When I saw this Blog Hop in my mailbox I knew that I had to post about it. You see, the term “legacy” has meant so much to me since my father passed away 5 years ago.

Upon his passing…I had to reflect on what was left behind? As a Christian, I have the hope that I will see him again one day but what about the “here and now”. What is left on this world? In one word his… legacy.

His love for music and family. His willingness to laugh, his ability to put his emotions into song and word. I remember looking around at my family during his service and realizing that everything he was and has done of importance was right here. His family….his legacy.

So what do I want to leave my girls? What legacy do I want to live? I need to be working on it daily. For myself I think often of Proverbs 31. The story of the most gracious, close to perfect wife and I remember that at one part..the reflection is that her children call her blessed and she is a jewel in her husband’s crown.  I want to leave a legacy of virtue, strength, humility, gentleness and love. A love and desire to know and walk with the Lord daily. A kindness that hurts when others hurt but a strength to stand close to God and travel the journey of life behind him. I want to know that my legacy is that my girls and my grandchildren will all be walking with the Lord and living a life glorifying to Him. All else in my life pales in comparison to reflecting Christ to my daughters, to my  husband and my family.

Yes, that’s the legacy I want to live…what about you?

***

“Show me the books she loves and I shall know the woman…“

Thanks Mom

Chicken Soup for the Soul

101 Stories of Gratitude, Love, and Good Times

A mother’s job is never done, but in Thanks Mom, she gets the praise she deserves. Children of all ages share their words of gratitude and appreciation in this new collection of stories for moms. Daughters and sons retell tales of love and learning, celebrating moms, their wisdom, and all that they do. These stories of special memories, loving and hard lessons, unforgettable moments, laughter and tears, support and encouragement will bring any mom joy, inspiration, and amusement. Mothers of all ages, whether new moms, experienced moms, or grandmothers, will feel good about the recognition they receive. Expect plenty of celebrity contributors!

This has to be my favorite Chicken Soup for the Soul book in a while. Yes, yes…I know I say that often. But "Thanks Mom" is a wonderful tribute to all moms do and everything moms are. Whether you are a first time mom or a great-great grandmother you will be able to relate to the wonderful, humorous, insightful, loving, thought provoking and funny stories within this book.

I love my mom…she is a very special person in my life. Whether we agree on everything all the time is definitely debatable but I always know there is someone that I can depend on. Someone that would do anything for me. It’s a special, unique bond that we share with our mothers. I see it developing between the twins and I.

As a mom…I cried and was touched by so many of the stories. I could completely understand the sentiment and emotion behind many of the tales. As a daughter there were a few stories that were very enlightening ot me. Maybe situations where my twins and I have not yet traveled but one in which I have traveled with my own mother.

Thanks Mom is a perfect gift to give to you mom, mother in law or someone who is special to you this Mother’s day. Make sure you have tissue near by because you will have tears in your eyes. It might be because some of the stories are so touching and it might be because some of the stories will leave you in stitches. Either way….keep the Kleenex handy.

This will be one of the Chicken Soup books that will remain on my book shelves….ready for me to read again and again. Love it!

Review Opportunity Provided by Phenix & Phenix Literary
Opinions are strictly those of the blog owner.

See My Reviews at Amazon.com

“Show me the books she loves and I shall know the woman…“

Abandoned and Forgotten:

An Orphan Girl’s Tale of Survival During World War II

Evelyne Tannehill

Reviewed by IE Mommy Friend: Janette

Abandoned and Forgotten is an stirring, sweet, frightening memoir of a middle class German farm family during the last years of WWII in the German Province of East Prussia. Evelyne Tannehill takes us on her childhood journey from the point of view of the youngest of 5 children. Eva tells her own story of a German life that went from a carefree world to a nightmarish landscape in the blink of an eye.

Her pre-war Christmas experiences are a great contrast to life after Hitler. The warmth and excitement of finding the perfect Christmas tree, the abundance of delicious food, and her spinster aunts and Oma (grandmother) together for the holidays, and the excitement of the simple gifts become just a memory. Eva’s descriptions put you right there, and you realize that this family’s celebration has similarities to your own festivities.

The family was caught unaware, their decisions to evacuate complicated by counter-propaganda alleging that the “set-backs were only temporary” and forbidding the civilian populous to flee without prior written authorization.

The older children are sent out of the country as American citizens just in the nick of time. When the father is captured and taken to a Russian labor camp, the mother desperately tries to safeguard her two youngest children.  With the fall of East Prussia to the Russians, the organization of government is obliterated. Bodies litter the landscape, with no one to bury the dead. Typhoid spreads, and the mother dies leaving her children unprotected and, Eva, the author at age 9 is now on her own.

Abandoned and Forgotten is a great read. This book totally gripped me and broke my heart to read the atrocities she went through and survived. Eva tells us about the horrors of war and absolute inhumanity that humans are capable of doing to fellow human beings, yet the compassion that we are capable of even in the worst of circumstances.

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“Show me the books she loves and I shall know the woman…“

Dancing with My Father

Sally Clarkson

Let Your Soul Dance with Delight in God

Do you sometimes feel victimized by circumstances? Are you overwhelmed by weariness, fear, or discouragement? Do you wonder, Where can I go to claim the promise of Jesus that my joy could be made full?

When trusted author and mentor Sally Clarkson noticed a lack of joy in her own life, she realized how easy it can be, especially for women with overloaded to-do lists, to feel weighed down by drudgery and disappointment. But rather than slogging through her days, Sally wanted to know the delight of God’s presence. She began prayerfully exploring how to cultivate deep-rooted joy even in the midst of difficult seasons.

In this warm and wise book, she invites you to experience for yourself what happens when you trust God to lead you into a life of anticipation, passion, and purpose.

Weaving biblical insights with real-life stories that reflect every Christian woman’s deepest longings, Dancing with My Father reveals how any woman, in any circumstance, can daily live in beauty and grace, joy and peace.

Let me just say that I loved this book so much that it is now the book that my bible study group will be going over for the next couple of weeks.

When I first received the invitation to review this book I was drawn to the title. You see as a little girl I loved to dance with my earthly father. He was very musical and had a band when I was little. My mom and I often went with him when he performed at parties or weddings. It was always magical to dance with my dad.

While I have been a believer and follower of Jesus for 25 years…I always equated “following” as God walking ahead of me. Like a little child following her parent. But never once did I think that my Lord and Savior would like to “dance” with me. That He would like for me to allow Him to take the lead and twirl me around the dance floor.

Ms. Clarkson’s descriptions and heartfelt writing presented me with such a visual of dancing with my God that my heart leaped and tears came to my eyes. Yes, that is a relationship that I crave. I know He is merciful, caring, ever patient and always loving but His willingness to be my dance partner was an amazing revelation.

As a bible study leader…I thoroughly enjoyed the simple yet thought provoking questions that are at the end of each chapter. They are “deep” enough where you have to give thought to what is being asked but not overwhelming where you may close the book because  you just “don’t want to emotionally go there”.

I look forward to sharing the wonderful discovery of Dancing with My Father with my bible study group…I can only imagine the amazing journey we will be on as we allow our Heavenly Father to lead us through this dance of life.

Review Opportunity Provided by Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing
Opinions are strictly those of the blog owner and affiliates

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“Show me the books he loves and I shall know the man…“

Halfway to Each Other

Susan Pohlman

The true story of a California couple on the brink of separation who unexpectedly find love again on the Italian Riviera.

Tired, empty, and disillusioned with married life, Susan Pohlman was ready to call it quits. As soon as she and her husband, Tim, wrap up a business trip in Italy, she planned to break the news that she wanted to end their eighteen-year marriage.

During their last day as they walked along the Italian Riviera, Tim fantasizes aloud that, perhaps, they could live there. Susan initially dismisses the notion as nonsense but is inexplicably overwhelmed with a desire to give the marriage another try. Defying all logic, the couple find a school for their children and sign a lease for an apartment. Maybe a life in such a charmed setting could help them find their way back to each other.

Together with their fourteen-year-old daughter Katie and their eleven-year-old son Matt, they trade in their breakneck Los Angeles pace for adventure and a slower, more intimate lifestyle slipping out of the constraints of the traditional American Dream into a dream of their own.

Instead of seeing each other for fleeting moments in the mornings and evenings, the family starts to spend their days together rediscovering the simple joys that bring texture and meaning to all our lives. Travel with them as they stumble upon new customs, explore medieval alleyways, browse street markets, befriend neighbors, learn to cook, and try a new language.

Halfway to Each Other is the remarkable story of an ordinary American family that inspires and offers hope that all of us who find the courage to listen to our hearts and follow our dreams can experience a new beginning.

Have you ever had a very close close friend? One that you could call at all hours of the night? Someone that you have been able to share your deepest hurts and victories with? Who has known  you inside and out …since what seems like forever?

If  so then you will instantly be drawn to Susan Pohlman. She reminds me of “that” friend. The one where you can share your deepest thoughts with but know they will be safe.

Only “In Halfway to Each Other” she is the one sharing her deepest thoughts and fears as her family tries to salvage what is left of life “together”.

As I read the book I was drawn toward Susan’s honest opinion of herself and life with her husband. Living in Southern California I could relate to the demands that she experienced living so close to the “Hollywood” lifestyle.

Halfway to Each Other is an inspirational memoir and Susan quotes various versus from the bible and faith filled insights that she learns throughout her journey in Italy.  Quoting verses and speaking of her interaction with God made her journey even more real to me and one that I could relate to on multiple levels.

I was not sure what I would initially  think of the book…as I am not usually a big fan of memoirs…but Halfway to Each Other was written delicately and expertly. It was not a high suspense novel but instead read as if you were reading a letter from a dear friend.

Laughing at their stumbles and wobbles at they learn about life in a new country, without friends, without the hustle and bustle of everyday life…left me longing for a more quite time with my family as well. Knowing that they were victorious toward their goal and allowing God to lead them on was inspirational.

Grab a cup of coffee, a warm blanket and snuggle into this book. It’s a journey you will long remember.

*See my review at Amazon.com

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Opinions are strictly those of the blog owner

Thomas Nelson

Rick & Bubba’s Guide to the Almost Nearly Perfect Marriage

Rick Burgess & Bill “Bubba” Bussey

Synopsis: The only thing funnier than marriage is Rick and Bubba talkin’ about it!

Oh my goodness! Rick and Bubba are right on in so many ways. I have to admit that I had never heard of them before (sorry guys) but they are hilarious.

Their take and view on the way marriage and women work is hysterical yet deeply accurate.

I found myself quoting their book to my husband and for the record not just the parts about husbands. There were times I so clearly saw myself in Rick and Bubba’s descriptions of wives that I would bust out laughing. Clearly a weird moment when you do so at the doctor’s office.

My favorite concept of the book is that it is written by two men that love the Lord, their wives, their family and humor. No wonder they are considered the sexiest “fat” men alive.  What can be more attractive then men that love God and “get” their wives?

This book contains an extra added book…The Book of Blame with contains many amendments to the laws of marriage. My personal favorite was: Article XXXVIII
“If you hit a pothole in the road, it’s your husband’s fault. He should have warned you about it…on the cell phone..from his office!”

Don’t laugh! That really happened to me just recently and cost me $400 to get a new tire for the front of the car and I WAS on the phone with my husband which is why I hit the silly thing in the first place.

Rick and Bubba have a few decades of marriage under their combined belt but even more experience being men so it was an incredible insightful read.

Lighthearted, straight to the point and very informative. Give your sweetheart a chuckle and read the book together…it will definitely give you a lot of points to discuss. It did for my hubby and I and we are still married!

Great job boys!

**See The IE Mommy Review on Amazon.com