Did You Notice Kat's Missing?

Yes, it's true, but did you notice????

Hello everyone!

Sorry I've been out of touch this week. Let's see what is up besides lots of great people winning all kinds of stuff?

The kids all had their state testing or STAR tests all week long, so we've literally been all over the city between taking one to her testing site and the other one to school, picking them up, and then finally bringing them home.

They both finished today, so that is a relief. However Kailee is getting a nasty cold since some parents insist on bringing their sick kids to school where others can bring it home and infect their families. Nice huh? So Steve and Kailee have both been sick since last night.

Prom is coming up this weekend, and I plan to have pictures posted for everyone to see over the weekend. I have so many book tours coming up over the summer and can't wait for you all to get in some great books for summer reading. I've also been fortunate enough to have quite a few of the publishers provide some giveaways so keep on reading and commenting.

So without further adieu here are all the winners this week and last:

The winner of naming my computer, whose new name is George is:
Lori at Girly Muse!

Lori, please email me your mailing information so I can get your summer gardening kit out to you! Congratulations!



The Winners of 9th Judgment by James Patterson are:
Michelle at Scribbit A Blog about Motherhood in Alaska
Heather at All Ruby Cakes



and the final winner of The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder book is:
LV at Thoughts from Meme's Corner

I can't wait to hear from all of you and please let me know how you all are enjoying your free goodies! I hope to have more soon!

The Bride Collector!

FBI Special agent Brad Raines is facing his toughest case yet. A Denver serial killer has killed four beautiful young women, leaving a bridal veil at each crime scene, and he's picking up his pace. Unable to crack the case, Raines appeals for help from a most unusual source: residents of the Center for Wellness and Intelligence, a private psychiatric institution for mentally ill individuals whose are extraordinarily gifted.

It's there that he meets Paradise, a young woman who witnessed her father murder her family and barely escaped his hand. Diagnosed with schizophrenia, Paradise may also have an extrasensory gift: the ability to experience the final moments of a person's life when she touches the dead body.

In a desperate attempt to find the killer, Raines enlists Paradise's help. In an effort to win her trust, he befriends this strange young woman and begins to see in her qualities that most 'sane people' sorely lack. Gradually, he starts to question whether sanity resides outside the hospital walls...or inside.

As the Bride Collector picks up the pace-and volume-of his gruesome crucifixions, the case becomes even more personal to Raines when his friend and colleague, a beautiful young forensic psychologist, becomes the Bride Collector's next target.

The FBI believes that the killer plans to murder seven women. Can Paradise help before it's too late?

The Bride Collector By Ted Dekker, rates right up there with authors like Stephen King and James Patterson. I have been a fan of his work since he collaborated with some of my favorite Christian authors like Frank Peretti. Yes, this is a Christian thriller/suspense fiction. I have to highly recommend this book because it literally kept me glued to the last page and even though the premise is spelled out for you in the beginning, the ending was definitely not expected. I have had the opportunity to review House and Green for those of you that are looking for more great titles from Ted Dekker!

I have received this book, compliments of Hachette Book Group and if you would like more information about this book or where to purchase your copy, click on the link below:

http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/books_9781599951966.htm

Great News: I am able to provide 2 copies of this book to 2 lucky winners. Simply tell me who your favorite Christian author and book is. The giveaway will end on May 13th. Trust me, once you read Ted's books, you'll be sold on his work!

Love Will Keep Us Together

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Love Will Keep Us Together

FaithWords (April 30, 2010)

by

Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:











ANNE DAYTON graduated from Princeton University and is earning her master's degree in English literature at New York University. She works for a New York publishing company and lives in Brooklyn.



MAY VANDERBILT graduated from Baylor University and went on to earn a master's degree in fiction from Johns Hopkins University. She lives in San Francisco, where she writes about food, fashion, and nightlife in the Bay Area.



Together, the two women are the authors of Miracle Girls series





ABOUT THE BOOK

Riley McGee has the whole world open before her. She could get into any college, major in any subject, become whoever she wants to be...But the truth is, Riley has no earthly idea what to do. She's paralyzed by indecision, afraid of the changes she faces, and as graduation day inches closer, it feels more and more like a threat.



Meanwhile, her autistic brother, Michael, is struggling to fit in at Marina Vista and stay on top of his classes. Riley tries to keep an eye out for him, but when Ms. Moore suggests pulling Michael out of school, Riley has to fight for her brother--and against her favorite teacher. And things take another turn when her ex-boyfriend, Tom, arrives, hoping to give their relationship one more try. On top of that, an ambitious new pastor makes her question everything she thought she knew about faith.



If you would like to read the first chapter of Love Will Keep Us Together, go HERE.

My Review: I loved this book and have to highly recommend it. It's the perfect book for pre-teens and teens to read that helps encourage the challenges that are faced by girls on the verge of entering into college. The best part of this book is how Riley chooses to handle the different situations she encounters and I personally feel this would be a great resource to pass along to our children. This book reminds me of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants but with a Christian element woven throughout. How Riley gets through her last year of high school with her friends, family and even God's help is amazing!

I was provided with a copy of this book to review compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance. This is definitely a series of books my daughters are reading and loving! It's definitely a positive influence in their lives!

Let's Get Ready to Jumble!

The classic favorite Jumble puzzles are now available with Bible-based content just for kids! Bible Jumble for Kids by Christopher Hudson, is a great Jumble that relates to a Scripture passage listed on the Jumble page so that kids can read and learn about the Bible verse or story. This book includes a mix of six different types of Jumbles:

• Traditional Jumbles
• Mystery Person Jumbles
• Jumble Detective
• Jumble Criss-Cross
• Find the Jumbles
• Bible Passage Jumbles

Kids and their parents will have fun solving all 200 puzzles while learning more about the Bible.

Since receiving this book, the kids and I have had fun, unscrambling the words based on clues. Then we take the letters of certain words and unscramble them for the answer to the riddle for each jumble. I highly recommend this book for kids 8 and older and some of the clues can be a little challenging. These would be great for vacations, car trips, and daily challenges to make learning about the Bible that much more entertaining. I can also see using these at Sunday School and Vacation Bible School or Camp to add that element of fun to the day. There are 200 puzzles to complete with each one getting progressively more difficult.

For more information about this book including on where to purchase a copy, please click on the link below:

http://mediacenter.tyndale.com/1_products/details.asp?isbn=978-1-4143-2696-2



Now here is one for adults called Inspirational Zingers Jumble by Christopher Hudson. Just like the kids version this one is geared to adults. Even I had some challenges trying to figure out some of the more advanced jumbles towards the end. These are the perfect way to pass time waiting for the kids, in doctor's offices, or just a way to keep your brain in tip top shape.

Every day, millions of people enjoy Jumbles in newspapers across the country. Now you can enjoy these popular puzzles while being encouraged by inspirational thoughts from the Bible and wisdom from the world’s most successful people. Perfect for families, trivia buffs, and puzzle fanatics, Inspirational Zingers Jumble is packed with six different kinds of puzzles for hours of fun:

• Jumbles
• Double Jumbles
• Mystery Person Jumbles
• Word Search Jumbles
• Super Jumbles
• Criss-Cross Jumbles

For more information on this book, including on where to purchase a copy, please click here:

http://mediacenter.tyndale.com/1_products/details.asp?isbn=978-1-4143-2697-9

I received both of these amazing game books compliments of Tyndale House Publishing. For those of you interested, I am going to host a giveaway of the Bible Jumble for Kids book that will end on May 12th for one lucky winner. Simply be a follower of mine and leave a comment telling me what you favorite family game is.

Trusting God WIth Your Dreams # 9

In continuing with our weekly Bible Study from Shelia Walsh's book, Beautiful Things Happen When A Woman Trusts God, we pick up on study # 9, entitled, Trusting God With Your Dreams.

The biggest question I have had to face in the last few years is this: Do I believe that God is in control? God is either sovereign all the time or he is not sovereign at all. If he is, and I believe he is, that means that nothing that happens to me is random but has passed through his hands of mercy and grace.


That doesn't mean I believe God orchestrates evil to see how we will respond. God is love, and there is no evil in him at all. We live, however, in a fallen world where evil exists. But God has promised that no matter what we face, he will work for our good in the midst of it.

Joseph saw that. It was clear that his brothers hated him in the beginning and feared him in the end. Hatred and fear are both powerful weapons in the hands of an enemy but our God is bigger than our enemy.

I believe that the greatest gift we can give our Father is to keep our focus on him even when the road becomes very dark. If you are a child of God, you are not a helpless victim. Like Joseph, you can face betrayal. But in God's perfect time your dream will be brought into the light.
FIND ~ Joseph had a dream. When he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. ~ Genesis 37:5 MSG God is more interested in what he is doing in you than through you. Why is this true?

Because God can use anyone to accomplish his purposes, when he works on doing things in you, it is to help you grow spiritually. It makes you a better person and helps to work on the areas in our life where we need some help from God.
What God-size dream is alive deep within you?

I would really like to see Steve in a job that brings him a level of contentment and happiness. Where people see the strong ethics and level of quality work that is missing in so many people these days. We are praying for this even now and are hopeful that God will once again come through for us. Honestly, I would love to see Steve in some level of the church.

Read Genesis 37:2-8, "This is the family history of Jacob: Joseph was a young man, seventeen years old. He and his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wives, cared for the flocks. Joseph gave his father bad reports about his brothers. Since Joseph was born when his father Israel was old, Israel loved him more than his other sons. He made Joseph a special robe with long sleeves. When Joseph's brothers saw that their father loved him more than he loved them, they hated their brother and could not speak to him politely.
One time Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him even more. Joseph said, "Listen to the dream I had. We were in the field tying bundles of wheat together. My bundle stood up, and your bundles of wheat gathered around it and bowed down to it." His brothers said, "Do you really think you will be king over us? Do you truly think you will rule over us?" His brothers hated him even more because of his dreams and what he had said.

How would you have felt toward Joseph if you had been one of his brothers?

I think I too would have been a little jealous of Joseph since not only did he have his father's love and favoritism, but now he is having dreams where he is better than his brothers. It would be hard not to judge Joseph on this one.

After Joseph interpreted his dream, why did his brothers respond so harshly?
Again similar to the answer about. I am not sure it was wise for Joseph to share this with his brothers. He already knew that they weren't too happy with how he was already favored by their father and now he was telling them this.
It is easy to doubt a dream and even begin to thin the dream means nothing. How do you know the dream inside you was planted by God?

I am not sure, but because it falls in line with the things of God, we are hopeful it is something that He may bring to happen for us.

FEEL~ Joseph was eventually thrown into a pit by his brothers. Have you even been thrown into a pit? If so, by what?

I would have to say working in a non Christian environment years ago, it was difficult to not conform to the way some people were doing things. When I stood up for what I believed in at the time, I was seriously retaliated by my peers for "rocking the boat" and not being a "team player." I created a really harsh environment for years after that and nothing was every really the same between me and my boss and peers.

How did you feel while in that pit?

I felt alone and stressed wondering if I had done the right thing or if I should have said nothing. I felt like I had no friends and no support whenever I had to show up for work. It was the worst thing I faced each day.
To who did you turn to be rescued from the pit?
God and my family.

Joseph made his way to Egypt and experienced a series of highs and lows that led to his being put in charge of all of th grain in the land. His brothers, suffering the effects of the famine, approached him asking for food. If you would have been Joseph in that situation, how would you have responded to your brothers? Why?

I would like to say like Joseph especially being the person I am today. I try to let things go and leave the judging of people up to God as well as any punishment and wrong doing to Him as well. Nothing good would come from holding my brothers accountable for their actions.

Consider the following questions and respond to them honestly. I say I trust God, but do I?
Most of the time. There are some times when the enemy tries to get in there and say things to make me doubt, but I try and hold those thoughts captive and lay them at God's feet and pray about whatever it is that is bothering me and keeping me from trusting him 100%.
I say God is in control, but will I let it go?

More so now than before! I realize when we hold onto things that need to be given to God, it causes so much stress and worry which really wear you down, much like carrying a heavy load that you don't have to. Now I lay all that down and pray about these things to God.

I say God is my deliverer, but will I allow him to vindicate me?

Absolutely! I try not to take matters into my own hands and let God be the judge of people who would try to hurt me.

I say God is my defender, but do I still want to speak up for myself?

I try to remember the saying, If you can't say anything nice, don't say it at all. It keeps me from having to ask for forgiveness for saying something I shouldn't. If I need to say anything at all, I try and speak it in love and think along the lines of dealing with the act not the person who hurt me. It keeps me from hurting their feelings.

Joseph had every right to seek revenge, but he offered his brothers forgiveness. What Joseph's actions reveal about God's attitude toward us?

God could seek revenge on all of us, but when we sincerely come to him with a humble heart and a repent spirit seeking forgiveness, God gives it gladly.

FOLLOW ~ Think about your own life right now. Perhaps you started out with a dream of what you believed God would do with your life. Then life itself got in the way. Maybe even at this moment, you sit wounded and broken, wondering where God is. God is here. He is right here with you. He never left you but at every turn in the road longs to show you what is inside your heart and set you free. You are not a victim of the whims of others, no matter how true that may feel. You are a beloved daughter of the King who is making you into a greater and greater beauty as you learn to leave your dreams in his care. How can you reclaim your dream and get back on the path to being the woman God created you to be?
Put all my faith and trust in God every day. Pray about things to Him everyday even if I have to pray the same prayer everyday. God is faithful and will bring me through whatever life hands me and I will come out of it a much stronger person in my faith and spiritual walk.
Now write a prayer expressing your desire to let the dream God planted in you to be reborn in your life. Use this prayer as part of your daily time with God and as an expression of your desire to pursue God's best for your life.
Abba Father, You never leave your precious children alone in this life, just like I would never leave my children. Thank you for the constant reminder that just like I am parenting with my children, you are also with me every step of the way, in joys and sorrows, hills and valleys. I face nothing alone. My faith is strong in knowing that You will bring me through whatever life hands me. Nothing is impossible for You. I wil rise above this turbulent waters and once again sit with you as a child of God, filled with the love of my wonderful Father and move forward in faith one step at a time. In Jesus name ~ AMEN

Captivating

Every woman was once a little girl. And every little girl holds in her heart her most precious dream. She longs to be swept up into a romance, to play an irreplaceable role in a great adventure, to be the beauty of the story. Those desires are far more than child’s play. They are the secret to the feminine heart.

And yet – how many women do you know who ever find that life? As the years pass by, the heart of a woman gets pushed aside, wounded, and buried. She finds no romance except in novels, no adventure except on television, and she doubts very much that she will ever be the Beauty of any tale.

Most women think they have to settle for a life of efficiency and duty, chores and errands, striving to be the women they “ought” to be but often feeling they have failed. Sadly, too many messages for Christian women add to the pressure. “Do these ten things, and you will be a godly woman.” The effect has not been good on the feminine soul.

But her heart is still there. Sometimes when she watches a movie, sometimes in the wee hours of the night, her heart begins to speak again. A thirst rises within her to find the life she was meant to live – the life she dreamed of as a little girl.

The message of Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge, is this: Your heart matters more than anything else in all creation. The desires you had as a little girl and the longings you still feel as a woman are telling you of the life God created you to live. He offers to come now as the Hero of your story, to rescue your heart and release you to live as a fully alive and feminine woman. A woman who is truly captivating.

I received this book compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers and must say, for me, it did address some of these very things that I have held in my heart since I was a child. Call it reading too many romance novels or fairy tales, or even watching my favorite “chick flicks” but deep inside us all, there is a need for this type of love that address our heart. I can’t recommend this book enough if, like me, you are a timeless romantic who can easily dream of being swept off her feet. It’s not to say that is who I am on the outside, but this book address why some women feel this way and validates those feelings.

If you would like more information on this book, including where to pick a copy of the book yourself, please click on the link below:

http://www.thomasnelson.com/consumer/product_detail.asp?sku=1400202825&title=Captivating&authors=John_Eldredge_and_Stasi_Eldredge

Heading Home

Eight years is a long time from saying good bye as kids to saying hello as adults.

She’s back! For eight long years, A.J. Degulio has been itching to get back to Indian Island, her beloved dog, Sailor, and her childhood friend, Danny Morgan. It’s home. But a lot has changed. Sailor moves slower, Danny has grown into a six-foot-something good-lookin’ cowboy…and A.J. has a promise to keep…which doesn’t include Danny. When Danny hears of her plans, he’s shocked and hurt. But he cares too much to stand in the way of what she really wants. (excerpt from the back cover).



Dreaming of childhood crushes and romances that you wondered what would have ever happened if it all worked out just the way fairy tales or dreams would have it, this book, Heading Home, by Renee Riva does just that. It lets us live in the world of what if’s and the possibilities of childhood romance and first love. I love this book because of the idea of keeping God in center of things always makes anything work out for the best.

I received this book compliments of B & B Media Group to review and highly recommend it to any parent or young teen looking for inspirational love stories based on a love of God in the middle.

For more information on this book including where to purchase a copy, please click on the link below:

http://www.davidccook.com/catalog/Detail.cfm?sn=106061&source=search

For more information on the author, click the link below:

www.reneeriva.com