Favorite things...

Here's a random post with one of my favorite things! :) I love this mug. Not only is it beautiful, it is also cozy for cold days. The handle is actually a wrap around section that nests your fingers, so you warm up as you hold it (NOTE--I am a warm-drink drinker--cocoa and etc must be kind of cooled for me to drink them anyhow.  If you have boiling water in this it might be too hot to enjoy! )  :) 

Have you ever seen or owned one of these mugs? Beautiful and comforting! :) 

Heroes of History - George Washington Carver -- my REVIEW

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

I have said many times over the years how much we love the Christian Heroes: Then & Now books...the same publisher (YWAM Publishing) has another series of books which is entitled "Heroes of History." We recently received one of the books from this series to read and review--George Washington Carver: From Slave to Scientist. This book is by the same authors (Janet and Geoff Benge) so we were pretty sure we would love it as we had the other books by them. We were not wrong!

George Washington Carver is a name that is familiar to most of us, many already know a bit about his innovative-ness and scholarship, but there is so much more to his story! This book by the Benges is very easy to read, yet not childish--it is interesting to my 15 year old as well as to me!  The writing is clear and really gives you a good picture of his life.

Here's what my 15 year old daughter had to say about the book:

               I loved this book!  George Washington Carver was such a hardworking, kind man. He was born a slave then became an amazing scientist and inventor. He experienced several setbacks and barriers in life, but he never harbored hate. He was born a slave, he saw a lynching, he was denied entry into a college because of his race. yet he never gave up. He wanted to show people around him that he was hardworking and kind.  This book was amazing, I would read it again!

As she was reading the book, she kept us all informed and entertained with bits about his life, for instance, "Did you know that George Washington Carver was a great painter? He entered an art competition and got honorable mention!" or "George Washington Carver learned so much about mushrooms that at that time he was the second most knowledgeable person about mushrooms in the country!" or "George Washington Carver found some clay that he thought would make nice pottery so he built a potter's wheel to make pottery with it!" or "George Washington Carver found fifty uses for chicken feathers!" 

Okay, so you've caught my point that this is an interesting book, right? :) Well, let me tell you some more things that might encourage you to use this in your homeschooling life. YWAM  also creates unit studies to accompany their books which give great ideas to implement into your school days. There are things like chapter questions to use following each chapter, things that check comprehension but also increase vocabulary by highlighting words from the chapter which may need some better explantion. 

There are printable timelines, maps, and fact sheets: 

Geography lessons, arts and crafts projects, audiovisual project suggestions, presentation ideas, resources for further reading and research, and more! 

 There are also suggestions of how it can be integrated with learning in other subject areas.

So, if you purchase this book, George Washington Carver, by YWAM Publishing, you will be pleased with all of these resources! It's not just this book, though, but so many more! Feel free to browse their website to see all of the many choices! You can also click on the graphic below to read about how other reviewers recommend the variety of books in these series!  I definitely recommend this book and this series! :) 

Thank you for tech!

Aren't we blessed in this time in which we live, to have all of the technologies available to us to still get together to worship with other believers when we aren't able to attend church all together in person? Thanking God for the livestream options for our local church (and for the online capabilities of the colleges to continue classes remotely through this isolation time.)

https://www.christproclamation.org/live-stream

Quick and easy chicken thighs

Yumm, super quick recipe...place chicken thighs (with skin off) in a cake pan with a little olive oil on the bottom. Mix up 1 Tbsp curry powder, 1Tbsp salt, 1Tbsp sugar, and 1 Tbsp chili powder. Sprinkle o. The chicken then bake for 45 min or so. Easy and delicious!!

Venturing With God in Congo by Darrell Champlin -- my REVIEW

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

One of the favorite annual things I remember as a child was the annual missionary conference at our church. I loved to hear the stories that the missionaries told and to see the exotic things that they brought back with them. I haven't been to a missions conference like that for years...are they even still a "thing"? The most recent book I received for review, Venturing With God in Congo by Darrell Champlin, published by Conjurske Publications, takes me back to those missionary stories I used to love. 

Darrell Champlin and his wife were missionaries for years, first in Congo (as a matter of fact, his wife, Louise, grew up on the mission field there) and then later as they were forced out of Congo, in Suriname in South America. 

This book Venturing With God in Congo, is a collection of short stories that Darrell Champlin wrote to recount different events in their lives as missionaries in Africa. There are stories of killing a rogue elephant, of encountering a witch doctor who opposed them, of a giant python (and lots more stories of other snakes!) , of ways in which peoples' lives turned to Christ. The chapters invariably end with a summarizing word of Scripture, which illustrates God's great care for their family and ministry, such as "Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night," says our God in Psalm 91:5 coupled with verse 10: "There shall no evil befall thee."  His angels did indeed "keep us in all our ways" (verse 11). 

The stories are very colorful (in words!) and will keep the reader begging for more. The stories are of a time and situation which we can hardly imagine nowadays. God's working through these men and women is very obvious and encouraging. Not every story has a "happy" ending, but the Champlins saw God's hand throughout.

The book itself is a hardcover, sturdy book, with an intriguing illustration on the front which hints of some of the adventures found within the pages. It is illustrated with black silhouette drawings as well as some rudimentary maps, timelines, family tree, and more. There is also a photo album section in the center of the book which shows some amazing sights such as the elephant that had plagued the village and area. I think the photos really give a more "real" feel to the book (I know it's real, I just meant that it gives you such a "he was there!" feel). 




I highly recommend this book. I loved reading it and my daughter is beginning to read it as well. It is a great book to read aloud or silently--it would be a really great one to read as a family or a group, or just by yourself! I am so thankful for the lives that the Champlins and their co-workers have led, thankful for their examples of faith and obedience and of preaching the Gospel to those in need of it. 

If you'd like to see where to get this book, please follow this link. If you'd like to  hear what other folks have to say about the book, please feel free to click on the link below and read their reviews!

The Sea

I don't know why, but I really feel at home near a big body of water. I feel at peace, like I'm "me".  Not necessarily the ocean, per se, but just water. I feel/hope/pray that I will someday live near a setting like this!

Today's gorgeous sunshine gave us an opportunity to visit the ocean (L.I. Sound). We sang to the periwinkles and enjoyed the scenery :)

Elderberry Syrup

Well, two kids down with an icky cold...hoping to stay healthy! Seemed like the proper time to make up some elderberry syrup. Thankfully I had some dried elderberries (I think I got them from Amazon last year) and some raw honey.  Several years ago we used to take elderberry syrup as a preventative; hopefully now it can take us through this germy season! 

I don't have a favorite recipe, but here's the one I used this time.  It tastes good and it's so much less expensive than purchasing it already made!

Praying that God can use the elderberry syrup and hand sanitizer (haha!) to keep us in good health!