Recipe Review: Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins

Hi! Today's recipe for Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins comes to you from the beautiful blog of The Novice Chef.

Of course, I couldn't just MAKE the recipe, not with all my dietary restrictions now. But I LOVE pumpkin. :) 

These are beautiful muffins! Here's how I modified them: I used applesauce instead of oil. And Neufchatel cream cheese instead of regular. I also used homemade pumpkin puree instead of canned.

:D

 I'm giving them a "Yes, please", although I have no need to make them again. They are delicious, very moist and flavorful. I have a dozen in the freezer; I got 18 muffins from the recipe.



Let me know if you try these! :D

Have a great day! Be blessed, my friends!

Recipe Review: Best Ever Southern Peach Cobbler

 Good morning, friends!!! I'm so glad you came to check out my review this morning! I *almost* have everything on this new computer ready to blog, so here's a start. :)

Today, I'm going to review The Slow-Roasted Italian's recipe for Best Ever Southern Peach Cobbler.

I halved this recipe, since my little family was the only group eating it. :) I also changed the recipe up a bit (of course!); we bought peaches from The Peach Truck this year, and we froze the whole box in 4-cup portions. So, I used ONE package, juice and all. Also, we LOVE cinnamon around here, so I probably used 2 teaspoons. Use it to YOUR taste, always. :D

We all gave this recipe a YES, PLEASE - even my husband, who really couldn't care about sweets less. I enjoyed it most warm, but it was great at room  temperature, too!

Let me know if you try this simple, yummy recipe. :) Have a wonderful day, my friend. Be blessed!!

BOOK REVIEW: Trillium by Amber Nguyen

Hi, everyone!!! I know it's been a REALLY long time since I was here; life has thrown some unexpected curves my way, but I'm back right now! :D

Today's review is the first book in what will be a trilogy by new author AMBER NGUYEN. At just over 300 pages in the book, one might think it was long. It may look that way, but it's a very quick read! I got captivated by this YA novel, reading whenever I had a moment to do so.

With great character development and a strong drive, Amber's story about  these four main characters coming of age and making decisions about their futures quickly becomes a journey through time and space, asking if we have a choice, or if fate is set in stone?

The ONE thing I didn't enjoy about this book was the fact that the last chapter set up the next book. Anyone who knows me, knows that I want a book, even in a series, to stand alone. :) If I read it again before the second book comes out, I won't read that last chapter. :D

I highly recommend this book. From plot to character development to themes, this book will pull the reader right along - and actually give one something to think about!

Book Review: KILL THE SPIDER by Carlos Whittaker

Good afternoon, friends! This book review is for another BEAUTIFUL new book, KILL THE SPIDER. It's not only the iridescent cover that;s so pretty, but the vulnerability and honesty that are poured out on every page.

This is definitely a YES, PLEASE. if you've EVER dealt with depression anxiety, or any other sort of problem with things that lurk in the corners of your heart or mind, this book is for you.

"In Kill the Spider, Carlos describes his journey to knock out deep-rooted habits that were hurting his relationships with others and with God. With laugh-out-loud humor and refreshing vulnerability, Carlos helps you identify the hidden spiders that haunt you - the real causes behind worry, addiction,m comparison, childhood loss, or the struggle to receive God's love."

I typed that all out because I think it is a precise summary of this book. The VULNERABILITY took my breath away! I have an extra copy, if you're interested in reading it and are local. However, I think you're going to want your own copy to mark up and possibly highlight!  http://amzn.to/2jZOrw2

BOOK REVIEW: CHURCH OF THE SMALL THINGS- The Million Little Pieces that Make Up a Life

Good day! :) Today is the day - the release date of NYT Bestselling Author, Melanie Shankle's newest book. CHURCH OF THE SMALL THINGS - The Million Pieces That Make Up a Life. I was able to read an advanced readers' copy; here's what I thought. :)

This is a YES, PLEASE!! Melanie is just a few years younger than I, and I found myself relating to so many things she wrote about! It's a great book, and  highly recommend it to everyone. It was an excellent reminder that I can do little things in a big way!

My mom has already requested to read this book. :D You'll enjoy at least parts of it, because that's how Melanie writes! :)

With chapter titles like, "Yes, Virginia, There Is Such a Thing as a Naugahyde Sofa" and "Se Habla Van Halen?" , there's definitely something for everyone!!!

Book Review - LOVED BABY by Sarah Philpott, PhD

Miscarriage has been an unspoken, pain-filled topic for so long - not just in the church, but in all of our society. Sarah has written a beautiful book, from her own grief and brave vulnerability, to help the one-in-four of us that are dealing with miscarriage. It's such a wonderful, hopeful, beautiful resource for woman and MEN who have suffered a miscarriage.

The truth: one in four women have or will have a miscarriage. The rest of us probably love one of them. This book is not only a great resource for us - to learn a little about their grief and pain - but I would highly recommend it as a gift to those who have lost a baby during  pregnancy.

This book deserves a YES, PLEASE. Use it, share it, gift it - just get it!

Book Review: LOVING MY ACTUAL CHRISTMAS

Today's the day! LOVING MY ACTUAL CHRISTMAS is available! And if you have trouble with Christmas, you will WANT to order your book!!!!

The author had already signed her contract to do this book during last Christmas season - and it ended up being a very difficult one. Her father-in-law passed away, and this was their first Christmas without him. But Alex knew that her family needed to celebrate, so she set herself tasks as she did in LOVING MY ACTUAL LIFE - which was her book we launched last year.

I recommend this book for anyone who's tired of the same ol' Christmas games, who's looking for a deeper, simpler celebration. She talks about the entire Advent season, and using the days between Christmas and New Years as days of cushion for your family and senses. It ALL makes sense!

Get this book. Read it. Follow its direction. Maybe not everything you can use, but I'm willing to bet a lot of it will be useful for you! (And if not, you have a fantastic book to gift!) :D

Book Review: TABLE MENTORING: A Simple Guide to Coming Alongside

This is an excellent resource for individuals and/or women's groups! Sue Moore Donaldson (the author of the book) has a true heart for mentoring. This is a post she wrote just for you!

A growing relationship with Jesus Christ.

That’s it. That’s the main thing.

I didn’t say a perfect relationship or sinless existence. Perfection and sinlessness is for later on when none of us will need to mentor or be mentored.

But qualified mentoring does take a pressing on mentality. Pressing on to know and love Christ better and deeper. As Paul, again the model mentor, cried out passionately to the Philippians:

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Philippians 3:f1f2-16 ESV

Paul put himself in the mature camp, but he knew he needed to keep pressing. And he did. “I press on to make it my own.” To mentor well means we keep on pressing to make it our own. We share our own stories, our own walk with Christ, our own victories and losses and pressings to know and love Him more. That’s all. A going-on-with God til He comes or we go.

Yesterday a conference director called about the possibility of my speaking and she asked me: “Tell me when you first fell in love with Jesus. When did He grip your heart?” She went on: “Tell me how He is entering your world right now and making a difference in your life?”

Both great questions and I loved answering them. I know I love Jesus more today than fifty years ago, but that’s when it started. I can tell you right now how He’s leading and training and teaching and loving me. Today. Right now. He keeps after me, and--by His mercy and grace, I’m keeping after Him. Not perfectly. I’m not finished loving Him. He still has mounds of work to do in me. But He doesn’t want me to wait til Glory to share my walk with Him with someone else.

Same with you.

If you feel God leading you to mentor, ask yourself:

1. Do I love Jesus more today than ten years ago? One year ago?

2. Do I trust Him for the unknowns in my future?

3. Do I know some of His promises in His Word?

4. Do I live like I trust in those promises?

If you answered: “Sort of. I’m working on it.” You are ready to mentor. Paul wasn’t perfect, just pressing.

If you think you know everything, think again.

If you know one promise in God’s Word, you are ready to mentor that one promise. Ask God for someone to share it with today.

Book Review: OF MESS AND MOXIE by Jen Hatmaker

 Happy day - I'm posting!!!! :D I'm feeling much better these days - if you don't know what's been going on with me, feel free to reach out to me, and I'll catch you up. :)

ANYWAY. This new book by Jen Hatmaker, called OF MESS AND MOXIE, is officially releasing Tuesday, August 8!!!!! If you preorder from now until AUGUST 7 (Hello! It's already in a lot of bookstores!!!!!), you can get great freebies - check out the book's website by clicking on this clause! :D (And there's NEW NEWS at the end of this blog post about something else fun you can get in on MONDAY!!!)

This book is another great series of essays, more than a chapter book - each chapter is another essay. It's easy to read, and ranges from hysterically funny to grab-a-tissue levels. :)

Here's a fun video where Jen shares a bit from this brand-new book! :)

And I'm going to give you some of my favorite quotes from it, too; I can't do long sections because legalese, but you'll get a taste of more of the book (assuming you watched Jen's video, that is... :D )

This is from "It's Just Paint":
Dear one, may I say something? It is not shallow or empty or frivolous to create a beautiful space to live in. It's not silly, not vainglorious, not a waste of time and energy. It doesn't make you superficial nor slide you down the godly scale. We spend the majority of our hours in our homes with our people. Creating beauty and nurture under your roof with colors that soothe, art that inspires, furniture that invites, and textures that thrill  is a wonderful use of your small space on the planet.
I do not mean this in a trite, cliche' we in the slightest: how could we imagine that a God who created wildflowers and waterfalls and pine trees and hummingbirds and warm sand and mountain ranges and tulips thinks beauty is nonsense? He made a gorgeous, over-the-top earth wild with colors and textures and breathtaking landscapes. And He loved it. He said it was good, so good. He made it for our pleasure as a testament to His character. He created a sensual, aesthetic, jaw-dropping world and asked us to enjoy it. If God decided to make his whole earth pretty, we can choose to make our little homes pretty without tension, guilt, or shame.

SO good!

Here's some from "Sanctuary":
He told of his [her father-in-law, Bob]  small church in Tennessee where he and his buddies were surrounded by deacons, pressed in on all sides, and terrified into receiving salvation during a church service. Strong-willed and resistant to spiritual bullying, Bob alone refused to "walk the aisle." The pastor threw his hands up and proclaimed, "Well, I've done all I can do with this one. I guess he's going to hell." Bob walked out that door and never looked back.
It was the last time he went to church regularly - more than sixty years ago.
Who could blame him?
Sometimes the one place we should all be most welcomed is the very place we are most rejected; the house of healing becomes the inflicter of pain. Much like any betrayal, the more considerable the source, the harder the loss. No one can wound us more than those supposed to nurture: our parents, our spouses, out churches. The chasm between expectation and reality is particularly grim in supposed safe places.

I don't know about you, but I've found this to be more truthful than I wanted it to be. I might have become another person who left the organized church (NEVER Jesus!), if it had been up to me. But GOD...!

This last excerpt is from my favorite essay, simply called "Fangirl":
Four years ago or so, one of the questions [at their Supper Club] was this:
Would you rather be rich or famous?
The answers were absolutely hilarious, and along with half of SC, I said, "Famous." I know. Gross. In my defense, my reasoning was that our life was happy as is, and money wasn't that motivating, so I defaulted to fame, which seemed harmless, intangible, almost like a fake paradigm with no real effect. I guess I pick famous! Tra la la.
Girls, forget that noise. I've since had a small taste of that, and it is the oddest, most bizarre alternate universe ever. Being low-grade Christian famous is straight-up crazy. I only occupy a very minor corner of this zip code, enough to know what I'm talking about but not enough to make me a weirdo. I am regularly confused by my life.

The whole book is filled with Jen's talking to us like she would if we were sitting on her porch, drinking iced tea. Breaths of fresh air, giggles, and tears - I PROMISE you'll find something in this book that you will relate to. :)

Now, then, the news I mentioned at the beginning of this post. The following is straight from Jen's communication with the launch team (edited a little bit):
Monday at 8:00pm CT, I am doing a live stream from my backyard as the Day Before Launch Big Deal. Rachel Hollis and Jessica Honneger will be my special guests, and I invited the women from my church. I'll be doing live readings and taking questions from the internet and doing some giveaways. It will stream live on my page for around 45 minutes, and you can direct people to it.
 
You DEFINITELY won't want to miss it! It gets a YES, PLEASE from me!

Book Review - NO MORE FAKING FINE

Good morning! I actually have a few reviews I need to catch up on - and one will entail a giveaway! :) But today's review is for Esther Fleece's book, released TODAY, called NO MORE FAKING FINE.

This book. Wow. Most books I read that are nonfiction are books I think, "Wow. I needed to hear that!" and then put into my lending library. This one is different.

Esther talks about how we've lost the knowledge of how lamenting brings us closer to God, and allows us to know Him truthfully. She starts out talking about "coping mechanisms" versus true lament, and it truly startled me; we always hear about coping mechanisms being GOOD things, right? Esther challenged that in me; I put the book down after the first chapter, to digest what she had to say, and to sift through the Scripture (which she uses with each and every point she makes!!!!) to figure out what belief was true and Godly. Then I picked the book back up.

I finished it this morning. There's a LOT to chew on in here. And it's not going on my shelf right away. God and I have a lot more to work through together. There are things in my past I haven't lamented that I need to. And I'm lamenting for our world, and our country, for the pain and division. I'm asking, "How long, God?" And I'm finding that He wants to meet me in that pain, to give me comfort. He's teaching me a new thing, and is using Esther's vulnerability and own journey to do it.

On one of the last few pages of her book, Esther writes the following - and the ring of truth was a clarion call to me:
  Suffering has the ability to transform us into compassionate people. Without suffering, it would be far too easy to become entitled, stuck-up, self-centered people. We can choose to cling to a "fine" and comfortable life, but it will compromise authentic relationships with God and others. We can accompany people on their journeys only as far as we are willing to go ourselves."

I recommend this book. I recommend it to people of ANY age - especially if you're hungry for community but don't know what's holding you back. If you've EVER been told to "suck it up", you NEED this book. If you want to help others, read it. If something's been holding you back in sharing your own story, read it.

Read this book. :)
Edited to add: It's less than $10 on Amazon, y'all - and you can get it by Thursday if you're a Prime member! https://www.amazon.com/No-More-Faking-Fine-Pretending/dp/0310344751/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484074646&sr=8-1&keywords=esther+fleece+no+more+faking+fine

Meet Jennifer Moye, author - A GOSPEL CHRISTMAS - and a GIVEAWAY!

Good morning, everyone! I'd like you to meet my friend and author, Jennifer Moye. Most of you know how much I love Christmas; this book is really wonderful if you've got littles, especially, and don't want to walk down that too-commercial path it's so easy to take.

Enjoy reading about her family, and the reason she wrote the book - and check out the giveaway at the end!

Around this same time a couple years ago, our boys were sitting in the living room floor creating their Christmas lists to send to Santa. The lists consisted mostly of cut out pictures from the Toys-r-Us catalog pasted sloppily with glue sticks on poster paper. They jumped up and down with excitement with every page turn as they found a new must-have toy. In all the fun of that day, I noticed that our oldest boy had only 3 things listed on his paper. An IPad, a phone like mommy’s, and crutches.

Crutches?

Yep, that’s right. Those were his must-haves of that Christmas.

As Christmas morning rolled around, the boys ran downstairs with all the excitement that kids should have on Christmas day. They ripped open packages and slung presents around, eagerly ready to move to the next item.

The younger two boys seemed quite content with their loot for the day. But the oldest sat on the floor with his arms crossed and a sour look on his face. In his lap set a box for a brand new iPad mini still in the wrapper.

Let me just pause right here. I do not even have an iPad. Just sayin’.

When asked what was wrong, he proceeded to through a fit about how he didn’t get a phone like mommy’s or any crutches. He was furious!

I could not believe how ungrateful he was being. Didn’t he realize how awesome the gifts he had received were? How did we get to the point of demanding what we should receive and then being mad if we didn’t get it exactly as expected? Didn’t he understand he couldn’t have everything? Didn’t he know that Christmas is about more than receiving everything on your wish list?

As I sat there in the floor with my wonderful little boys, I instantly felt like a failure.

Clearly I had missed the mark in explaining to him what Christmas is all about. Why else would he act so ungrateful?

Now before you say it, I know . . . he is 5 years old. And kids are kids. I get that. But it just didn’t sit right in my soul. We had talked about the reason we celebrate Christmas. We read the Bible stories. We went to the Christmas play at church. We even gave gifts from the angel trees and donated spare change to the guy outside Walmart. We had talked about this.

I wanted my children to understand at their very core, that Christmas simply wasn’t about them. It was about Jesus. I wanted them to realize that our gifts should be a reflection of the gifts God gave to us in His Son Jesus. I wanted them to have the fun and excitement that Santa, and the Elf on the Shelf, and Christmas parties at school bring – but they needed to know in their hearts that all of it was because of the birth of our King. Even though they knew these things in their heads, I don’t think they really felt it in their innermost being. And that really bothered me.

The following year was a big year for us as we decided to homeschool, made another move, and various other life changes. One scripture passage remained in my mind throughout that time.

Deuteronomy 6: 5-9 ⁵ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ⁶ These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. ⁷ Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ⁸ Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. ⁹ Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

As the holiday season approached I knew we needed to do something different this year. We needed something that would create an impression of the hearts of our boys and our family. It needed to be in our home, on our doorframes and at our gates. It needed to be intentional and purposeful.

I had no idea that the months to follow would lead me to writing a book and sharing with others the things God was revealing to me and convicting me of in my own life. This month marks the launch of the book A Gospel Christmas and it is straight from my heart to yours.

A Gospel Christmas, is our journey through the month of December 2015. We found a way to connect Santa and his naughty little elf to our greatest gift of all. It is personal and transparent. It is messy at times and most importantly it is real. It is our story of how God lead us to Himself and made a huge impression not just on the hearts of our children, but on my heart as well. Through the 25 days in December we walked through the life of Jesus in a very practical, easy, and kid friendly way. We read scripture together, we did crafts, we talked, we gave to others, we cried, and we laughed. It was the most beautiful thing to see the gospel of Jesus come alive in our children’s’ hearts. To see their eyes light up with excitement and their minds begin to understand who Jesus is to them is something that a parent couldn’t be more proud of.

As the Christmas season is approaching us quicker than we all can handle, I would like to challenge you to pray over how your family will celebrate the birth of our King this year. Do your children truly understand what this season is about? Is your family focused on Jesus this year, or distracted by parties, the latest gadgets, and hosting friends? Are you searching for a way to connect all the fun of the holiday with the true meaning of Christmas?

I would love to hear your thoughts and I would love to be on this journey with you! Head on over to my website and receive the first two chapters of A Gospel Christmas for FREE! You will also be included in our Christmas newsletter which provides tons of ideas and inspirations on different ways to connect your family to Jesus throughout the season. And because you are one of the first to know about A Gospel Christmas, I will also send you some insider tips on how to incorporate Santa, the Elf, school parties and more with our Savior’s birth!

A Gospel Christmas is available in digital copy and paperback just about everywhere! It can be ordered online or ordered through your local bookstore. Bulk orders are available for churches or other organizations as well. I would be truly honored for you to share this book and post with those you love. What better gift to give at Christmas than one that could lead someone to Jesus? You never know who’s life can be touched by a simple share.

“My word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11

BONUS!!! Just because you guys are awesome and you are supporting my friend by reading her awesome blog I want to give you a chance to win a signed copy of A Gospel Christmas for FREE! Enter our giveaway below and you will be in the running for one of several prizes that will be picked to celebrate the launch of this great book!

A Gospel Christmas Giveaway

Or go to https://gleam.io/eZjGx/a-gospel-christmas-giveaway to enter.

Jennifer is wife to an Airman and mom to three rambunctious little boys. With excitement on a daily basis and grace around every corner, she believes we are meant to live this life in community with others and with the mercy to mess up and try again….and again. Being a mom is hard, but it is also a divine calling we can have in this life. Her ministry to women is relevant and heartfelt with her core passion being that we learn to glorify our God in our parenting, our marriage, and in our everyday lives.

Join Jennifer’s community online at:

www.jennifermoye.com

www.facebook.com/jennifermoye

www.twitter.com/jenmoyewrites

www.pinterest.com/jenmoyewrites

 Jennifer's family lost her grandfather yesterday (11/8/16).