Refuge on Crescent Hill - Book Review

I just finished reading Refuge on Crescent Hill,  by Melanie Dobson.  It is a captivating tale of faith, family, service, mystery and suspense.

In regards to faith, characters wrestle with salvation, grace, fear, forgiveness, and mission.  The characters are easy to relate to, and the simple messages of faith easily slip into your conscience to influence thinking and actions for good.

The mystery is the search for family jewels, slaves in the Underground Railway, strangers snooping in the mansion, and secret life missions.

Helping others is a theme throughout the book – from police officers helping on and off the clock, to documenting historical records, to preserving history, to helping women in crisis; the book subtly reminds readers of our calling and duty to help others.

It only took me a few days to read it, because I didn’t want to put the book down.  It’s an inspirational, thoughtful, and light-hearted read that readers will enjoy!  WIth so many real-life situations throughout the book, it would also be a great book for a book club to explore

Natural Cold Remedies

Living in middle Tennessee's allergy bowl with 3 kids, it seems like someone is nearly always sniffly around our house.  And even though I am the daughter of a pharmacist, I still don't like popping pills all the time.  So I was blessed to read an article about natural cold remedies on one of my favorite money-saving blogs.  I can't vouch for most of the practices, as I've never tried them.  But I still thought you might enjoy having an alternate plan for treatment.  I'd love to hear your thoughts about natural treatments too!

Here's the full article:  Natural Cold Remedies from Faithful Provisions

Do your kids like art? Learn about the Art For the Wounded Warriors Project

The National Museum of the Marine Corps is sponsoring the collection of children´s art which will be distributed to hospitals throughout the world by the Wounded Warrior Regiment. They need your help to send good wishes to brave military men and women who have been injured helping to defend our country.

Directions: Use an 8½ x 11 sheet of paper to create a message and a picture for a service member. You may draw, color, or paint your picture. Be sure to put your name, hometown, and grade level on the back of your artwork! All artwork should be sent in a flat, rigid envelope and postmarked by December 10, 2011.

Entries should be mailed to:

The National Museum of the Marine Corps
Attn : Teacher in Residence
18900 Jefferson Davis Highway
Triangle, VA 22172-1938.

Find more info at http://www.usmcmuseum.com/WW_art_flyer_2011.pdf

Making Memories Through the Seasons

Living in Tennessee, I love watching the coming and going of the distinct seasons.  The changes offer so many opportunity to explore and admire God's creation. 

But it's easy to get caught up in the craziness of life and totally skip over the season's beauty.  I like the practical ideas for enjoying the seasons that Lindsey shares in the following blog posts.  See which activities your family (or even classroom!) might enjoy:

Simple Seasonal Family Traditions from Passionate Homemaking

Book Review: Noah's Ark Storybook and Wall Clings

My 6 year old son and I just read and completed The Story of Noah’s Ark:  Storybook and Wall Clings written by Lori C. Froeb and illustrated by Luana Rinaldo.  It was wonderful!  The text is written at a 1^st-2^nd grade level, so early readers can read many of the words.  It captures the full Bible story and it’s lessons in a manner that children can easily understand.

The illustrations are delightful – the big chunky animals have animated expressions, and almost seem to invite you to play along with them!  The playful tigers, swinging monkeys, cheerful bumblebees, spotted puppies, hungry piglets and flitting butterflies are sure to capture your child’s imagination!

The book comes with two pages of wall clings which stick to clean walls, but peel right off, so they can retell the story.  My son actually wanted to split his pictures between his bedroom and the playroom, and there were still plenty of stickers for both rooms!

Research says that we learn from reading/listening, but we learn much more when an element of play, discovery or re-teaching is added to the reading.  This storybook with wall clings does just that – it invites children to continue discovering the Bible story long after the last pages are read.

This is a great gift for young children (ages 0-7).  Infants could enjoy the bright pictures in their nursery, toddlers will enjoy naming the diverse animals, and older children will enjoy ‘playing school’ while telling the story to their friends.  I would recommend the book for families, for homeschoolers, for Christian educators, and for Sunday Schools.  I hope they’ll publish more Bible stories with wall clings – I’d love to give them as gifts for years to come!