A Net in Time

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Easier than expected

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Ooh… Miss Kate has picked the five minute Friday word prompt!   Today’s word is Easy.  So what shall I do with this word today?  Easier than expected is my working title but that might change depending on how words flow.  I’m thinking back over my week and a couple of aspects of life kinda fit. We’ll see what God wants to bring out of it eh?

easier than expected

Easier than expected

Yesterday I heard
of another death,
the husband of a friend
cancer, so not his friend.

It makes me think
of another I know
Long time FMF supporter
one I’ve taken some time to know.
cancer a beast
that takes some time.

BUT a love of God
makes it easier than expected
despite the love held
for kith and kin
To let go
and be welcomed to God.

I saw this love
that people feel to God
the wonder of knowing him
of being his child.

My mom-in-law
surgery faced
NERVOUS is a slight
under-estimation.

BUT through it all
God. God crept in
conversation continuously.
That knowledge of his love
and mercy, the grace he shows.
She rested in it.

And so, it draws to mind
of my friend, whose wife
so lost, now with the Lord
and her husband of 63 years
says “God has use for me yet.”
The continuous
Resting in God.

Such an example
to me of how, knowing God
makes so much in life
easier than expected.

Have you discovered the same?

easier than expected

Heeding God’s Word

Matt.11:28-30

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Isaiah 26:3-4

3 You will keep in perfect peace
    those whose minds are steadfast,
    because they trust in you.
4 Trust in the Lord forever,
    for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.

Phil. 4:6-7

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Fly Patrol

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product (Fly Patrol) 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. 🙂 

Flies against people, isn’t it the everlasting battle?   But do flies flight against other flies?  Can a female fly help her patrol win the day?  In Fly Patrol, Danduand and Revel bring us into their world as flies battle humans for food. 

Fly Patrol

From the Press Release: Fly Patrol,from author, photographer and illustrator William Dandurand, and author Gary Revel, shares the story of an elite squadron of flies that serves to protect innocent flies looking for food. The flies must be protected not only from humans, but also from a mysterious intruder-fly. When Commander Ace is injured in battle, a young cadet named Sargent Hot Sauce must prove herself by assuming command of the Fly Patrol during the heat of battle. The war will continue and will never end until humans share their food with the flies. 

Reviewed for Ascot media. 

What do you get

You’ll discover full colour images done by Gary Revel.  Photographs are used as backdrops to the characters.  They help add some depth to the story.  The characters themselves are flat and simply drawn.

The text is very simple.  It could have used a bit of editing to make the story more cohesive.  Sometimes it seemed like sentence structure could have been improved. Not being a grammar major, I couldn’t always pinpoint why the sentences didn’t read well.  

Discovering the flies have two major enemies…. the humans with their rock salt and being a major source of food, along with the horse flies who attack them unprovoked. 

You’ll learn about the need for good team work, females in leadership, helpfulness, persistence, and careful decision making. 

Should this be on your shelves

This is a very disjointed feeling book.  Nothing really seems connected.  It’s a book where characters are there and things happen but you don’t really understand why.  It leaves you feeling like you read an incoherent story.  It just didn’t quite make sense. 

In someways Fly Patrol kinda feels like when a young child is telling you story and it kinda jumps around a bit.  Is it worth reading?  It’s one I might borrow from the library.  🙂 

What is Love

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product (What is Love) 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. 🙂 

Have you ever struggled with the meaning of love, asking yourself, What is love?   Mac Barnet asks this question in a fable-like picture book.  Today I would like to tell you all about it.   It’s actually more difficult to define endearment, adoration, warmth or passion than one might think.  It’s no small wonder that this young fellow struggled so.  

what is love

What I am reviewing

ChronicleKids put together a 44-page picture book for children 3-5 years old.  Author Mac Barnett asks this not so simple question “what is love?” and through the experiences of one young boy we see love described by a wide variety of sources.  Illustrated by Carson Ellis we see bright colours throughout.   I am reviewing on behalf of Raincoast Books. 

What is love, seeing the details

A young boy asks gramma, what is love?  Gramma simply says “I can’t answer that.”   She advises him to head into the world, and see what he discovers. Carson Ellis uses a wide colour palette as he envisions this young fellow’s journey. They are presented using gouache on watercolor paper.

In his journey, he meets a wide variety of people, each with a different answer to his question.  Some of those answers seemed contradictory.  However will he discover the answer?  (I won’t tell you this). 🙂

what is love

You will find the font easy to read.  It is in black against a cream coloured page.  The things people enjoy in a larger font, their explanations and the seekers response in a regular font. 

I’m not surprised that this young person doesn’t understand that different things that people adore.  It’s outside of his experience and life. 

What do I think?

So I read Mac Barnet’s tome, and I thought it cleverly well-done.  I love how the author shows what this strong emotion/feeling is from different perspectives.  But those perspectives were always selfish.  One person’s need or desire or want is summed up as love.

I think, as a faith-based reviewer, that this would be a fantastic book to introduce what love really is. 

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  This comes from 1 John 4.   Love is so much more than what we need or appreciate in the moment. 

I also find it fantastic the sheer variety in colour, occupations, lifestyles, cultures etc displayed throughout.  You’ll see women carpenters, red-bearded fishermen, dark-coloured soldiers, women farmers, male poets and more.  Devotion for different things is expressed world-wide. 

Other books on this topic that you might enjoy are:

heavy is the weight

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So a bit back dear friends of mine were in a horrific accident.  Two deaths and one life were the result of that accident.  FINALLY I was able to visit this week, just for a wee short time, but enough to pass along well-wishes and prayers.  I left and called my mom to let her know and to express my dismay that some think he is callous.  My mom was quick to explain how often people don’t understand how heavy is the weight between that relief of no more pain, and the mourning of a loved one lost.  I was reminded to more often show grace to those who simply don’t understand. 

heavy is the weight

heavy is the weight

he lies there
bandaged and battled
finally,
friends can stop in
for just a wee bit
to visit.
to check in
and let him know
the prayers and
well-wishes of
kith and kin.

he apologizes
not able to move
broken leg, ribs and
arm preventing.
always hospitable
even when it’s next
to impossible to manage.

but nothing will stop
conversation, a
reaching out to ensure
the well-being of others.

glimpses of pain in
converation of a loved one lost
and feeling callous when
the gladness is there
that this loved one
is now in heaven
of being glad that
she is gone and no
longer in pain.

she can now be
with a son long since lost.

the relief that she is
not with him is palpable
yet heavy is the weight
of loss.

heavy is the weight
of others thinking
he is callous for the
relief of no more suffering
for his most loved of people.

heavy is the weight
knowing that God himself
is not finished with him yet
of not knowing yet what
the future holds for him.

observing him
i am reminded of
how heavy was the weight
when relief felt when
my dad passed
no more pain
glory with God himself.

sadness knowing
that not all will
understand this,
that heaviness of
mourning mixed with
the heaviness of relief.

heavy is the weight

post script

I honestly don’t know a good scripture to put with this poem, all I know is this.  I understand how my friend feels at the loss of his wife.  Not as well as my mom would, but I do catch a glimpse of it. I DO know this…. God extends to me grace upon grace upon grace.   This book helped.

Once I truly understood that, I have tried to raise my boy by extending to him grace upon grace, and I’m getting better at doing that with my hubby as well.  He messes up, I mess up, and we truly need to extend more and more grace to each other.  It’s funny sad how I need to learn to do this with everyone in my sphere of influence. Yet God, he does it all seemlessly.  All his children are his children and extending grace to them just happens.

HE EVEN extends grace to those who are not his own.  Still giving food, shelter, variety in weather, jobs and more.  This is God in action, so how much more should we try to copy that? I have so much to learn yet.  I fear I will never show it enough, in all my life interactions.

Does a Bulldozer Have a Butt?

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product (Does a Bulldozer Have a Butt?) 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. 🙂 

So, Does a Bulldozer have a butt?  is a hard review for me to write.  I got it and thought, I have to review this?  What am I to do?  I want to honour the author and their efforts, and yet… this book is too odd for words.  BUT then I got to thinking about it. This picture book has an audience.  My son went through a stage where Captain Underpants was a huge favourite, so…odd ball books with their own humour have an appeal.  AND I love, just love, the attention and focus of Dad engaging in a protracted conversation with his son.   THAT is fantastic for sure!

Check out what I am reviewing

Does a Bulldozer Have a Butt? is the most recent book written by Derick Wilder.   It’s been described as a mix between Green Eggs and Ham and Everyone Poops.  It’s a humour-filled conversation between a boy and his dad.  K-Fai Steele provides full colour illustrations, cleverly drawing butts in many unique objects.  A 40 page picture book published by Chronicle Books written for children 3-5 years old. 

I am reviewing on behalf of Raincoast books, and I received a hardcover book with a dustcover. 

Learning more about Does A Bulldozer Have a Butt?

I absolutely adore the images of this dad talking with his boy.  Here they are, just going about their day having a funny, silly conversation about what may, or may not, have a butt. Bushes, babies, trees, birds and who knows what else might pop into this young fellow’s head. 

I love dad’s creativity in answering his boy. 

The lad’s question is always in bold font, the dad’s answers immediately following. 

The creative answers of dad always find a way to sorta rhyme.   Draw One/Straw One, side by side/they all died, along with his bootie/quite a cutie for example.

I have to admit, it’s not really my cup of tea, but it might be a fun read with children. The suggested age range should not be 3-5 years, but more like 5-7 years.  I really don’t think 3 year old would get the humour and it might lead to awkward questions.  But a wee bit older… they would see the humour and might come up with fun items themselves. Thereby challenging their adults to come up with their own unique answers.  THAT would be fun!  🙂 

K-Fai Steele does an excellent job of bringing the story to life.  Isn’t the wide range of colour fantastic?  And the multi-culturalism is wonderful along with a wide-range of activities. 

Add it to your shelves?

Honestly I have mixed thoughts about Does A Bulldozer have a butt?   On the one hand I love that dad is fully committed to this conversation with his son.  The lad asking questions and dad being creative with the answers.  Love that aspect.  Totally want every parent to be that engaged with their children. 

But on the other hand… asking if a bulldozer has a butt, or a crayon or an ice cream sundae…. just seems to push the conversation too far.  Don’t like that. 

Then again… I can see young boys having a hoot and coming up with their own ideas of what may, or may not, have a butt and just laughing away. This is good.  As I mentioned earlier, my son loved Captain Underpants for a while, and if you like this, you might like King of the Mole People. 

So totally a mixed opinion.  Are their some children who would love it?  Yep.  Would some parents go.. this is too stupid for words?  For sure. Would there be a middle ground?  Most definitely.  So make up your own mind, I’ve tried giving you a balanced review.  

All My Friends

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product (All My Friends) 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. 🙂 

A while back I reviewed a graphic novel entitled All Together Now by Hope Larson, it featured Bina and a few of her friends.  All My Friends continues the story of musician Bina and her friends.  She, a 14 year old girl, has a band in this graphic novel and much of the story revolves her musical aspirations. 

All My Friends

All My Friends, details

Relationships between friends, music, LGBTQ and hetero relationships, listening (or not listening) to parents, problem solving, and secretive planning fill the 192 pages of this graphic novel.  Written by Bestselling author Hope Larson, students in 10-14 will understand Bina and her friends.  This is the third book in the Eagle Rock Series.  The first two books are All Summer Long and All Together Now.   Farrar Straus Giroux published, and I received an copy from Raincoast books for my review. 

Learning More

I struggled with Bina absoluate defiance when her folks said no.  We see them explain why they chose to say no, they think, at age 14 a record contract would be more pressure than Bina and her friends are ready for.  Bina and her friends get so upset by this.  As a parent I would be appalled at this behaviour.  Steming from this defiance are lies, scheming, and deception.  None of which really get them what they want.   

I appreciated catching a glimpse of Bina’s inner thoughts.  She occasionally struggled with her deceptions and schemings.  Her dislike of lying to her parents helped her to open about some parts of her life which was great!

As you might be able to tell, the colour scheme is monochromatic.  Various shades of pink for black or white contrasting. I can understand the use of pink as it matches the name of the group, and is predominately about a group of girls.  I just would have loved more colour throughout.

But the font is easily readable. 

I loved how the complexity of relationships was shown.  From anger at parents, to the conflict of lying, to love, and familial interactions.  It’s not always easy being a parent, a sibling, a friend, a child or to even be in a relationship. 

You’ll see interracial marriage, hetero relationships, LGBTQ relationships, relationships that break apart, and relationships that have stood the test of time. You’ll see how a community can pull together to make an event happen, and how knowing people, building connections, can help launch a career.   And through it all, you see parents actually parenting.  I so love seeing books where parents actually do their job.  

Add to your shelves?

If you want to avoid the normalizing of same-gender relationships, this book is not for you.  Perhaps you have a child who wants to start their own band, or loves books with strong female protaganists, All My Friends will suit the bill.  If you like a book that shows parents parenting and children being creative about problem solving… this works!

Overall, not a bad book, nothing truly objectional. Just three girls highly focused on their musical careers, dealing with protective parents, and entering the dating world. 

Catch Me

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Oh, that was just odd (kinda funny actually maybe).  I read the five minute friday prompt this morning and so have been pondering the word catch during my morning chores.  Yes, for some reason carry became the word catch so I’ve wasted 4 hours of my day pondering the wrong word!   I feel very silly.  🙂   So I’m sitting here thinking, what can I do with the word carry?   And I suppose that within every carry is the need to catch or to hold, and thus Catch Me was born. 

Catch Me

Poem: Catch Me

Catch me Mom
Catch me please
and having been caught
this child wants to be
Carried.

Again, again
don’t let me go
Keep me safe from
my angry foe.
Afresh.

Release me,
I don’t need help
I can manage on my own
No, let me be
Respite.

Released to fly
Learning, growing
Becoming more
growing awareness
Relief?

Years bring
knowledge, that
more is needed.
Help required.
Yearning.

Hearing from God

I don’t know that any of these verses particularly apply to my poem, but they bring in some of my overall thoughts.  As children grow they want to be carried, and then they want to be able to just do their own thing.  Over time we learn the importance of accepting the help needed. 

As we mature, don’t you find that the help we need changes?  Our needs change over time don’t they?  Young adults needing different help than seniors.   

In I Corinthians 13:11 we find the progression of child to adult. Having to make decisions to give up childish ways and think like an adult.  It’s less self-centred.

And in Jeremiah 1:5 discovering that God knows us before we are even born.  He consecrated Jeremiah to be a prophet even before birth.  This tells me about God everlasting care for me.  A boundless love eh?

Psalm 55:22

Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.

Isaiah 41:10

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.