Sunday, August 29, 2010

I am Hating Steven Curtis Chapman

Okay not at all, but I "hate" that he keeps getting me to tear up(okay the truth-BAWL!) the man brings me to tears more than I care to admit. I love his heart for the orphan, I love his music, and the faith he proclaims in it, and his songs about kids always touch me, well it seems Veggie Tales has a new video coming out that deals with an orphanage and here is a link to the video of a song he is contributing:


gonna be a long couple weeks until we start to hear some rumors of what Sept. holds for referrals...

Friday, August 13, 2010

Looking to the Fall



My girls!

Well summer is flying by. Taking a group of youth down to the Mustard Seed this next week, then back and buckle down for a few weeks to try to get things ready for the Fall, there are classrooms to organize, items to fix, supplies to restock, cleaning to happen. Schedules to plan and publish, teachers to recruit, materials to customize, teachings to plan, sermons to present, meetings to plan and attend, and then bring on the kids(and parents). Excited about Fall ministry, and excited that it could be interrupted with China planning!

Magic stuff is going well I have some new stuff I need to perfect, but think they will become fast favorites of mine and my audiences, they just "feel right". Enjoying the magicians on Americas Got Talent, good stuff from good guys(I know of all of them and have even had some conversations with one of them). It is good for magic in general when good magicians are seen.

Got a couple shows this month and a(personal) birthday coming which means I will be hunting for some new magic(I am looking for bigger show closer type tricks now as I have lots of other stuff for my shows).Fun stuff.

We are also welcoming on a new staff member at the end of the month, which is exciting, so it seems busy and exciting will be buzz words for a while around these parts :) !

Thursday, August 12, 2010

at least 5 days done...

Fairly strong rumor that May 15 is included in this months batch. May 16 is a BIG day, with lots of families across the world logged in that day, so not sure how that will play out, that said I feel confident October, should be our referral month.

Hard to believe that in 4 months or so I will be holding my precious Julia in my arms...WOW!!!!!

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Sept or Oct

Our Agency told us to expect a referral in Sept. or Oct.

This isn't anything new, it is just nice to hear it...

The Boy Who Changed the World By Andy Andrew Book review

Okay this is the kids version of his adult book.

MUCH better!

The aspect that God is the agent that makes the difference so kids can make a difference is much clearer in this book. I am VERY glad to see this.

I wonder why it wasn't clearer in the adult book?

This book has nice art, clear story, in less detail that the butterfly effect, and that is actually much better, it makes the stories more to the point.

I am much more comfortable supporting this book, and I am always looking for stories that can inspire kids. I firmly believe kids can make a difference in their world, and if this book,and the idea that a little butterflies wing flap helps generate the big winds that come, I like the object lesson and visual that presents and can see using that down the road.

Give this a 3 out of 5!

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Butterfly Effect- Andy Andrews

I love butterflies so I was immediately drawn to this book.

The butterfly plays a small part of the book, yet it also drives the entire book. It is a beautiful book to look at, it is a quick yet inspiring read. It will particularly draw in those from the United States as it uses a few stories from history that are American focused. That said, it doesn’t alienate those from another country.

The author uses a variety of stories to explain that every choice we make every action we take matters and can change the world.

As inspiring as it is, I felt it was devoid of the foundational element, and that is there is an absence of God as the agent who uses us to change things around us and it is a DANGEROUS omission that makes this read more like a book from the Human Potential Movement, than one listed on a Christian Reading list.

It is a book that will speak to your heart and stir it, but will leave it empty, promising change but unable to deliver it because of the absence of God who will help you to change and make change. Lowest recommendation for a so called “Christian book”.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Monday, August 09, 2010

Unburdened by Chis Tiegreen

Unburdened by Chris Tiegreen

Been there, done that got the tshirt. That was my thoughts when I got the book. Man, what a great read! The author has also been there and done that and wrote an outstanding book on the secret of letting God carry the things that weigh you down.

This book is a practical guide with well expressed and explained steps, fully grounded in Scripture, and I can testify from past experience that what he is writing about works, would have loved to have had this book a few years ago. I certainly haven’t mastered a life of completely trusting God so as to not carry burdens or worry, so this book was also a timely reminder that during this not so stormy season there are daily issues of trusting and release we can do.

Chris enlightens readers with some keen insights such as “the unburdened life is less about getting rid of our baggage than about carrying our loads with ease”(pg xviii), on learning to trust...”we will have to fight in order to rest” (pg 71)...I won’t spoil any more of it. I love practical action step books and this one is cream of the crop. Highest recommendation.

Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book. After reading it I would GLADly have paid for it!

Venom and Song Baston and Hopper- Book Review

This is book two of the Berinfell Prophecies. I did not read the first one, but have read other titles by the authors. It is a fantasy/ otherworld/medieval feel type story with a wide cast of characters.

The good the bad and the ugly...

In reverse order...the ugly...the authors do a good job of describing some of the hideous creatures in the book.

The bad...too many characters, I suspect, even with reading the first book, the cast is too big to really do much character development of many of them, so some scenes were really forced and fell flat. I appreciated they put a cast of characters at the start of the book, but it was too little...too bad. There is also forced relationships between the male and female characters, you KNOW the authors are trying to communicate the characters have attraction to one another, but it falls flat, I think they would have been better off trying to sell the fact they are trying to be a family(after their individual families were killed via the first book) and work that angle. Also, there were a few chapters that really didn’t advance the plot, it just seemed like filler. There is a sense of finality with the ending, but then in a couple pages it leaves you wondering if there is a book three, and the way it read took away some of the triumph they had just achieved.

The Good. There were some clever tie ins with biblical truths, it is an easy read, they captured the sense of “a journey to a final battle” type book well, and the characters were all likeable even if they were underdeveloped. The authors write clearly and vividly. There are many action sequences and violence documented. I would recommend it for late preteen, teens and those who love reading about young characters facing adversity and rising above it, in a fantasy genre.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Sunday, August 08, 2010

Wondering what the numbers will be this month



Sliding- caught in mid slide...Ms. Independent

Stopping to smell the flowers...

Hoping to start hearing the rumors of what the matches will be sometime this week, if these number jive with what has been predicted we will be able to determine pretty darn close what month we will get our referral.

Been out at camp for a few weeks, been a great time. Got a group of youth to take to the Mustard Seed soon for a time of ministry there...Have a couple new book reviews to post soon, and excited about getting a few key folks in place at church for the Fall.

Katie has 3 molars coming in, making her a little mopey, she is certainly in climbing mode and talking a storm up. She is 18 months old next week.

Love getting cuddles from my little gal,and her excitement when I come home. Love being a daddy!