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)

Thursday, March 9, 2017

The Legend of the Sand Dollar

The Legend of the Sand Dollar tells the story of Kerry, as her cousin Jack reveals to her the deeper meaning of Easter hidden within something as small as a sand dollar. This Easter tale reminds everyone everywhere that when Jesus died for us and was resurrected, he promised hope for all.

I loved the full-colored illustrations and the story itself about the legend of the sand dollar. I never knew it had such a deep meaning to it.

But all in all, the book felt rushed. When I was reading it, the story didn't flow as well as it could have flowed. I didn't understand where the cross was in the sand dollar, and there was little characterization.

It seemed that the author wanted to tell the story of the sand dollar, but didn't know where to put it in the story. It started in a nice way but ended abruptly.

Children will love the pictures, but probably won't understand the depth of the story as much.


When God Made You

When God made you, He knew the number of hair you would have and the achievements you may grow up to achieve.

Even adults in this day and age need to hear the above sentence from time to time. Because this society has become a 'me' society, many other people are feeling that no one cares about them.

Even more so, children nowadays need more encouragement than ever about growing up and knowing that someone cares about them all the time.

Through playful, charming rhyme and vivid, fantastical illustrations, When God Made You inspires young readers to learn about their own special gifts and how they fit into God’s divine plan as they grow, explore, and begin to create for themselves.

‘Cause when God made YOU, somehow God knew
That the world needed someone exactly like you!

The assurance that they are deeply loved and a unique creation in our big universe is certain to help them spread their wings and fly.

Sunday, March 5, 2017

A Little Thing Called a Conscience

Have you ever heard of the angel and the devil? Those two little voices that make you choose wise choices or bad choices? Most of all, the devil wants to do things you want to do, but the angel holds you back from making unwise decisions.

It has been depicted in a variety of shows and movies. It's another little thing called your conscience. The thing that tells you not to do something even though you want to do it.

In the book called, Your Magnificent Chooser, John Ortberg addresses the ability to choose in a whimsical way by inviting children to use their “magnificent chooser” that God gave them to make right choices daily. It's a great teachable moment for children that is depicted in a very down-to-earth kind of way for visual illustrations.

 For kids, those choices can include whether to be obedient or disobedient, to share or be selfish, to have a good attitude or not, and more. This is not a one time read-aloud, but a book that can be revisited more than once as you point out real live examples in your child's life as a parent or an educator in your classroom.