I love April vacation! :-)

I decided I would take a few moments to write a quick update on what's been going on for me lately. It's been a busy past couple of weeks... well, actually saying a busy past couple of months would probably be more accurate..! :-)

As I sit here on Friday night and reflect back on my day, it has been different than my typical Friday because it's the first day of April vacation. Instead of going off to my classes at Voc at 7:30 this morning, I was able to sleep an extra hour, then get up and go about my day a little more leisurely than usual- meaning, I had time to eat breakfast s-l-o-w-l-y (unlike the usual rush to leave for school) and then spent most of my morning working on a project for class, making a very detailed poster about peaches, and had the ability to take my time on it. It was great! Making posters is one of my favorite assignments, and so I had fun just giving attention to all the little details of it. The only problem was that I had about three times as much information than I had room on the poster for, so I had to nix some of the info and be creative about how I arranged the rest on the poster. :-)

This evening as I babysat my 4 younger siblings, I wrote and posted 2 book reviews. I am part of a couple different blog networks, and I have several books on my list of need-to-review-soon's. So if you want to check them out, the two I reviewed this evening are Learning to Love by Heidi and Rolland Baker, and Humble Orthodoxy by Joshua Harris.

Currently I am busy with preparations for my exchange trip to Japan this summer. I just found out about 2-3 weeks ago that I'll be staying with my friend Manami for the second half of my 2-month-long trip. My family and I hosted her in 2009, and I am so excited to see her again after 4 years!

Also, I am really looking forward to my family's vacation next week. This will be a combined senior class trip for Max and I, and we're going out West for about a week. Counting down the days!!! :-)

Well, 'tis getting late. Hope you all have a great rest-of-the-evening and a wonderful weekend!

Moriah

Review: Humbe Orthodoxy by Joshua Harris

I ordered this book to review because I have read other books by Joshua Harris and thought they were really good. Humbe Orthodoxy was not a disappointment either. I was surprised to see how tiny the book was, but there is a lot of food for thought in its pages.

Joshua Harris discusses orthodoxy- what it means, what it is, and what it looks like- and discusses how we can live out orthodoxy in a humble way. There were a lot of things that I had never really thought about before concerning orthodoxy, and this book was insightful and interesting.

The material in this book was stated in a clear and concise, easy-to-understand way. It was well-written. I look forward to reading more of this author's books.

Thank you to WaterBrook Multnomah- I received this book through their Blogging For Books program for free in exchange for writing this honest review. Please rate my review below using this scale: 1=awful, 5=awesome! Thank you!!!

Not a great book, but it was pretty good.

LEARNING TO LOVE BY HEIDI AND ROLLAND BAKER:
A REVIEW

While I had a bit of trouble getting started reading it, I do like books such as this one that share stories of God’s love at work and in action. This book did almost seem like more of a devotional because of the end of every chapter where there was Scripture, spiritual insights and encouragement.  

Three things that made an impression on me from this book:

1. A quote-“Love is as simple as stopping for the one in front of you.”

2. Whatever I do for “the least of these”, I am doing for Jesus.
3. God is MORE than big enough to do great things through you.

One thing I didn’t like was that I wish there would have been more stories about their work with the people in Mozambique and maybe less of the “devotional” parts.

If you like true stories or missionary stories, you may enjoy this book.  

Thank you to Chosen Books and Baker Publishing Group for giving me a free copy of Learning to Love in exchange for my honest review.

Review: FORTRESS OF MIST by Sigmund Brouwer

He conquered Magnus, but the real battle has only begun.

Thomas, new lord of Magnus, finds himself caught in a centuries-old battle between two invisible sides, both of whom desperately need him to join their forces. But with much more than just kingdoms at stake, Thomas does not know who he can trust and who is the real enemy; who is in disguise or who is what they really seem to be.

  Full of the same intriguing and unexpected plot twists as The Orphan King, the Merlin’s Immortals series book 2, Fortress of Mist, continues the story of Thomas. If you haven’t read The Orphan King you probably won’t like this one, as you won’t much of the background of the story and you will find it hard to follow. However, if you HAVE read The Orphan King (definite recommend; loved that book!) then you will definitely want to enjoy this one as well!

Kudos to the author on a book well-written. Of course, now I am really eager for the next book in the series which is coming out at the end of October, because Fortress of Mist ended at a sort of cliff-hanger! I DEFINITELY would recommend this series as I have thoroughly enjoyed them! This is a series you won't want to miss out on!!

Thank you to WaterBrook Multnomah for sending me a free copy of Fortress of Mist in exchange for my honest review.

  P.S. If you’ve read and loved Fortress of Mist and The Orphan King, you may enjoy Sigmund Brouwer’s book Wings of Dawn (also published under the title Magnus). It’s the story of Thomas, told a little differently, but the complete story all in one book. I would give it 10 stars; I loved it!

Please rate my review at http://www.waterbrookmultnomah.com/bloggingforbooks/reviews/view/24177 using this scale: 1=bad, 5=excellent

Thank you so much! I really appreciate it! :-)

Book Review: THE GIRL IN THE GLASS

Since she was a child, Meg Pomeroy has dreamed of visiting Florence. However, when Meg finally has the chance to take the long-anticipated trip, it turns out to be far different than she has expected.

Anticipating to meet her father there, Meg arrives in Florence and discovers that she is on her own. Hospitable Sofia Borelli welcomes Meg to Florence and to her home, but as Meg gets to know Sofia and the beautiful city, she discovers some surprising truths about both- and about herself.

This book wasn't totally my style, and I felt like the ending was a little strange, but I must say that this book was very well-written! I as the reader felt pulled into the story. The depth of the book was stunning due, I am sure, to the careful and precise research of the author. She did a great job of making her readers feel as if they were actually seeing the story with their own eyes. This book was, overall, a pretty good read.

I appreciated the opprotunity to read this book, thanks to the library! :-)

It would be awesome if you could rate my review below (please!).
Use this rating scale: 1=terrible, 5=great work!



Thank you!! :-)

Skirts, anyone?!

So I was on the internet looking for a peasant skirt pattern and I came across this page, which has tons of awesome skirt ideas! I decided they were too good not to share!
Here's the link: http://craftstew.com/sewing/free-skirt-patterns 

I especially love the "Turn a Tablecloth into a Skirt"one! So cute! Now to get my hands on a circular tablecloth! :-) 
The link to just that one is http://wipster.blogspot.com/2009/08/circular-tablecloth-skirt-tutorial.html

Hope these patterns inspire your creativity!

Book Review: WAITING FOR MORNING by Karen Kingsbury

 There are good books, and then there are really good books. Karen Kingsbury’s Waiting For Morning is one of those really good books.

 Hannah Ryan’s husband and two daughters were on their way home from a camping trip when a drunk driver collided with their car, killing Hannah’s husband and oldest daughter.

 Consumed with grief and hate for the man who destroyed her family, Hannah spends every minute pursuing the prosecution of the drunk driver to the fullest extent of the law, hoping that by putting him behind bars she will find peace again. Meanwhile, devastated by the loss of her dad and sister, Hannah’s surviving daughter Jenny battles depression and grief alone.

 When a police officer remembers her husband’s dying message, will the letter he sends Hannah contain the truth that will set her free? And will Hannah realize that Jenny needs her love and support, before it’s too late?

 Have tissues handy! Waiting For Morning is a story of hope and forgiveness that will touch your heart and stay with you for a long time. This book was excellent, well-written, and I would not hesitate to recommend it.

It would be really awesome if you could rate my review below (please!): 1=terrible, 5=awesome!
Thank you so much! :-)