Summer sweetness

This summer, my family and I have spent a lot of time on the beach. We had a picnic dinner the other night, sitting just past the tide line. My son kept his feet in the water while eating his dinner, and told me the "cold water makes me such a cool kid." It is a sweet memory that still makes me smile. For dessert, we had Milano cookies, and I just saw that they are now offering Strawberry Milanos. What a sweet way to savor summer! If you'd like to try them (I know I'm gonna!) click here for a $1 off coupon, or check out their Facebook page.

Beth Webb Hart's "Love, Charleston"

When I first started reading "Love, Charleston" I did not expect to be impressed. On the surface, it looked like a love/family drama story with a little Christianity mixed in. Once I began reading, I could not put it down. While the story does follow the basic pattern I expected, widower pastor finds love at the church he wasn't sure he wanted to preach at, the story also brings in some real world, and unexpected, concerns. As a mom who has struggled with post-partum depression, I was brought to tears by one of the character's harrowing experience. The story also finds several characters dealing with the repercussions of adultery. While the characters are good citizens and fine Christians, they become "real" to the reader, because they are not perfect. Their struggles ring true and there is something we can relate to.

In the story, Pastor Roy Summerall leaves his small town church to be the pastor of a major Charleston congregation. He is a widower who has been raising his daughter alone for five years. He is not sure he will "fit in" in Charleston because of his "good ole' boy" country ways. In Charleston, he reconnects with sisters Anne and Lish, and their cousin Della, whom he knew as a child. Anne is a never married bell ringer at his church in Charleston, Lish is a doctor turned stay at home mommy blogger, and Della is a struggling writer who makes ends meet by teaching English at a posh all girl's school. The characters become real through their struggles. Roy must learn to love the congregation he had resented as a youth. Anne must question her faith and the promise she received from God that she would find a husband if she would just "stay and wait." Lish, who by all accounts, is a perfect super-mom finds herself in a battle with severe post-partum depression bordering psychosis, and a philandering husband. Della, who thinks she can provide a better life for herself and her daughter by leaving her husband for her former fiance finds that love and faith can truly conquer all. Roy and Anne find themselves falling in love through a series of letters and emails, while they both help Lish with her mental problems. I enjoyed seeing the characters evolve and grow, however the story feels unfinished. The end leaves us still wondering about Roy and Anne's future, about Lish's recovery, about Della's new book. The story is strong until the last chapter, which feels as though it was rushed for resolution. Overall though, I enjoyed "Love, Charleston."

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

Wednesday Wit

My 6 year old son told me recently that though he loved me and wanted to continue living in his bedroom, he thought we should "see other people." I asked him if he knew what that meant and he said "yes, it means I can have play dates, but you still make my dinner."

Wednesday Wit

Walking in Costco the other day, I heard a tween girl tell her mom ‎"Let's ROCK like its 1995...or something like that."

Too good not to share

Wednesday Wit

Seen in a newspaper "corrections" column;

"Correction: Instead of being arrested, as we stated, for kicking his wife down a flight of stairs and hurling a lighted kerosene lamp after her, the Rev. James P. Wellman died unmarried four years ago." OOPS!

Percy Jackson and the Olympians:The Lightning Thief

I did not read any of the books, but this movie looked cute and my kids begged me to watch it, so we got it from the RedBox. today. I did not expect to be impressed, but it was actually very entertaining. The movie earned it's PG rating because of some scary elements (Medusa, Hydra, hellhounds...) but all of the kids LOVED it, even the 3 year old. Cute idea for a story, and it touches on a lot of Greek mythology. Percy Jackson is accused of stealing Zeus' lightning bolt, and finds out he himself is the son of Poseidon, making Percy a demi-god. He meets the offspring of other gods, and ends up having to go down to the underworld and then to Olympus. It is appropriate for younger viewers, no sex or swearing. Violence is limited to some battle scenes with other mythological creatures.

Wednesday Wit

My friend has 10 kids raging in ages from 6 months to 18 (all living at home.) The other night we were over there for dinner and got to visiting, until it was the younger one's bedtime. My friend was wrangling her kids for prayers, the older ones were sitting in the living room, but the youngest 3 or 4 would NOT sit down. Eventually the older ones started grumbling and getting up. Finally my friend yelled "Sit down and be reverent DAMN IT!"

100 Prayers God Loves to Hear/100 Praise Songs by Stephen Elkins

100 Prayers God Loves to Hear/100 Praise Songs is a very cute book/cd gift set for little guys and girls. It is appropriate for children of all ages, (I would recommend 0- 10 years,) and fun for parents to read aloud.

Each page gives a different prayer, along with a little synopsis of where the prayer came from. Each page also has a quote or "prayer reminder." The illustrations are fun and relevant to each prayer.

I enjoyed that the prayers come from all different sources. There are some directly from the Bible, some from religious leaders and examples like St. Francis of Assisi and Martin Luther, and also some from historical figures like Abraham Lincoln and Robert Louis Stevenson. Each page also features a little picture that tells you which CD and which track number the prayer can be found on. The songs are sweet, and helpful to teach children how to develop their relationship with God through prayer.

This would make a great gift for your children or grandchildren. I am going to give it to mine for Christmas, though it is appropriate for any occasion, or no occasion at all! I would give this book 5 stars for content, illustrations, and relevance.

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