A Net in Time

Curriculum and book reviews, faith, homeschooling and more!

Blog

Sheltering Mercy

By 2 Comments

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product (Sheltering Mercy) through Nuts About Books.  Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. 🙂 

So over the past couple of months I have learned to appreciate reading prayers outloud.  I find that reading the prayers of others broadens my relationship with God. Sometimes when you pray the prayers of others you are blessed by their spiritual experience as well.  I just finished The Power of a Praying Wife  and wanted something new. So the other day I asked my hubby if he had a book of prayers in his expansive library, and he said “I think so, might take a bit to find though”.  Then Sheltering Mercy came in the mail.  What a lovely book!  Seriously.  A book filled with prayers written in free verse (my preferred style of poetry writing for myself) all based on the first 75 Psalms.  I can’t wait to tell you all about it!

Sheltering Mercy

Sheltering Mercy, the basic Details

Sheltering Mercy with 240 pages is published by Brazos Press. It would be very easy to tuck into a book bag or purse at just 5 x 8 inches. Each poem follows chronologically from 1 through 75.  Ryan Whitaker Smith and Dan Wilt share the authorship.   My review is for Nuts about Books. 

Getting the fuller details

There is very little art work throughout, but occasionally you’ll find these black and white custom illustrations. If I counted correctly you’ll find 10 illustrations, each different, and each symbolizing some aspect of the Christian faith. 

These free-verse prayers are not meant to replace scripture.  They aren’t meant to be a paraphase, or an alternate translation.  Prayers are a reaction to scripture. A lyrical response from a believer’s heart back to the ear of God.  Written to encourage and help our hearts to response as well. 

Simple titles grace each poem, leading some insight into the direction of the prayer. 

Let me show you a comparison from Psalm 17.  This prayer is called Justice Plea.

Hear me, Lord, my plea is just;
    listen to my cry.
Hear my prayer—
    it does not rise from deceitful lips.
2 Let my vindication come from you;
    may your eyes see what is right.

The prayer starts off with 

Hear me, Lord!
Hear my justice plea!
How it burns within me —
a fire in my bones;
a desparate cry in the dark.

Lying voices surround me,
within and without.
Through their time is short,
they chatter endlessly —
the frantic scheming of the damned.

As you can see, not a paraphrase, or a new scriptural rendition, but a heart response to the Lord. A response, that prays scripture back to the Lord who inspired it in the first place. Just using author’s words, the author’s response back to the Lord. 

Should you buy it?

Yes, please, add Sheltering Mercy: Prayers Inspired by the Psalms to your library.  It won’t replace your prayers to the Lord God, but it will, perhaps, inspire you to look at a Psalm differently.  Perhaps you’ll find yourself inspired to find your own words to pray scripture back to the one who sustains you.  

Now perhaps poetry isn’t your thing.  That’s okay. It doesn’t have to be your thing in order to help you talk to the Lord God. Don’t read it as poetry, read it as a prayer, as a communication back to God. Strengthen your relationship with the one who created you. Let your spirit be stirred anew!

You’ll appreciate the small size and the feel of the quality hardcover. It feels right in your hands.  🙂  The only thing I would change would be to encourage God’s direct word into each Psalms’ page. But this way, you can read the Psalm in your own translation, and that’s a good thing too eh? 🙂 

Coffee, not for me

By 21 Comments

Imagine this… a five-minute Friday word that I SO do not connect with!   Coffee, not for me please!  So let’s see if we can actually have fun with this post.  

It is funny (sad) how often I attend an event, a social after church, a rabbit show, or literally whatever, and all they have on tap is coffee.  If you are lucky bottled water, or maybe a tang juice is offered, but mostly, just coffee.  What are the options for those who don’t like coffee?   Perhaps this poem might provide some insight into the options to offer.

coffee not for me

Coffee, not for me

Every where I turn
Coffee seems to be.
Every social screams
won’t you drink me please?

Sometimes there’s no option
Only coffee to be served.
Bring your own the option assumed.

Won’t you like some tea?
A hot chocolate perhaps?
What about a brew?
A wine glass or two?

Water is a the
Elixer of life
(or so I’ve heard it said)

Add some flavouring?
Maybe some bubbles?
Spruce it up a bit you see?

I’d like a glass of milk
Strawberry is preferred,
though chocolate or Caramel
Thrills me just as much.

Tomato juice, carrot juice
even watermelon wine
Orange or apple or
even a glass of lemonade!!

Coke, Pepsi
Sprite’s the thing,
various sodas coloured well,
Rootbeer is my lad’s thing.

Consider well
my coffee snobs,
So many options to
add to your shelves!

Coffee not for me

Taking it deeper

So, what is YOUR drink of choice?   Iced tea is the best thing ever, particularly a fruit flavoured one.  🙂 

Now, take a moment here.  Think about what coffee is for people.

For my hubby, a coffee in the morning is his wake-up call.  A way for him to gather his brain cells together at the start of a day.  For my mom, coffee is just part of her social sphere, something to gather over as you exchange all the latest news. My lad learned to drink coffee (ice latte’s mostly) one summer when at army camp.  “It’s a good way to wake up mom!”

Regardless of your beverage choice, in time, you’ll get thirsty again.  It’s just a fact of life. 

In the bible, Jesus talked with a lady about water, living water where she’d never thirst.  Near the end of his conversation with her in John 4, he said “13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Wouldn’t that be nice to have?  A cool, ever-lasting drink of water.  Think of how a good drink of whatever refreshment you have makes you feel like. How satisfying that morning coffee is, or how lovely that steaming hot chocolate is.  Now have the feeling forever.  Like the lady Jesus was talking to, turn to the Messiah.  Be refreshed FOREVER.  Trust me, well worth it! 

Food Triggers

By 4 Comments

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product (Food Triggers) through Nuts About Books.  Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. 🙂 

I picked up this book Food Triggers from Nuts About Books because it sounded interesting. It doesn’t help that when I’m tired or stressed I tend to eat… and I don’t want to do that.  I wanted to discover how to deal with that and discover if there are other food triggers I have that I haven’t considered.  It’s part of my goal to continue my journey to a healthier weight.  Determining what triggers my munchies will help in the long run don’t you think? 

Food Triggers

Discovering the basic facts about Food Triggers

So you know what spawned my desire to review Food Triggers by Amber Lia.  She’s a successful author but this is the first book of hers I’ve read.  What I didn’t expect was moments of need, where I needed to be reminded of some pivotal facts.  At times I was completely caught off-guard how God used her to mind my spirit. 

At this point I am almost half-way through the 31 chapers of this 240 page book. It’s easy to hold this paperback in my hand, and it’s lightweight making it easy to carry to work on my lunch break!  Very handy that!  As Bethany House is the publisher you have to expect a faith-based component, and you won’t be let down.  Amber Lia is not shy about sharing her faith in her journey to better health, it’s an encouragement to other faith based journey-ers.  

Looking Deeper

Let me talk about a section that I often gloss over first.  Each chapter ends with a prayer particular to the chapter just finished.  I’ve recently discovered the power in praying outloud prayers written by others.   I honestly don’t know why I haven’t discovered this sooner!  Anyways, the prayers are specific and true cries to the Lord for his help on this jouney.   I have to admit…. I kinda stumbled over the last line of this particular prayer.

Now as I mentioned earlier there are 31 chapters.  The encouragement is to read through a chapter every day for a month. I have NOT kept to that schedule.  Chapter 1 made me do a whole lot of thinking and even spawned a conversation twixt my lad and I. 

This first chapter is all about discovering your why. Why do you want to figure out your food triggers?

Is it to: Feel better? Lose weight? Honour God? Make family happy? Doc’s orders? What truly is your why.
Be honest about it. This will be your motivation.  It’s not so easy to figure out.   
 
So read a chapter every day if you want, or take your time and really think things through.  It’s good to do that.  If you want to make true change in your life it has to start in your head you know? 

I love that the chapter headings don’t make you guess what the chapter is about.  So as you read through and you realize that you do have a specific trigger you can jump ahead!  Why wait if you want to combat it now rather than later? 

Personal touches abound

You’ll find personal touches of Ms. Lia’s story throughout.  She uses her story to help people to connect with the trigger being discussed.  Sometimes it worked for me, sometimes it didn’t.  Isn’t that just like people’s lives?  You can’t connect with everyone all the time can you? 

Don’t you just love when you get a book that is easy to read, with important concepts highlighted?  Makes it so much easier to digest the information isn’t it?  Everyday language, personal stories. key concepts highlight, and a nice sized font. Great for my older eyes you know? 

One of the solutions to our food triggers… remembering God wants something more from us.  Living a more vibrant life is part of that don’t you think?

Should you read it?

Occasionally I find a book that I think… this would be so good to do as part of a group.  Not all chapters will speak into the heart of every person, but there’s definitely food for thought in each chapter. At least that’s what I’ve discovered thus far.   Food Triggers is one such book. 

I just don’t know if I am brave enough to suggest it!  🙂 Seriously.  Weight loss is one of those trigger subjects for me and this touches in on so many areas… GAH!!!    So, consider it my recommendation for those of you who are BRAVER than I!  Go for it.  Grab this book, read it through, invite some others to join you.  And develop a healthier mindest toward food.  It’s a good thing that! 

Forest School For Grown-Ups

By 4 Comments

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product (Forest School for Grown-Ups) through Raincoast Books.  Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. 🙂 

I don’t know where you live, but around here within the homeschool community there is a love and desire for Forest School.  Groups of homeschool children gather and go for walks in the forest where they learn a love for nature.  In the process they are, depending on the group, taught skills to help them with practical skills.  But for children to learn these skills, they need adults who also know the skills.  Hence the need for a book such as Forest School for Grown-ups.

ALSO with the upsurge in camping novices learning to enjoy forests, trail walking, and living outside a book like Forest School will be hugely helpful.  If you didn’t know to build a campfire, use a compass, or make an emergency tent peg… you might be stuck, this book will help!

Not only that though, you can learn how to make an axe, read the rings on a tree, identify flowers, blaze a trail, engage in forest bathing, and even learn about forest gods.  If it has anything to do with a forest, learn about it here.

Forest School for Grown-Ups

The Basic Details of Forest School for Grown-Ups

160 pages, 8 chapters, resource page, illustrations, photos, maps, along with articles and step-by-step guides.  Authored by Richard Irvine and illustrated by Paul Oakley, and published by Chronicle books.  

At almost 2 lbs, it’s a heavier book.  It feels nice and solid in the hand, and is well-suited to being a hardcover. 

I am reviewing on behalf of Raincoast Books. 

Looking deeper

As you can see, there are 8 chapters, running approximately 30 pages long. 

  • The forest year comprises of the four seasons and how forests change with them.  You’ll learn such things as how to make ink, identify insects and flowers and even make mushroom prints.  Delving into some of the historic mysticism of forests and the joy of wolves returning to Yellowstone Park. 
  • Survival Skills covers the practical arts of living in a forest: fire building, shelter, filtering water, reading the weather etc.  You’ll discuss mystical beasts such as sasquatch. 
  • Food and the forest covers food, foraging, cooking, making jams, fishing, etc.
  • Navigation: map-making, using a compass, reading clues from the trees, constellations etc.
  • Woodland skills has you learning about wood, cutting down trees, doing charcoal burning, etc.
  • Forest projects teaches you knot making, building a shelter, utensils and fireplace, and more.
  • Forest in Mind discusses the connection we have with forest and the community we build through exploring it. 
  • The last chapter, forest fun and creativity, has the reader making a gym, searching for fossils, skipping stones and generally finding ways to engage with nature. 

Each section contains some type of forest mysticism.  People throughout the ages have made up creatures that live in the forest, forest gods that control them, hauntings and more.  These sections are readily identifed with a green hued image.

Some little details

You’ll find exquisite lino cut art and illustrations running throughout.  The detailed drawings do an excellent job of showcasing the text. 

Occasionally instead of illustrations you’ll discover full colour photos. They are usually grouped together to demonstrate the variety of life to be discovered. 

Add it to your shelves?

There is a whole lot that I like in Forest School for Grown-ups. I like the variety in subjects and how they cover not only the practical but also the mystical.  There is more to study in forest school than one might initially think.  BUT one of the things I didn’t see was how to prepare for backcountry camping! 

This guidebook has a lot of text, and it’s purpose to educate adults into understanding not only the forest of day, but also the forest of the past.   Understanding the history and the mysticism of the wood.  But knowing how to navigate and survive in the forest… hugely important!  🙂   I love the focus on learning skills, and the images to help us learn them!

Occasionally the reading is a bit of a slog, but mostly it isn’t.  Mostly it’s very informative and seeking to open the eyes of adults to the wonder of nature.  The way it is laid out makes it easy as an adult to teach those skills to youth. 

It’s Spring!

By 11 Comments

So, it’s been one of those weeks. Tiredness has been eeking out of every single pore it seems, and yet… sleeps appears to be short and sometimes optional.  And It’s Spring! Spring has days of being overcast with huge periods of sun! Sometimes those grey days get a bit long don’t you find? How does one see hope in those grey days? 

It's Spring

It’s Spring!

Today exhaustion rules
overcast skiess
combined with
time change
and lack of sleep
and worry over
a hubby who
right now struggles.

So because
exhaustion rules
I find ways to
constantly keep
busy.

Baking rolls
Scrubbing cupboards
Doing dishes
Reorganizing supplies
Planting seeds
cause you know
It’s Spring!

Yes, I know I’m late
but I figure
even three weeks
head start for
seeds is way
better than
no weeks! 🙂

Because
it’s spring in
South Western Ontario
I know that overcast
skies are
temporary. That
just around the corner
looms sunny skies
and brightness
and with it
will come a lightness
a hubby’s spirit renewed.

Until then
I read books like
Sheltering Mercy
a book of prayers
written free verse style
renewing my connection
to the Lord above.

Though admittedly
sometimes it
is a struggle.

But brightness reigns
a boy with
a ready smile.
The end of a mask
mandate,
happiness abounds!
A baby bunny’s eyes
open seeing the world.
Spring flowers push
up through the ground.

All around
God speaks
to my heart
through the world
he created.

I wonder how
some people can’t
see it.
Can’t they see
that
it’s spring!?!?!?
Hope abounds
everywhere you look!

it's spring

God talks to Us

1 Chron. 16:33 

Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the LORD, for He is coming to judge the earth.

Isaiah 55:12-13

For you shall go out with joy,
And be led out with peace;
The mountains and the hills
Shall break forth into singing before you,
And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree,
And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree;
And it shall be to the LORD for a name,
For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

Psalm 148:7-10

Praise the Lord from the earth,
    you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,
8 lightning and hail, snow and clouds,
    stormy winds that do his bidding,
9 you mountains and all hills,
    fruit trees and all cedars,
10 wild animals and all cattle,
    small creatures and flying birds,

How to Make a Mountain

By 2 Comments

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

You know how you can get a book that you fundamentally disagree with but can still like? How to Make a mountain is one such book.  I am a firm creationist… believing that God created the world.  Done story.  But then you get a cleverly done book from a evolutionary standpoint and enjoy the journey of exploration and explanation. 

How to Make a Mountain

The Basic Details

How to Make a Mountain: in Just 9 simple steps and only 100 million years by Amy Huntington.  A fun 68-page picture book for 5-8 year olds.  Chronicle books is the publisher, and I am reviewing a hardcover picture book with dustcover.  Raincoast books provided me with this copy.  Nancy Lemon illustrates. 

Learning more about How to Make a Mountain

How to Make a Mountain is a fantastic earth sciences book with 9 chapters listed as steps.

  • Find a rock
  • Crash and Crumple
  • Rivers and Rockslides
  • Freeze
  • Melt
  • Soil
  • Plants
  • Animals
  • Care

It takes a humourous look at how someone might want to help build a mountain.  It is great to be walked through the process from start to finish.  In the process, learning how long it takes for a mountain to form, if you follow conventional science.. that’s a 100 million years! 

The font is an easy to read size, and reads well quietly or outloud.  You will find good use of white space, and these full-colour illustrations filling the rest of the page.  I just love the fun illustrator Nancy Lemon had.  Drawing a little girl pushing hard on a rock with the font changing in size….isn’t it precious?!?!  Can’t you just children giggling over it?  🙂 

Don’t you just love informative picture books? You get to learn so much. Have you ever really stopped to think about what all makes up a mountain…from their creation to all the life they support? Just imagine the conversations you could engage your children in. 

At the close of the book you’ll find a section with definitions and a short summation. 

Add it to your shelf?

Are you doing a unit on earth science or geology?   Perhaps you are interested in understanding what a rock has to do with building a mountain? This book will help you see the steps in creating a mountain, and what all a mountain contains. How to Make a Mountain is such an interesting and fun look into all that makes a mountain a mountain. 

Will youth 5-8 years old like it?  I think so.  It’s a good, informative read, but not only that it’s a fun book! They get to watch a little girl pushing rocks, and canoeing in a river, and planting trees.   Older students will like it just to read with younger siblings, or as a primer before doing a deeper study.  Look into the biome of a mountain, of how mountains are created, and all the different aspects/regions of a mountain scape.  You’ll be surprised, perhaps, at just how much there is! 

Other books that might help:

 

The Adventures of Hillary the Little Ladybug

By 4 Comments

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product (The Adventures of Hillary the Little Ladybug) through Ascot Media Group.  Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. 🙂 

Mary Cohen brings us the story of a very determined youngster in The Adventures of Hillary the Little Ladybug.  The question throughout is… can Hillary stay focused?  Can she exhibit the skills she needs to achieve her hearts desire? What does this first book in a series tell us about Hillary?  Can young readers learn from her?

The adventures of hillary the little ladybug

What I am Reviewing

The Adventures of Hillary the Little Ladybug is the first in a series of 13 books entitled The Adventures of Hillary the Little Ladybug.   In this first book Hillary expresses her desire to one day be queen.  To be queen she’ll have to exhibit certain characteristics.   Therefore, in this first book we see her working on those needed skills. 

From the press release: The Adventures of Hillary the Little Ladybug, from the creative team of authors Mary Cohen and Elisabeth Revel, illustrator/photographer William Dandurand, and illustrator Gary Revel Jr., tells the story of an exceptionally gifted ladybug who does well in school and dreams of becoming Queen of Ladybug Land. One day, as she is flying to school, she is taught a valuable life lesson when a Praying Mantis begins to target her classmates. 

This book runs at 58 pages, and is published by Jongleur Books.  My review is for Ascot Media.

 

What do you get?

You’ll find yourself with a easy chapter book. Children up to about grade 2 will enjoy Hillary’s story.   8 short chapters fill out the 58 pages.  Young children will enjoy the suspense and simple language.

Very similarly to Fly Patrol you’ll find the art work utilizes a blend of original illustrations and photography. The illustrations are one dimensional showing limited expressions.  A primary-based colour scheme means it’s easy to identify characters. 

Sometimes the story was a little predictable, and the overuse of commas was a little off-putting. Irregardless, this is a good story.  You’ll find its well-suited for young readers. The short chapters making it ideal for early readers. 

In fact it is great to see the focus of Little Hillary.  Hillary is very determined to pursue her goals.  She will not allow herself to be side-tracked.

Add it to your shelves?

The Adventures of Hillary the Little Ladybug is actually a fun little book with a great premise.  I had fun following the story of Hillary. 

I admittedly, struggled with the editing. A good grammar editor understanding proper punctuation could make this short book better. Despite this, if I saw it in the library I would not be unhappy about picking it up.  🙂 

For homeschooling purposes, this short book would fit in with a careers day. A way to jump-start looking at skills needed for future endeavors. Additionally useful in a character quality study.