Yoo Hoo! Anybody here?

I am dusting off the cobwebs on the old blog. It has been so long since I have posted on here! Life has been busy, as I am sure you all understand, and to make things worse my computer crashed and I lost a lot of my "stuff."
The kids are back in school and I hope to have more time keep the blog updated!
Somethings I will be sharing in the near future:
* Crafty projects- paper and other wise
* Photos (which reminds me that I need to download my picture re-sizer)
* Reviews- Both Book and products
* Recipes
* Photos of the kiddos
And, I have started couponing, so I will be sharing some of that with you!
I just wanted you to know that I am still Blessed Beyond Measure!!
Hope to see ya soon!

Until later~

Book Review- Pocket Your Dollars.......

Pocket Your Dollars: 5 Attitude Changes That Will Help You Pay Down Debt, Avoid Financial Stress, and Keep More of What You Make by Carrie Rocha

Countless free budget plans are available for every possible income level and stage of life. So why do more than 60 percent of U.S. households still live paycheck to paycheck? The key to financial stability and success isn't just about money--it's about attitudes.

Rocha uses the lessons she learned overcoming personal debt to teach readers how to triumph over the lies we tell ourselves, such as "I deserve a treat," "Fake it till you make it," and "I can't afford it." Each chapter uses real-life examples to explain faulty thinking about money, followed by step-by-step instructions for how to overcome these pitfalls. Budgets are helpful, but real change won't happen without a financial attitude adjustment.

I am always looking for ways to improve our family budget and when I saw Pocket Your Dollars… was available I decided to see for myself what I could learn from it. A lot of the ideas in this book deal with the attitudes we develop about money. I thought there was some good solid information for getting out of debt and staying out of debt, such as in Chapter 5 when Rocha talks about consumerism and how the rich really live.

The chapters in Section One speak of the five attitude changes that need to be made. There is a quiz at the end of these chapters and discussion questions which are suitable for small groups. These chapters are filled with real-life examples of attitude changes made by Rocha and her husband to pay off almost $60,000 of debt in just 2 years.

In Section Two Rocha shares skills to help change your attitude toward debt and saving money. My favorites were replacement thinking- We work too hard for our money to let it leak out of our life- I am grateful for what I have, etc.

Section Three, which was my favorite section, was packed with many helpful resources. Here we find tips for cutting spending, budgeting and even a plan for paying off debt. One of the things suggested in Pocket Your Dollars is to pay off your credit cards and loans with the lowest balance first- no matter the interest rate. She then went on to suggest once a debt is paid off you add that payment to the next lowest bill until they are all paid off.

Over all I would give Pocket You Money… a 3 star rating. I would have liked to have read about others who have had success with these attitude adjustments presented. I think staying out of debt once you have paid everything off can be a challenge. While the author has been debt free for 4 years I would have like to have some advice from someone who has remained debt free for a much longer period of time.

I received this book from Bethany House Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review.

Booksneeze Book Review- Just Like Jesus

Today I am reviewing Just Like Jesus by Max Lucado.  I will be the first to admit I am not a big Lucado fan, in fact it took me several days to read the first 3 pages of this book.  In order to write an honest review I knew it would require me to actually read the book, so I trudged on. Much to my surprise just a few short pages later I found I did not want to lay Just Like Jesus down!  The chapters were short and pretty concise making the 12 chapters a quick read.

I enjoyed the theme of each chapter- A Heart Like His, A Forgiving Heart, A Compassionate Heart………and so on to be both encouraging and thought provoking. Each chapter is filled with plenty of scripture references and everyday practical examples to express the point being made.  It is refreshing to see things in a new light. I appreciated reading Lucado’s description about the celebration in Heaven when a wayward soul repents. I have read that scripture many times but I have never given it much thought. I shared the thoughts of Jesus being kind and showing friendship to Judas at the Last Supper with my son who is 8. He has been struggling with being kind to those who do not treat us well.

I recommend this book to anyone who is striving to be more like our Savior. You will find lots of good, useful information in Just Like Jesus.

This book was provided to me by Thomas Nelson, the publisher, through the Booksneeze program in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks for stopping by!!

Until later~

The Secrets of Intercessory Prayer- Book Review

Here are the keys to unlocking effective intercessory prayer. With encouragement, powerful testimonies and keen biblical guidance, pastor and bestselling author Jack Hayford offers the insight you need to pray more effectively for God's grace, goodness and power in the lives of those you love.

 The Secrets of Intercessory Prayer by Jack Hayford is probably one of the best books I have read on this subject.  This book is filled with helpful suggestions on how to pray for those who are not Christians, as well as ways we can relate to them. I especially appreciated the information about remembering to let God do His part, praying for our children, praying for those we don’t want to pray for and praying without ceasing.

While I found the title to be slightly misleading (I really did not find any ‘secrets”) the content was very useful and invigorating. I have already shared portions of The Secrets of Intercessory Prayer with my Bible study friends.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Until later~

Beyond Ordinary Blog Tour

How safe is your marriage? The answer may surprise you. The biggest threat to any marriage isn’t infidelity or miscommunication. The greatest enemy is ordinary. Ordinary marriages lose hope. Ordinary marriages lack vision. Ordinary marriages give in to compromise. Ordinary is the belief that this is as good as it will ever get. And when we begin to settle for ordinary, it’s easy to move from “I do” to “I’m done.”

Justin and Trisha Davis share with the reader their honest and transparent journey toward a marriage that is more than ordinary. The journey starts with them falling in love in college, continues through various ministries and moves and concludes with their ongoing restoration after the betrayal of adultery.

Beyond Ordinary is written so that the reader experiences the viewpoints of both authors in a “he said/she said” fashion followed by collaboration by both Justin and Trisha in each chapter. Each chapter ends with four  thought provoking questions.

I found Beyond Ordinary to be riveting and aesthetic. It left me not only inspired to strive for an extraordinary marriage, but also a closer, “less ordinary” daily walk with Christ. I have been following Justin and Trisha on Twitter and on their blog for the past couple of years and knew their “story” but I still found Beyond Ordinary to be superb and encouraging. You do not have to be dealing with infidelity to appreciate Beyond Ordinary.

For more information be sure the visit the Davis' web site- Refine Us and follow on Twitter- Justin Davis  You can purchase Beyond Ordinary HERE or watch the trailer HERE.

The publisher provided me with Beyond Ordinary to read and review.

Thanks for stopping by!!

Until later~