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, August 17, 2016

Grateful Hearts

“I think the trick to having a thankful heart is thinking about the things that make us happy, rather than the things that don’t.”

In this heartwarming story between a mom and a son, they explore how to give thanks for things around them and being content.

In this day and age, children of society are being raised in a "me" environment where everything is about self expression. If I feel like it, I will do it. 

In an article I read this morning, a 12 year old is criticized for hunting big game. Even though I don't condone her actions and do not agree with her opinions, I still do not feel like I should judge her for her actions. 

Rather than pointing fingers, we should feel content for the things around us. 

This inviting addition to the best-selling God Gave Us series, helps little ones to understand how giving thanks warms hearts and brings joy.

More than Gold

The summer Olympics are happening again and this time, it's in Brazil! Time and time again, the headline news flash different athletes as happy or sad, winning gold, silver or bronze for their country.

Countrymen are on the edge of their seats, cheering for their representatives as they make a mark across history. Is this wrong? Of course not! Is this the top priority in life? Of course! Or is it?

David Boudia begs to differ. Although in his early career, he did chase after the gold just as these current athletes are.

What's the difference?

In the intervening years, he’d changed the focus of his quest from seeking glory for himself to giving glory to God. In Greater Than Gold, Boudia provides a behind-the-scenes access to the rarefied world of world-class athletics while also showing readers that when they place their hope in God, they receive what they’ve been seeking all along.

Read about how one of America’s most heralded young divers, David Boudia twice went for Olympic gold, training obsessively and whole-heartedly for success. In his first Olympics, he failed miserably, not winning a single medal. Four years later saw a different story: he mounted the podium twice, winning both gold and bronze.


Wednesday, August 3, 2016

Korean Recipes!

Imagine! Korean recipes in graphic novel form! I loved it from the moment I opened the book. I actually wanted to review it because my brother loves eating Korean food and I got the book for him.

He didn't actually read it so I read it. It had all the recipes I ever wanted and how to do it in picture form. This is much better than word form. Sometimes you have no idea how a recipe would turn out, but it is nice to see how the person is making it step by step in color!

In these playful but exact recipes, you’ll learn how to create everything from easy kimchi (mak kimchi) and soy garlic beef over rice (bulgogi dupbap) to seaweed rice rolls (gimbap) and beyond. Friendly and inviting, Cook Korean! is perfect for beginners and seasoned cooks alike who want to try their hand at this wildly popular cuisine.

One Big Turkey

I'm fond of board books now. One Big Turkey is no difference. I love how the board books feel: hard and smooth with lots of cutesy pictures and full color! I love that the words and sentences are short and brief.

Children will count along with big turkey, squirrel, and their forest friends all the reasons they have to be grateful. Sweet, rhyming text will help children count everything they have to be thankful for, including food, friends, full tummies, and most of all, God! This board book presents parents with an adorable and simple way to teach their children about giving thanks.

With sweet rhyming verse, lots of fun images to count, and warm, charming artwork, this book will surely be a favorite every holiday season!

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.