Monday, September 19, 2016

Chase The Lion

Chase The Lion

Written By Mark Batterson

Book Overview:

Run TO the Roar!
 
When the image of a man-eating beast travels through the optic nerve and into the visual cortex, the brain sends the body a simple but urgent message: run away! That’s what normal people do, but not lion chasers. Rather than seeing a five hundred pound problem, they see an opportunity for God to show up and show His power..
 
Chase the Lion is more than a catch phrase; it’s a radically different approach to life. It’s only when we stop fearing failure that we can fully seize opportunity by the mane. With grit and gusto, New York Times bestselling author Mark Batterson delivers a bold message to everyone with a big dream.
 
Quit playing it safe and start running towards the roar!
 
This is a wake-up call to stop living as if the purpose was to simply arrive safely at death. Our dreams should scare us. They should be so big that without God they are impossible to achieve. Quit running away from what you’re afraid of. 
 
Chase the lion! 
Change the world!

What is Your Five Hundred Pound Dream?

In this highly anticipated sequel to his best-selling In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, Mark Batterson invites lion chasers everywhere to chase dreams so impossible that victory demands we face our fears, defy the odds, and hold tight to God. 
 
These are the kind of dreams that will make you a bigger person and the world a better place.
 
Based upon II Samuel 23, Chase the Lion tells the true story of an ancient warrior named Benaiah who chased a lion into a pit on a snowy day—and then killed it. For most people, that situation wouldn’t just be a problem…it would be the last problem they ever faced. For Benaiah, it was an opportunity to step into his destiny. After defeating the lion, he landed his dream job as King David’s bodyguard and eventually became Commander-in-Chief of Israel’s army under King Solomon.
 
Written in a way that both challenges and encourages, this revolutionary book will help unleash the faith and courage you need to identify, chase, and catch the five hundred pound dreams in your life.

My Thoughts:

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.  I enjoyed it so much that I have already started re reading it and gaining even more than I did the first read through. I may be a little partial as this is one of my favorite authors and I have read his other books.  This one definitely did not let me down.  There are many times I wonder if what I am doing is making a difference or leaving any lasting impact. I was encouraged by one of the steady themes through out the book in that sometimes what we do today we are doing for the third and fourth generation and it might not be something we see anytime soon. He also talked about sometimes the only way we fulfill our dream is by helping others fulfill theirs. Being somebody who struggles with staying connecting, it was interesting how much this book talked about the importance of being connected to others. My favorite message was about the fact that if your dream isn't bigger than you then it isn't big enough.  There is so much about this book that sunk in and touched a deeper part of my soul.  I highly recommend this book.  

To purchase a copy of this book you can do so by clicking here.

I received this book from Blogging For Books in exchange for this review.

Thursday, September 15, 2016

Hard lesson

Tonight was open house for my Seth. He was excited to see his friend and they ran off and started talking and playing.  Once open house started, they both listened attentively to the entire presentation.  A lot of information was presented. We learned about the curriculum they are using, the grading procedure, resources they have, their daily schedule, etc. When the principal hangs out in the classroom and an extra teacher is present, you start to wonder what's going on and get a funny feeling its nothing good. Tonight we were informed that Seth's teacher is being surplussed.  Seth and I are definitely people that pick up on the feelings of others and we feel things so deeply. We are kind and caring but we have big hearts that are easily broken. 

As open house came to a close I went and thanked her for giving Seth a good start to fourth grade. She told us how great he was and that he would be in good hands with the new teacher.  We exited the classroom, made our way down the hall and out the doors.  I noticed Seth was looking away.  I noticed his breathing changed.  I could feel his hurt.  I asked him how he felt after hearing that Mrs. Simpson wouldn't be there....it took some time but he eventually got out that he was sad, she was a good teacher and he didn't want her to go anywhere.  We told him it was ok to feel sad, we gave him a hug and we did the only thing we could think of - we bought him a milkshake and fries.  Dennis started telling him jokes on the way home and Seth started laughing.  Ivan piped in with, 'keep doing it daddy, you are making Seth stop crying.'  Ivan didn't like to see 'water' (tears) coming out of his eyes. We made our way home and got ready for bed.  

As he laid down he started crying again, I asked him what was wrong, he just said 'what we talked about earlier.' My heart breaks for him.  I checked on him every ten minutes until he was asleep. I am still crying. It is a tough lesson to learn, that sometimes good people come into our life and don't stay as long as we would like them to. What an impact she has made on my Seth in such a short amount of time.  He is finally asleep, but tonight he gained some wisdom that I wish nobody ever had to, the kind that comes with tough experiences and heart ache. 

My sweet boy, we cried together tonight. 


Of course I am sure there will be good things to come with the new teacher....for tonight we are just embracing the sad feelings, learning a tough life lesson, cherishing the people who have left an impact on our life, and dusting ourselves off to begin tomorrow anew. 

Friday, September 9, 2016

Baby, Baby!

Baby, Baby!
Written By: Diane Stortz
Illustrated By: Ailie Busby



Book Overview:

A yawn, a giggle, a sweet little kiss - each moment of a baby's life is full of discovery and wonder. This short rhyming poem is a celebration of just that, ending with a gentle reminder that Baby is always loved by God.

My Thoughts:

 I enjoyed reading through this book. It made me think about when my boys were younger.  They would have loved the mirror at the end of the story.  This would be a great addition to a Sunday school class of one and two year old's. This book would be perfect for their attention span. This book would make a great baby shower gift. I love the message, its a good one at any age, "I have loved you with an everlasting love." Jeremiah 31:3b 

To learn more about the author and purchase a copy of this book, please click here.

"Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one of the products mentioned above for free in hope that I would mention it on my blog, thanks to FlyBy Promotions.  Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."



Saturday, September 3, 2016

night night, Farm

night night, Farm
Written By: Amy Parker
Illustrated By: Virginia Allyn


Book Overview:

When the sun sinks low down on the farm, the animals are all tuckered out from the day's adventures. Join these adorable farm animals in pajamas as they say night night to the farm, to their mommies and daddies, and to God. Your little ones will sleep until the rooster crows knowing that the God who made them loves them so. 

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed reading this story with my boys. They are a bit older than the target age range for this book but they still enjoy listening to me read to them.  This would be great for a toddler.  The book is full of bright pictures and lots of animals. It would be great for teaching about animals and the sounds they make as well. I love the underlying message of parents taking care of their children, and how we all communicate in a different way, but it doesn't make what we have to say any less.


"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 product in exchange for this review and post. These opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. "