Finally! Just in time for Easter I finished the book Risen. I know, I know! The movie has been out for a while, what am I waiting for?? The book Risen, by Angela Hunt, is a novelization of the motion picture and tells the Biblical story of the resurrection through the eyes of Clavius. Clavius is a Roman military tribune (basically Pontius Pilate's right-hand man in all military matters). During this time of "Pax Romana," peace is kept by military force and Clavius with his assistant Lucius, are overwhelmed when they hear that the Israelites so-called "Messiah" has died. When people claim that He will rise again from the grave and there is a frenzy of excitement and rebellion through the people when, on the 3rd morning the body of Jesus has vanished. Pilate wants this whole matter cleaned up and quickly. Jesus' body MUST be found before it causes and uprising among the people. Clavius and Lucius are tasked with solving the mystery of what happened to Jesus in order to prove that there is no such thing as a risen Messiah and avoid upheaval in Jerusalem.
Although she takes a back seat through though the book, I also enjoyed the parallel story of Rachel. A widow, whose husband was killed by a Roman soldier, Rachel becomes friend and lover to Clavius, opening a door for him to consider the possibility of the truth and reality behind this person the people call Messiah.
I don't want to tell much more because you may want to see the movie and I don't want to spoil it, but, I really enjoyed the book and following Rachel's and Clavius' conversion story was powerful. This was a wonderful read leading up to Easter!
Disclaimer: I received Risen free of charge from Bethany House/Baker Publishing Group free of charge in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed here are my very own. Thanks so much!
We recently went to the KGBX Women's Show, the Lawn & Garden show and then, hit the Severe Weather Expo. Here are some fun pictures of a few of those random happenings!
The students of SBU School of Nursing had a small training
where they taught us how to do CPR!
Smile Zone taught us the proper way to brush our teeth!
The Butterfly Palace had a GREAT set up for learning about butterflies!
Kayley met the artist Peter Longley and they had a fascinating discussion on impressionism. I was pretty impressed when Kayley pointed out that his art wasn't "true impressionism" because he mixed his colors on the canvas instead of just globbing it on his canvas. He thought she was pretty clever. LOL.
The girls posed for a picture with Kevin Lighty's awesome storm chaser vehicle.
I have always wanted to try our hands at creating a Salt Dough map... We discovered that it was a LOT harder and MUCH messier than we thought it would be. But, it was still fun! The girls enjoyed creating a replica of the Nile River Delta with promises of flooding it at a later time! ;)
Recently I stumbled across a mamma on the Ambleside Facebook page that was discussing the "Lucet "and how much their kids really enjoyed making these adorable little braids with which to decorate their shoelaces, clothing, etc. I hadn't heard of this fascinating little tool before so after some investigation, here is what I learned about this ancient tool called the Lucet.
A lucet is a tool used in cordmaking or braiding which is believed to date back to the Viking and Medieval periods, when it was used to create cords that were used on clothing, or to hang items from the belt. Lucet cord is square, strong, and slightly springy. It closely resembles knitted I-cord or the cord produced on a knitting spool.
We needed one of these cool tools...! So, a search on Amazon yielded several Lucet choices...and they were NOT cheap. (At the time the cheapest I saw was $30! although I see some less expensive options on there now).
What's a girl to do when she needs something made of wood? We ask Papa of course! Papa whipped us up 2 lovely, handmade Lucets!
After a little help from a YouTube video the girls were off on a Lucet making adventure.
Pretty neat and a really unique handicraft to share with friends!! :)
Thanks to #FlyBy Promotions I have been given an opportunity to review a new book by Sarah Young called Jesus Today: Devotions for Kids. My daughters immediately recognized this book as being very similar to a book that Kayley got for Christmas last year called Jesus Calling. Kayley really enjoyed Jesus Calling so we were very excited to get our hands on this new devotional book!
About Jesus Today: Devotions for Kids
Jesus is the Friend who is always with you. Jesus Today: Devotions for Kids will pour this powerful truth into your children's hearts as they learn that He knows everything about them and loves them more than they can imagine. Each devotion is based on Scripture and is written as though Jesus is speaking directly to you, assuring that He is in control, that He is good, and that an amazing future awaits all who put their hope in Him. Adapted from the ECPA 2013 Christian Book of the Year-winner Jesus Today, this devotional has the same themes as the adult version, as well as written-out scriptures. It is a great choice for families to read and discuss during devotional time together.
We adore devotional books but finding one that really fits us as a family has been challenging. After much, much research about a year ago I purchased a book called Jesus Calling for my oldest, who was then 8. It quickly became one of her favorites even going so far as to set up a small spiral notebook to jot down her thoughts as she studied. Now we have a second book very similar to Jesus Calling and we are really enjoying it as well! Jesus Today is a bit a little bit different than Jesus Calling...and Kayley and I think it is a mostly good differences. In Jesus Calling the days were labeled as Jan 1st, Jan 2nd, and so forth. Kayley really struggled with this because if she missed a day or two or three...she would want to either try to go back and read them all...which was nearly impossible...OR just throw in the towel and shelve the book. Thankfully Jesus Today is just number 1, 2, 3.... So that if you miss a day, picking up where you left off is just not a big deal. Another difference, is, in Jesus Calling, scripture references were provided at the of each devotion, prompting you to go to your Bible and look them up. In this new devotional the scriptures are printed with the devotional. I think this is both good and not-as-good. Good because, honestly, my daughter tended to skip that part because it was a hassle to get the Bible out...but, then it doesn't encourage her to get her Bible out... Oh, I have to throw this other small thing in there that we love about Jesus Today...it has a ribbon bookmark. I know right? But, it's the little things in life and my kids feel so grown up using a book that has a ribbon bookmark! ;)
Either way Jesus Today is great and written in a comfortable and conversational tone... Now that Maggie is bigger both girls are fussing over who gets to take it first! You can purchase your own copy of Jesus Today on Amazon.com or your favorite retailer! It would make a delightful gift for any young child to get into the habit of studying Gods word.
Learn more about the author, Sarah Young, and the book using the social media links below!
"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.
Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”
