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)

Saturday, July 23, 2016

Motivated in Drawing

For the first time, the mere sight of a pencil and a blank piece of paper is not as daunting after reading this book. Because I'm a fan of educational graphic novels, I loved the easy pace that the book provides for me. By looking and practicing with the main character of the book, drawing doesn't seem so scary anymore.

As a child, I have envied people who can doodle and when they doodle, it looks like a work of art. When asked to doodle, I draw a complete blank. I would rather jump off a diving board at that moment when asked to draw anything.

In The Drawing Lesson, you’ll meet David—a young boy who wants nothing more than to learn how to draw. Luckily for David, he’s just met Becky—his helpful drawing mentor. Page by page, Becky teaches David (and you!) about the essential fundamentals that artists need in order to master drawing, all in a unique visual format. In panel after panel, Crilley provides lessons on shading, negative space, creating compositions, and more, with accompanying exercises that you can try for yourself.

Pumpkin Patch Blessings

Pumpkin Patch Blessings celebrates fall and shows little ones there are blessings all around us, especially in the pumpkin patch! The sweet rhyming text by Kim Washburn and whimsical illustrations by Jacqueline East bring autumn alive for readers young and old as they take in the fun of the fall season and remember how much they have to be grateful for.

This sweet board book was the highlight of my day even though I am not of the age to read such a book. The illustrations were soft and sweet. Even my mom enjoyed looking at these illustrations and hearing the AB rhyme scheme of the words.

If you enjoy reading this post, I invite you to be a booklook blogger with me.

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Becoming a Woman of Excellence

Today there are very few women of excellence anymore. The news are plastered with women who are known for their jail time, their sobriety issues, their marriage, divorces and nudity.

There are very few women who strive to become biblically excellent nowadays. Is there any wonder where our children are learning from?

 If you’re hungry for God’s perspective on success in a society that bombards you with conflicting demands, feed on the truths of God’s Word that you’ll discover in these pages. You will not only learn to “approve the things that are excellent” but will also experience the joy of becoming God’s woman of excellence. This bestselling topical Bible study has helped over one million women over the past 30 years, and is newly revised and updated so today’s women can discover who God designed them to be in this day and age. Written by Navigator author and Bible teacher Cynthia Heald, the 11 sessions in this Bible study explore what your identity in Christ is and how you can best serve Him.

Society beckons us to succeed―to achieve excellence in our appearance, our earning power, our family life. God Himself also beckons us to be women of excellence.

Yankee Heroine

I have to admit it. I love stories of females dressing up as males as I've thought about doing the same. Although I have on one occasion done it in college, my days are over where I had dreams of becoming an undercover agent in the FBI.

This book had great pacing and great characters who were well thought out.

She hid from her past to find a future—and landed on enemy soil. When soldier Caitlin McKae wakes up in Atlanta, the Georgian doctor who treats her believes Caitlin’s only secret is that she had been fighting for the South disguised as a man. In order to avoid arrest or worse, Caitlin hides her true identity and makes a new life for herself in Atlanta as a governess for the daughter of Noah Becker—on the brink of his enlistment with the Rebel army. Though starvation rules, and Sherman rages, she will not run again. In a land shattered by strife and suffering, a Union veteran and a Rebel soldier test the limits of loyalty and discover the courage to survive.

This story gripped me from page 5 to the end. Of course you hear about readers raving from beginning to end, I was trying to find my bearings as I read the first few pages. But the story was worth it. I was drawn into the plot and found myself rooting for Caitlin McKae by the end.

I got this book for free from MP Newsroom!

The Good News Bible

This is the Bible that all CEF (Children Evangelism Fellowship) youth missionaries should get one. I remember vividly that highlighting was part of the preparation of teaching the good news stories to neighborhood children and the panic of not bringing a highlighter with me. Now there is a Bible that actually has all of the highlighted verses and the work is cut in half for us all!

Over 1600 passages are color-coded on important faith themes. The first New King James Version for Kids highlighted in full-color, this Bible will be simple for kids to read and understand.

With topics arranged by color, you will learn about salvation and how to put God’s word into your daily faith walk. The topics/colors are:





Gold: God

Navy: Sin, evil,

Red: Jesus

Orange: washed clean from sin, new life

Green: growth in your new life as a Christian and Faith Walk

Blue: Prayer, Praise and Thanksgiving

Purple: Heaven

A vibrant 64 pages in the beginning of the Bible will explain the color system as well as offer expanded study help features especially for a child’s creative and imaginative mind!

The large, readable type, bold in-text subject headings, individual Bible book introductions, and color-highlighted verses all make this Bible a fantastic purchase for any child!

Full of bright colors, memorization aids, and the never-ending truth of God’s Good News, the Color Code Bible is an exciting new way to study God’s Word for everybody.