Quotes to Live By

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.
(John Quincy Adams)

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit. (Aristotle)

Every artist was first an amateur. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude. (Thomas Jefferson)

It takes ten years to build up a reputation, but only five minutes to ruin one. (Anonymous)

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

The Blessings of Friendship

The book I just received in the mail brought me back to childhood. When I opened the book, I felt like the author wrote the book just for me. The illustrations were really nice. I was totally surprised by how much work the illustrator put in to make this book a wonder. 

The Blessings of Friendship, by Mary Engelbreit is a really good poetry treasury full of Bible verses and quotes that celebrate the joy of friendship. I look forward to integrating this poetry trove into my classroom because  children will learn from timeless sayings and poems what it means to be a friend - helping, encouraging, listening, sharing with, and loving one another. 

Colorful and whimsical illustrations bring these words to life, as children learn the value of friendship. Verses from the Bible give us instruction on putting others above ourselves, loving each other, and being kind to one another. This book will make you smile with each turn of the page, remembering old friends and new friends alike.

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Beyond IQ

Have you ever taken those IQ tests and failed? Then you compared yourself to those around you and it made you miserable because your friends succeeded and you didn't? This book talks about how you can become much smarter than those IQ tests.

But surprisingly, science shows that mental abilities not captured in IQ tests can have the most impact in the real world—attributes like creativity, willpower, emotional intelligence, and intuition.

And yes—you can train those skills. In these pages, journalist Garth Sundem draws on interviews with psychology’s top experts and the latest research to show you how.

Beyond IQ is a new kind of braintraining guide, one packed with useful, engaging exercises scientifically shown to help you make the most of the brain you've got in the arena that matters most—life!"

BEYOND IQ is filled with simple pen-and-paper exercises that will help you:
--teach your mind to hear that "eureka" moment of insight
--improve your problem-solving skills
--use divergent thinking to boost your creativity
--retrain your intuition to become more trustworthy
--avoid the cognitive "blinkering" that too often comes with expertise
--expand your working memory
--practice your performance under pressure
--improve your pattern-recognition skills
--sharpen your emotional intelligence
--strengthen your willpower

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Who Built the Arky Arky?

Remember that old Bible song, Who Built the Arky Arky? It was such a fun song. It goes through all these wacky verses too. Well, this book comes from a whole new series. And a few days ago, I got the Jonah story. I love these stories. They rhyme and are so much fun. Read my other review to see the Jonah story too. 

Beds are ready. Food is stored. Noah hollers, “All aboard!” It’s bedtime on Noah’s ark, but the animals can’t sleep because of the storm. Two by two, they crowd into Noah’s bed, creating a sticky situation. 

Will Noah ever get them back to their own beds? 

Climb aboard the ark for this rollicking, yet ultimately restful bedtime story as Noah finds a way to make things calm and cozy, even in the midst of a storm.

Friday, July 18, 2014

Story about Jonah

"God told Jonah to obey, said, 'Go to Nineveh this day.' But, stubborn Jonah fled instead. Didn’t do just what God said." 

Jonah’s disobedience landed him inside a big fish! And there he had time to think and pray. Children will feel the waves and hear the splash as Jonah sinks “down and down and down” into the belly of the fish. 

This story serves as an excellent reminder of how important it is to listen to God.

From an educator's point of view, this book also teaches rhyming words. Parents can read a page and ask their children which two words rhyme. Children can also learn to "read" this book by remembering the rhymes, just like in the Dr. Seuss books. 

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Who Gets Promoted and Who Doesn't

Have you ever wondered why you didn't get promoted, but someone else who worked less than you got promoted over you?

Do your job, do it well, and you’ll be rewarded, right? 
Actually, probably not. 

According to career guru Donald Asher, advancement at work is less about skillsets and more about strategy. The revised and expanded edition of WHO GETS PROMOTED, WHO DOESN’T, AND WHY details exactly what puts one employee on the fast track to an exceptional career, while another stays on the treadmill to mediocrity.

Whether you’re new to the workforce, repairing a recession-damaged career, or feeling stagnant and overlooked at work, this book is your ticket to advancement. Learn:

∙ why timing is more important than talent
∙ how corporations actually make promotion decisions 
∙ how to avoid career mistakes you don’t even know you’re making 
∙ what women in the workforce particularly need to know 
∙ and the twelve proven strategies for promotion regardless of 
  your industry and experience  

Sunday, July 13, 2014

Apostle Paul

Have you ever wanted to learn more about the apostle Paul? How he turned from mass Christian murderer to a disciple of Jesus Christ? This book is from a series called, Get to Know. Anyone from any age can read this book, although it's geared more towards children. 

Apostle Paul - part of the Get to Know series - is a unique biography about Paul. Focusing on the life and character of this Biblical hero, using color photographs, maps, and other visual resources to tell the whole story, young biography fans will come to learn more about this man of the God, his writings, his impact on the early church, and the role he plays in history. Featuring a bibliography and scriptural references throughout, this is sure to become a favorite for young readers and for first book reports.

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

King David

Have you ever wanted to know more about King David? Is David and Goliath one of your favorite Bible stories? This biography has it all. 

A shepherd and a king, David lived an adventurous life. He protected his family’s sheep from lions and bears. He fought a giant with just a sling and stone. He even spent years hiding from men who were trying to kill him. And eventually, David became a great king. But David was also a man of God. Learn more about this hero from the Bible and his exciting place in history. Discover what it was like to grow up in ancient Israel and then be a king of God’s people. King David - part of the Get to Know series - will teach you everything you need to know about an imperfect young man whom God used to do great things!

Thursday, July 3, 2014

Never Eat Alone

Have you ever sat by yourself in a conference or at a meeting? Ever wondered about those new people who instantly connect to other people on the first day? You can too!


The bestselling business classic on the power of relationships, updated with in-depth  advice for making connections in the digital world. 

Do you want to get ahead in life? Climb the ladder to personal success?

The secret, master networker Keith Ferrazzi claims, is in reaching out to other people. As Ferrazzi discovered in early life, what distinguishes highly successful people from everyone else is the way they use the power of relationships—so that everyone wins. 
In Never Eat Alone, Ferrazzi lays out the specific steps—and inner mindset—he uses to reach out to connect with the thousands of colleagues, friends, and associates on his contacts list, people he has helped and who have helped him. And in the time since Never Eat Alone was published in 2005, the rise of social media and new, collaborative management styles have only made Ferrazzi’s advice more essential for anyone hoping to get ahead in business.

The son of a small-town steelworker and a cleaning lady, Ferrazzi first used his remarkable ability to connect with others to pave the way to Yale, a Harvard M.B.A., and several top executive posts. Not yet out of his thirties, he developed a network of relationships that stretched from Washington’s corridors of power to Hollywood’s A-list, leading to him being named one of Crain’s 40 Under 40 and selected as a Global Leader for Tomorrow by the Davos World Economic Forum.

Ferrazzi’s form of connecting to the world around him is based on generosity, helping friends connect with other friends. Ferrazzi distinguishes genuine relationship-building from the crude, desperate glad-handing usually associated with “networking.” He then distills his system of reaching out to people into practical, proven principles. Among them:

Don’t keep score: It’s never simply about getting what you want. It’s about getting what you want and making sure that the people who are important to you get what they want, too.
“Ping” constantly: The ins and outs of reaching out to those in your circle of contacts all the time—not just when you need something.
Never Eat Alone: The dynamics of status are the same whether you’re working at a corporation or attending a social event—“invisibility” is a fate worse than failure. 
Become the “King of Content”: How to use social media sites like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook to make meaningful connections, spark engagement, and curate a network of people who can help you with your interests and goals. 

In the course of this book, Ferrazzi outlines the timeless strategies shared by the world’s most connected individuals, from Winston Churchill to Bill Clinton, Vernon Jordan to the Dalai Lama.

Chock-full of specific advice on handling rejection, getting past gatekeepers, becoming a “conference commando,” and more, this new edition of Never Eat Alone will remain a classic alongside alongside How to Win Friends and Influence People for years to come.

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Pursuing Justice

The ONLY way to find abundant life and happiness is to give your life away.
If God designed us to experience true happiness and abundant life, why do so many Christians feel dissatisfied and purposeless? We try to make our lives better by chasing our own dreams, but that only makes the problem worse. Instead, the path to a just life that’s satisfying and permeated with meaning leads us alongside the orphan, the widow, and the powerless. Using clear evangelical theology and compelling narratives drawn from two decades of global ministry and travel, Ken Wytsma, the founder of The Justice Conference, shows God’s unchanging love for all His children. On the way, the author calls us back to a proper understanding of biblical justice, a redeeming glimpse into the true meaning of righteousness and the remarkable connection between our own joy, the joy of others, and the wondrous Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Pursuing Justice shows that God isn’t primarily concerned with personal piety but about empowering His children to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with their creator. The message is as hopeful as it is fresh: when you discover anew the meaning of the Gospel and give your life away, you will find it…and it will be the best life you can imagine.