"Frasier Island" Book Review and Giveaway!

Last month I spoke at a Christian Writer's Conference and met beautiful authors such as Susan Page Davis. I recently read her book, Frasier Island, and I am so excited to tell you about it!

It is easy to tell when you've got your hands on a good book, and friends, this is a good book. It is full of mystery and intrigue, unexpected twists and plots, and just enough romance woven through to make it not over-the-top-lovey-dovey. Romance novels aren't really my thing, but a well written, informative, interesting mystery is!

The story line takes Ensign Rachel Whitney to a new post on a remote scrap of rock in the Pacific called Frasier Island. Living there in isolation with two other soldiers, both Rachel and Lt. George Hudson are running from their past...and ultimately towards each other. While guarding a highly classified secret for the US Government, Rachel comes to realize the importance of letting God have His rightful place in her life.

It is rare for a woman to be put in this position that Rachel finds herself in, and she feels she is equal to the task. But do her fellow soldiers think so? She helps them in more ways than just doing the cooking and cleaning. And you won't believe the secret they are keeping...from her.

I enjoy a book in which the author has clearly done the research and provides interesting information and facts that contribute to the story line. I came away from this story feeling that I learned much about the US military and government. I also gained even more of an appreciation for our soldiers and the way they sacrifice their lives for our protection and freedom.

I read this book in two sittings....it is that good. If you enjoy well-written, informative novels you will enjoy Frasier Island! You can purchase it in paperback, Kindle or Nook formats. It is the first in a 3-book series (although each can be read independently as well) so look for Finding Marie and Inside Story as well!

The exciting news? Susan Page Davis has agreed to give away a copy of Frasier Island to one of my readers!

Follow the prompts in the Rafflecopter below to enter to win - the first entry is mandatory, the others are extra credit! The giveaway will end next Wednesday night at midnight and the winner will be announced here on the blog and on my Facebook page. The winner will be able to choose the book format you prefer, either paperback or eBook.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


***I was not paid or compensated to write this review or host this giveaway. I just enjoyed reading Frasier Island and know you will, too!

Frozen in July Giveaway!!

I'm super excited to be bringing you a super fun giveaway: A collection of Frozen-inspired items to cool you off this summer!

It has been so fun working with these 4 lovely shops in setting up this giveaway. Here are the goodies they have to offer you:

Hand Stamped "Let it Go" necklace from KK& Whimsy 

Heber Springs, Arizona

Kristy owns KK& Whimsy and specializes in hand stamped jewelry. KK&Whimsy loves unique people and their unique life story! Our jewelry line is a tribute to your life, your family and all the things your love.

At our shop we customize every necklace specifically for each customer.  We can stamp name or favorite quotes on necklaces and key chains. 

Visit the shop here!

Kristy has generously offered  my readers 25% off any purchase of $20 or more through the month of July! Use the code is "FROZENINJULY" at checkout to get your discount.

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Disney Frozen Quote Subway Art from Lulirana

Edmonton, Alberta

Iba is a scientist who creates and designs during her free time. She owns Lulirana where she sells her fun designs! This one features some of the most quoted lines from Frozen in one printable.

Visit the shop here!

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Printable Disney Frozen Decal from Twitterpated Toad

Illinois

Tisha owns Twitterpated Toad, where she dreams up and creates each design in her own in-home art studio. Many of her designs are inspired by her love of antique letterpress blocks. She also writes and illustrates children's books while operating Pemberly Design House, her family run studio. 

Tisha says, "This decal was inspired by the children around me and their connection with fictional characters. Olaf is such a humorous, honest character that I think most children are automatically drawn to him, and I could not pass up the opportunity to create something that will bring them together! "

Visit the shop here!

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Olaf the Snowman Coffee mug from Seeds of Faith Mom

California

Seeds of Faith Mom was started by a new stay-at-home mom, racking her brain trying to figure out what it is God has in store for her. She says, "I've worked my entire life and know that with hard work and dedication anything is possible. So after a few months of unemployment and days with my toddler, I realize....I love this. I love being home with her, watching her grow, shaping her into being a wonderful woman who I know will one day take this crazy world by storm. Love makes my world go around but money puts food on the table and gives my daughter the future that I want for her. So this Etsy shop is the first seed to creating a life for my little love."

This mug has been pinned over 25,000 times and favorited on Etsy over 640 times. 

Visit the shop here!

Seeds of Faith Mom has generously offered you readers a coupon code! Use the code FrozeninJuly to get 15% off your order. 

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Use the Rafflecopter below to enter the giveaway. Answering the first question is mandatory, all the other entries are extra! 

The giveaway ends next Monday, July 28 at midnight EST. Good luck! Be sure to share some love with these shops to thank them for this opportunity.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Coming Soon: A Homemaking eBook Bundle you won't want to miss!

**Disclosure: There are affiliate links in this post. That means when you make a purchase through those links, I receive a compensation. This helps support this site and the time it takes to keep it running.Thanks!**

Hang on friends, because you might be blown away by the fabulous resource I have to share with you today! There are $850 worth of books and resources available at a 95% discount. Read on!

Last year I participated in promoting a similar eBook bundle, which had over 35 ebooks available at a highly discounted price. These year, bloggers and writers across the continent have gotten together an even bigger and better bundle at the same discounted price!

What will you get in this fabulous bundle??

As an affiliate for this bundle (meaning that I am helping to promote these books and authors in exchange for a percentage of the sale) I was given access to the bundle ahead of time to review and share with you all. I purchased my own copy of the bundle yesterday, and I am already so excited about what is included!! We're not allowed to share the specifics just yet, but there are books on Faith, Homeschooling, Parenting, Working from Home/Blogging (yelp!), Food, Financial Stewardship, Homemaking and much, much more!

The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle will be available for purchase on April 23 at 8am EST. 

That is less than a week away! The cost is $29.97 for the PDF version, and $39.97 for the Kindle version (that includes the PDF copies in case you have multiple devices!) I'll be back throughout the next week with lots of other information including what to do once you've bought the bundle, what devices you need to be able to read these books (spoiler alert: just a computer will work!) plus lots of giveaways and online parties!! It will be a week of fun here on the blog that you won't want to miss out on.



I hope you'll stay tuned for the rest of the details in the coming days! You can click any of the pictures above to learn more about the bundle, and check out the FAQ's here.

What part of this bundle excites you the most?

A So Sew Organized Giveaway!

This giveaway is closed. The winner, generated by random.org is Dawn J. Congratulations!!

Email me or message me on Facebook and I'll let you know how you can claim your prize!

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Earlier this week I shared a fantastic coupon code that is available this week only. If you haven't had a chance to use it yet, you might be in luck...because I'm going to give away something from my shop today!

I asked you on Facebook to share which item you'd win if YOU could choose. There are so many fun items at So Sew Organized, it is hard to pick just one to give away!

So, I didn't. =)

Instead, I'm giving away a $20 store credit to my shop! One of you lucky readers gets to go shopping, woot!

To enter this giveaway...

1. Visit So Sew Organized and leave a comment on this post stating which item you'd like to use your store credit on. (mandatory) Something for you? A gift for someone else? You could even use this on a custom order!

For addition entries...

2. Share this post on social media. Each social media platform gets you one extra entry, plus you can re-share every day for additional entries! (For example, share on FB and twitter today gets you two entries, and sharing again tomorrow gives you two more.) There are sharing buttons at the bottom of this post.

Giveaway ends Monday night at midnight, and the winner will be announce Tuesday morning on Facebook and as an update to this post. Good luck! =)

So Sew Organized Giveaway - times 2!

I'm so excited to let you know that there are TWO bloggers giving away So Sew Organized products this week! 2 giveaways...how much better can it get?

Here are the details and the prizes...

In conjunction with 6 other bloggers, my gal Danielle over at Snippets of Inspiration is hosting a giveaway that includes several exciting prizes, plus a whole week of fun summer-themed posts. One of the items to be won is a So Sew Organized tablet sleeve!

Click here to enter that giveaway and get involved in some exciting, Beat-the-Boredom summer fun!

The second giveaway is being held over at Jenvy Accessories, a fellow Etsian who has her own lovely shop with jewelry and other accessories. She is not only hosting a giveaway from my shop, but has also conducted a fun little interview with yours truly about how my shop came about and other random facts about me! It is a little incredulous to go over there and realize all that talk is about little 'ol me, haha!

Her giveaway is for one medium Floral Fusions tote:

There are oodles of ways to get entries for this giveaway, and chances are if you are reading this many of you already qualify for several! Easy entries for you!

Click here to see how to enter this giveaway and own that pretty tote for yourself! Just don't hold any of that info against me, ok? {wink!}

I'd love to hear if you enter, and which item you would prefer to win! Don't you just love winning new items? Good luck to all! =)

Goals for the Week, July 8, 2013

Happy Monday, friends! Isn't it a great day to serve the Lord?

We had a simply beautiful week last week. I can't even tell you how refreshing it was to see the SUN!! I am certain my supply of Vitamin D was on empty, and I needed those nice days so much! We spent a LOT of time weeding in the garden, and we all got a little sun burned, but I loved every minute of it. Several mornings I just laid in bed, listening to the birds and our waterfall, enjoying the heat even in the mornings, and just so thankful for it all!

This week is cloudy and rainy again...but I have a nice dark tan to prove that we do see the sun occasionally! {wink!}

Well enough gushing about the weather...here is an update on my goals from last week:

Continue planning for VBS

Write one hand-written letter

Review Philippians 3:1-15

Organize dresser and clothes - if by organizing I meant dumping out the winter clothes and throwing in the summer ones! :)

Work on mending

Work on new shop items  {did you see the update from last week? I just love them!}

Work on Bible case for a friend

Make playclothes for the girls

Continue to read Jane Eyre


This week, I'm setting these goals:

Memorize Philippians 3:16-18

Continue reading Jane Eyre

Sewing biz stuff...always! :)

Make a bible case for a friend

Make playclothes for the girls

Continue planning for VBS

Write 1 hand-written note

Organize in attic {and perhaps folding clothes in in order, no?}


What has your week been like? Anyone else soaking in the sun and just enjoying life? What goals are you setting for this week?

Psst! I'll be back later with more info, but there are some exciting giveaways going on this week from my shop, So Sew Organized! You can get a head start by entering to win here. This is a great giveaway with 7 items, plus a whole week of Beat the Boredom posts on different blogs. So fun! I can't wait to give some product away to one of you!

A SUPER Fun Giveaway {Oh look, my tablet sleeves!}

My sweet friend Leah blogs at Embracing Grace. She has, just in the last year, built up a fantastic blog that ministers to a community of women that are seeking to serve the Lord. I just love her blog and the spiritual encouragement she shares!

Today she has launched a BIG giveaway, with four different handmade shops participating!! Lets here it for handmade!! Entering is easy, and you'll love seeing the goodies from the shops that are participating. One item you may recognize...

Oh yes, she is giving away one of my new tablet sleeves! I am so excited to share one of these with a lucky reader! Will it be you??

Head on over to her giveaway post to get in on the goodness! And while you are at it, lets give a shout-out to handmade items! Because really, aren't they the best??

And the winner is...

The winner of the girls hat is...

{drumroll, please}

Rita!

whose #4 comment was chosen by random.org.

Congrats! Please either contact me or contact Kati directly with your mailing address. 

The rest of you, head on over to Kraven to see who won the other prize! Thanks to everyone who entered for making this a fun giveaway!

How About a Christmas GIVEAWAY???

***Update: this giveaway is now closed. Click here to see who won!***

My real-life and blogging BFF Kati and I have a lot in common...

...we grew up best friends
...our parents are friends
...our grandparents were friends
...we both blog
...we both run Etsy shops
...we are giving you a Christmas present!!!!!

If you haven't yet visited Kraven, Kati's new blog, then you are in for a treat! She is hosting the 25 Days of Christmas right now, and as part of the fun, she has offered to give away 2 items from her shop - one on her blog, and one on mine. What fun!

The first item is a toddler size girl's hat.  This beanie is crocheted from warm, soft yarn in white, teal, and gray.  It features a contrasting band with a flower applique.

So cute, right?


The second item is a teen/woman's size ear warmer headband.  This item is also crocheted from warm, soft yarn in clear blue.  The headband features a colonial blue flower.  It is approximately 4-5 inches wide and made to stretch for a snug, comfortable fit.

She is so talented! I love the looks of both of these items, and wouldn't they make great last-minute Christmas gifts? Actually, scratch that...these are too cute to give away, why don't you keep them for yourself. {wink!}

But there is more: either of these items can be personalized with a hand-stitched name. Woot!

Now for the technical deets:

Who can enter this giveaway?

Anyone! Yes--that means you!

How does this giveaway work?

Beginning RIGHT NOW and ending Friday at 3 p.m. EST, you can enter to win!  On Friday, two winners will be chosen to receive the prizes listed above.  If you are a winner, the item will be shipped to you free of cost.  

How do I enter this giveaway?

Simple! You can enter up to three times here on my blog by doing these things:

1. Comment on this blog post telling me which item you like the most and include your e-mail address (mandatory).
2. Like my facebook page...and then leave a separate comment on this blog post letting me know that you've done it. (If you have already liked my facebook page in the past--it counts! Comment and let me know)
3. Add my etsy shop to your favorites...and then leave a separate comment on this blog post letting me know that you've done it.

But wait...there's more!

You can enter this giveaway three more times if you head on over to Kraven! Because Kati gave me the opportunity to be part of this giveaway, you get the benefit of double the entries! Isn't Christmas a fun time of year?? {wink!}

I can't wait to see the comments come rolling in...and also can't wait to pick a winner on Friday! I just think giveaways are so much FUN! 

Top Ten Tuesday: Christmas Links from the www.

There are so many bloggers that have it all together when it comes to Christmas posting. These peeps have some really fun events going on, and seem super prepared and ready for Christmas! Whether you are ready or not, Christmas is fast approaching...so why not take advantage of these great links to help you with your holiday planning? Here is a list of 10 Top Christmas Bloggers (in my humble opinion):

1. Christmas...your way (a Life….your way blog) has been and is currently running their 101 days of Christmas Event

2. My BFF Kati is hosting 25 Days of Christmas through December. Lots of great ideas, a giveaway, and opportunities to link up your own Christmas projects!

3. My friend Amanda ran a series in November with 30 Handmade gift ideas. TONS of super great ideas that I hope to try sometime!

4. Org junkie (and a group of organizing bloggers) has a Pinning party going on right now with tons of Christmas pins and links!

5. I {heart} Nap Time recently had their Crazy Christmas Event with loads of great ideas. Even though that event is over, there is still tons of fun Christmas things going on over there!

6. Passionate Homemaking always has some great posts on being intentional during the holiday season.

7. Still in need of some last-minute gifts? Shop from the homemade community! See Gussy’s Holiday gift guide for ideas.

8. Money Saving Mom is hosting A Handmade Christmas, with lots of ideas and links for Christmas ideas.

9. Leah over at Embracing Grace is currently hosting a giveaway for Christmas Cds! Hurry on over to enter (giveaway ends tomorrow!) and while you are there, browse her site for some other Christmasy fun. 

10. A Living Sacrifice (ever heard of them?) is going to continue to blog recipes, traditions and ideas during the rest of December, so stick around! Use the handy buttons in my sidebar to quickly locate the holiday posts

Do you know of any other great Christmas links? Feel free to link up your own posts as well, as many as you want!

Last Top Ten: Christmas Classics

And the winner is...

The winner of the $15 credit plus free shipping to Mae's Joyful Noise is:

(drumroll please)

***Update: the initial giveaway winner never claimed this prize (and left no contact info) so another winner has been selected: Erika! You have been contacted directly. Thanks to everyone who entered!

The Burns!

Congrats! Please contact me and I will put you in touch with Amanda, or contact her yourself through her Facebook page. 

Thanks to everyone who participated!

Last Day for Giveaway!

Just a heads up: today is the last day to enter the giveaway for a $15 credit plus free shipping to Mae's Joyful Noise. Winner will be drawn sometime tomorrow and announced here and on our Facebook page.

Little girl dress

On the risk of sounding like a broken record, here are the deets one more time:

Prize: A $15 credit to Mae's Joyful Noise plus free shipping on your order. That is enough credit to score at least one free item!

Giveaway ends:  Tonight. Winner will be chosen via random.org and announced here on the blog and on our facebook page.

Who can enter: Anyone, worldwide! Yippee!
    **Note: some have asked if you have to have a facebook account, blogger account, etc. to enter. The short answer is: no. ANYONE can enter!

To enter (mandatory): Leave a comment on the original post (where you can oogle over more pictures) or on this post, or contact me via Facebook, email...pretty much anything! Just let me know you want to enter the giveaway, and I'll make sure you are included.

For additional entries (optional):
Like Mae's Joyful noise on FB and leave a separate comment here stating that you did.
Favorite Mae's Joyful noise on Etsy and leave a separate comment here stating that you did.
Follow Amanda's blog, Quiet Workings, and leave a separate comment here stating that you did.
Share via any social networking site and leave a separate comment here stating that you did

Monster slippers!

Good luck! =)

Gifts and Goals for this week (plus updated giveaway info)

Happy Monday, friends! I trust everyone had a fantastic weekend!

We are officially keeping last week's giveaway open a few more days. There seems to have been a problem with commenting last week, but I think everything is cleared up now!

So here are the updated details:

Prize: A $15 credit to Mae's Joyful Noise plus free shipping on your order. That is enough credit to score at least one free item!

Giveaway ends: Monday, September 17th at midnight. At the end of this week. Winner will be chosen via random.org and announced here on the blog and on our facebook page.

Who can enter: Anyone, worldwide! Yippee!
    **Note: some have asked if you have to have a facebook account, blogger account, etc. to enter. The short answer is: no. ANYONE can enter!

To enter (mandatory): Visit Mae's Joyful Noise on Etsy and leave a comment here telling us what your favorite item is or what you would spend your $15 on if you won! Leave a comment on the original post (where you can oogle over more pictures) or on this post, or contact me via Facebook, email...pretty much anything! Just let me know you want to enter the giveaway, and I'll make sure you are included.

For additional entries (optional):
Like Mae's Joyful noise on FB and leave a separate comment here stating that you did.
Favorite Mae's Joyful noise on Etsy and leave a separate comment here stating that you did.
Follow Amanda's blog, Quiet Workings, and leave a separate comment here stating that you did.
Share via any social networking site and leave a separate comment here stating that you did

Before I go on to my normal gifts and goals update, I had to share some pictures of the new things Amanda posted on Facebook this week. Oh.my.cuteness.

These team slippers are soooo cute (even though I don't root for the Maple Leafs, haha!) They even sport no-slip grippies on the bottom!

Batman slippers are equally as cute!

And these monster ones? Oh.my.goodness. I can just see Judah in a pair of these!

Cowboy boots! You can't start them too early!

This $15 credit is enough to get a special gift for a little one in your life this Christmas! I can think of several kidlets that will benefit from these!

Now that we have that business out of the way, here are the blessings I recorded on my 1,000 Gifts list this week!

412. Early morning Tims
413. Projects for my shop
414. A sweet neighbor
415. An interesting day with a mink!
416. The excitement of kids
417. Making a house call
418. Emails from lovely blog readers
419. Safety driving at night

I was contemplating my weekly goals this week. It is exciting to see how setting goals has helped me over the past several months! I set more goals each week than I used to, and often get most of them done! This was a week where I felt I got quite a bit accomplished, which I am so thankful for! I just love setting goals!

Last week's goals were...

Finish 2 Nova Scotia Tartan bags - completed!

Start 2 more tote bags - actually started 3!

Walk 3x - can I get a big whomp whomp? (I’m blaming the weather)

Finish church curtains - complete

Spend 3 hrs on eBook - spent a whopping half hour on this

List 2 items on Kijiji - actually listed 3!

Write 2 emails to friends - complete

Read 10 chapters of books - oh yeah baby

Work on Christmas printables - you can request them here!

Lets see if I can get as much accomplished this week!

Finish 3 tote bags

Start 2 more

Walk 3x (weather permitting, of course :)

Work out 4x - I’ve started doing some low impact workouts in the morning. Still working on making in a daily routine, so I’m making it a goal for this week! It is hard to get up and do it, but I always feel better when I do!

Spend 2 hours on eBook

Mending

Write 1 email to a friend

Continue to read “The Embrace of Grace” and “Mansfield Park”

Clean under bed - part of some fall cleaning I’m doing!

Go to Forest Glen Bible Camp teen retreat - as a counselor, of course!

How are you doing on your weekly goals? Have you been working on any special projects now that fall is in the air? Don't forget to enter the giveaway!

It's a Giveaway! Baby clothing and accessories

I'm so excited to be able to introduce you to Mae's Joyful Noise, an Etsy shop dedicated to providing youngsters with cute, handmade clothing items and accessories!

Amanda, the gal busy behind the scenes is a blogging friend of mine, and I love seeing the fun items she comes up with for not only her own little tot, but others as well! This gal is super crafty and creative, a quality I admire!

Everything in her Canadian-based shop is handmade by her, with the desire to provide kidlets with comfortable, cute clothing that they can wear while making all of their "joyful noise!"

Enough of my jibber-jabber...lets take a look at some of her goods, shall we?

This adorable bolero caught my eye on her Facebook page...It doesn't look like it is available in her shop at this moment, but keep your eyes open!

Argyle hat and boot combo

She has a variety of moccasin-style shoes that will be available to order soon! Here are some different styles:

Love these little boots!

Who wouldn't want to dress up a handsome little man in this? *Swoon*

Boy tuxedo onesie

She also has a variety of bibs. This one would be great for a fellow Nova-Scotian!

Homegrown Nova Scotia bib

There are others for you non-Canadians as well!

Little Artist bib

The most exciting part is that Mae's Joyful Noise has offered one of your lovely readers a $15 credit plus free shipping to spend on any item(s) in her shop!

Here are the details:

Prize: A $15 credit to Mae's Joyful Noise plus free shipping on your order.

Giveaway ends: Monday, September 17th at midnight. Winner will be chosen via random.org and announced here on the blog and on our facebook page.

Who can enter: Anyone, worldwide! Yippee!
    **Note: some have asked if you have to have a facebook account, blogger account, etc. to enter. The short answer is: no. ANYONE can enter!

To enter (mandatory): Visit Mae's Joyful Noise on Etsy and leave a comment here telling us what your favorite item is or what you would spend your $15 on if you won!

For additional entries (optional):
Like Mae's Joyful noise on FB and leave a separate comment here stating that you did.
Favorite Mae's Joyful noise on Etsy and leave a separate comment here stating that you did.
Follow Amanda's blog, Quiet Workings, and leave a separate comment here stating that you did.
Share via any social networking site and leave a separate comment here stating that you did

I can't wait to hear what your favorite items are! Happy window shopping! =)

Giveaway Winner is....

The winner of the book, Words That Hurt, Words That Heal by Carole Mayhall is....

Jess Hiltz!!

Congrats, Jess! Please send me your mailing address so I can send it along to Navpress.

Thanks again for everyone that participated! Keep your eyes peeled for another giveaway in the next week. Well, not literally peeled....

Last Day for Giveaway!!

Today is the last day to enter the giveaway for the book, Words That Hurt, Words That Heal by Carole Mayhall. Just head over to the original post and leave a comment to be entered to win! Giveaway ends at midnight tonight. Winner will be picked via random.org and announced right here tomorrow.

Remember, Christmas is right around the corner! This would make a fantastic gift for a friend or family member. Everyone should read this book!

"Words That Hurt, Words That Heal" Book Review and Giveaway!

***This Giveaway is now closed. Click here to see who won, and be sure to pick up a copy of this book for yourself!***

I like to change things up in my personal devotions from time to time. Some might do the same routine day in and day out, year after year, but I like to add variety and look at different scriptures from a new perspective. One way I do that is to occasionally work through a devotional book that focuses on one particular theme of scriptures.

A couple weeks ago I chose Words That Hurt, Words That Heal by Carole Mayhall off my shelf. I had read this for college years ago, but I’ll admit that was a more superficial reading. This time I wanted to dig into the truths of this book and really glean what I could about my speech.

The topic of a Christian’s speech - particularly mine - has been an ongoing study for me for years as I am visited with different passages, books or sermons on the subject. This book brought some other things out that convicted me of my speaking to others!

It is a short book, only 10 chapters, but packed with truths and practical suggestions to help us tame that fiery tongue. Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of speech, such as bragging, gossip, slander, complaining, discretion, reproof, etc. It focuses not only on the negatives but also the positives, showing how we can edify others even during the mundane. The very first chapter touched on encouragement, and was so convicting and life-changing for me that I am going to address it in a whole different post later this week!

Here are a couple of quotes from the book that really stuck out to me:

“It is amazing to me how careless and unconcerned we supposedly mature Christians are about what we say. We may have known God for ten, or twenty or more years, yet still go about sinning with our tongues, completely insensitive to the fact we are grieving the Holy Spirit.” pg. 16

“The love of finding fault...is utterly unchristian. It means that we have been paying an amount of attention to the conduct of others which would have been better bestowed upon our own.” -Alfred Plummer pg. 48

“History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.” -Martin Luther King pg. 71

I appreciate the honesty that Carole Mayhall has in this book, giving personal examples and struggles that she has had on her journey to check her tongue. So glad to know I’m not the only one! Certainly God deals with us all in different ways, but reading about one lady’s journey is certainly a help with my own.

This book does use lots of different versions of the Bible when quoting scripture, an aspect I wish was different. I believe that the King James Version is the English translation that God has preserved for us, so I just looked up the verses in my own Bible as I went along. There is certainly a benefit in digging into the Word of God for myself, anyway!

I would heartily recommend this book for personal or group study. I believe it is a topic that every Christian, and maybe us ladies in particular, need to be constantly thinking about and working on. Our speech affects so many people and so many areas of our lives that we are foolish to not spend time searching for what God has to say about it.

You can order this book here if you are in the US and here if you are in Canada.

And now, the fun part!

NavPress has been gracious enough to sponsor a giveaway of this great book! One of you fine readers will be winning this book, Words That Hurt, Words That Heal, for your very own. Here is how:

Prize: One (1) copy of the book, Words that Hurt, Words That Heal by Carole Mayhall

Giveaway ends: Monday, September 3rd at midnight. Winner will be chosen via random.org and announced here on the blog and on our facebook page.

Who can enter: Anyone in the US and Canada.
    **Note: some have asked if you have to have a facebook account, blogger account, etc. to enter. The short answer is: no. ANYONE can enter! All you need is a mailing address so Navpress can send the book to you. And I’m pretty sure you all have one of those.

To enter (mandatory): Leave a comment on this post, and if you’d like, tell us the following: what area of your speech needs the most work? In what ways do you work on taming the tongue. What is an area you feel people in general need to work on?

For additional entries (optional):
    Like A Living Sacrifice on FB and leave a separate comment here stating that you did
    Like Navpress on Facebook and leave a separate comment here stating that you did
    Share via any social networking site and leave a separate comment here stating that you did

I'm excited to see who gets to own this book for themselves! :)

***Note: I was not perked or paid in any way to write this review or host this giveaway. I just feel this book is vital to our Christian life and want you to be blessed and convicted by it, too. Navpress was kind enough to agree to give a copy to one reader, but no compensation goes to me.

Sugar Scrub Review and GIVEAWAY!

For several months now, I’ve been making a sugar scrub and selling it in my Etsy shop. And I’m not sure if I told you about it or not! I know, I’m a terrible friend.

After hearing about a bunch of great uses for sugar scrub and having people talk it up, I decided to make my own and give it a try! I found some recipes online and gave them a try, then tweaked things to make my very own sugar scrub.

And it has been LOVE ever since!

I just love the way sugar scrub not only exfoliates, but hydrates at the same time. Plus, it smells divine. I could eat this stuff!

I use mine often on my face, hands, and feet. I’ve found it to be extremely useful when I come in from working in the garden...on my hands and feet particularly. It washes the dirt and grime away, taking with it dry, tough skin, and hydrates and replenishes, leaving my skin feeling soft instead of hard and calloused! Lately, I've been using it on my poor peeling back and shoulders! :)

One lady that has bought this scrub from me uses it almost daily on her feet. She scrubs her feet and soaks them in water with this scrub in it, then puts on socks for extremely soft, pretty feet!

But you don’t just have to take my word for it. Shayna over at The Polish Jinx is reviewing my sugar scrub and giving one away! You can read her review here and enter her giveaway here.

Good luck! Be sure to let me know if you win! :)

Did somebody say GIVEAWAY?

Just a quick weekend post to let you know that Amanda at Quiet Workings is hosting a giveaway of the Americana package of printables I gave away here. Head on over to Amanda's blog to get the details of the giveaway and enter to win! Contest ends at midnight on Tuesday. Good luck! :)

Book labels...just a sample of what is included in the package! :)

And the Winner Is...

...Amanda Cunningham! Congratulations! Amanda, email me with the info for the personalization - names for the shopping lists, menu plan, and book labels, plus address for the address labels.

Thank you so much to all who entered! Don't forget, you can still get a discount on these and all the other printables in my shop through Monday, April 30th. Just type in ALS15 as the coupon code during checkout to get 15% off your entire order of printables! (See this post for more details.)

Thanks to everyone who entered!