, before we all got sick, I was offered the opportunity to review a copy of Bo's Cafe. I had hoped to set up a guest post or author interview, but having Strep Throat and the other associated issues for almost three weeks really put a damper on that, lol;) Anyway, I don't have a lot of promotional material to share with you about this book, so I am posting some information from Amazon here to give you an idea about the background and history of the book, and I want to tell you just a sliver of my thoughts. I don't want to say too much for a couple of reasons. This is a book I highly anticipate people telling all of their friends about, yet for me it is more of an experience than just a story. I really think this is a book that one must read to get their own unique experience from, not one where someone can just explain the story.

Book Description
High-powered executive Steven Kerner is living the dream in southern California. But when his bottled pain ignites in anger one night, his wife kicks him out. Then an eccentric mystery man named Andy Monroe befriends Steven and begins unravelling his tightly wound world. Andy leads Steven through a series of frustrating and revealing encounters to repair his life through genuine friendship and the grace and love of a God who has been waiting for him to accept it. A story to challenge and encourage, BO'S CAFE is a model for all who struggle with unresolved problems and a performance-based life. Those who desire a fuller, more authentic way of living will find this journey of healing a restorative exploration of God's unbridled grace.

About the Author
Bruce McNicol is president of Leadership Catalyst, Inc. and an international speaker and consultant. He holds a master's in theology and a doctorate in organizational and leadership development. Previously he served for ten years as president of the international church planting organization Interest Associates.

Bill Thrall serves as vice-chair of Leadership Catalyst, mentor, and coauthor of the bestselling TrueFaced resources (www.truefaced.com), The Ascent of a Leader, and Beyond Your Best.

John Lynch is a national conference speaker and writer for LCI, holds a master's of theoology from Talbot Seminary, and has twenty years' experience as a teaching pastor of Open Door Fellowship. He's also cofounder and playwright of a theater troupe in Phoenix .

My thoughts. I want to begin by saying that I found this book so easy to relate to. I know many people caught up in the lifestyle of constantly needing more physical things to make them happy. I also know many people who live what is considered a "simple" life where physical things are primarily used for enhancing the quality of life only, they cherish relationships more than anything else. Our family is probably closer to the middle of the spectrum. We do cherish relationships, and we probably rely too much on physical items for happiness, and we do know many people who are in this middle area with us.

This book is for everyone. I think we all have areas in life where there is room for improvement, and will benefit in our own unique ways from this book. I think it would be a marvelous selection for book clubs! The publishers of this book also published The Shack, so if you have heard of it and how it changed people, and enjoyed it, this is an ideal book for you!

Wendy's Highschool Heisman Giveaway

Way too many years ago, when I was in high school, think grades 9-11, we were able to leave campus for lunch. *(just before 12th grade, our school closed, and the school we had to go to didn't allow us to leave for lunch, but that is another post for another time;)* It was a small, private school, and it was the greatest anticipation you can imagine once we hit 9th grade to know we would be able to leave campus to eat. We did not have your typical high school cafeteria. There were vending machines (with sandwiches, soup, etc) and microwaves for 1st grade on. The school was minutes from the "main" road in area of town where the school was located, and about 5 fast food restaurants on that road. We had 30 minutes for lunch, so we needed to get in and out. Wendy's happened to be the closest place at the intersection of school road and main road, so the vast majority of students went there.

What we loved best was that they knew our faces, and gave us student discount. We did not have ID's as many public schools did, so most places did not give us the discounts. Our parents loved that the dollar menu had good choices, and with our student discount, most of us could eat for $3 per day. I also loved that they offered baked potatoes, as no other fast food place did, or still does in our area, and I love baked potatoes!

I honestly don't know what year Wendy's started the High School Heisman award, but when I heard about it, I knew I wanted to help promote it. Why? Because (and this still shocks me) people my age that I went to school with actually have high school seniors. We often reminisce about our adventures at our local Wendy's this many years later. What a joy if one of their children could win! I also have a cousin who is a senior, and my next door neighbor is a junior, so she can start looking at the program for next year. Here is some information from the press release:

With college admissions growing more and more selective, the Wendy's High School Heisman program presents a great opportunity to help those students who have managed to balance so much, stand out. This award celebrates high school seniors who excel in academics, athletics, and community involvement; in essence, recognizing them for all of the things they already do. Colleges want to see well-rounded students who demonstrate dedication and commitment, making this program especially relevant and accessible.

High school seniors who have a 3.0 average or higher, participate in a school-sponsored sport and contribute to their community can apply at www.WendysHeisman.com, or a high school educator, guidance counselor, or coach can nominate them. As a little reward, the first 41,100 applicants will receive a free Wendy's gift card in amounts ranging from $5 to $50. One male and one female from each high school will win the award and continue on in competition for state and national awards. Twelve national finalists will participate in Heisman Weekend festivities during an all-expenses-paid trip Dec. 11-13 to New York City. ESPN2 will feature all 12 national finalists during the Wendy's High School Heisman Awards Ceremony, which airs Dec. 13. The Wendy's High School Heisman website will display the names of all applicants and individual school winners on October 22, 2009.

So, with all of that said, I hope that if you know of someone who is eligible for entry into this award, that you will pass along this link to them so that they can hopefully win! Wendy's has also generously sent me a $20 gift card to give away to one lucky winner. Please enter your information into the secure google doc below, and it will confidentially send me your email address so I can contact you if you win and get your card to you! Unfortunately some spammers have been attacking my comments, so I had to turn on a couple of filters that are not normally there, so please accept my apologies for the extra steps to confirm you are an actual person and not a bot, lol;) Also, I enabled a comment section of the google document, so you can also leave me comments or questions there that will not show in the normal comment area, but they do come to my email address. Anyway, this contest will run until midnight Oct 10, CST, and I will contact the winner via email the following day. They will have 48 hours to respond or I will choose another winner.


"I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Wendy’s and received a gift certificate to giveaway and to thank me for taking the time to participate."

The Transformation Study Bible

I am pleased to present to you today, information on The Transformation Study Bible. Obviously I have not had time to read the entire book in a couple of weeks, especially considering how sick we have been around here(!), but I did take the opportunity to look at the features that make this such a wonderful study Bible.

It contains very colorful maps, preaching outlines in an index format, areas for notetaking, and a very helpful dictionary and concordance. In addition, there is an overview of each book of the Bible, with information regarding the history of each book, the "theme" of the book, and so on. It is very thorough and comprehensive. I am typically more of a fan of the KJV version of the Bible, but this is a NLT version, and I found it very easy to understand and follow. If you are looking for a study Bible for yourself or as a gift for someone, please make sure to check this one out during your research process!

Acclaimed Pastor Brings Experience, Wisdom to Transformation Study Bible

Dallas/Fort Worth, TX—As pastors seek to make the Word of God more understandable in an age that is unfamiliar with the Bible, and as growing disciples seek to discover the truth of Scripture in a skeptical culture, there is a great need for guidance in both the preaching and study of God’s Word. Whether you’re a pastor, a seminary student, or a truth-seeking disciple, an understanding of the Bible can be made clear to you with the help of one of the most influential, in-depth, and practical Bible scholars in modern history.

For over thirty years, millions have come to rely on the timeless wisdom of Dr. Warren W. Wiersbe’s “Be” Commentary series. Dr. Wiersbe’s commentary and insights on Scripture have helped readers understand and apply God’s Word with the goal of life transformation. According to Dr. Wiersbe, “It isn’t enough for us simply to read assigned portions of the Bible each day, as helpful as that is. A truly transforming experience involves meditating on what we read (Ps. 1:2), studying it carefully in the light of other verses, and then obeying what God tells us to do (Josh. 1:8).” Now available for the first time, The Transformation Study Bible offers the full text of the highly readable New Living Translation with accompanying notes and commentary from the 50 books in Dr. Wiersbe’s “Be” series.

“The Transformation Study Bible will better enable readers to appreciate, appropriate, and apply the Word of God, which will result in ‘purity, joy, right values, hope, comfort, freedom, new life, peace, guidance, wisdom, integrity, encouragement, and effective prayer,’” states Wiersbe. In other words, if you want to be a new person, knowing and obeying the will of God and becoming more like Jesus Christ, there is perhaps no finer tool to encourage that process than The Transformation Study Bible.

One of the most anticipated and comprehensive study Bibles of the year, The Transformation Study Bible has been a lifetime in the making by a man who is widely known as a prolific and trusted writer and theologian. The former pastor of The Moody Church in Chicago, an internationally known Bible teacher, and someone who has given his life to a deep examination of the Word of God, Dr. Wiersbe lends his vast experience and scholarly insight to the most beloved and revered book of all time. This effort is to encourage believers of all levels to know and love the Bible and to experience the same transformation that has radically changed his life. The result is a Bible that is clear, understandable, and applicable to the lives of its readers.

Dr. Wiersbe writes, “The remedy for discouragement is the Word of God. When you feed your heart and mind with its truth, you regain your perspective and find renewed strength.” By providing a new set of tools for Bible students of all levels, David C Cook and Warren Wiersbe have partnered to provide an essential tool to help bring the “perspective” and “renewed strength” that comes from a life transforming study of God’s Word. This fantastic and long awaited resource will bring more clarity than ever before to the study of God’s Word.

The Transformation Study Bible with General Editor Warren Wiersbe

David C Cook September 1, 2009

ISBN-13: 978-1434765307/2100 pages/$24.99

www.davidccook.com

If God Is Good

Book Tour: If God is Good by Randy Alcorn

This has been a month full of accidents, tragedy, triumph, and joy for so many people that I know. For us as believers, we do suffer from grief, but have the promise and understanding deep inside that while we may not know what God's greater purpose in these situations is (and it may not ever be for our understanding!), we do rest assured in the knowledge that he does have a purpose. For unbelievers, they often feel hopelessness, and lack the perspective on these matters. This is an excellent book for bringing the realization of God's hope and purpose for us into clarity. If you would like to purchase a copy it is available on Amazon and through Random House.

If God Is Good

by Randy Alcorn

Every one of us will experience suffering. Many of us are experiencing it now. As we have seen in recent years, evil is real in our world, present and close to each one of us.

In such difficult times, suffering and evil beg questions about God--Why would an all-good and all-powerful God create a world full of evil and suffering? And then, how can there be a God if suffering and evil exist?

These are ancient questions, but also modern ones as well. Atheists such as Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and even former believers like Bart Ehrman answer the question simply: The existence of suffering and evil proves there is no God.

In this captivating new book, best-selling author Randy Alcorn challenges the logic of disbelief, and brings a fresh, realistic, and thoroughly biblical insight to the issues these important questions raise.

Alcorn offers insights from his conversations with men and women whose lives have been torn apart by suffering, and yet whose faith in God burns brighter than ever. He reveals the big picture of who God is and what God is doing in the world–now and forever. And he equips you to share your faith more clearly and genuinely in this world of pain and fear.

As he did in his best-selling book, Heaven, Randy Alcorn delves deep into a profound subject, and through compelling stories, provocative questions and answers, and keen biblical understanding, he brings assurance and hope to all.

Author Bio:

Randy Alcorn is the founder and director of Eternal Perspectives Ministries and a bestselling author. His novels include Deadline, Dominion, Edge of Eternity, Lord Foulgrin’s Letters, The Ishbane Conspiracy, and the Gold Medallion winner, Safely Home. He has written eighteen nonfiction books as well, including Heaven, The Treasure Principle, The Purity Principle, and The Grace and Truth Paradox. Randy and his wife, Nanci, live in Oregon and have two married daughters and four grandsons.

Hilarious!

OK, I have thought about this story all day, and finally decided it must be shared! I wanted to post some pictures online to make it easier to understand, but the company site won't let me save or copy them, so I have to include links in case you want to get a better picture of what I am describing.

I have mentioned that the husband and I have both been sick. Also that Aaron started OT, PT, and Speech this week, so we are gone for 4 hours on the morning he has therapy. My husband normally leaves for work mid-morning, and I typically make him breakfast before he goes. However, on therapy morning, he now has to make his own breakfast. He usually prefers cereal, toast and peanut butter, or breakfast bars. Before we left this week, I set out all of these items on the counter for him so he could decide what he felt up to eating before he left, but wouldn't have to search for anything. However, when it was time to go, he didn't feel up to any of those, he just wanted toast and butter. The butter I buy is Country Crock Calcium Plus Vitamin D because we try to cram as much nutrition into every item as possible for Aaron, and with his high caloric needs, we spread butter on most of his food, per doctor's orders. When Nick looked into the fridge he just saw the brown Country Crock tub and spread it onto his toast. He noticed it looked funny, and didn't spread easy, and there was NO WRITING on the tub, but he had fever and didn't feel good, and didn't pay that much attention. Until he took a bite. And spit it out, threw it all in the garbage and went to work. He didn't mention it until today. He stayed home sick yesterday.

This morning, he was getting ready and I asked him what he felt like eating. He said he really wanted some toast, but that he thought the butter went bad or something. I looked at him strange and said that can't be, I just bought a new tub on Friday. So he said, Country Crock in the brown tub, right? And I replied Yes. He said, I ate some on Wednesday and it was gross and I spit it out.

Then I started to laugh. *I am actually LOL now, hehe*. I asked him if it was the plain tub or the one with writing. He looked at me weird and said plain. So, I really started laughing. The tub he opened was this. It is plain, with no writing. And it is mashed potatoes. Seriously. I had gotten and used them on Monday night for dinner when I didn't feel like cooking.

So, he said, OK, make me some toast, just put butter on it, not mashed potatoes. That wasn't good together. And I was HYSTERICAL;) I have laughed all day long, and I thought you might enjoy;) Don't tell the husband though, m'kay.....

Kiss Me Again Giveaway

Book Tour and Giveaway: Kiss Me Again

In this day and age, it seems rare to find unmarried people who are waiting until marriage to consummate the relationship, and all too common to hear people joking about the lack of passion in their marriage. Many people move in together early on, because they "can't wait" to live together, only to find that once they get married, they don't really want to be together. This book can help so many people. Maybe you yourself are in this situation, or you know someone who is, and could greatly benefit from the advice in this book. I know that I know of several people, and I will be passing along my review copy to one of them! You can enter to win one of two copies that the publisher graciously gave me to share with you. Please enter your name and information in the confidential google doc so that I can contact you if you win. Your email will be secure from spammers, and I promise not to email you unless you win:) This contest will close at midnight Sept 30, and the winner will be notified via email the following day. They will have 48 hours to respond to my email or a new winner will be chosen.


Why do so many women find it so hard to resist sex before marriage—and so easy to resist it after? Many married women genuinely want to feel more desire toward their husbands…and can’t figure out what went wrong. In Kiss Me Again, Barbara Wilson shows how powerful “invisible bonds” from past relationships can cause heartache, disappointment, and distance for couples in the present. But there’s good news. With sensitivity, honesty, and hope—Barbara walks readers step by step toward healing…and a rekindling of the closeness and passion with their husband that they really want.

Do you ever wonder why marriage can seem like the end of intimacy and sexual desire instead of the beginning?

You don’t have to live any longer with confusion, disappointment, resentment, or shame. You can rediscover desire. You can say Wow! again.

With assessment tools, write-in exercises, and gentle guidance, Kiss Me Again offers a biblical plan for rekindling the closeness and passion women long for in marriage. Because no past is beyond the reach of God’s healing touch.

In Kiss Me Again, Wilson:

· Shares her own story of healing and renewed desire

· Helps women forgive themselves and their husbands for past choices

· Shows readers how to break free from “invisible bonds”

· Explains God’s plan for helping a husband and wife to re-bond

· Includes conversation helps for both wives and their husbands

· Helps couples reignite the passion that they thought was lost

Barbara Wilson is the author of The Invisible Bond and former director of sexual health education for the Alternatives Pregnancy Resource Center in Sacramento. She speaks nationwide to youth and adults with her message of sexual healing, and she teaches frequently in the women’s ministry at the multi-campus Bayside Church in Northern California. Barbara and her husband, Eric, have been married for twenty-eight years.

In the event that you are not the winner, and/or need additional copies, this book is available on Amazon and ChristianBook.com.

You Were Born For This Review and Giveaway!

Book Tour and Giveaway: You Were Born For This by Bruce Wilkinson

What an amazing an inspirational read! I have not read The Prayer of Jabez, but I will be looking for it at the library on our next visit! If it is at all similar to this one, I will love it. I don't want to give too much of the book away, though I have included the short summary from the publicist about it. The only questions I will leave you pondering are these. Can you imagine what a different world we would live in, if everyone lived their life ready and expecting to allow God to use them? Most Christians say they believe in miracles, and even pray for them, but do we really expect them to happen?

I have one copy of this book to give away to a lucky reader. I am trying something new from Google Docs so that email addresses don't have to be left in the comment area for spammers. This information goes only to me, and I promise I will only email you if you are the winner to get your mailing address to send the book.


The contest will end at midnight CST on Sept 30, and the winner will be notified via email the following day. They will have 48 hours to respond, or a new winner will be chosen. It is also available at Amazon, if you would like to purchase a copy.

His New York Times phenomenon The Prayer of Jabez changed how millions pray. Now Bruce Wilkinson wants to change what they do next.

Anyone can do a good deed, but some good works can only happen by a direct intervention from God. Around the world these acts are called miracles—not that even religious people expect to see one any time soon. But what would happen if millions of ordinary people walked out each morning expecting God to deliver a miracle through them to a person in need? You Were Born for This starts with the dramatic premise that everyone at all times is in need of a miracle, and that God is ready to meet those needs supernaturally through ordinary people who are willing to learn the “protocol of heaven.”

In the straightforward, story-driven, highly motivating style for which he is known, Wilkinson describes how anyone can be a “Delivery Guy” from heaven in such universally significant arenas of life as finances, practical help, relationships, purpose, and spiritual growth.

You Were Born for This will change how readers see their world, and what they expect God can do through them to meet real needs. They will master seven simple tools of service, and come to say with confidence, “I want to deliver a supernatural gift from God to someone in need today—and I expect to!”

Author Bio:

One of the world’s foremost Christian teachers, Bruce Wilkinson is best known as the author of the New York Times #1 bestseller The Prayer of Jabez. He is also the author of numerous other bestsellers, including A Life God Rewards, Secrets of the Vine, and The Dream Giver. Over the past three decades, Wilkinson has founded several global initiatives, including organizations that recruited and trained thousands of Americans to address hunger, AIDS, and poverty in Africa. Bruce and his wife, Darlene, have three children and six grandchildren. They live outside Atlanta.

David Kopp has collaborated with Bruce Wilkinson on over a dozen bestselling books, including The Prayer of Jabez. He is an editor and writer living in Colorado.

Here is a video link of Bruce introducing the book!

Down with the sickness!

Oh my word, the sickness has hit my husband and I! I am finally feeling better. Not good mind you, but like it is acceptable to be out of the bed. The husband on the other hand just came down with his illness yesterday. I had more of a severe sinus infection/bronchitis/strep combination, but his is different. I am pretty sure he has the swine flu. It is all over the news here, and he has every.single.symptom. but doesn't want to go to the doctor. Which, is just as well, because they announced on the 5pm news that they were only giving Tamiflu out to people at higher risk for complications. We are fortunate, I guess, that he doesn't meet that criteria at the moment, but you can rest assured I am keeping an eagle eye on the situation!

I have been able to read a bit while laid up, and I just finished the book Meltdown by Chuck Holton that I featured last month. All I can say is WOW, and that the previous two books in the Task Force Valor series are on my paperback swap wishlist. I really, really hope that there are more books to come in this series. I did visit the author's website, but can't find any information about future books. It did appear that he is out of the country doing research, so there is hope. He also has some other books of a similar nature listed, so I have added those to my wishlist too, lol.

My email inbox is flooded, and I have some reviews to do. If you have children approaching the college experience, or know of some who are, be sure to look for some college related posts. One is for a highschool scholarship type thing, and another is a book on tips to getting into the college of your choice. I have some cousins in this age range, and I am thrilled to be able to pass the information along to them as well.

In other news, Aaron began his "regular" OT/PT/Speech therapy sessions this week. We will be going weekly. When he was in school, they said he didn't qualify for their "services" because his issues didn't affect his schoolwork, even though they clearly did. Their tests showed a less than 5% delay in most areas. However, he tested at the private facility with 40-50% delays, and their findings match exactly the issues we were pointing out to the school therapists. Whatever, homeschooling is working out better in all areas, and I am able to take him to weekly 4 hour private therapy sessions.

That's about all I have the energy to type out at the moment. I apologize now for the influx of posts over the next few days, but with all that has happened over the past month, I have a lot of posts and reviews to share with you in a short period of time. Things I think you will enjoy, just a lot of content in a short time span. Anywho, sweet dreams;)

The Book That Made America: How the Bible Formed Our Nation

Book Tour: The Book That Made America: How the Bible Formed Our Nation Review and Giveaway!

If you watch the news on a regular basis, I am sure that you wonder how in the world our country has ended up in the state it is in. I know I do. I was intrigued to read this book about the role that the Bible played in the formation of our blessed country!

The Book That Made America: How the Bible Formed Our Nation (Nordskog Publishing) by Jerry Newcombe is a definitive volume on the Christian roots of our nation. Those who want to restore knowledge of our Christian heritage have their work cut out. As secularism continues its stranglehold on American education, we move further and further away from retaining our Christian roots. The Book That Made America will challenge anyone to know the true origin of our Nation and to fight to keep it. Newcombe hopes to educate Americans by providing the facts of history, proving that America began as a Christian nation and American’s have every right to preserve and uphold that heritage.

All that is positive in our foundation can be traced back to the Scriptures. Recently, President Obama declared that America is not a Christian nation, while Newsweek announced the demise of Christian America. This book is the answer to America’s critics with the facts of history.

Jerry Newcombe, D. Min., is senior producer for Coral Ridge Ministries and has produced or coproduced more than fifty documentaries. The host of two weekly radio shows, he has also been a guest on numerous television and radio talk shows - including Fox Business News, C-Span, USA Radio and Moody Radio. He is the author or coauthor of twenty two books, including with Dr. Kennedy, What If Jesus Had Never Been Born?, How Would Jesus Vote?, and The Presence of a Hidden God.

Coral Ridge Ministries is a media outreach founded by Dr. D. James Kennedy. Its programming reaches a national television, radio, and Internet audience at www.coralridge.org.

If you would like to purchase a copy of this book, it is available through Amazon.com and the publisher;)

Stray Affections

Book Tour: Stray Affections by Charlene Baumbich

I elected to participate in this tour because I am a fan of the author. Living in a smaller town in the mid-west, it is so easy to relate to the characters and settings of her stories. In the midst of our recent crisis, and our typical crazy schedule, reading books such as this one is a much needed escape! Thanks to Ms. Baumbich for another wonderful story, just when I needed it;)

Summary: The last thing that Cassandra Higgins expects out of her Sunday is to be mesmerized at a collectors’ convention by a snowglobe. She’s enjoying some mommy time, with husband Ken at home tending their brood of four young boys, when she’s utterly charmed by the one-of-a kind globe containing figures of three dogs and a little girl with hair the color of her own. She can’t resist taking the unique globe home– even if means wrestling another shopper for it!
The beautiful snowglobe sparks long-dormant memories for Cassie, of her beloved Grandpa Wonky, the stray she rescued as a child, and the painful roots of her combative relationship with her mother, “Bad Betty” Kamrowski. Life in Wanonishaw, Minnesota is never dull, though, and Cassie keeps the recollections at bay, busy balancing her boys, her home daycare operation, and being a good friend to best pal Margret. But after a strange–flurrious, as Cassie deems it–moment happens with the remarkable snowglobe, Cassie and the people she loves are swirled into a tumultuous, yet grace-filled, and life-changing journey.
With the quirky, close-knit Midwestern small-town feel that made Charlene Ann Baumbich’s acclaimed Dearest Dorothy novels so popular, Stray Affections invites you to experience the laughter and the healing of second chances.

Author Bio:

Charlene Ann Baumbich is a popular author and speaker and an award-winning journalist. In addition to her Dearest Dorothy series of novels, she has written seven nonfiction books of humor and inspiration. A bungee-jumping, once motorcycle-owning grandma and unabashed dog lover, Charlene lives with her husband and rescued dog Kornflake in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. She loves telling stories, laughing whenever possible, and considers herself a Wild Child of God.

A video of the author introducing us to the book is available on You Tube. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

This is not a sponsored post. I did receive one complementary review copy of this book from Waterbrook/Multnomah.

Need your help

I have been fortunate to be selected as a Purex Insider. What that means is that they will send me some free samples, or online surveys to get my honest opinion about their products. Some items I will tell you about, good or bad, if they are released to the public. Other times it may be new or unreleased products still in testing that we can't share about until they are released. I like this program because I like giving honest feedback to companies. I want them to make affordable, quality products that I would purchase for my family.

Now, this is NOT a sponsored post, however, they are having a contest among the Insiders. We have each been given a unique URL and the person with the highest unique clicks will win $500 cash. I would obviously love to win, so if you are so inclined, please click any of the links on this post, or the badge in my sidebar to go to my unique URL.

Oh, and if you'd like to tweet, facebook, or blog about it to help me spread my URL, I'd be most appreciative. Thanks y'all!

Brain Fuel

Most of my regular readers know that my oldest son is on the Autism Spectrum, most closely related to Asperger's Syndrome. The BrainFuel4Kids.com site is just perfect for our specific situation, but also for families without all these special issues. We do homeschool 2 of our 3 children, and since we were just getting back into the swing of things today, after a week off, I decided to let Aaron go to the Brain Fuel site for his computer time. Because he is so intelligent, one of our biggest challenges is finding sites that he is interested in. He LOVED these games, and this was the first time I had to make him get off of the computer. He is very much aware of what his issues are, and is able to speak intellectually about them to his doctors and specialists. Knowing that this site was all about the brain really captured his interest. He loves to learn, and the combination of learning while playing a game was definitely a hit with him.

BrainFuel offers four different sections on their website: Brain Food, Healthy Brain, Brain Forums, and Brain Games. Some of features of the Brain Forum include:

• Explanations for our kids in answer to their complaints, "Why vitamins?!": "The brain is the greediest organ in your body – greedier than the spleen or stomach, even greedier than the heart" and other "why?!" questions.

• Challenging games for kids from Lumosity.com, designed to promote quicker thinking, better concentration, and improved memory.

• Recipes that give your kids the right balances of carbs and protein, and help understanding those complicated nutritional labels.

There is a very informative and helpful forum on the site. I have not had an opportunity to post myself, but I did read through several of the topics and made note of the ones I'd like to participate in. Because my son has such a high calorie diet, yet specific dietary needs, it is very challenging to get the meal plan just right. We do see a nutritionist on a regular basis to help guide us, but the day to day menu planning falls to me. The Brain Food section is honestly among the best that I have seen in my many hours of research.

To help you get the full experience of these Brain Games, they are partnered with Luminosity. Due to our recent family emergency situations, I did not have a lot of time to fully explore this site, but it appears to be aimed more towards adults. There are games and activities we can play there to keep our own minds sharp. There is also a link on the Brain Fuel site where you can sign up for the newsletter, and be entered to win a full year subscription to Luminosity! If you like this site, and I feel certain that you will, please leave me a comment so I know what types of reviews you enjoy, and feel free to pass the links along to others who may be interested as well!

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of BrainFuel and received an insulated lunch bag from California Innovations to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Fear

Most people who know me, are aware of my serious phobia of certain reptiles that slither on the ground. It is serious enough that I cannot type the name out. I cannot look at pictures of them, see them on TV, or at the zoo. People laugh about it, tease me with plastic ones (that I cannot look at), and my boys are always wanting to see them at the zoo. Several times a year, my parents visit the zoo with us and take them in, as well as when my husband goes. I ALWAYS wait on a bench outside, and away from "that" building.

You know this is leading up to something right, LOL.

Two weeks ago, I was cutting the grass. Got the front yard done, and half of the back yard. Then a combination of things happened. One, I was getting way too hot and dehydrated and needed a drink, so I got to the door and yelled for Aaron to bring me my water, and he did. Then it started to thunder, and a storm was approaching, so I dashed everything into the shed. About that time, I noticed that we had 10 minutes until time to pick up Joshua from school. And I needed a shower. Did I mention that I also have a terrible allergy to grass? Especially fresh cut grass? Yeah. So, I needed to wash it off before we left. I showered and rushed the kids into the car and drove the entire 2 mins to the school;)

That isn't the scary part;)

Last week, you already know from my previous post we were busy with a family emergency. That brings us to yesterday.

The part of the grass that didn't get cut was about 18 inches high. Seriously. So, I cut the front yard, and the parts that had been cut before. You know, to get the easy part out of the way;) Then, I started tackling the "jungle" area. Of course you know WHAT slithered out. I froze. I panicked. Apparently I screamed VERY LOUD over the lawn mower. SO LOUD that the mailman heard and thought someone was being attacked and jumped the fence to check on me. No fear about a stranger jumping the fence. Serious fear about "THE OTHER". The husband says the part of "fight or flight" kicked in, because I had started running over and over and over the "thing" until the mailman stopped me because there was nothing left. The mulcher handled it;) I was not in good condition. I was still screaming and shaking uncontrollably and crying. I loathe those things. I called the husband at work in my panic. He says I need counseling for this phobia. We'll see;)

Oh yeah, then it started to thunder. And the clock said I had 10 minutes to pick up Josh. I hope that is the only pattern to repeat, LOL.

Please pray

So many people that I know are grieving right now. This has been a rough week for so many.

I don't want to share too many details to protect people's privacy, but over the past week my father in law has passed away, an acquaintance from my hometown passed away during a Bible Study at church just after dropping her children off at school on Friday, my cousin and his wife were expecting their 6th child and lost it today at 24 weeks gestation, and someone I went to school with was murdered over night by his own daughter while he slept.

All of these people love Jesus and are in a much better place. However, many of these families know one another, and it is a lot to digest at once. I am a firm believer in the theory that when it is your time to go, it is your time, regardless of where you are and what you are doing. Please pray for the families of those left behind.

Update

Be back in a day or so with last week and this week's posts and book reviews. We had a death in the family and had to take a trip out of town. We are back and I am buried in laundry and settling as many details as I can until things are more finalized. I will get everything posted as soon as I dig my way out;)