40 Days to A Joyful Motherhood: Devotions and Coloring Book to NourishMom (A Review)

Joyful Motherhood

Are you a mother who's become less than joyful in her calling? Have you become overwhelmed or slipped into the waves of despair, when life (and perhaps motherhood) isn't all you thought it was cracked up to be? Did you have a less than stellar example of motherhood in your own life, and you want to do better for your own children? Do you want to regain the joy and delight your new status as a mother brought to your heart as your newborn gazed trustingly into your eyes? Are you a new mother, who wants to protect and nourish that joy? If these don't describe you, do they resemble someone you know?

I recently received a book for review that *may* be useful to you, or as a gift. 40 Days to a Joyful Motherhood: Devotions and Coloring Book to Nourish Mom by Sarah Humphrey is filled with 10 minute snippets of friendly advice in the form of devotions, that can help you or someone you know navigate the sometimes placid and sometimes stormy waters of motherhood. Each devotional also has a facing coloring page, to give you some time to be creative, take a time out, or allow you to meditate on a truth you may have gleaned from the text. 
The devotions are broken into eight sections, with five days devoted to each topic: 

• Identity For Mamahood 
• Expectations, Pain, Hopes and Dreams
• Releasing Grief and Receiving New Life 
• Unworthiness and the Comparison Game  
• Self-Acceptance and Peace 
• The Cycles of Giving and Self-Care  
• Placing an Emphasis on Presence 
• Living a Lifestyle of Forgiveness

Each section also has an introduction, so I think this could easily be Eight Weeks to a Joyful Motherhood, if you read the introduction on the weekend, and then read the devotions on the weekdays.

Side note: I had somewhat mixed reactions to this book to begin with. I believe my ambivalence had something to do with the concept of giving this to a new mother who may actually already BE Joyful. My concern was that some of the devotions may introduce a topic that would bring them down if they weren't already dealing with that particular concern. If you're giving this to a new mom, I would suggest couching it in the terms of preventative maintenance ~ guarding against the negative experiences that may well show up. 

On the flip side of that, this could be the PERFECT gift for a mother who is suffering from PPD, or an overwhelmed mother of rambunctious toddlers, or patience-trying teens.

A word on the coloring book portion~ The designs are mostly flowery heart doodles. Most of them are fairly simple, with a few more complex designs thrown in for good measure. If you're looking for crazy complexity, this will be a disappointment, but if you would just enjoy a few minutes of quiet coloring, this will be right up your alley. The pages are like a "better" children's coloring book quality, smooth and slightly thicker than a normal book~ takes well to colored pencils (I think gel pens would probably show through to the other side).

If you're looking for a gift for yourself or a friend that will encourage and inspire, this could be a good option this Christmas, along with a nice pack of colored pencils.

$6.65 add- on
At Amazon
(Click the image)
My College-bound
art student loves these

$6.14 add-on
At Amazon
(Click the Image)
Haven't tried these,
but the price is good. :) 

Blessings~

ESV Family Devotional Bible (Review and Giveaway)

I was recently sent a neat item for a review, the ESV Family Devotional Bible, published by Crossway. This is a complete Bible in the English Standard Version, with 130 different illustrated devotions, each centered around a passage in the Bible.

There are no center-column references, no concordance, no "Theme Index" beyond the devotional index near the end of the book. Just the Word of God with devotions that are geared towards a family audience, with occasional brief notes on words/word choices.

I appreciated the devotions I scanned (and the one that I planned for a Sunday School lesson), as they don't talk down to children, but they also don't go into more depth than is necessary. For instance, the devotion that centers around the story of Jesus and the Samaritan Woman at the Well simply notes that Jesus could tell her all about her sins. It didn't go into detail as to what her sin was, which I am grateful for when reading to younger children (although that is certainly included in the actual Scripture text... they didn't leave anything out).

The Bible includes some nicely detailed maps at the back, and the illustrations that accompany the devotions are pleasant if somewhat Anglo/Saxon in nature. Each devotion includes Questions for the Family (to gauge comprehension and stimulate conversation) and a Key verse that coordinates, but isn't necessarily from the same passage.

This is an easy-to-bring-with-you Bible that may be a helpful tool to incorporate more family devotion time throughout the year, and that can only be a good thing!

You can purchase your own copy of the ESV Family Devotional Bible from Amazon, but you might want to wait and see if you win my giveaway first! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blessings~

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 a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

Diana Waring and Friends~ Experience History Through Music~ Giveaway

 To celebrate the release of Experience History Through Music, I am joining members of the Diana Waring Launch Team for an amazing giveaway. My children and I have been listening to songs from or about the Old West, and reading about their histories. We are looking forward to hearing more from the life and times of Laura Ingalls Wilder as well as turning the songbook a little further back in American History as well. Definitely toe-tapping fun! Look for a complete review the week of June 30.

In the meantime, back to the giveaway. Friends of Diana have joined in the celebration and as you can see, someone's homeschool is going to be greatly blessed!  Here's what you could win!

From Diana Waring Presents

Experience History Through Music - set of 3 books with CDs ($50/set) Diana Waring Presents is about to bring back into print the BEST folk music you have ever heard, combined with the fascinating stories they represent in American history!   The Experience Music Through Historyseries includes: America - Heart of a New Nation, Westward Ho! - Heart of the Old West  and Musical Memories of Laura Ingalls Wilder. The musicians are amazing, every instrument is real, lots of great vocalists, and more toe-tapping music than you can imagine! The books tell the stories behind the songs.  Together, they bring American history to life through it's music!!With fascinating history books and toe-tapping folk music CDs, American history has NEVER been this fun!
 
Encouragement for Homeschool Moms Collection ($25) Every mom needs that word of encouragement from someone who has been there, who has grownup children and can speak with assurance about the journey. Homeschool moms have an extra portion of the journey to navigate, and often wish for an extra voice that will offer direction but without nagging or prodding. Diana Waring has that voice.  

From A Journey Through Learning

$50 Gift Certificate $50 to spend in the A Journey Through Learning store, applicable toward any digital download purchase.  

 

From Homeschool Legacy

Westward Ho! Part I ($19.95) Load up your wagon! Discover the extraordinary times of adventurous frontiersmen and brave pioneers as you travel cross-country along the Erie Canal,  Oregon Trail, and even “remember the Alamo” in Westward Ho Part I. Westward Ho! Part II ($19.95) Continue the exciting saga begun in Westward Ho! Part I as you journey with the forty-niners, ride the rails of the Transcontinental Railroad, experience life on the prairie, and discover the exciting era of cowboys and cattle drives in Westward Ho! Part II.  

From Knowledge Quest Maps

Map Trek: Atlas and Outline Maps of World History ($55) Map Trek is a historical atlas plus outline maps that allow you to teach geography alongside history. This is a resource that any homeschool parent can use with brilliant success, even if you don't remember a thing from your history or geography classes in public school.  

 

From Home School Adventure Co. 

Philosophy Adventure™ Digital Download ($39.95) Philosophy Adventure™ is designed to help students 6th-12th grade cultivate and defend a biblical worldview by teaching them how to write skillfully, think critically, and speak articulately as they explore the history of ideas.  

 

From Heidi St. John 

(The Busy Mom and Real Life Press)

Firmly Planted Family Devotional Digital Volume 3 ($39) The Firmly Planted Family Series is divided into ten-week studies and is your key to making sense of the Bible—even if you’re learning right along with your children. Each lesson provides a core idea, a simple narrative, memory verses and discussion questions for children of all ages. And the companion student workbook is filled with age-appropriate, full-color, reproducible activities for children of any age!  

From Raising Real Men

Free Registration to Boyhood Boot Camp or Boot Camp 9-12 LIVE webinar series (winner's choice) plus Mom & Dad Special Raising Real Men (Book for Mom to read in the bathroom + AudioBook for Dad to listen to on the commute) ($62-69)

 

Free Registration for Marriage Retreat Online plus His & Hers Special of My Beloved and My Friend: How To Be Married To Your Best Friend Without Changing Spouses (book + audiobook), ($65)  

 

From Institute for Excellence in Writing

$50 Gift Certificate $50 to spend in the IEW store, applicable toward any purchase.  

From The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

SchoolhouseTeachers.com ($139) A one year membership to the curriculum arm of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. Nearly 100 classes for Pre-K to High School, taught by expert teachers, and lots of extras including the Schoolhouse Planners, Schoolhouse Expos, monthly free ebook downloads and more.

 

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine 2014 Print Book ($15) Be encouraged, enlightened, and educated with the all new 2014 Annual Print Book published by The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine.You’ll get a year’s worth of homeschool support in almost 300 pages in this full color one-of-a-kind print magazine for homeschoolers, by homeschoolers. This is a magazine you’ll refer to again and again.  

From Writing with Sharon Watson

The Power in Your Hands ($53.96) With The Power in Your Hands: Writing Nonfiction in High School, they’ll learn what they need to know for high school and will be prepared for college writing.

 

Writing Fiction [in High School] ($35) Are you raising the next C. S. Lewis or Jane Austen? Help your students develop their fiction-writing talents with Writing Fiction [In High School]: Bringing Your Stories to Life.

To enter the giveaway, use the Rafflecopter below. Residents of the U.S., age 18 and older only. Other Terms and Conditions can be found in the Rafflecopter. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blessings~

Apologia Journeys of Faithfulness

One of my all-time favorite Homeschool "how-to"/"inspiration" books is "Educating the Whole-Hearted Child" by Clay and Sally Clarkson (I reviewed the updated version of this last fall, which you can read by clicking the link). However, I had not read any of the books written by their daughter Sarah, so I was pleased to be given the chance to review her devotional book for young ladies, Journeys of Faithfulness, published by Apologia.

The goal of Journeys of Faithfulness is to use accounts from the lives of Mary and Martha, Mary the mother of Jesus, Esther, and Ruth to encourage our daughters in their walk with Christ. The style and format is a little different from what we are used to.

Each chapter starts with a "Historical Fiction" account from the Bible~ Sarah takes the Scripture, and fleshes out conversations and emotions as they might have been, reading between the lines.

From there Sarah shares a personal account~ painting a word picture of how she came to see a Spiritual Truth, and allow God to work in her life.

Following that is a short Bible Study that directs the reader to 3-4 Scriptures followed by personal application questions.

The last bit of each chapter contains a few blank pages for journaling.

Our take~
While "Biblical Fiction" is something that my daughter has enjoyed in the past, she didn't feel that it worked very well in this devotional book~ She felt that the selections were a little too long for a "Daily reading" that wasn't actually Scripture.

The personal account section is headlined as a "devotional," but I have a hard time using that term for  a 2-3 page story. To me a devotional is short and to the point, while emphasizing scripture. I felt that these would be more reasonably considered slightly chatty (which I like) "Inspirational applications," but not devotionals.

The Bible Study portions are probably my daughter's least favorite aspect~ she is a black and white "What does the Bible Say?" sort of girl, who doesn't like to answer the "What do you think this means for your life?" sort of questions. However, her best friend would probably love that aspect!  Hmmmm~ we need to work a little more on application! ;)

I do have to say that it was a little difficult to figure out how to approach each chapter~ My suggestion was: The Longish Historical Fiction reading on day 1, The "Devotional" on Day 2, and spend Days 3+ on the Scriptures and questions (With journaling, if so desired~ not a regular occurrence in our home). We never got into a good "flow" with it, but that is most likely a personal method issue.

At the moment, I think that we have determined that this sort of study is not Eldest's favorite style, but perhaps we'll give it a try again sometime down the road, because the content is good! I'd also like to see Sarah try her hand at a Biblical Novel, and a stand-alone book of "Inspirational Stories" from her life, as I think those would work well. :)

You can download the Table of Contents, and a Sample Chapter to see if this might be a good fit for your family~


Not So Nutty Nitty Gritty 

• Company: Apologia
• Product: Journeys of Faithfulness (stories of life and faith for young christian women)
• Ages: Girls 12+
• Price:$13.00

Please click the banner below to visit the TOS Review Crew and see what others had to say. As always, I hope that this review was useful to you as you choose where best to spend your homeschool budget.

Blessings~

Disclaimer: I received this/these item(s)/service for free as part of the TOS Review Crew Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 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."

Truth & Dare ~ A Year of Dynamic Devotions for Girls

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Ann-Margret Hovsepian

and the book:

Truth and Dare Devotional

David C. Cook (October 1, 2011)

***Special thanks to Audra Jennings, Senior Media Specialist, The B&B Media Group for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ann Margret Hovsepian is a published author, freelance writer and editor and amateur artist. She has published more than 210 articles for dozens of Canadian and U.S. print periodicals and has become a sought-after author of pre-teen girls’ devotional books. She has published Blossom: The Complete New Testament for Girls (Thomas Nelson, 2006) and The One Year Designer Genes Devo (Tyndale, 2007). She speaks at conferences and events and is actively involved on the board of Canadian Baptist Women of Ontario and Quebec, Canada. Hovsepian resides in Montreal, Canada.

Visit the author's website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Is your pre-teen daughter ready for more—more excitement, more adventure, more joy? Then dare her to discover the secret to a life that sparkles for God. Show her she’s got what it takes to make an impact on the world. Ann Margret Hovsepian’s newest book, Truth and Dare: One Year of Dynamic Devotions for Girls, is designed for girls 9 to 12 and filled with powerful wisdom on everything from godly friendships to worshipping God.

It can be easy for young girls to neglect their Bible reading. Perhaps they feel Scripture doesn’t directly relate to them. Maybe they may lack encouragement or accountability, or they may just have too many distractions in their everyday lives. This lack of spiritual food can stunt girls’ spiritual growth and make them vulnerable to the temptations and ungodly influences around them. It can also prevent them from developing a love for Scripture early in life, making it even harder to get into God’s Word when they get older.

Truth and Dare encourages tween girls to discover how exciting God’s Word can be. They will see it make a difference in their daily lives and experience the blessings that come from doing it and not just hearing it. Daily challenges (dares) based on Scripture (truth) will provide opportunities for them to make their faith come alive as they learn to serve others, build character and make a difference.

Scripture will be transformed from something learned to something lived. Girls will delight in discovering how God’s Word can become real in whole new ways as they learn to apply it with each day’s dare. It ideally suits anyone looking to inspire a young girl to boldly live out her faith. So encourage the tween girl in your life to take the dare and discover the truth! It’s her time to shine as a girl who knows what it means to live a fierce and fearless life of faith.





Product Details:

List Price: $14.99
Reading level: Ages 9 and up
Paperback: 432 pages
Publisher: David C. Cook (October 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1434702081
ISBN-13: 978-1434702081

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER (To enlarge, click on the images):

Similar to the Triple Dog Dare Devotions I posted about yesterday, this devotional helps young ladies in today's society see the relevance of Scripture in THEIR lives. Although the age range is listed as 9-12, I think that it serves even young teens well. I appreciate a devotional that is girl-centric, but not focused on boy-girl relationships, or pop-culture issues, but just down-to-earth "Who am I and how should I live in Christ?"  and "How does the Bible relate to ME?" thoughts.

Another great gift to slip under the tree! :)

Blessings~

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. 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.