moved on over!

okay, not totally done, but is it ever really? lol.. I’ll be blogging over there now, so please change your linkies! I’m working on updating mine!

the160acrewoods.com

great news!

I finally got my own domain!

I’m working on it, but head over and have a lookie!

www.the160acrewoods.com

A book with heart

I know I normally blog about books on Thursday, but I read this one on my trip (which was fantastic by the way.. more about that later), and I couldn’t help but post about this book now. Not to mention I’m part of the bloggy tour for this book (I’m thrilled to be!)

If you have a heart for missions, this is a book you’ll not only appreciate but want to support.

Wiser than Serpents by Susan May Warren

For those who have been reading my blog for a year or more now, will know I have a heart for the Ukraine and Russia. I deeply feel there is a need to reach out to these children who have been left to fend for themselves and that the orphanages are under supported and over-filled. I pray for them, and hope some day that we can visit and maybe bring a teen home with us, or my ultimate goal – God willing is to help teach them a work trade and live and learn how to function with a love -for God to use the 160 in this way…… So this book gripped my heart the fact that it was placed in Russia and deals with human trafficking. From my reading about the Ukraine alone that there are over a 100,000 children in the orphanages now and less than 6% graduate high school. Most end up in the sex trade industry (some even trafficked from their orphanages) and a lot of others go directly to jail because they can’t fend for themselves. I cry for those young children, especially the teenagers who don’t feel they have any alternatives. (I get a little choked up just writing about it)

I’m so glad Susan has taken the time to bring this to our attention in a way we can understand!

So about this book– I’m sure for those who have read Susan’s work before know how great it is! This book is a thriller! I loveeeeeeeeeeee thrillers. I love the excitement and the frustration in this book. I love that I can feel for the characters and that it brings some real issues to light/life. I also love the fact that God is ever presence in this book and that the characters have to rely on Him. It pulls him into the here and now.

Susan’s writing is easy to read. I think I read this book in about a day and half b/c I couldn’t put it down! Similar to my post on Whispers of the Bayou, this is another one that I’ll be searching for more of her books as she’s captured me with her amazing details and imagery in her novel.

Here’s a little capture on the story:

Her sister had vanished, trapped in a human slavery ring. To find her, FSB agent Yanna Andrevka arranged her own kidnapping into Taiwan’s sex-trafficking trade. And found herself with no way out.

Until Yanna discovered an ally deep undercover: Delta Force captain David Curtiss. He was after the kingpin of the Twin Serpents, the organized crime syndicate that had Yanna—and hundreds of others—in their clutches.

With opposite agendas, David and Yanna had to rely on each other to outwit their cold-blooded enemy.

Reason’s why you’ll want to buy this book!

1. It’s an excellent read! I’m going to go search for the first 2 books from the series (I don’t think they have to be read in order)
2. 15% of the royalties will go to helping out www.ijm.org which helps fight slavery and human trafficking.

Did I mention how much I love yummy books to read in the summer? lol

If you want to know what others think about this book, check out Susan’s bloggy tour schedule below:

Or visit Susan’s blog: http://susanmaywarren.typepad.com/scribbles/2008/06/wiser-than-serp.html

(and see if you can win the series!!! on second thought if you don’t, I’ll have a better chance! hahaha)

7/7

Mary at Home Steeped Hope http://homesteepedhope.com/

Sunny at Life in the Estrogen Ocean http://estrogen-ocean.blogspot.com/

Stacey at Jamie Forever http://jameeforever.blogspot.com

Melody at Kids, Cakes, Dishes, Laundry…In That Order http://www.kidscakesdisheslaundry.blogspot.com

Brittanie at A Book Lover Forever http://abookloverforever.blogspot.com/

7/8

Georgiana at Viva Inspirational Chick Lit http://georgianad.blogspot.com

Tasra at Real Women Scrap http://www.realwomenscrap.typepad.com/

Margaret at Cappuccino Life http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/cappuccinosmom/profile/

Melanie at Melanie Writes http://www.melaniewrites.blogspot.com/

AnnMarie at More Than Just A Mom http://afriedrick.blogspot.com

7/9

Leticia at My Daily Trek http://leticiasworld.blogspot.com/

Jill at Christian Work At Home Moms http://blog.cwahm.com

Laura at Lighthouse Academy http://lighthouse-academy.blogspot.com/

Michelle at Edgy Inspirational Author http://www.edgyinspirationalauthor.blogspot.com

Ronie at Supernatural Craving http://www.supernaturalcraving.blogspot.com

7/10

Deborah at Books, Movies, Chinese Food http://books-movies-chinesefood.blogspot.com/

Christy at Christy’s Book Blog http://christysbookblog.blogspot.com/

Kate at A Simple Walk http://asimplewalk.blogspot.com/

Dineen at Kittens Come From Eggs http://dineenmiller.blogspot.com

Joy at Five J’s http://fivejs.wordpress.com

Beth at The Writing Road http://thewritingroad.blogspot.com/

7/11

Reel at Reels Reviewz http://www.relzreviewz.blogspot.com

Angela at All that Naz http://allthatnaz.blogspot.com/

Jill Elizabeth at Artistic Blogger http://www.jillelizabethnelson.com

Deena at A Peek at My Bookshelf http://deenasbooks.blogspot.com

Cara at Cara’s Musings http://carasmusings.blogspot.com/

7/12

Amy at My Friend Amy http://www.myfriendamysblog.com

Lynetta at Open Book http://www.lynetta.blogspot.com

Betsy at Writer At Large http://www.betsy-ann.blogspot.com

Susan at His Reading List http://hisreadinglist.blogspot.com/

Chris at Come to the Table http://www.cometothetable.blogspot.com

Jamie at Surviving the Chaos http://www.survivingthechaos.blogspot.com

Sabbath seeking

Happy 4th of July to my American Friends!

Hope you guys have a great 4th of July!

out with the family today!

Happy Birthday Canada!

Sabbath Seeking!

8 things

Eight Things I Say A Lot:

1. git (to the dogs)
2. out (to the dogs and kids lol)
3. no
4. i’m sorry, mama can’t understand you, please use your big girl voice
5. what?
6. no
7. say please and thank-you
8. pick it up and put it away

(can you tell my conversations are extremely exciting?)

Eight Books I Have Read Lately:

1. they are all listed on my side bar.. the last one was Whispers of the Bayou… excellent!!! wait, beyond excellent!

Eight Movies I Have Seen Eight Times: (at least…)

1. the matrix
2. girls just want to have fun
3. giget
4. dora
5. diego
6. barney
7. TMNT
8. babar

Eight People I Invite to do this Meme: (i am tagging the third person to comment on my last eight posts, as of the day I scheduled this…

I invite anyone who reads this to give it a try!!!

Have a great weekend!

I’m a fan!

Do you ever pick up a book and not want to put it down? You want to read the prequel and the sequel though they are not any! (HINT HINT) My poor children had to fend for themselves with crackers, popcorn and fruit while I devoured this book! I was like.. “ju..st… a…min….ute…. babies…shhhhh…… almost…. can’t stop…”I mean the worst part about the book was that it was finished!

Whispers of the Bayou by Mindy Starns Clark was so delicious! It was fast, it was written in a style that I love, the characters were quirky and wonderful. The history and the sense of searching runs through the book that kept me going more. I was wonderfully surprised and drawn in immediately by the main character. Mindy’s writing really captured me. It was like talking to a friend, yet better… it was something I was thinking was a good movie in my mind.. when I put the book down I was still going “OH NO… what will happen….” and playing out the scenerios that would take place.

A little more about the book! It’s a suspense, so those who love an edge of your seat kind of book but not really scary this one is great!

Miranda can’t remember her past — zip, zilch, nadda. She’s in a marriage in which she doesn’t know how to love. From her life in New York, she ends up following her roots to Louisianna and learning so much about who she is. “Follow one woman’s search through the hidden rooms of a bayou mansion, the enigmatic snars of an ancient myth, and the all-consuming quest for a heart open enough for love — and for God.”

Mindy, I’m a huge fan now after this book!

This is part of my SRT! Check out others by clicking the link above!

I can’t believe summer is here..

It’s finally warmed up at the 160.  The kids are starting to spend more time outside, and as I mentioned our furry visitors are all around us… mostly attacking my garden and such.

I’m kind of excited b/c it’s a little bit of break and time to crack open all the windows, let the cool breeze run through my house as I change it around again and again and again.

I’m starting to feel the laziness of summer; a bit more out side, a bit more fresh air, a bit more… of nothing (if you want to call chasing my little people around and trying to keep them from covering themselves all the time with mud nothing)..

oh the joys of summer!  I’m busy summer cleaning my kids clothes (again.. oh wait it was spring clean out last time lol) and trying to figure out where to put all the junk and who I can pawn it off on.  I’m trying to reorganize our main living space into something more functional (yes, again).. i love our house, but it’s such an open floor plan that I’m really stumped how to make it work.. (I mostly say i hate it, but not really hate it, just frustrated b/c it’s difficult.. not of anyone’s doing but ours)….

going to visit my mom this week and help her with the last bits of her house as she prepares to move and I’m hoping to also make it out to my dads at some point this week, but depends on my step mom as she went in for knee surgery today, so if you can please pray that she heals quickly and all is well with her knee replacement.

If you could pray for me too this week.. I just have been feeling pressure and comments from people that make me worry, and I can’t tell if they’re joking or not sometimes… and whether i’m getting emotional over it, instead of giving it to God.  I’m really feeling like I’ve portrayed myself in bad light sometimes b/c my personality is/can be overbearing (*gulp* i’ll be the first to admit that).. anyhow, just some prayer that I would feel God’s peace and mercy over my life.

How are things going for you this week?  What can I pray for you about?