A Net in Time

Curriculum and book reviews, faith, homeschooling and more!

Blog

It’s Almost time

By 8 Comments

Five minute Friday word prompt today is Almost.  Though not as many people participate as in times gone past, most people who join in write posts worth reading.  Even better most (but not all) make it very easy to comment as well.   Last words spoken at work today led to the title of today’s poem “It’s Almost Time.”

it's almost time, text with picture of hour glass

It’s Almost Time

“Almost time”
a voice quietly says
“time for you to go
home and rest that weary head”.

I smiled, looking behind
a manager’s face
smiling encouragement
as I climb down the ladder.

This week has felt
long, today even more so,
battling a sore back
and remnants of
nightmares crashing in my head.

After work I stopped
at a friend’s house,
she took one look at me
and offered up a hug.

Sometimes, even when you
aren’t a hugger, leaning into
a hug, is indeed
the best thing ever.

We chatted a bit about
this and that.
Her parents have struggles,
the family pitches in,
but things will be hard.

but you know this?
her parents believe
that God is real.

Many in her family
are the same, seeing
the reality of God, and
then living that reality out.

Hard doesn’t stop
the people of God.
We still do what
needs to be done.

Whether it’s baking
cookies to bring smiles
to co-worker faces.

Or caring for parents
when the system lets them down
or praying for loved one
(and their loved ones) when
distance separates.

for we know this,
it’s almost time,
not quite there yet
(for obvious reasons)

but it’s almost time
for Christ to return
Wars, rumours of wars,
natural calamities, and more

the signs are there,
and in the twinkling of an eye,
Christ will appear
in the clouds before us.

So though a weak
might be hard with
physical and mental
strain, it doesn’t stop
the reality.

One must keep on
keeping on, until
the Lord comes
in all his glory.

It’s almost time.

gray scale photography of clock near trees
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

God speaks to us

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Matthew 6 selected verses

4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.

26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 

How to Catch a Mamasaurus

By Leave a Comment

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product How to Catch A Mamasaurus through Raincoast Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and it is so much appreciated. 🙂

I don’t know if you remember the fun of How to Catch a Daddysaurus, but today I have another in the series: How to Catch a Mamasaurus.   Just as the first was a quick spin on the attributes of being a dad, this fun romp delights in the joy of being a mom!  Come along for a rhyming good time about the loveliness that is mom! 

how to catch a mamasaurus

The Basic Details for How to Catch A Mamasaurus

Title: How to Catch a Mamasaurus
Author: Alice Walstead
Illustrator: Andy Elkerton
Series: How to Catch
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Pages: 40
Intended Audience: 4-10 Years
Genre:  children’s books, picturebooks, mother’s day, activity book, children parenting
Available formats: Kindle, Hardcover, Audio
Received: Hardcover
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books

About the Author and The Book

Author and Illustrator

Alice Walstead (author) and Andy Elkerton (illustrator) have put together several how to catch books.  Children’s book author, Alice Walstead, loves to make kids smile with her stories.
Andy Elkerton, who is based out of the UK, is a children’s book illustrator who loves to create creatures that are impossible to catch! 

How to Catch a Mamasaurus

Filled with brightly coloured illustrations and busy active children, all things mom are celebrated.  Who is mom to you?  It’ll be covered in this fast-paced children’s book.  

how to catch a mamasaurus

Looking More Closely

First thing you’ll discover an any “how to catch” books is the mission.  Today’s mission… catch a mamasaurus.  They’ve tried for many creatures but this one… it’s a special one!!!!  

Colourful images filled with action flood the pages.  

Rhyming text to tell the story and make for ease of reading. 

Most pages are full-colour.  I love the emotion throughout.  Smiles, alarm, dissatisfaction, glee, concern, and determination.  Tons of great adjectives are used bringing home the importance of mom and all the different roles she plays.  Words that could generate great conversations with the children you are reading with.  Questions like how is mom a doctor?  Can mom be a referee? Is Mommy really an alarm clock?  How can mama be a teacher? 

The pages are so full of action they provide lots of talking points?  What kind of trap would you lay to catch a mamasaurus?  What type of meal would you make?  Does your mom like PB and J sandwiches, or would she rather have cheese and crackers?  Do you have a pet?  What kind?  So many ways to engage a child in this fun read. 

Find How to Catch A Mamasaurus before mother’s day this year.  Have fun reading with your children, and maybe they might find their OWN ways to trap their mom! (or their mom-like figure)!!  

A fact of life

By 12 Comments

Miss Kate threw out the word prompt Lonely today.  Loneliness is often a fact of life, one that people need to deal with sometimes on a daily basis.  Too often individuals fail to see the one who can get them through bouts of loneliness.  This poem speaks to that.    I’ve spoken on this word in the past with the poem, If only the lonely. 

loneliness, a fact of life. Image of sad lady looking out a window

A fact of life

loneliness is a fact
of life, sometimes filling a day
And sometimes disappearing
into the woodwork not to be
seen for the immediate future.

Being alone, lost in a crowd,
a workplace, a school, is not
the same as loneliness.

Loneliness, in my mind’s eye,
is a feeling
within of having no
one, not a single person
available who gives a rip
about your existence.

A feeling that persists
despite knowing that the
truth (that people really
do care) is not the same
as feeling.

One can feel lonely at a family
gathering, filled with laughter
and reminiscing.
Lonely, singing before a crowd
that sings along with you.
it’s an emptiness sitting
staunchly within

creating anger, desperation,
tears, sadness, and
and sense that nothing
really ever matters.

Fighting against loneliness
I’ve learned, there is only one
cure.
turning to one who is bigger
than myself/

(not my hubby and he
no longer is since he’s lost
almost a whole person now)

though the hubby helps
so much more than he knows
but he’s not bigger than
me, no person is.
but he often shows me
the spirit that is bigger
than me in his actions, care
and concern.

Who is bigger than me?
Is there really one who is
bigger than anyone I know?
yeah, he walked the earth,
He created all that is around me,
despite science trying to
tell me different.

God the father minding me,
The son holding it all together,
the spirit bringing
things to mind.
This God, this one being
is greater than all
and holds the loneliness,
the separateness at bay, and
reminds me that some
separateness it to be expected
because I might LIVE in this world,
but I don’t belong to it.

God speaks to me and you

1 John 5:19

We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

1 John 2:15-17

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

 

Farther Than the Moon

By Leave a Comment

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product Farther Than the Moon through Raincoast Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and it is so much appreciated. 🙂

Did you know that I used to work with CP kids?  They are SO MUCH FUN.  Granted not all the time, sometimes life with CP kids is hard.  Helping them control their bodies, helping them to show their intelligence to those around them, helping people see more than their physical limitations, and helping them deal with the pain of life.  It’s not always easy for them, OR their families/caretakers.  Farther Than The Moon by Lindsay Lackey gives some insight into that WHILE showcasing the abilities of another family member.  Family and friends learning to work together.  It’s a VERY good read and suggest you run out and get it now!  🙂 

farther than the moon

The Basic Details for Farther Than the Moon

Title: Farther Than the Moon
Author: Lindsay Lackey
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Pages: 336
Intended Audience: 10-14 Years
Genre:  children’s books, epilepsy, Jr Astronauts, children’s sibling books
Available formats: Kindle, Hardcover, Audio, Paperback
Received: Hardcover
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books

About the author and the book

Californian Lindsay Lackey grew up with big curly hair, and is the proud owner of two small dogs.  Growing up in Colorado, where most of her stories are based, she was (and still is) an avid reader.   Never wanting to be a story writer, she always wrote books making construction paper books as a wee child.   Her encouragement to aspiring authors is to keep at it.  Only we can tell our own stories!   A bonus!!   Lindsay has a jr. astronaut program on her website!   

About Farther Than the Moon

Thirteen-year-old Houston Stewart wants to become an astronaut. His dreams feel like they’re finally coming true when he’s accepted to the highly-competitive Junior Astronaut Recruitment Program.  Problem though, he’s made a promise to his younger brother. 

Ever since their dad left, Houston and Robbie have been inseparable. It’s hard to tell where Houston’s love of space ends and where Robbie’s begins. But Robbie’s cerebral palsy and epilepsy mean he needs medical attention at home, so Houston is forced to take this giant leap for the two of them all on his own.

At camp, Houston is quickly drawn into the orbit of new friends, cosmic adventures, and a long-lost grandfather. But can he keep his promise to his brother Robbie?  Will his idea work?  What if Robbie doesn’t like it?  Then what?  Can he make the right plan using his new friends and family? Can he and Robbie still shoot for the stars?

farther than the moon by lindsay lackey

Digging Deeper

I love a book that shows youth learning, growing, and following their passions.  Houston does all these things.  He learns and does so much it’s just a fantastic read.  Ms. Lackey did an excellent job of bringing the insecurities and devotion of a 13 year old to life.  She showed the determination that teens have to following their passions… in this case to be astronauts! 

Houston has SO much work to do that JARP (Jr.Astronaut Program), assignments to complete, a grandfather to get to know, and working in group situations with people who are difficult.  Life became just a wee bit complicated.  Lies, truths, equipment failure, lack of confidence, bullying, and worry over his brother… it was all a bit much.  Will advise from his astronaut grandfather help?   

Part of the learning that Houston had to do was discovering what it means to make promises to his brother.  It’s hard to be a person with limitations, and it’s even harder when promises are made that seem impossible to keep.  Hurt feelings abound on both sides of the equation.  Houston and his teammates struggle to find the solution. 

I love how Ms. Lackey showed all these intense emotions and thought processes.  Each member of the team felt like real people.  The adults adulted well, which I find is an important part of middle school fiction. I love how mom admitted to struggles in the past but through changing her perspective onthose events (now as an adult) decided she could change the present.  

I love how it was not just Houston who needed to learn, grow, and change, but all the members of the his team learned new things.  Such a nice well-rounded book to encourage young teens to follow their passions and be better people in the process.   Farther Than the Moon is well worth reading whether young or old! 

Put a Limit to Your Actions

By 2 Comments

“Put a limit to your actions put a limit to your words” rang through my mind as I pondered the word Limit, a word prompt provided by Miss Kate.  I don’t know if they are lines to a poem I read or a song?  But they were so immediate I figured they had to be something.  The thing is… can I turn those lines into something worth reading?   What would God have me write today?

put a limit to your actions

Put a limit to your actions

Those lines

Put a limit to your actions
Put a limit to your words
by doing so you know
you’re living by the WORD

These words run through my mind
making me think perhaps
it was a song learned back
in Sunday School. Alas
the rest of the song is lost
to the travails of time.

Last night I had a blast
selling some of my homeschool
material. I started the evening by
killing two birds with one stone.
I gave away candy! I know, it’s silly.
But for everyone setting up a table
of goods I said “Want a treat?” Almost
everyone smiled and took one.
The second stone REMOVED that candy
temptation from my life which means “I”
won’t be able to munch on it. Woot woot!

I chatted with lots of people,
and gave away stuffies
to young children with big smiles.
And through it all
made back a trifling of what
I’ve spent over the years.

Connections made

How does this connect with the line
Put a limit to your actions?
Well you see
I made children smile.
I brought moments of joy.
Time was taken to move forward
with goals of passing forward
what I’ve received and limiting
the intake of the unnecessary.
I’ve stopped hanging on the
past with things I don’t need to keep.

God calls us to change.
Weird huh?
He accepts us as we are, and yet
says “hey, I see better for you,
let’s help you embrace that.”

To do so means I have to stop
some actions (limiting them),
and I have to move forward with
some new actions.
Over time I learn even more
new actions I have to limit,
and figure out
new habits to embrace.

And by doing so I guess I’ll
live out those last line
of Living by the WORD.

Acts 4:1-4

By Leave a Comment

After seeing God’s love in action, planning out the help we would need, and letting us, in our ignorance, hurt his son. We have to see what will happen next don’t we?  Acts tells us the stories of the apostles right after Jesus ascended, it’s good to know our church history yes? 

And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, 2 greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4 But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.

Acts 4:1-4

Acts 4:1-4

Verses 1-2

And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, 2 greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 

It happens you know.  You start talking about Jesus and the cross and someone is bound to get annoyed.   Sometimes that annoyance is just … well… annoying, but other times it’s problematic.

verse 3

3 And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 

As we can see in this situation is was problematic.  They got arrested and tossed in the clink.

It’s so easy to dismiss this isn’t it.  Oh, that was then, they were fighting the established religion, so it was bound to happen.   But it still happens.  People get arrested, beaten, killed, fined, and more just for presenting God’s word to people around them.   In some places of the world you need to be so careful if you are a believer.  And yet people still believe.  They persist.  Why?  This next sentence may give us part of the answer…. 

verse 4

4 But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.

But look at this.  Even though the annoyed ones tossed them in jail, people BELIEVED.  5000 strong!  They heard what was being taught and they took it all to heart and became part of the faithful.   Maybe that courage in speaking truth is what leads to the church growing today in parts of the world where you would think it wouldn’t.  Afterall, wouldn’t the threat of persecution scare people away?  Instead, it seems that persecution helps the church to grow. 

When I was in college I postulated in a paper that perhaps the church should pray for more persecution.  That it would make us stronger as a whole, weeding out those not truly committed, and encouraging those who believe to rely on God all the more.  Now, at age 58 …. I ponder what I would do in the face of persecution.  Would I see God more clearly or would I get frightened and hide?  It’s too easy you know?  Too easy to postulate ideas without truly seeing the cost of what that means… and now I see it and wonder.   I wonder how young families in persecuting areas do when they see their children and wonder what will happen to them if mom and dad are caught?  If the children are caught talking about God (as children will talk about what they are raised with).  

And then see God’s church grow.  And that part is such a marvellous part filling me with awe and wonder at God’s actions, does it outweigh the fear? It’s such a juxtaposition for me. 

Follow the Series

 If you are interested in the rest of the series you will find them here eh?   

With a Little Luck

By Leave a Comment

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product With A Little Luck through Raincoast Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and it is so much appreciated. 🙂

Music, friendship, Dungeons and Dragons, the joys of school, and magic dice.  Smack dab in the middle of it is Jude.  Twin to Pru, friend of Ari, dungeon master, and artiste. A coming-of-age story that is heart-warming, funny, and interesting.  With a Little Luck is a magically musical story filled with a good mix of competence and uncertainty…. teens in a nutshell!  

With a little luck

The Basics for With a Little Luck

Title: With a Little Luck
Author: Marissa Meyer
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends/Square Fish
Pages: 368
Intended Audience: 12-18 Years
Genre:  children’s books, teen contemporary, young adult contemporary, teen literature & fiction
Available formats: Kindle, Hardcover, Audio, Paperback
Received: ARC paperback
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books

About the Author

Marissa Meyer has wanted to be an author since she knew such a job existed.  She’s written under various pen-names, and engaged in various types of writing.  Hitting the New York Times best seller lists she lives with her hubby and adopted daughters near Tacoma, Washington. 

About the book

Jude is determined to fly under the radar. He just wants to draw comics, host D&D night with his friends, work at his parents’ vinyl record store, and escape high school as unscathed as possible. That is, until the night he finds himself inexplicably gifted with a bout of supernatural good luck.  

Suddenly, everything Jude has ever wanted is within reach. …… But how long can Jude’s good fortune last?

with a little luck

Learning More

I have to admit, I laughed a lot reading With a Little Luck.  Jude is such a likable character who just something got in over his head.  His sisters were excellent, his folks were real, and Ari is a sweet girl with a good talent.  The characters fit the story so well and the interplay with them all showed family in action with good friends mixed in. Laughter and fun are a part of this coming-of-age story. 

Jude is an artist!  His illustrations help tell the story!   In the ARC version that I received the illustrations were all done in black and white.  It fits Jude’s style to have them as simple pencil drawings. 

Chapter headings show off the lucky dice.  Lucky number 20 is an important part in playing dungeons and dragons. Knowing Jude is to be part of the stories he creates for his friends. How will Jude handle the luck that has dropped into his life.  Or if the luck leaves, what will that mean for him?   Can Jude truly discover who he loves and what he really wants to do?

READ THE STORY and find out.  Laugh a bit.  You’ll be glad you did.  We all need a bit of young romance in our lives and the love of family to see you through.