book review: "your heart's desire" by sheri rose shepherd

What caught my eye with this book was the cover. A good cover will definitely get my attention. Your Heart's Desire is written to several different groups of women. "For the married woman who desires more for her marriage. For the single woman who desires a godly man to love her. For the divorced woman who desires and deserves a second chance to find love again." Sheri spends fourteen chapters talking about some of the desires women have concerning love:

1. Desiring a "happily ever after"
2. Desiring a godly man to marry
3. Desiring to leave a legacy for my loved ones
4. Desiring God's design that me and my man become one
5. Desiring God to give me the power to remain pure
6. Desiring to give and receive love
7. Desiring to embrace my new life in Christ
8. Desiring to become a woman my man can lead
9. Desiring my son to grow to become a man of faith
10. Desiring a miracle to build a new foundation of love
11. Desiring expressions of love and romance in my marriage
12. Desiring to believe God can change a man and save a marriage
13. Desiring to glorify God by showing honor and respect
14. Desiring to surrender my whole heart to my Lord

Sheri also shares from her own marriage - the good and the bad. She does this in the hopes of letting God speak through her and help others. I read Sheri's book, His Princess: Love Letters From Your King a few years ago and was excited to find similar "love letters" at the end of each chapter in Your Heart's Desire. The only thing I would have liked was a little more attention given to single women, since that's the group I'm currently in. Overall, a book any woman can find something to apply in her life. 

I received a copy of this book from the Tyndale Blog Network for my honest review.

recipe: super simple peanut butter cookies

These cookies are both simple and yummy! And even better, you probably have everything already on hand - I was very excited to have this be the case yesterday :) PLUS, if you're looking for a Father's Day gift, these peanut buttery delights would be perfect - they're my dad's favorite. This recipe is compliments of Jif. 

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup Jif® Creamy Peanut Butter
• 1/2 stick Crisco® Baking Sticks All-Vegetable Shortening
  Or 1/2 cup Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening
• 1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 3/4 cups Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 
  
• Directions
• - HEAT oven to 375°F. Combine peanut butter, shortening, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Add egg. Beat just until blended.
• - COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix just until blended. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2-inches apart onto greased baking sheet. Flatten slightly in a crisscross pattern with tines of fork.
• - BAKE one baking sheet at a time 7 to 8 minutes, or until set and just beginning to brown. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove cookies to cooling racks to cool completely.

 

goodbye google reader :(

In case you haven't heard, Google Reader will be unavailable after July 1. You can read about it on Reader's blog. I was a bit bummed when I first found out because I have a rather lengthy list of blogs I follow. However, it's rare that I look at Reader so maybe this is a chance to re-evaluate my list. Last night I logged in to Feedly and was able to have most (if not all) of my blog list transfer. I like that it's connected to Google so there's no hassle of creating a new account. This blog lists a few alternatives as well as directions for backing up your feed list. Is there a reader you're using I should try?

finally finished filing!

I've spent parts of the last two weeks working on getting all of my paperwork in order from my first year of teaching. I finished today! During the school year I kept everything in containers that held hanging folders and I would just stick everything in those. So I've purged all the extra copies of worksheets I had or the copies of things we didn't get to and put everything in notebooks, thanks to a great post I came across a while back. I used these super cute binder covers from Teachers Pay Teachers. I had to make a few covers on my own using these great chevron backgrounds. Here are all of my notebooks, organized and ready to go!

I put a colored piece of paper on the sides, writing the names so I can easily find what I need once they're on my bookshelf. You can click the picture below to grab your own set of binder covers!

book review: "undeniably yours" by becky wade

"When Meg Cole's father dies unexpectedly, she's forced to return home to Texas and to Whispering Creek Ranch to take up the reins of his empire. The last thing she has the patience or the sanity to deal with? Her father's Thoroughbred racehorse farm. She gives its manager, Bo Porter, six months to close the place down.

Bo knows he ought to resent the woman who's determined to take from him the only job he ever wanted. But instead of anger, Meg evokes within him a profound desire to protect. The more time he spends with her, the more he longs to overcome every obstacle that separates them and earn her love.

Just when Meg realizes she can no longer deny the depth of her feelings for Bo, their fragile bond is broken by a force from Meg's past. Can their relationship-and their belief that God can work through every circumstance-survive?"

I really liked this book! Becky did a great job of making me like Meg and Bo and cheer for their "from different worlds" relationship. This was a great easy read. I thought it heavy on the romance side of the story - as opposed to the action side - but that's my preference anyway. I like "watching" the two characters meet and seeing how their story comes together. Becky added a few surprises to keep things interesting and I'll definitely pick up a copy of her next book!

I received a copy of this book from Litfuse Publicity for my honest review. You can learn more about Becky from her website.

Win a Kindle Fire from Becky Wade and RSVP for her 5/29 Facebook Party!

 

school's out (almost)!

School is almost out! We have two and half days with the kids next week and then two days to tie up loose ends. I'm ready for summer! There's still a lot to do next week but I can see the finish line and am preparing for that final sprint. I have a list of DIY projects I want to do, recipes to make, books to read and blogging! I haven't forgotten about blogging! My giveaway stack of books is waiting to find new homes and I'm excited to post about my adventures! 

if you want me to

This song came to me yesterday. It's one of my favorites from back in the day and such a great reminder to me that I can always trust God. It's called "If You Want Me To" by Ginny Owens.

"The pathway is broken and the signs are unclear

And I don't know the reason why you brought me here

But just because you love me the way that you do

I'm gonna walk through the valley

If you want me to

 Cause I'm not who I was

When I took my first step

And I'm clinging to the promise

You're not through with me yet

So if all of these trials

 Bring me closer to you

Then I will go through fire if you want me to

 It may not be the way I would have chosen

When you lead me through a world that's not my home

But you never said it would be easy

You only said I'd never go alone

So when the whole world turns against me

 And I'm all by myself

And I can't hear you answer my cries for help

I'll remember the sufferin' your love put you through

 And I will go through the valley

 If you want me to."