My Big Girl

Well, Hannah is off on her very first youth camp trip.  Our church has a summer youth camp called Camp Tsungani every year for kids who have completed the third through sixth grades.  It is an Indian themed camp centered on Christ as our Head Chief.  Ever since I started going to this church over 20 years ago, I have heard how wonderful and exciting Camp Tsungani was.  When Mike and I started having kids, I got excited thinking they could go.  This is Hannah's first year to go.

At first, she was apprehensive about being gone for a week from Mom and Dad. [The longest she's ever been away from us by herself (without the boys) is three or four days.]  Mike and I really talked up camp, telling her how much fun she was going to have, what kind of activities she would be doing and all the friends from church that she would be able to play and spend time with.  Even Friday and Saturday Hannah was still a little nervous, but ready to go (her bags have been packed for about two weeks!).  Last night, she and I went through her bags to make sure she had everything she needed.  She was getting more and more excited.  This child (who does not like to go to bed early) kept telling me to hurry up so she could go to bed and get her rest.

I woke her up at 5:30 so she could get ready.  By 6, Hannah was chomping at the bit to leave.  When we got to the church, she was out of the van and getting her bags out before anyone else could move.  Hannah found her friend Emily and forgot all about us.  Mike and I were able to get a few pictures with her before they loaded the buses.  She didn't even look back when they started boarding the buses.  Hannah did wave a few times before and while they were leaving.  At least I know she is not crying and missing us.

I am so excited for her.  I remember going to youth camp when I was younger and all the fun we had.  Our camp was north of town; Hannah's is 160 miles away.  I'm not worried about her.  She will be WELL looked after.  Hannah's counselor is a good friend of mine, along with the Director of the camp.  I also know quite a few of the counselors, staff and expedition (activities) leaders.  I told her that she would be the most looked after child there at camp.  We will miss having her at home but I know she will have a great time.

The Heart Mender Give Away Winner!!

Sorry I am so late posting the winner of my give away.  With the kids finishing up school, awards programs, ball practices and games, it's been really busy.

So, the winner of The Heart Mender by Andy Andrews is....drum roll please.....

Julia Sutter!!!!

I'll get the book out to you soon Julia!!  Congratulations!!!

Thanks to everyone who signed up.  Stay tuned for more book reviews and family updates.

Happy Anniversary

Today is our anniversary!!  We are celebrating eleven years of marriage.  For my anniversary present, Mike bought me two dozen red roses and a mother's ring with the kids birthstones and engraved with their names.  It is absolutely beautiful.  I got him a set of swim trunks he wanted, a hand grenade paper weight, a USMC coffee mug and a subscription to Glenn Beck's two magazines.  My friend, Terri, is coming over to watch the kids while we go out and celebrate.

Happy Anniversary Mike!!!  Eleven down, sixty-nine more to go!!!

The Last Christian Blog Tour

Set in A.D. 2088, the United States of America, along with the rest of the world, has turned her back on God and now finds pleasure in technology and all its advancements.  Abby, raised in an isolated village in Papau New Guinea by missionary parents, comes to the U.S. after her entire village becomes sick and dies from a mysterious illness.  Abby is overwhelmed by the way technology has taken over everyday life.  Even more disturbing are the new brain transplants that replace the human brain with a silicon one.  As she tries to find her way in this new world, she sets out to reintroduce Christianity to the American people. Abby and Creighton Daniels, a history professor, stumble on information that will affect the public's potential relationship with God in a negative way and may cost them their lives.

Usually, I do not read futuristic or sci-fi novels.  I prefer romantic or historical  non-fiction or biographical books.  But, I decided it was time to step beyond my normal boundaries and read something different.  The Last Christian is definitely different.  I liked Abby's character.  Even in the most difficult of circumstances, her faith never wavers.  Sure, she doubts she is doing the right thing and struggles to hear from God, but she does not give up on Him and continually seeks God in His Word.  She is not afraid to tell others about Christ and searches for a way to reach a group that feels they have evolved away from the need of God.

While the story line was interesting, I had a hard time with this novel. Part of it was wrapping my brain around the advances in technology (compared to what we have now), their out look on God (very negative) and the idea of brain transplants.  Sometimes questions that raised in the storyline were answered in one part but were not completely answered in another.  Nanites were used to infect different people.  In some cases, they were injected into water bottles.  But the question was not answered as to how an isolated people group with absolutely no contact with the outside world become infected, along with a doctor that helped Abby.  Sometimes I had difficulty following along.  Many times while reading this book, I had to put it down for a few days because the information was just too overwhelming.  It was a good book but I don't think I would want to read it again.

To purchase this book or for more information, you can do go www.randomhouse.com.

SUMMARY:  A.D. 2088.  Missionary daughter Abigail Caldwell emerges from the jungle for the first time in her thirty-four years, the sole survivor of a mysterious disease that killed her village.  Abby goes to America, only to discover a nation where Christianity has completely died out.  A curious message from her grandfather assigns her a surprising mission: re-introduce the Christian faith in America, no matter how insurmountable the odds.

But a larger threat looms.  The world's leading artificial intelligence industrialist has perfected a technique for downloading the human brain into a silicon form.  Brain transplants have begun, and with them comes the potential of eliminating physical death altogether - but at what expense?

As Abby navigates a society grown more addicted to stimulating the body than nurturing the soul, she and Creighton Daniels, a historian troubled by his father's unexpected death, become unwitting targets of powerful men who will stop at nothing to further their nefarious goals.  Hanging in the balance - the spiritual future of all humanity.

In this fast-paced thriller, startling near-future science collides with thought-provoking religious themes to create a spell-binding "what-if?" novel.

David Gregory is the best-selling author of Dinner with a Perfect Stranger, A Day with a Perfect Stranger, The Next Level, and the coauthor of the nonfiction The Rest of the Gospel.  After a ten-year business career, he returned to school to study religion and communications, earning master's degrees from Dallas Theological Seminary and the University of North Texas.  A native of Texas, he now lives in the Pacific Northwest.

This book was provided by Waterbrook Multnomah for review.

The Heart Mender Blog Tour and Give Away

The Heart Mender - A Story of Second Chances by Andy Andrews is AWESOME!!!  I LOVE THIS BOOK!!  It is set in Coastal Alabama during World War II.  It is based on a true story.  Actually, this book was published before under the name Island of Saints but, due to a myriad of bad timing and luck, it didn't go too far.  A few people who read the book loved it and helped get it re-released under the current title.  One of the many questions the author receives about this book is "Is this story true?" and the answer is yes with some tweaks.  A few of the locations and most of the characters' names have been changed but all the dates, history, numbers and items he found are real.  This information made the book even more interesting and captivating.

Helen Mason is angry at everyone and everything.  After losing her young husband to the war, Helen is bitter.  Moving away from everything, she finds shelter in Coastal Alabama.  Lt. Josef Landermann served on a German U-boat that was patrolling the Gulf of Mexico.  Betrayed, shot and left for dead, he washes ashore where Helen finds him.  Both struggle with how life treated them and their current (and dangerous) circumstances.  Together they find that forgiveness and letting go of the past brings healing: physically, mentally, and spiritually.  I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves history and unforgettable stories!!  I finished this book in two days and hated putting it down. 

SUMMARY:
In the classic storytelling style of The Noticer and The Traveler's Gift, New York Times best-selling author Andy Andrews now delivers an adventure set sharply against the warm waters and white sands of the Gulf of Mexico in WWII America.

Saddened and unable to abandon her resentment towards the Nazi war machine tht took her husband's life, the young and attractive Helen Mason is living a bitter, lonely existence.  Betrayed and left for dead, German U-boat officer Lt. Josef Landermann washes ashore in a sleepy town along the northern gulf coast, looking to Helen for survival.

The Heart Mender is a story of life, loss and reconciliation, reminding us of the power of forgiveness and the universal healing experience of letting go.

This book and give away copy were provided by Thomas Nelson Publishers.

GIVE AWAY INFORMATION:

Thomas Nelson Publishers provided me a copy of this book to give away.  To be in the drawing, you must either comment on this post or send me an e-mail (jinnettm@bellsouth.net) by Saturday, May 22, 2010.  I will draw a name from all the entries and mail the winner a copy of the book.  You will not be disappointed with this book.

Spoiled Rotten and Give Away Information

I have been spoiled rotten this week and weekend.  Thursday, Mike and the kids sent me a dozen roses for Mother's Day.  Friday, I received a box of six chocolate covered strawberries from them.  Saturday night, all of us (the five of us, Mom, Melanie and Nathan) went to Texas Roadhouse to celebrate Mother's Day.  This morning, there were three books on the table that I've been wanting to read:  Her Mother's Hope by Francine Rivers, Dr. James Dobson's newest book Bringing Up Girls, and his best seller Bringing Up Boys.  I was not expecting the books, at all!!

Friday night, I got some receipts from Mike to put into our Money program.  He kept one and gave me the rest.  Looking them over, I found a receipt from our church bookstore for the Francine Rivers book.  Laughing, I gave it back to him and told Mike he might want to keep it.  He laughed and went on.  I figured it was my anniversary present (our anniversary is in three weeks) and he decided to purchase it early.  Instead, it was another Mother's Day present.  (The receipt he kept was for the books by James Dobson.)  I was floored!!!  I can't wait to read them;  I don't know which one I should pick first.

Okay, everyone who reads my blog on a regular basis knows I read and post book reviews for three publishers.  The newest book I am reading for review is The Heart Mender: A Story of Second Chances by Andy Andrews.  The publisher sent me an extra copy to use as a free give away to help spread the word on this awesome book.  As Kristi Johnson, a Marketing Specialist for Thomas Nelson Publishers, says in her letter, "...Andy eloquently conveys a message of forgiveness and second chances."  So, stay tuned and check back regularly for my review of this book.  When it is posted, I will give each reader a chance to win this extra copy.  Hopefully, my review will be posted in a few days.  HEHEHE