This has been a crazy few weeks for me and I need to re-set. I have a tendency of accepting lots of responsibilities at once and then feeling overwhelmed and freezing, accomplishing nothing. I have great intentions when I accept the responsibility, but then life starts to happen and all of a sudden, I find myself with a ton of obligations and no time. I have found myself there yet again, and am making a concerted effort to dig myself out. Over the next few days to weeks, I am going to be knocking out a bunch of reviews and a few giveaways and then I am going to be reducing the number of reviews that I accept. I am also going to be cutting back on accepting responsibilities outside of my blogging life as well, so that I can re-focus myself on the things that matter most to me. I have not been creating a whole lot of original content and I want to get back to doing that. My family will continue to be at the top of my priority list, but even a bit more so.
Do you ever find yourself overwhelmed with the responsibilities you have taken on? how do you deal with it when that happens?
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Scripture Sunday: Trying to Be Like Jesus (guest post by my daughter)
My 12 year old daughter wrote (with very little help from me) and gave her first talk at church this week. I asked her permission to post it her and she was excited for me to do so. I have altered it just a little bit to remove a name, but otherwise it is exactly what she shared.
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Trying to Be Like Jesus
"On Easter Sunday, my uncle and grandparents came over to
visit. I received a phone call while they
were there and was asked if I would give a talk.
I was not thinking what I had gotten myself into. Just in case it is not obvious, I have stage
fright. Anyway, after I was
asked me to speak, I mistakenly shared with my uncle what my talk was
about. I am going to be speaking about
How to Be Like Jesus. My uncle’s
suggestions were to buy a purple robe and a long wig, ride in on a donkey, oh
yea, and be an only child. Coming from a
house of 5 kids, I thought, well, it’s kind of late for that. Plus, I am certain that he was
not looking for ways that we can physically be like Jesus.
When I think of how I can be like Jesus, I think of the Primary
Song, “I’m Trying to Be Like Jesus.” I
am going to read you the lyrics to the song, since it basically summarizes my talk
for me. The song starts by saying, “I’m trying to be like Jesus; I’m following
in his ways. I’m trying to love as he did, in all that I do and say.” This basically says that we should make sure
that everything we say and all of our actions are things that are not hurtful
to others. The song continues, “At times
I am tempted to make a wrong choice, But I try to listen as the still small
voice whispers,” As we know, even Jesus
was tempted, but he still chose to do the things Heavenly Father wanted him to
do. We have the Holy Spirit to help
guide us when we are tempted. We just
need to make sure that we are listening for it.
The chorus then says, “Love one another as Jesus loves you. Try to show kindness in all that you do. Be gentle and loving in deed and in
thought. For these are the things Jesus
taught.” This tells us, just like the
scripture in John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one
another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all
men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another,” that we must love everyone in the same way
that Jesus loved us. That means loving
them with no expectations of getting something in return. It also means not judging others. Jesus did not say, “I don’t want to die for
their sins. It is their own fault that
they do not have eternal life.” No,
instead, he hung on the cross and died for all of our sins. The chorus also says to “be gentle and loving
in deed and in thought.” This means that
we need to think good things about others as well. My mom once was struggling with having bad
feelings towards someone. She finally
decided that she was going to do one nice deed for that person every time she
had a bad thought about them. She was
really upset with this person, so she really didn’t want to give any extra
service to them. She ended up putting
together a gift basket for the person with one thing for each negative thought
she’d had. She also threw in a few
extras for the thoughts that would come.
As she was putting together the gift basket, she began to feel love for
this person again and eventually stopped having negative thoughts about them on
a regular basis.
There is another verse to the song, but I am going to leave
that for another time. To be like Jesus,
we need to strive to always do good and think well of others, to serve
everyone, regardless of how we may feel about them, and to do our best to
overcome any temptations we may face. In
the name of Jesus Christ, amen."
Although she was nervous, Chloe did a great job writing and delivering her talk and I could not be any prouder of her.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Book Review and Giveaway Info: Stress Test
About Stress Test
They may not have enough evidence to convict him, but they have enough to ruin his life.
Dr.
Matt Newman thought he was leaving his life in private practice for a
better one in academic medicine. But the kidnappers who attacked him as
he left his last shift in the ER have no such plans-they just want him
dead. Bound and in the trunk of his car, Matt's only thought is escape.
He does so, but at a price: a head injury that lands him in the ICU . . .
where he awakens to discover he's being charged with murder.
Sandra
Murray is a fiery, redheaded lawyer who swore she was done with
doctors. But when Matt calls, she knows she can't walk away from
defending someone who is truly innocent.
Matt's
career is going down the drain. His freedom and perhaps his life may be
next. But with the police convinced he's a murderer and the kidnappers
still trying to finish what they started, finding the truth-and the
faith to keep going-will be the toughest stress test Matt has ever
endured.
My thoughts on Stress Test
This book combines all the areas I have been interested in through my life. When I was younger, I was very interested in law and criminal justice. As a young married, I became very interested in medicine and nutrition. I have taken college-level courses in all of these subjects and still get excited when I read about them. When you add in a bit of romance and the fact that this is from a Christian publisher, ensuring it is spiritually friendly, it is a book I greatly enjoyed. It is a fast paced book which is difficult to put down and not one you will want to read while you are eating (some of the medical scenes can be a bit descriptive) or trying to unwind for the night.I recommend Stress Test
to anyone who enjoys crime novels, medical novels, and/or legal dramas.About Richard Mabry
A retired physician, Dr. Richard Mabry is the author of four critically acclaimed novels of medical suspense. His previous works have been finalists for the Carol Award and Romantic Times Reader's Choice Award, and have won the Selah Award. He is a past Vice-President of American Christian Fiction Writers and a member of the International Thriller Writers. He and his wife live in North Texas.
Learn more about Richard at: http://www.rmabry.com
About the giveaway
- A brand new Nook HD
- A $15 gift certificate to BarnesandNoble.com
Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.
Disclaimer
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Product review: Nuby Bath Time Clock and Thermometer
Disclaimer- I received the above product in exchange for my honest review.
About the Nuby Bath Time Clock and Thermometer
This
easy-to-read Bath Time Clock and
Thermometer by Nuby™ makes finding a
safe water temperature for your child easy! Also available as a duck.
Available at BuyBabyDirect.com
My thoughts on Nuby Bath Time and Thermometer
I love the whimsical look of both the turtle and the duck versions of this product. They are very cute and Sam loved interacting with it. I like that it has a thermometer that will check the water for you and flash red if the water is too hot and green if it is too cold. The timer ensures that baby is not in the water for too long, and can count up or down. I like that it can double for the older kids and adults to ensure they keep their own baths and showers to a reasonable time limit. I do need to note that you will want to keep the packaging when you first buy it, as the instructions are on the back and you will want them, especially if your thermometer arrives showing the temperature in Fahrenheit and you use Celsius, or vice-versa. The toy is also safe for the baby to play with it once they are in the tub.I recommend this for anyone who regularly bathes a baby or young child.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
This week's deals at Mommy Bear Media
Great Deals (include free shipping & beat the competition):
Disclaimer
This post contains affiliate links, but I do truly believe these are great deals ;)
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The Way
Reviews: Not Yet Reviewed
Format: DVD UPC: 796019823623 Rating: PG-13 for some thematic elements, drug use and smoking |
Retail Price: : Price: $4.48 (Save: 70 %) |
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Scooby Doo: Legend of the Phantosaur
Reviews: Not Yet Reviewed
Format: DVD UPC: 883929137015 Rating: G |
Retail Price: : Price: $6.43 (Save: 68 %) |
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Maltese Falcon
Reviews: Not Yet Reviewed
Format: DVD UPC: 883929154296 Rating: Age 12+ |
Retail Price: : Price: $6.48 (Save: 68 %) |
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Monk - Season Four
Reviews: Not Yet Reviewed
Format: DVD UPC: 025192928420 |
Retail Price: : Price: $13.25 (Save: 67 %) |
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Scarecrow and Mrs. King: The Complete Third Season
Reviews: Not Yet Reviewed
UPC: 883929215065 |
Retail Price: : Price: $13.98 (Save: 65 %) |
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Curious George (Widescreen Edition)
Reviews:
Format: DVD  UPC: 025192615924 Rating: G |
Retail Price: : Price: $5.48 (Save: 63 %) |
Disclaimer
This post contains affiliate links, but I do truly believe these are great deals ;)
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Product Review: VM Audio Headphones
About VM Audio Headphones
These VM Audio On-Ear Deep Bass Headphones offer deep, powerful bass
output with diamond bright acoustic sound. Their natural noise reduction
acoustic design offers incredibly crisp audio, and these VM Audio
On-Ear Deep Bass Headphones comes with a 40mm dynamic full-range
transducer and acoustic suspension bass performance for realistic bass
reproduction. Their Comfortpedic FeelGood cushion ear pads give these
VM Audio On-Ear Deep Bass Headphones maximum comfort, and their light
and durable ABS frame, ergonomic headband length adjustment and
180-degree ear cup ration adjustment make these VM Audio On-Ear Deep
Bass Headphones highly customizable. These VM Audio On-Ear Deep Bass
Headphones have an impedance of 33 Ohm, a sensitivity of 120dB and is
compatible with smart phones, tablets, notebooks and devices with a
3.5mm port.
My thoughts on VM Audio Headphones
It took me a long time to even bother with using ear buds. I would just wait to listen to things until I was alone. I finally succumbed and bought some, and they were okay, but I still avoided using them unless I really had to. The reason I avoided them was that I really dislike sticking something inside my ear and I was really concerned that regular headphones just would not be a decent enough quality for my budget. Then, I received these to try out and I am so happy to say that they are WONDERFUL!! Not only are they extremely comfortable to wear, most of the time, but they are adjustable so my 4-year old can use them when he needs to. The only time I found them not to be comfortable, and when I ended up using my ear buds, was when I was trying to fall asleep listening to something on my iPod, and I was not expecting them to work for that purpose anyway. Speaking of letting my 4-year old use them, I also find them to be very durable. The soft ear cushion has a soft leather-like cover that is securely attached and the ear pieces move pretty easily. I did find that it can sometimes take a try or two to figure out how to get the ear pieces back to the correct position for listening, but as long as you don't try to force it to go a way it is not supposed to go, they move easily. My favorite part about the durability is that the wires are covered with a braided cord which allows it move freely without exposing the wires. As for sound quality, these blow all the ear buds I have tried out of the water. The sound is clear and true and outside noises are drowned out as well.I recommend the VM Audio Headphones
to anyone who wants a great headphone at a reasonable price. They may not work for sleeping, but for every other way I use them, these are perfect. for those who may want a different color, they are also available in red, pink, grey, orange, green and lime.Disclaimer
I received a pair of the above headphones in exchange for my honest review.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
75% off Nature's Sleep Memory Foam Slippers
It is time for Spring! How do you celebrate? How about celebrating with Nature's Sleep and get a pair of slippers or two or three at 75% off! Let your feet be pampered in memory foam. Coupon good until April 8, 2013.
*Disclaimer*
This is an affiliate link and I have been entered into a contest for sharing this post with you.
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