Children's Picture Book Review: The Wonder that is You by Glenys Nellist, illustrated by Aurelie Blanz

Book Description:

Every parent dreams of embracing their new child, and when that dream comes true, it’s as if all of creation rejoices with them. In the tradition of Nancy Tillman’s On The Night You Were Born and Emily Winfield Martin’s The Wonderful Things You Will Be comes The Wonder That Is You by critically-acclaimed author Glenys Nellist. This heartwarming book beautifully captures the universal love and joy parents feel as they celebrate the arrival of a new child. A perfect gift for baby showers, baptisms, adoptions, birthdays, or any time you want to tell your little one how much they are loved.

It felt as if the world stood still
The day my dream came true,
And all creation paused to see
The wonder that is you. 

I thought I heard the trees clap hands
And as their leaves unfurled,
They whispered softly in the breeze,
Welcome to our world.

My Review:
Glenys Nellist has penned another beautiful book for parents and children. Her poetic voice and verse sing the joy a new parent has for their child. This is a sweet ode to the child and should be shared often as the child grows. Aurelie Blanz's illustrations are drenched in color and whimsy. Perfect to show to a little one who is exploring the world. As always, I love how Glenys paints a heart-warming picture of God's love. This is a beautiful book to share with grandchildren or any child in your life. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Zonderkidz. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

He Sees my Journey

Psalm 20:7
Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
    but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

My granddaughter shared with me that she rode her cousin's horse. In the pictures she stood tall and handled the horse well. She was a natural.  I surprised her when I told her my family owned two horses and two ponies when I was young; Musket, Babe, Shotgun and Pistol.  She had no idea her Babaw (grandma) rode horses.

Photo by Maggie Wickline-Jowers

The strength and confidence horses exude gave me the trust I needed to climb into the saddle and ride Shotgun through our fields. God created pure beauty when he made horses. I admire their muscular grace. I trusted my pony would carry me across the rough terrain and then lead me home.

In Bible times, the people traveled by foot, horse, and chariot. They trusted their horses to guide them where they needed to go. Even as they relied on their horses they knew that animals could stumble and fall.

But God never fails.

My faith in Jesus outweighs everything. I place all my trust in the Lord because he never falls short . He has a plan for my life, and I do my best to follow the Holy Spirit's nudges and direction. I loved the freedom of riding Shotgun through the fields as the wind blew through my hair and the weight of the world fell away. By trusting God to guide me through life, I embrace the freedom of knowing he understands me and knows my needs. Sometimes fully trusting my life to God is hard. At times, I don't understand the whys and what fors. But God knows me, he recognizes my needs before I do. He created my path and sees my journey. I trust him with my life. 

Flower Friday: Queen Anne's Lace

When I was child, the ditches along my parent's home were filled with Queen Anne's Lace. I was sure these were the flowers the fairies grew. 

Their lacy, delicate heads swayed in the hot summer breeze. 

According to legend these beauties are named after Queen Anne, who sewed her own lace. The tiny purple-red dot in the center is said to represent a drop of her blood when she pricked her finger.

Queen Anne's Lace

“Queen Anne's LaceDaucus Carota.” EdibleWildFood, www.ediblewildfood.com/queen-annes-lace.aspx.

Wake up Grateful!

Children's Book Review: Brick Builders Illustrated Bible

Book Description:

The Brick Builder’s Illustrated Bible uses the popularity of brick-building pieces to engage children with the Word of God. With bold, colorful illustrations by Antony Evans and child-friendly text, over 35 beloved stories from the Old and New Testaments come to life. Readers will travel from Genesis to Revelation as they read stories like Creation, Noah’s Ark, David and Goliath, the Birth of Jesus, and Jesus Walks on Water. And each story contains a “Building Block” takeaway for kids to help them apply the biblical principal to their own lives. What better way to bring the family together than with the Brick Builder’s Illustrated Bible, perfect for readers of all ages.

My Review:

My grandkids love building with Legos. When I saw this book, I had to see what it was about. From beginning to end, the bright, bold illustrations blew me away. I love the designs of the characters and the expressions on their faces. They fit perfectly with the well done Bible stories. My favorite feature in the book is the take-away. After each story is a section called "Building Block," a call to action that echoes the wisdom in the story. This would make a great gift for any child who likes to build. You could also use it in Sunday School to emphasize a lesson or in family devotion time. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Zonderkidz. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Walk in Love

Philemon 1:7
Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.

Ephesians 5:1-2
Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

An array of colors hung on the wall in front of us. The rainbow reached from beautiful blues to passionate pinks and purples. Excited to experience a relaxing pedicure, we ladies perused the polishes. We wanted our toenails to be the loveliest shade of summer as they peeked from our sandals.

Every year my youngest daughter gifts myself and her sisters with pedicures for our birthdays. We have so much fun picking out the colors, admiring each other's toes, and laughing and talking together. The love we share makes the whole experience wonderful.

"Living in love is the color we bring to the world." -Didi Bacon

Our pastor, Didi, preached about a humble love we, as believers and followers of Christ, show the world. We are called to spread the most important color in the world—love. Share a smile, stand up for someone who's been hurt, offer help, give money, share a hug, talk to a friend about grace and faith, sit quietly beside the one who grieves, have the hard conversations. Jesus loves us more than we understand. He wants us to pour that love into other people. We need to see others the way God sees them and move beyond ourselves to love people.

Flower Friday: Black-eyed Susans

Every summer for as long as I can remember, Black-eyed Susans bloomed on my birthday. Seeing the beautiful sunshine-filled flowers reminds me how much God loves me. These lovely posies bloom in gardens and meadows. I remember seeing them in the fields and ditches and feeling blessed to have such lovely birthday bouquets.