War Room: Prayer is a Powerful Weapon

Novelization By Chris Fabry

Based on the Motion Picture By Alex Kendrick & Stephen Kendrick

I am so glad I picked this book for review. I had no idea it was based on a new movie coming out until I received it in the mail. Having God save my marriage personally I could relate to many things in this story.
I just love the character Miss Clara, I wish she was my friend and neighbor. Such an awesome and encouraging woman of God. I was sad for this book to end. I looked forward to sitting down and reading it. I want to see the movie now, but I am so glad I read the book first.
I have a renewed fire in me now. I want to have a closer relationship with the Lord. I want to go back to praying for the needs of my family, friends loved ones and strangers I meet. I feel like I have slacked off in that area of my life. This book has inspired me to try again. To seek the Lord in a new way. It has opened a door for me and I am excited. Now I don't know if this story will do that for you, but I sure am glad I read this book.
It isn't a "self help" or "this is the way to get God to move" book. It is a fictional story as far as I know. It's just such a wonderfully inspiring story. I like how it doesn't portray Christians as "perfect and having it all together". They make it clear it is through a relationship with Jesus that things can change in your life. Grace is shown throughout this story and that is so important.
I got so much enjoyment from this story. I felt a range of emotions and I was able to get lost in the story. I felt like I knew this family. It is such a sweet approach to an important part of Christianity. Prayer is a vital part of our relationship with Jesus.
In the back of the book there are discussion questions. So, if you want to get a small group going, the questions are back there for you already. Also there are color photos in the center of the book from the movie making. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Jesus. Also if you enjoyed Fireproof & Courageous you will probably enjoy this one as well.
I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did. A great big thank you to Tyndale house Publishing for my free copy of this book in return for my honest review.

Laugh Out Loud Pocket Doodles for Girls& Boys
By Rob Elliott

We were so excited to get these little books. My children ages are 16,12,8& 5. Though these are geared toward my younger children, they all enjoyed them. Each took turns reading and telling jokes. The pictures are cute too. You get to finish them yourself. My children haven't grown tired of them either, which happens often when new things come. In fact, they have been inspired to make up their own jokes. It's nice to have a good clean joke book for them to be silly with. Some of the the jokes are pretty lame but not all some are quite clever. Regardless we have had many laughs and fun times with these. I love that they are compact and could easily be tucked in a bag or purse and brought along with you to doctor visits or the like, where you have to wait forever and the children often get bored. We received these two books from Revell publishing for our honest review. Thanks so much these were fun!

Lizzy and Joe enjoying a laugh!

The Unplanner
By Tavia Fuller Armstrong

Tavia of The Unplanned Homeschooler gave me the opportunity to review her new homeschool planner, The Unplanner. She has catered it to fit many family sizes. You have the option for 1 to 6 students. I looked over the planner briefly and then went back through it and read all her notes to homeschoolers. Each section of the planner explains how she uses it in her family as well as, helpful tips. These little nuggets are awesome, especially if you are beginning your homeschool journey. I have been homeschooling for eight years and some of the things she mentions were things I had to learn for myself "the hard way".
The planner is very simple and laid out well. I imagine many different homeschool family types would  be able to use it. The planner is broken into five sections, attendance, things to do, year in review, learning adventures and notes. You should be able to use this in any state.  It is nice having everything in one spot and ready to go. Priced at $6.49 it is hard to beat. I was given a free pdf. copy of the 4 students unplanner for my honest review.

The following information was taken directly from Tavia's page:

THE UNPLANNER is not like other homeschool planners you may have seen. Brought to you by the Unplanned Homeschooler, this organizer will help you record all of your amazing learning adventures without overloading you with pages and blanks you'll never fill in.
I understand that too much planning can lead to stress, anxiety and even feelings of guilt, especially for new homeschoolers. You don't need that!

What does THE UNPLANNER include?

In addition to helpful advice, you'll get attendance sheets for each of your students, Month at a Glance pages to help you track your appointments and upcoming events, Year in Review pages to help you record all the work your kids have done as you go and do a little light planning, and Learning Adventures pages to record the field trips, experiments and other special experiences you won't want to forget.
I designed THE UNPLANNER to cover a full 13 months, from July 2015 all the way through July 2016, because I know how frustrating it is to procrastinate and not get your new organizer in time. And priced at just $6.49, it probably costs less than what you would spend to print your own planner pages and bind them yourself.

THE UNPLANNER is professionally bound in a convenient 6x9 inch paperback, perfectly sized to toss in your bag and carry with you wherever you go. It has all the pages you need, and none of the ones you don't.

You can do this! You'll never feel like you're a failure at planning again. So relax, place your order, get your pencils ready and let's get started.

How to purchase THE UNPLANNER

It's easy! THE UNPLANNER comes in six versions, customized for 1 to 6 students. You can order the version of your choice from Amazon and take advantage of free shipping or order directly from CreateSpace by clicking one of the links below.
The Unplanner on Amazon
Create Space 1 student
Create Space 2 students
Create Space 3 Students
Create Space 4 students
Create Space 5 students
Create Space 6 students

You can also follow her on Facebook The Unplanned Homeschooler

Stay Lessons my dogs taught me about life, loss, and grace 
By Dave Burchett

I was blessed by this book. On my journey with Christ I have been down many roads, some were very wrong teachings. Thankfully in my relationship with Christ I have been able to move from wrong teachings and move toward the true gospel of grace. Dave does a beautiful job of explaining what he has learned in life about God's grace through his dogs. This book is full of emotion. I really enjoyed reading it. Dave writes beautifully and made me feel like I was there looking in on his family from the side lines. I now have my teenager reading it for home school.
There are many nuggets of truth in this book but one that stands out to me is living in the moment. Dogs live for today with no regrets or shame. Dave explains how we should be living remembering who we are in Christ. When trouble comes it isn't God punishing us, (as some would have you believe). We need to look to God and trust in him. I really can't do the book justice trying to explain it. Read it for yourself and let God touch your heart as you read. I highly recommend this book.
I received this book free for review from Tyndale House Publishers. This is my honest opinion of the book, I was not required to write a positive review.
I ordered Dave Burchett's other two books, I will let you know what I think after I read them.

One Sentence Story Books
Written by Nancy Sanders
Illustrated by Hannah Wood
Recommended age 3-5

This is ten mini paperback books.They come in a cardboard case. Each book contains a one sentence story, a Bible truth, a Bible verse and a prayer. It would be great for toddlers to start a Bible devotion. Beginning readers  would also benefit from these books. Book titles are as follows: The Sun and the Moon, Two Mice and the Ark, Moses and the Bush, David and the Giant, The City Wall, The Star and the Kings, Jesus on the water, The Good Shepherd, The Sad Son, The Angel and the Cave. Each book is colorful and beautifully illustrated.
I like how each book has a devotional activity. It is a good place to start with early readers. Younger children would also enjoy looking at the books, my only concern is they are very cheaply made. The paper is very thin as well as the cover. The case is sturdy but, I wish the books themselves were made out of a heavier material. Over all a good beginning Bible devotional for young child. I received this book free from Tyndale for my honest review.

Draw-A-Saurus By Jamie Silvani
Me and my children love to draw. It's a daily thing around our home. I was very excited to get this book and see what it had to offer. It is a fun book. The drawing instructions and diagrams are great and easy to follow. The book covers are attractive, especially for a paperback. They are made of a thicker paper and have a flap that makes the book feel sturdy. I really enjoy how the artist puts the dinosaurs in different poses and suggest silly accessories you can add to your picture. It's over 150 pages and full of dinosaur information. The artist also compares the dinosaur to animals we see today to help you to imagine and draw more accurately. I believe you would be able to use this books for a variety of age ranges. I received this book free from blogging with books. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did. Come back often for more book reviews. Pick up your copy of Draw-A-Saurus today.

Monday we began homeschooling again. Everyone seems to be happy and excited to start after a great Christmas break. We have switched stuff up a bit. Everything seem to be flowing better. Just like anything in life, you have to be willing to try new things. I am glad my "home school box" has been destroyed. It has been a fun, yet trying at times adventure for us. Wouldn't trade it for anything though.
So as I have mentioned before I have signed up for a couple book review websites. My first book is on it's way. It will be from http://www.BloggingForBooks.org So, if you like to read and then blog about books this maybe something you want to look into. There are several companies out there that offer free books in return for honest reviews. If you already do this feel free to mention who you use in the comments. Hope you have a blessed rest of your week.

http://www.BloggingForBooks.org