A Book Review 2

Here's a little book I have been enjoying. God's Wisdom for Mothers is a cute little pocket sized book filled with scripture that has been organized under convenient headings. As compiled by Jack Countryman, the headings include: God's Wisdom is Needed in Every Mother's Life; The Crown of an Excellent Mother is from God; God's Wisdom with Children Requires Daily Training There are many more that are set out in easy to read format (from the NKJV) and convenient for short times for meditating on scripture. The size of the book is a perfect fit with my bible case and makes a great little gift for friends. Obviously, these books are not a substitution for studying from my bible, however, when I am swamped with homeschooling, or house management or any other number of events that put my daily schedule into a tailspin, a quick little book such as this gives me the opportunity to take little bites of scripture to feed me. This is a book that will stay right beside my Bible for a long time. Really, is there ever a time when God's wisdom isn't needed? Not in my life, anyway! Disclaimer: I receive books from Thomas Nelson Publishers (Booksneeze) free of charge in exchange for my unbiased opinion of them. I am not threatened or rewarded in any way in efforts to encourage me to provide a positive review. All opinions are mine.

Dog's Best Friend

Warning: this is a post for animal lovers only! The rest of you won't get it...

My dog, Pokey, is known to us a sweet albeit mischievious jack russell terrier. He is not hyper, as his breed can be at times. In fact, he is on the lazy side when in the house. However, take him for a walk and he becomes a new dog. When Pokey walks through the neighbourhood he appears to present himself as a much larger dog - head held high and chest stuck out. A leash is a necessity as he is unpredictable around other dogs. There are times we pass another dog and Pokey doesn't even look at it; then there are times when he is bearing his teeth and snarling like he's a lion!

For the longest time we could not figure out what the difference in dogs was that could bring about such polarized reactions. Eventually, we realized. Pokey is a nazi - small 'n'. He hates all dogs who he deems to be ugly or stupid or just simply below his standards for dogs. It's true...we have tested the theory. Should an approaching dog be lunging on it's leash, tongue lolling, and generally acting like a fool...Poke hates it instantly. When a dog with a ridiculous haircut (think giant poodle) is approaching...Poke will start snarling as though to tell it how stupid it looks. On the opposite end, a dog who is generally composed while walking, with no unusual appearance or accessories...Poke will ignore it or give a courtesy sniff without incident.

There is one exception to this rule and he is our houseguest for the next few days.

Meet George. He is a half breed poodle/jack mix - and, although he's as sweet as sugar, he has the intelligence of a potatoe. He is half Pokey's physical and intellectual size. And they love each other. When given the opportunity to visit together, they wrestle non-stop for 30 minutes or more and take a short break before starting up again. They will share food and water bowls and George is allowed to sleep in bed with us.

Now this isn't purely coincidental. George belongs to our good friends and he and Poke have known each other since they were pups. George is a year older than Poke which gave him some seniority when they first met and that may have channeled into a certain type of mutual adoration for their entire relationship. It works well because we dog-sit George while his family takes vacation and they will dog-sit Poke while we take some time away.

So for those who ever questioned if dogs really do have individual personality; for those who give strange looks to pet owners talking to their dogs as if they were people; for those who question if pets can love...these two really are BFFs.

Awesome New Site

I have always adored the resources put out by Doorposts, and guess what? Now they have a wonderful new blog – you will love it! They are having 10 days of giveaways (with the grand prize being a complete set of ALL their products!), so head on over and check it out!

A Book Review

Thanks to Janet, I found out about Booksneeze and signed up to read some good books. My first book from the selection list was Tithing, by Douglas Leblanc. I have to admit that there was an initial disappointment when I started the book as I expected it would be a biblical study on tithing. Turns out that Mr. Leblanc put together several testimonies from people who have been blessed by practising this ancient practice (this is an installment of a multiple book series on the ancient practices).

Tithing is the fifth book in the "Ancient Practices Series" by Phyllis Tickle. It is a short book at 152 pages and a short study guide at the end. Mr. Leblanc travelled the to different states interviewing people for their testimonies on how tithing has affected their lives. These testimonies are written completely seperate from each other - each chapter is a story on its own. Mr. Leblanc's writing style is easy to follow, but tends to make a long story out of a short one. Therefore leaving the reader (me) bored before the end of the testimony.

The testimonies are encouraging and a quick read, however, I was left with an unsatisfied feeling when the book was completed. It seemed as though a final chapter was needed to tie everything altogether. Although I did enjoy the study that has been added to the back of the book - it, too, could have been more in depth for the reader.

My final opinion is simple. I'm glad I didn't pay for the book.

Disclaimer: I receive books from Thomas Nelson Publishers (Booksneeze) free of charge in exchange for my unbiased opinion of them. I am not threatened or rewarded in any way in efforts to encourage me to provide a positive review. All opinions are mine.

Regrets, I've Had a Few

Generally speaking, I don't spend alot of time fretting over mistakes. Hopefully, each time I make one (and I do make them!), I learn from them and move on. Regrets are little different.

A regret is when my mistake involves other people. That time when I should have shared more of my faith with someone, or that time when my words came out too harshly, or that time I made an excuse to avoid a time of fellowship. These are the things I regret.


Several years ago, a woman I know became stricken with cancer. It was a real nasty type, but I won't go into details here. She was someone I consider a friend although we never saw each other frequently due to the distance that seperates her home from mine. No, it isn't hundreds of miles - it was just over an hour to drive. When I heard she had become ill, I sent an email offering my help. She replied that everything was going well.


Months passed and she attended a bible study that I was also attending. We talked about her illness and treatment. Things were going well - the word remission was used. Conversation turned to husbands and kids and homeschooling, etc. It was like she had never been sick! We said goodbye that day and it turned out to be goodbye forever. That was two years ago. She died at the end of January.

Two years! Two years gone and I had never checked in with her. Two years and she went through a relapse with her cancer and fought a losing battle without my ever contacting her. I had known that relapse occurred and I had always said, "I must get hold of Miriam!" It never happened. I talked with mutual friends about taking a trip up to see her - I talked too long. Get this...she was even writing a blog about her experience and I (a blogger!) knew nothing about it until after she died.

There is no doubt in my mind that she has met her Saviour; that she certainly isn't wondering about me. This world is a distant memory for her in glory. She has no more pain, no more regrets. Yet, I had one more lesson to learn from her - don't procrastinate with the people in my life.

If your interested in reading her story (here), it is an amazing testimony for the Lord. Both in life and in death she glorifies Him. If nothing else, read the last post done by her oldest daughter. May God give my daughter the strength in faith that this young woman expresses.