First Day

Tooth Fairy Pillows by Artfulife

Fairy Dust.

Late Night Visits.

You know what time it is.:)

Are you ready?

My precious friend, Summie, has just started creating these adorable Tooth Fairy pillows.

It's a bit late in the game, but the fairy still visits my house.:)

Look at the little pocket in the back for a sweet note or $$$.

The Tooth Fairy will be so pleased!

She has 2 left in her shop.:)

Bumps in the Road

Cancer Institute.  These words have a new meaning to me.  While trying to determine where to go yesterday, a sweet lady offered to direct us.  She said, "Hopefully this is just a wake up call."  

For some reason, I felt that cancer would never affect my family.  Did I ever truly think that people volunteered for it?  Of course not. 

After talking with the doctor yesterday I do feel much better about my surgery.  God willing, my tumor is benign.  It can change, though, so the surgery is not truly elective.

  I can think of a million and one things I'd rather be doing that day.  Fasting, getting up at the crack of dawn and then having my face/neck cut open?  Good times.  

I am so blessed to have this option, though.  

I listened to the wind in the trees today and marveled at the gorgeous blue sky.  I sat in my back yard and watched the moon.  Tonight I am going to let the falling rain lull me to sleep. 

All of them gifts.

  Speaking of gifts.  My girls. They are the best things that have ever happened to me.  I love them so much that it hurts sometimes.  We have quite a weekend planned.  Sewing, crafts, movies and plans to create the Pioneer Woman's French Toast, Kid Friendly Pasta and Prairie Sushi.

My amazing husband said he's going to take care of me through all this.  He has been there every step of the way.  The crying.  The fretting.  The worries.  He is like no other man I have ever known.   (He's pretty darn cute, too.;))  Love you, Sweetie.

God has blessed me over and over and over again.  This is just a bump in the road.  I used to love those Choose Your Own Adventure books as a child (but this is definitely not an adventure I would choose).  My first reaction was fear, but I've drawn closer to the Lord and it feels so good.  Bumps on the road of life are not easy but they are there for a reason.  

Try to take your bumps in stride.  God is always there to carry you until you're stronger.:)

Facing a Giant

We had originally planned to be here this week.

(The Broadmoor Hotel, Colorado)

But there was a change in plans.

I need to take care of business. (Click on highlighted words for the whole story.)

I'm feeling a bit like David going up against Goliath.

It's time to face the giant.

Years ago, a friend of mine told me to not let the devil hold me in fear.

So I'm not.

After all, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.:) (Just reading that makes me feel so empowered!)

How blessed we are to be able to call upon the Lord at anytime and any place.

Amen!

Today I'm talking with the surgeon.  (I'll keep you posted on the actual date of surgery.)

If you would, please pray that the surgery would be a success (no facial paralysis) and that the tumor would be *benign* I would be so thankful, dear friends.

*If you are facing a giant in your life I would love to pray for you, too.  Write to me- toosillysisters@cox.net.* 

Oh God, Please series by Leighann McCoy- review and giveaway!

The winner is #3- April!  Please contact me so I can get your address.:)  toosillysisters@cox.net

I recently had the tremendous privilege of reading two books by Leighann McCoy.  These two books changed the way I see God and the way that I talk to God.  Prayer is a privilege.  Leighann shows readers how to subdue the voice of doubt that keeps you from prayer, and reminds them that prayer is a two-way conversation – learning to hear God’s voice is just as critical to success in prayer as God hearing yours. If you're like me, you sometimes pray to God as if He's a bit like Santa.  It's not intentional.  We know God is listening but we're just not sure how to "listen" for an answer.  I wanted so badly to have a personal relationship with the Lord but wasn't sure how to begin.  In Oh God, Please Teach Me to Pray, Leighann McCoy shares with us how to have an intimate relationship with God.  A relationship that doesn't feel one sided, like a wish list or a chore to check off of your daily schedule.    Leighann shares personal life experiences (many of them quite funny- you'll be able to relate!) that helped her be able to educate others. The chapters are short with entertaining stories as well as a prayer to guide you- along with questions and suggestions in case you want to do this study with others- or on your own.  Oh God, Please Teach Me to Pray is life changing.  It has helped me feel much closer to God and I'm excited about the Lord shining through me!

Oh God, Please Help with my Doubt is also a life changing book.  Readers learn to recognize God’s voice, develop the ability to hear Him when he responds to prayers, and learn what to do when He doesn’t.  We all struggle with doubt from time to time.  Leighann McCoy focuses on David in this book.  As you read, you'll discover the trials that David went through, even though he knew that God loved him.  David struggled with doubt but always had faith that the Lord would be there for him.  His prayers weren't that he (David) would get what he wanted.  His prayers were that God would be glorified.  This is where I stumble, friends.  I don't often focus on what will bring glory to the Lord.  Oh God, Please Help with my Doubt is wonderful.  It helped me to reevaluate my faith and understand the tremendous love that God has for all of us.

It would be easy(ier) to write a book about prayer and doubt if life had been a walk down Easy Street, don't you agree?  Well, Leighann McCoy has certainly faced her share of giants.  She struggled with infertility and is currently battling cancer- for the second time.  She knows what it's like to question, have doubts, to pray and need answers from God.  Her personal experiences and tremendous faith are incredibly inspiring. 

Leighann McCoy, a Prayer and Women's Minister at Thompson Station Church and Lifeway Christian Resources, has an M.Ed in Religious Education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. She is also the author of Spiritual Warfare for Women: Winning the Battle for Your Home, Family, and Friends and Oh God, Please! The Heart Cry of a Burdened Soul, Pray Right!, and How to Develop Your Prayer Life with a companion book, three personal Bible studies for women, and one devotional book.

Freeman Smith is generously giving one of my readers copies of both Oh God, Please Teach me to Pray AND Oh God, Please Help with my Doubt!  If you would like a chance to win these books here is what you need to do:

1) Leave a comment on this post for 1 entry.

2) Leave a separate comment telling me you are a follower of my blog for 1 extra entry.

The giveaway will end next Monday, the 3rd.  Good luck!:)

*I was given copies of these books from PR By the Book in exchange for my honest opinion.  No other compensation was received.*

The Haven book review and giveaway!

The Haven is is the second book in the Stoney Ridge Season series by Suzanne Woods Fisher.  I adored the first book, The Keeper, and fell in love with the characters- particularly Sadie Lapp.  I wanted so much to know what life had in store for her.  Sadie is painfully shy but feels deeply with her heart.  In The Keeper it appeared that love and life might pass her by but in The Haven we find that things have changed- for the better.:)  Sadie now has two young men that are vying for her affections and a baby on top of all that!  Is the baby hers?  What will the little Amish community of Stoney Ridge have to say about this?   Reading The Haven was like returning home to a dear friend and picking right up where you left off.  It's cozy, endearing, funny (Gideon's petit fours incident will have you laughing out loud!) and heartwarming.  M.K. (Mary Kate) is once again outspoken and spunky and I suspect that the next book may be her story?  Suzanne??  The mystery of the baby is utterly precious and unexpected.  Sadie's father, Amos, has is own story line and happy ending and Will Stoltz, the newcomer, adds a bit of mischief and fun.  Thank you, Suzanne, for writing Sadie's story so perfectly.  It was worth the wait!:)

{About Suzanne}

Suzanne Woods Fisher’s interest in the Amish began with her grandfather, W.D. Benedict, who was raised Plain. Suzanne has a great admiration for the Plain people and believes they provide wonderful examples to the world. In both her fiction and non-fiction books, she has an underlying theme: You don’t have to “go Amish” to incorporate many of their principles–simplicity, living with less, appreciating nature, forgiving others more readily– into your life. When Suzanne isn’t writing or bragging to her friends about her first new grandbaby (!), she is raising puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind.

To Suzanne’s way of thinking, you just can’t take life too seriously when a puppy is tearing through your house with someone’s underwear in its mouth. Suzanne can be found on-line at: www.suzannewoodsfisher.com.

{About The Haven}

When Sadie Lapp steps off the bus in Stoney Ridge after being in Ohio for the winter, she is faced with a decision–one that goes against her very essence. Yet it’s the only way she can think of to protect a loved one. Schoolteacher Gideon Smucker has been crazy about Sadie since boyhood. But his response to her surprising decision undermines his own reputation–and his relationship with Sadie. College student Will Stoltz is spending the spring at the Lapp farm as a guard for a pair of nesting Peregrine Falcons–courtesy of the Lancaster County Game Warden. Will needs to get his life back on track, but his growing friendship with Sadie threatens his plans.

The lives of these three individuals intertwine, and then unravel as unexpected twists create ripples through the town of Stoney Ridge . . . and through Sadie’s heart.

Once again, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher intrigues and delights with a story that explores the bonds of friendship, family, and true love. Readers will enjoy every surprise in Sadie’s story as they search for the truth hidden within these pages.

Read an excerpt!

{More about The Haven Giveaway and Live Video Chat}

Celebrate the newest book in the Stoney Ridge Seasons series with Suzanne by 4 eReader Giveaway and Facebook Party and Live Video Chat! 

Four grand prize winners will receive:

• A Brand new Kindle Fire or Nook Color 
• $25 Amazon.com or Barnes&Noble.com Gift certificate 

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on August 29th. Winner will be announced at Suzanne's Live Author Chat Party on 8/30. Suzanne will be hosting an author chat (party will start on Facebook ANDthen Live from her website) and giving away books, gift certificates and several Burt's Bees® Nourishing Radiance Kits!!

So grab your copy of The Haven and join Suzanne on the evening of the August 30th for a fun chat (both on Facebook and via Live Video), trivia contest and lots of giveaways. 

Don't miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends via FACEBOOK TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 30th!

*I was given a copy of The Haven from Litfuse in exchange for my honest opinion.  No other compensation was received.*

Tidewater Inn book review and giveaway

   
   When I was a little girl my family enjoyed summer vacations on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  Years later, my husband proposed to me on the beach in Duck, N.C.  Needless to say, the Outer Banks holds great memories for me.  When I heard that Colleen Coble had written a book that takes place there I was thrilled!    She has once again delivered an exciting and romantic story that includes a thrilling mystery.  Colleen also has a sweet focus on the Lord and it makes Tidewater Inn that much richer.  Everything I look for in a great book!  Family secrets, an unexpected inheritance, a quiet island that holds an old forgotten secret, and a kidnapping all play a part in Tidewater Inn.  And that’s just the first chapter!   Libby Holladay struggles to find her kidnapped friend despite the fact that evidence makes her a suspect in Nicole’s disappearance.  Alec Bourne is a dashing Coast Guard lieutenant whose not sure if he can trust Libby or not although his heart is halfway in love with her.  What role does Lawrence Rooney play in all of this?  It appears he will stop at nothing to get what he wants and he desires Tidewater Inn.  Old letters, secret tunnels, hurricanes, treasure and more all await you in the pages of Tidewater Inn, by Colleen Coble.  I can’t wait for the sequel, Rosemary Cottage, to come out next year!

{More about Colleen Coble}

Best-selling author Colleen Coble's novels have won or finaled in awards ranging from the Best Books of Indiana, ACFW Book of the Year, RWA’s RITA, the Holt Medallion, the Daphne du Maurier, National Readers' Choice, and the Booksellers Best. She has nearly 2 million books in print and writes romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail. Colleen is CEO of American Christian Fiction Writers and is a member of Romance Writers of America.

She lives with her husband Dave in Indiana. Visit her website atwww.colleencoble.com. Twitter @colleencoble.

{More about Tidewater Inn}

Welcome to Hope Beach. A place of intoxicating beauty . . . where trouble hits with the force of a hurricane. Inheriting a beautiful old hotel on the Outer Banks could be a dream come true for Libby. The inn cries out for her restorer’s talent and love of history. She’s delighted to learn of the family she never knew she had. And the handsome Coast Guard lieutenant she’s met there on the island could definitely be the man of her dreams.

But Libby soon realizes that the only way she can afford the upkeep on the inn is to sell it to developers who are stalking the island. The father who willed her the inn has died before she could meet him, and her newfound brother and sister are convinced she’s there to steal their birthright. Worst of all, her best friend and business partner has been kidnapped before her eyes, and Libby’s under suspicion for the crime.

Libby’s dream come true is becoming a nightmare. Her only option is to find her friend and prove her innocence, or lose everything on the shores of Hope Island.

{More about Colleen's B&B Giveaway}

Celebrate with Colleen by entering to win a $500 gift certificate to BedandBreakfast.com!

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A $500 gift certificate to BedandBreakfast.com
• A copy of Tidewater Inn by Colleen Coble

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on August 22nd. Winner will be announced at the "Tidewater Inn" Author Chat Facebook Party on 8/23. Colleen will chat with guests, share a sneak peek of her next book, host a trivia contest, and more. She’ll also be giving away gift certificates, books and a Book Club Prize Pack (10 copies for your book club or small group.)!

So grab your copy of Tidewater Inn and join Colleen on the evening of the August 22nd for a chance to connect with Colleen and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book - don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 23rd!

*I was given a copy of Tidewater Inn from Litfuse Publishers in exchange for my honest review.  No other compensation was received.*