Read It: Grin with Grace by Kathy Carlton Willis

Grin with Grace.  Do you know what that is?  I knew it was the title of Kathy Carlton Willis’s new bible study book but that’s about it.  I didn’t know it would come to me at a time when I really, I mean, REALLY needed to read it.

What grinning with grace meant to me was something really personal. I had been dealing with a co-worker that I just don’t see eye to eye with.  One day she came to me and asked if I was mad at her.  My initial thought was “yes, I’d love to rip your face off and hand it to you”.  I had been reading Kathy’s book and this woman’s face kept flashing before my eyes.  I stopped and prayed before I spoke.  I even said to her “I’d better pray before I speak so that God can come out.  Otherwise, the world will come out of my mouth and we know the world is a vicious place.”

I asked for grace and wisdom because I remembered one passage from Grin with Grace very vividly:

“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you:  Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life – and place it before God as an offering.  Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.  Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking.  Instead, fix your attention on God.  You’ll be changed from the inside out.  Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it.  Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

~Kathy Carlton Willis, Grin with Grace, page 21.

My co-worker and I were able to talk about our issues.  I was able to own up to my part with grace and we both left that day in a much better place.  I don’t know about her but I know I grinned with grace all through that conversation, and I know if I had not read Grin with Grace I probably would still be ready to rip faces off.

More about Grin with Grace

Each chapter features five sections: 

·                     Grin with Grace contains real-life stories and observations. You’ll laugh at the humorous confessions and wacky insights, and relate to Kathy’s transparent honesty. Be inspired to see grace in your everyday life.

·                     Grow with Grace features a grace word study. Kathy examines Bible verses and personalizes the meaning to your situation. Workbook prompts allows you to write down your thoughts as you read along.

·                     Go with Grace offers life application. Pick one action step and make it work for you, or pick all of them—but do something to live out your grace-walk.

·                     Give with Grace advances life application further, equipping you to become an instrument of God’s grace to others. You’ll be inspired to take what you’ve learned and give it away to others. This is when faith becomes ministry—when your focus expands to see the needs of others.

·                     Your Grin with Grace Challenge describes a grace-challenging scenario to give you an opportunity to exercise your newfound grace. It allows for speculation and judgment calls, to prepare you for the what-ifs that happen in life.

Release Date: May 1, 2015

Retail: $14.99
Publisher: AMG
ISBN-10: 0899574785
ISBN-13: 978-0899574783

Praise for the Book:
Grin with Grace is perfect for women on the run, since there is no set daily reading schedule. The blend of humor, transparency, biblical concepts, word studies and opportunities to plug what I learned into my life gave me a fresh approach to doing my devotions or reading a Bible study.
Dr. Thelma Wells (Mama T)
President of A Woman of God Ministries
CEO, That A Girl & Friends Speakers Agency Speaker, Author

Kathy Carlton Willis writes and speaks with a balance of funny and faith—whimsy and wisdom. Not many funny girls also have Bible degrees! Kathy’s a pastor’s wife, which gives her plenty of opportunities to grin with grace. She shines the light on issues that hold women back and inspires their own lightbulb moments. Almost a thousand of Kathy’s articles have been published in books, magazines, newspapers and online publications. Kathy’s tagline describes her best: Light & Lively: His Reflection/Her Laughter. Kathy lives with her pastor/husband, Russ, in Rockdale, Texas.

Where can you find Kathy:

WEBSITE: www.kathycarltonwillis.com

TWITTER: @KCWComm

Read It: Brave Girls: Better than Perfect

We received a copy of Brave Girls: Better than Perfect, a 90-day devotional for girls ages 7 through pre-teen to review.  This book came at a great time for Bean.  She has a lot of friends at school but it seems as though the girls already have their own set of issues.  Each day there is a new story about someone not sitting with someone else, someone not being friends with someone else, or someone picking on someone else.  Ugh.  Hard to believe it starts this early.

I love the plain language of the book but I will say it might still be a little bit over Bean's head. After we read the daily devotional, I ask her if she has any questions and she seems a little lost.  But it can open up dialogue for other issues on her mind.  The other night we read a devotional page about not always having to be right. That led to a discussion on how Bean thought I liked her little cousin more than her.  So even if this book's daily topic doesn't strike a cord with your child, it can help to start wonderful discussions.  That's the beauty of devotionals.  I would recommend this book to any young girl wondering where she fits in.

Brave Girls:  Better than Perfect
A 90 Day Devotional
Published by Thomas Nelson

Book Description:

Better than perfect-that's what every girl is in God's eyes.

A young girl's doubt in her own self-worth starts from an early age. Am I pretty enough? Am I smart enough? Will I fit in? Do people like me? Am I worthy enough? These aren't questions asked by teens, but from precious girls in grade school! Brave Girls Faith and Honor will help girls navigate these questions and learn just how wonderful they are!

In this Brave Girls devotional, 90 engaging devotions will help young girls find their place in the world and learn that the beauty of their imperfections is what makes them unique, loved, precious, and "better than perfect" in God's eyes. Each devotion will include:

• A relevant opening scripture from the Bible
• A thought-provoking devotion to build a young girl's spirit
• An engaging closing prayer to help the reader navigate her day!

*We received a free copy of the book for purposes of this review.  If you have a blog and would like to receive free books to review, check out the BookLook program.  

My Book Shelf - August 2011

I originally wrote this post sharing my reading list at the time. This idea came from Grams at Grams Made It.

I thought it was a good time to revisit my list.

I just finished listening to the audiobook of Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close.

I enjoyed this book.  It was really funny and made me wish (almost) that I was a single New Yorker.  I can completely see this book being made into a movie.  I want to play Lauren.

I am still involved in my Bible in 90 Days challenge.  I am very behind though and am trying to work through the roadblocks that keep popping up taking my reading time away.

The Hobbit is still in my reading basket.

I will start my next audiobook on Monday on my way to work.  I'll be listening to Haunted Ground by Erin Hart.

I found this on Audible.com and don't remember much about it except that it was interesting enough to add to my wishlist.  Here's a little description about the story:

When farmers cutting turf in a peat bog make a grisly discovery -- the perfectly preserved severed head of a young woman with long red hair -- Irish archaeologist Cormac Maguire and American pathologist Nora Gavin team up in a case that will open old wounds.

I love listening to audiobooks with Irish accents.  So I know on that point alone I will like this book.

Have you found any good books lately that you'd like to recommend?

BlogHer.com Book Review - A Discovery of Witches

Today I want to share a link to my first ever BlogHer.com Book Club review. I was offered a chance to review A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness.

Please follow this link to head on over to BlogHer.com to check out my review. Thanks!

Book Review - Sue Ellen's Girl Ain't Fat, She Just Weighs Heavy!

I'm participating in my very first book blog tour with Lit Fuse. I hope you all enjoy it.

Sue Ellen's Girl Ain't Fat, She Just Weighs Heavy

by Shellie Rushing Tomlinson

About Shellie's book:

The bestselling author of Suck Your Stomach In & Put Some Color On! returns with more helpful how-to's and keen observations from Dixie.  Guided by principles from the ancient Belle Doctrine, the host of radio and television's All Things Southern offers down-home advice on everything from health and fitness-managing thy caloric calculations without going Straight Running Crazy and surviving the Raging Inferno Syndrome (aka hot flashes)-to the Southern art of handling your man (Bubba Whispering). Whether giving business tips or debunking the Big Boned Theory, making political observations or celebrating the inevitable resurgence of big hair, Shellie is an adviser women can relate to and laugh with regardless of their age or which side of the Mason-Dixon they call home. 

About Shellie:

Shellie Rushing Tomlinson and her husband Phil live and farm in the Louisiana Delta. Shellie is the author of Lessons Learned on Bull Run Road, Twas the Night Before the Very First Christmas, Southern Comfort with Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, and the Penguin Group USA release, Suck Your Stomach In and Put Some Color On, voted Nonfiction Finalist of 2009 by SIBA Independent Booksellers Alliance.

Tomlinson is owner and publisher of All Things Southern and the host of the weekly radio show All Things Southern as well as a weekly video segment by the same name. Listeners also hear Shellie in her All Things Southern radio segments aired across the South. Shellie writes a weekly inspirational feature in Newsstar and a monthly print and online column for Lousiana Road Trips.

When Shellie isn't writing, speaking, taping her show, answering email or writing content for the next deadline, you can find her playing tennis with Dixie Belle, (the chocolate lab who thinks she is in charge of running Shellie's life). 

To celebrate the Sue Ellen’s release, Shellie is having a Facebook Party!  

Join Shellie and the gang on June 2^nd at 5:00 PM PST (6 MST, 7 CST, 8 EST) for a Southern style shin-dig! She'll be dishing on Bubba Whispering, debunking the Big Boned Theory, and how to manage going Straight Running Crazy. If you don't know what any of that is, then be sure to pick up a copy of the book (Not necessary to join the fun! Who knows - you might win a copy!) and join us at 5:00 pm on June 2nd at Shellie's Facebook page. And tell your friends - she's giving away copies of her books and some great gift certificates.

My review:

Reading this book was like sitting down and talking with my Mom and my aunts.  Everything in this book that Shellie writes reminds me of home.  Shellie is truly Southern and truly hilarious!  I laughed out loud at some passages and said "Amen, Sista!" to others.  Shellie shares her thoughts on the "change of life", weight issues, men, family, and a gaggle of other thoughts and topics.  I definitely picked up some tips in the chapter entitled "Bubba Whispering" that I'll be secretly implementing at home.  Shellie has also added some very delicious recipes in the mix.  One that I really want to try out is Cuzin Peggy's Jambalaya Grits.

To find out what other bloggers are saying about Sue Ellen's Girl Ain't Fat, She Just Weighs Heavy, check out the blog tour sponsored by Lit Fuse.  

Blog Tour Schedule:

May 18th:

Julie at The Surrendered Scribe http://juliearduini.com

Wendy at Wall-to-Wall books http://wall-to-wall-books.blogspot.com/

Tarena at Laughing Family http://laughingfamily.blogspot.com

May 19th:

Susie at Scraps of Life http://cafescrapper-scrapsoflife.blogspot.com

Glenda at Authors Book Corner http://www.AuthorsBookCorner.blogspot.com

Sharon's Garden of Book Reviews http://sharonsgardenofbookreviews.blogspot.com

May 20th:

Heidi at Starts At Eight http://www.startsateight.com

Karla at Ramblin' Roads http://ramblinroadstoeverywhere.blogspot.com

Hope at A Little Hope...Amidst the Chaos http://a-little-hope.com

May 21st

Lena at A Christian Writer's World http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

Tracye at A Heart Poured Out http://tracyedukes.com

Laura at The Book Tree http://thebooktree.blogspot.com

May 23rd:

Kim at Window To My World http://berlysue.blogspot.com

Books, Etc...by Bina http://www.booksbybina.blogspot.com

Mollie at The Gandy's Home Base http://thegandyshomebase.blogspot.com

May 24th:

Danielle at The Happy Wife http://juanshappywife.blogspot.com

Deanna at Domestic Chicky http://domestic-chicky.com

Vic's Media Room http://vicsmediaroom.wordpress.com

May 25th:

Deanna's Corner http://ldgermany.blogspot.com

Julie at Book Hooked Blog http://www.bookhookedblog.com

 

May 26th:

Caroline at Happy Four http://happyfour.blogspot.com

Splashes Of Joy http://splashesofjoy.wordpress.com/

Wendy at Minding Spot http://mindingspot.blogspot.com

May 27th:

Megan at Homeschoolin’ Mama http://meg-homeschoolinmama.blogspot.com/

Rhiana at A Frugal Life http://www.afrugallife.org

Theresa at Frugal Experiments http://www.frugalexperiments.com

May 28th:

Tina at Mad Hatter Mom http://www.madhattermom.com

Deb’s Here http://debshere.blogspot.com/

Hayley at Hanging Off The Wire http://hangingoffthewire.blogspot.com/

May 30th:

Jenn's RAQ http://www.jennsraq.com

Whitney at Rambles of a SAHM http://ramblesahm.blogspot.com

Jamie at Little Blurbs http://Littleblurbs.wordpress.com

May 31st:

Prerna at The Mom Writes http://www.themomwrites.com

Mel's World with Melissa Mashburn http://www.MelissaMashburn.com

Margaret at Kitchen Chat http://kitchenchat.info

Kim at 2 Kids and a Coupon http://www.twokidsandacoupon.com

June 1st:

Angela at All Grown Up? http://pantylesspreacherswife.wordpress.com

Alexia at The Mommy Rambles http://themommyrambles.blogspot.com

Lauren at 5 Minutes for Books http://5minutesforbooks.com

Robin at Scribbles of the Heart http://www.scribblesoftheheart.com/

June 2nd:

Jennifer at Adventures in Unsell Land  http://www.theunsells.blogspot.com/

Lisa at Make Your Own Escape http://makeyourownescape.blogspot.com

Barb at Rural Mom http://www.ruralmom.com

Anna at The Cross Is All http://annawood.wordpress.com/

If you'd like to read Shellie's hilarious book, visit Amazon to purchase.  

I'd like to thank Shellie Rushing Tomlinson and Lit Fuse for the chance to review this book.  I was provided a free copy of the book to use for this review.  My opinions are my own and have not been influenced by anyone.

My Book Shelf

I am completely stealing borrowing this post idea from Grams at Grams Made It. She was a recent featured blogger on SITS and I found her book post while reading her blog.

I thought I would try and update this post here and there as I finish books. I also use Goodreads to keep track of the books I've read. My Goodreads list is here.

I don't get as much time now to read as I used to. I do check out audiobooks from our local library and listen to them during my commute time.

I'm currently reading and/or listening to:

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (audiobook)
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien


I am listening to Jane Eyre on audiobook. I am almost finished. I love this story so far and don't know why I never read it earlier. I received A Discovery of Witches to review as part of the BlogHer Book Review program. I am busting my brain to try and get it read in the timeframe they've set. I was reading The Hobbit before I received A Discovery of Witches so Bilbo Baggins is having to sit and wait patiently for me to return to his story.

As I finish these books and add to my reading/listening list, I will compile a list of finished books. Here are just a few of the ones I've recently finished.

• Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
• The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower #1) by Stephen King
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
• The Beach House by Jane Green
• Say Goodbye by Lisa Gardner

If you have a book that you just loved and want to recommend it, please feel free to post it here or if you have a Goodreads page, please share the link in the comments, too.  I would love to see what you are reading, too.

Bean's Books - March 7, 2011

I thought I would start sharing with you the latest books on Bean's "reading" list, otherwise known as the "read it again" list.

Her favorite book for the past 2 days is Hello Kitty Visits Grandma!

But she is also reading Olivia by Ian Falconer. 

Dinner with Olivia by Emily Sollinger.

Oh yes, we can't forget Olivia Forms a Band by Ian Falconer.

Olivia is a pretty big deal at our house.

I have also been trying to figure out the best way to start the discussion with Bean about strangers.  I've tried in the past but just don't think she got any of it. I found this Berenstain Bears book, Learn about Strangers, by Stan Berenstain.

We haven't started reading this one yet but hopefully it will get us started again on teaching Bean to be aware of strangers.  Have you had this talk with your child?  Do you have any tips you can share with me?

Book Review: The Well-Behaved Child

Since the Hubz and I are "first-timers", we are finding ourselves a little shell-shocked sometimes with Bean's behavior.  She'll act out and we catch ourselves standing there staring at her thinking “who is this kid?”.  And we are also finding out that our disciplining styles are different.  I like to use the countdown and the corner.  If Bean is doing something that I don’t approve of, then I usually start out by telling her "no", and then if we have to, we go onto “One”, “Two..."  Ninety percent of the time, by one and a half, the behavior has stopped.

I really didn’t think I’d be one of those moms.  When I was in high school I worked at a department store and I would see these horrible, evil heathens running around causing chaos, i.e., normal every day kids.  I would see parents do a countdown, plead, threaten, bribe, all that jazz and it hardly ever worked.  Usually I would think...just do what my mom did...give them a smack on the rear end and be done with it.  Hey, if it’s good enough for Mom...

But I decided to take the softer approach and try the countdown and it does work most of the time.  If it fails, Bean has to spend time in the awful, dreaded CORNER.  Bean does not like this one bit.  But it works.  There have been those special days where there have been several trips to the corner for the same behavior but those times are rare.  Now Hubz,...he’s not so patient.  Hubz likes to raise his voice.  It’s definitely not his inside voice he’s using.  And there have also been times where a spanked hand or bottom has occurred but that usually makes both Bean and me cry so I hate to do it. 

And of course, when you’re first-timers, you get a lot of advice.  Let me say that again...you get a lot of advice.  And it’s never the same advice.  So I have started looking around for ways to improve my means of discipline.  I am a book reviewer for Book Sneeze (formerly Thomas Nelson), and while searching their available titles, I found The Well-Behaved Child by John Rosemond.

In this book, Rosemond brings back a straightforward, almost hard-nosed approach to parenting.  It was like reading a book on the way my mother disciplined.  This is a no-nonsense, bare basics approach.  Granted, most of the book dealt with issues that are further on down the road for us since Bean is only two.  I will definitely incorporate some of these techniques as Bean gets older but more because this is the way I was raised myself and it’s what I know.  The Well-Behaved Child is a good reminder for those of us that grew up with parents that were stricter than most.  If your parenting style is less structured and you are not seeing the results that you’d like, then I would recommend reading this book so that you can understand and know that it is okay to set those boundaries and follow through with those consequences.  I have friends that think if they are too strict, their children won’t like them.  I think it’s not a popularity contest.  It’s parenting.  You’re not always going to be the good guy.  And if you are afraid to do the work, or don’t know how, maybe you should spend time with Mr. Rosemond and his book.

*I am a reviewer for Book Sneeze.  A copy of this book was provided to me free of charge in return for this review. 

Pinkie's Book Review - The Read and Share Toddler Bible

I recently got the chance to do my very first book review for The Read and Share Toddler Bible by Gwen Ellis and Illustrated by Steve Smallman.  I bought Bean another baby Bible that we read from now and then but I believe The Read and Share Toddler Bible will replace that one.  This book first has beautiful, colorful illustrations throughout.  It is hardback with 192 pages of stories.  The Read and Share Toddler Bible covers both the Old and New Testaments.  This book is recommended for ages one to four.

The Toddler Bible contains over 40 stories and each story is broken down and written to make it easy for a toddler to understand.  The illustrations bring the stories to life on the page.  Some of these “retellings” even helped me to understand some of the stories a little better and I’ve heard them all my life.

After each story, there is a note to parents that offers ideas on craft projects, reading tips to act out stories and other activities that will help your toddler grasp the meaning of each story better.  Each story has a different color at the bottom corner of each page so you’ll know how many pages are left in each story and helps you to keep your place better.

The Read and Share Toddler Bible even comes with a 1 hour DVD that brings 14 of the Bible stories to life on screen.

Check out this flip book for a preview.