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  • Home
    • Disclosure Policy
    • About Me
  • What's New! (Blog)
  • Low-Carb Lifestyle!
    • Trim Healthy Mama-inspired Grocery Lists
    • THM-style Beverages >
      • Mock Starbucks Mocha Frappuccinos
    • Family Favorite Recipes (Not Low Carb) >
      • Snacks >
        • Delicious Homemade Gooey Granola Bars!
        • Healthy Peanut Buttery Treats
      • Soups and Stews >
        • Jamaican Seafood Chowder
        • Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
      • Salads >
        • Red Cabbage Coleslaw
      • Main Dishes >
        • Beef >
          • Beef Stroganoff
        • Chicken >
          • Chicken Fiesta
          • Chicken Nachos
          • Marinated Zucchini and Chicken Sandwiches
          • Chicken or Turkey Enchiladas
          • Hungarian Chicken Paprikash
          • Green Chili Chicken Lasagna
        • Lamb >
          • Slow-Roasted Lamb Shoulder
        • Seafood >
          • Chilled Quinoa and Salmon Salad (E)
          • Shrimp and Zucchini Tostadas
        • Pasta Recipes >
          • Baked Lemon Pasta
          • Paccheri (Pasta) with Cauliflower and Tomatoes
      • Desserts >
        • Cookies >
          • Free Christmas Cookie cookbook download!
          • Healthier Gingerbread Man Cookies
          • Healthier Holiday Cut-Out Cookes
          • Maple Leaf Cookies - YUMMM!
        • Donuts
        • Frozen Desserts >
          • Lemonade Ice Cream Pie
    • Recommended Ingredients and Foods >
      • Inspiration Mixes - Gluten/Dairy/Caseine/Wheat Free and delicious!
      • Organic Maple Syrup
  • Homeschooling
    • Homeschool Curriculum & Product Reviews >
      • Homeschool Curriculum Reviews >
        • Art >
          • ARTistic Pursuits
          • Simply Draw!
        • Grammar >
          • All About Homophones - (Marie Rippel)
          • Time 4 Learning
          • Daily Grams
        • Handwriting >
          • Cursive Handwriting - New American Cursive
        • History >
          • The Mystery of History >
            • MOH vol. 3 Audio MP3's
          • Tapestry of Grace History
          • U.S. History >
            • America, The Last Best Hope (William Bennett)
          • Winter Promise
        • Latin >
          • Latina Christiana, by Memoria Press
          • Visual Latin
        • Literature-based Unit Studies >
          • Beyond Five in a Row
          • Further Up and Further In by Diane Pendergraft
        • Logic and Reasoning >
          • Building Thinking Skills (Critical Thinking Skills Co.)
        • Math >
          • Math Mammoth
          • Math Tutor DVD.com
          • MathRider: Horselovers' Math Facts Software Game!
        • Music and Composers
        • Online Educational Courses >
          • Aleks Online Courses
        • Science >
          • Apologia Science >
            • Apologia Science's Notebooking Journals
            • Zoology 1 - Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day
          • Science Weekly newsletters
        • Spelling >
          • Phonetic Zoo (by IEW)
        • Writing >
          • The Write Foundation: Level 2 - Paragraphs
          • WriteShop's StoryBuilders
      • Homeschool Product Reviews >
        • eBooks >
          • College Success Begins at Home (TOS eBook)
          • Dreams and Designs—Homemade Supplies to Complement Your Homeschool
          • Help, Lord, I'm Getting Ready to Start Homeschooling My High Schooler!
          • The 2010 Schoolhouse Planner
        • Online Educational Website Memberships >
          • KB Teacher
        • Science >
          • Polymer Crystals
    • Driver's Education for Homeschoolers
    • Foreign Language >
      • Latin >
        • Christmas Songs in Latin
        • Latina Christiana (Level 1) >
          • Latina Christiana Level 1 Lesson Links >
            • Charts and Helps
            • Year One Sayings
            • LC1 Intro and Lesson 1
      • Latina Christiana (Level II) >
        • Latina Christiana Level 2
        • LC2 Intro and Lesson 1
    • Forms and Charts >
      • "Week At A Glance" Planner
      • 2012-2013 Homeschool Attendance Form
      • 2012-2013 Homeschool Attendance Form
    • Free Audio Books to Download
    • Free Homeschool I.D. Cards!
    • Government and Civics
    • Handwriting
    • History: Classical / Chronological >
      • The Mystery of History, by Linda Lacour Hobar
      • The Middle Ages (MOH vol. 2)
      • Ancient History (MOH vol. 1) >
        • Ancient Rome >
          • Roman Architecture
          • Roman Houses
          • Roman Town (software game by Dig-It)
          • Roman Trade and Commerce
    • Language Arts
    • Science
  • Free Printables
    • Holidays >
      • Christmas
  • Book/DVD/Audio Reviews
    • Children's Movie/DVD Reviews
    • Other Product/Company Reviews
  • Home & Family
    • Frugal Living
    • Gardening and Herbs
    • Marriage - God's Way
    • Life at Home
    • Godly Kids & Teens >
      • Godly Womanhood
      • Sharing God With Your Children
      • Training Our Daughters to be Keepers at Home >
        • Keepers At Home - "Beginning of Club Year" Helps
        • Keepers At Home - "End of Club Year" Helps
        • KAH Skills >
          • Bible Memory >
            • Memorizing New Testament Books and Their Meanings
            • Proverbs 31:10-31
          • Cake Decorating
          • Card Making >
            • Stitched Cards
          • Computers
          • Character Studies >
            • Contentment and "I'm Bored" phrases
            • Willingness
          • Decoupage
          • Hospitality
          • Library Skills and Literature Pins
          • Sewing >
            • Beauty and the Pig - Goldie Doll
            • Edwardian-Style Aprons
            • Paper Piecing
      • Children >
        • Bible Study Bookmarks
        • The Church History ABCs (for kids!!!)
        • The Lord's Prayer - copywork
        • Some Thoughts...Family Bible Time
        • Running Away...with permission
      • Young Adults (Teens) >
        • Stepping Heavenward, by Elizabeth Prentiss
        • Deeper Roots: Discovering Our Amazing God
  • Frugal Family Trips to Washington, D.C.
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Preparing Your Home for Company after having the Flu

1/31/2013

4 Comments

 
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    I wish I could say that keeping our home fairly neat and organized, eating wholesome food, and getting adequate rest prevents our family from the regular illnesses that go around.

    But I can't.

    And we sure had a doozy these last two weeks.  Wow.

    Elmer, my husband, got off easy.  Well, if you think working all day away from home and then arriving home to a house full of ill females is easy, then, okay.  He would probably disagree.  Especially after handwashing a counter full of dishes (the ones that don't go in the dishwasher).  His favorite task, to be sure.

    We cancelled all of our activities for the last two weeks, including celebrating our youngest's 13th birthday party.

    Boy, did that make me the most popular mom ever.  NOT.

    Our girls cancelled teaching violin and piano to their students; they cancelled their own music lessons with their own instructors. 

    I merely waited to see if I'd come down with it, which I did, despite taking elderberry extract and drinking lots of herbal tea.

    But now that we're feeling so much better, and preparing to have a houseful of guests this weekend, I thought it would be great timing to share some helpful tips about how to disinfect your home after having the flu virus or highly contagious cold or other virus.

    Did you know that people who have the flu - and many viruses - are generally contagious 24 hours before they even begin to show symptoms of being ill?

    I don't know about you, but that doesn't really seem fair!  People could unknowingly infect me with their virus that they don't even know they have yet!  Grrrr....and I could do likewise to them.  :(


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Email subscribers will want to click back to the original posting to view graphics and text in its original format.
 
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1.  Even if it's the middle of winter, consider opening a window in your home - just a crack.  Enough to bring in a steady supply of fresh air, to replace that stuffy, germ-laden air in your home.  If you're blessed with a sunny day and even some warmth, throw open the doors and windows and air out your home!


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2.  Since you are ridding your home of the virus that made you so ill, use either disposable paper towels and throwaway cleaning supplies, or be prepared to sanitize and wash thoroughly those items you'll keep after cleaning the house.  If you prefer to use a sponge or brush to wash dishes, make sure to sanitize your dish brush or sponge in your dishwasher.

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We keep our toothbrushes separate from others' toothbrushes. No sharing toothbrush holders!

3.  Either replace your toothbrush (and those of anyone who was ill) or clean it well by soaking it in peroxide.  What about that toothpaste that touches the toothbrush each time it's used?  Throw it away and get a fresh tube.  Better yet?  Make sure each person in your family has their own tube of toothpaste for their own personal use.



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In our family, every person has their own hand towel hanging in the bathroom.
4.  Hopefully, you've been able to wash towels in hot water on a daily basis while being ill.  Now that you're feeling better, make sure to wash all towels and bedding - even blankets and comforters - in hot water or warm water/hot dryer.  Some pillows can be washed normally in the washer and dryer, and others might need to be dry cleaned or require other care.

Tip:  Provide guests with their own hand towels, set out next to the sink, for their own use.  Feel free to point out to children who are visiting that these guest towels are for them to use while visiting in your home.

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5.  Wash stuffed animals in the washing machine, if possible.  If not, air dry in the sun and spray with a disinfectant, or have them dry cleaned.  Disinfect toys or place in the sun to disinfect.



 
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6.  Use your favorite method of disinfecting hard surfaces:  disinfecting wipes, or vinegar, rubbing alcohol, or any other method you prefer.  Remember to disinfect your television remotes (yes, Dad, you need to give it up for 10 minutes), computer keyboards, game controls, cell phones, light switches, doorknobs, refrigerator and microwave handles, and the like.


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7.  If a thermometer was used during the illness, sanitize it before putting it away.  Glass thermometers can be placed in a small glass of peroxide; other thermometers including digital thermometers may need to be wiped with alcohol wipes or the like.  See your thermometer's instructions on how to properly clean it.



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8.  Any dishes used while you were ill need to be thoroughly washed in hot, soapy water or the dishwasher.  Make sure that someone who is not ill is emptying the cleaned dishes from the dishwasher and placing them in the cupboards.  Wash and disinfect your kitchen and bathroom counters and cupboard knobs and drawer pulls.






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9.  Your car:  sanitize the steering wheel, seat belt fasteners, and door handles - and even the rearview mirror and radio dial, etc. if you were driving while ill or just before becoming ill.





  
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10.  Disinfect sinks, showers, and toilets well.  If you own a steam mop, use it on smooth floors to kill germs.  Depending on the type of illness your family has had, you may even want to have the carpets cleaned. 




    I sincerely hope that your family will be able to avoid any serious or lengthy bouts of illness during this year's flu and cold season.


What are some of your own tips about ridding your home of virus germs and opening up your home to guests?
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4 Comments

Free Valentine's Hearts Facebook Cover Photo

1/28/2013

24 Comments

 
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    Since I haven't shared much with you in the last few weeks except for book and DVD reviews and giveaways, how 'bout some Valentine's Day - romance - Christian encouragement - Bible Scriptures - bright and cheerful FUN? 

    I thought I'd share with you a new Facebook cover photo that you can download and use for your own Facebook wall.  Here's how:

1.  Just click on the "Download File" in pink lettering, above left.  It's already sized correctly for Facebook, so just save it on your own computer or desktop. 


If for some reason, it doesn't seem sized correctly, you can upload it to www.Picmonkey.com and resize it there.  Facebook cover photos are 851 pixels wide and 315 pixels tall.

2.  Go to your own personal Facebook wall/page.  Hover over the bottom right area of the large photo or image at the top of your wall, and click on "Change Cover".

3.  Select "Upload Photo."

4.  Navigate to the location where you just saved this new Valentine's/Hearts Facebook cover image. 

5.  Either select/highlight the correct file/image and click OPEN, or double-click on the correct file/image.

6.  The image will upload to your Facebook page.  Click "Save Changes" on the bottom right hand side of the screen.

If you have questions, let me know.  What's your favorite place to look for new Facebook cover images?

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24 Comments

Come to the Table:  Christian Fiction book review

1/24/2013

0 Comments

 
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New release by Neta Jackson!
Kat Davies is suddenly wondering if her good deed was a bad idea.  Kat may be new in her faith, but she’s embraced the more radical implications of Christianity with reckless abandon. She invited Rochelle—a homeless mother—and her son to move in the apartment she shares with two other housemates. And she’s finally found a practical way to channel her passion for healthy eating by starting a food pantry at the church.

Her feelings for Nick are getting harder to ignore. The fact that he’s the interning pastor at SouledOut Community Church and one of her housemates makes it complicated enough. But with Rochelle showing interest in Nick as a father-figure for her son, their apartment is feeling way too small.

But not everyone thinks the food pantry is a good idea. When the woman she thought would be her biggest supporter just wants to “pray about it,” Kat is forced to look deeper at her own motives. Only when she begins to look past the surface does she see people who are hungry and thirsty for more than just food and drink and realizes the deeper significance of inviting them to “come to the table.”

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author Neta Jackson
    As a kid, I always had my nose in a book—when I wasn’t drawing horses, that is. I also had an active imagination (just ask my family about my imaginary pets!). However, in my senior year in high school, I wrote a story about a mountain lion that won a First Place Award from Scholastic Magazine. With the reward money, I bought a typewriter—and the rest, as they say, is history.   Neta Jackson

    Fans of Neta Jackson will be excited to read her newest book in the Souled Out Sister series, Come to the Table.  As the characters are in college or newly graduated, it might have more appeal to younger readers, but it is still a good read for anyone.  Come to the Table continues with some of the characters in the Yada Yada series, but features the young adults, Kat, Nick, and Brygitta.  The three have agreed to sub-lease an apartment while the owners are on a short term missions trip.  In the first book in the Souled Out series, Kat has rescued a young mother and her six year old son, and they play an important part in this new book.

     Kat feels that the Lord is calling her to start a food pantry at her church.  This is, of course, not free of a few problems, and it requires all of them to pray and allow God to direct their enthusiasm for this new adventure.  Then of course, there is the romantic side of the summer. Is Nick interested in Kat, or maybe his interest lies in Rochelle and her young son?

     As usual, Neta Jackson has written an interesting book that I know you will enjoy.
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I received one copy of Come to the Table in exchange for Joy In Our Journey's honest review.  No other compensation was provided.

0 Comments

In The Dilemma of Charlotte Farrow:  Christian fiction book review

1/24/2013

0 Comments

 
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    The whole world is coming to Chicago. Charlotte’s whole world is coming down around her.  While the rest of Chicago focuses on the enormous spectacle of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, Charlotte Farrow’s attentions are entirely on one small boy-her boy-whom she has kept a secret from her wealthy employers for nearly a year.

    When the woman who has been caring for her son abruptly returns him to the opulent Banning home, Charlotte must decide whether to come clean and face dismissal or keep her secret while the Bannings decide the child’s fate. Can she face the truth of her past and open her heart to a future of her own? Or will life’s struggles determine her path?

    This compelling story of courage, strength, and tender romance captures the tension between the glittering wealthy class and the hardworking servants who made their lives comfortable.


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    Olivia Newport is the author of The Pursuit of Lucy Banning. Her novels twist through time to discover where faith and passion meet. Her husband and two adult children provide welcome distraction from the people stomping through her head on their way into her books. She chases joy in stunning Colorado at the foot of the Rockies, where daylilies grow as tall as she is.

    So often when we read a novel written about the 1800's, we only read about the "upper" class, when in fact there was a large group of people who made the lifestyle of the well-to-do possible.  The Dilemma of Charlotte Farrow is different.  It gives us a look at what life may have been like for these servants.

    Charlotte is the heroine of Olivia Newport's newest book in the Avenue of Dreams Series, In The Dilemma of Charlotte Farrow.  Ms. Newport has interestingly portrayed the problems of that invisible class, the household servants.  They were hired and fired at the whim of the butler, and often fired for little or no reason at all.  They worked long hours for little pay and had to live by the very restrictive rules of their employers.
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    Charlotte Farrow came to the city of Chicago looking for a way to earn her living and provide for her newborn son.  She is helped by a young woman, Lucy Banning, who finds someone to care for her son, and a job for Charlotte in Miss Banning's parent's home.  This goes well until the caregiver is called to another city.  Whatever is Charlotte to do now?  The solution lies with Charlotte.  Can she give up her precious son for adoption, or does God have another solution for her problem? 

    Charlotte's courage emerges on a ride on the first Ferris wheel.  The inclusion of the situations the household help faced, the poverty of the average citizen, and the unfair labor and work rules that the workers had to live under and the descriptions of the Chicago World's Fair made this an interesting historical story.

    If you enjoy watching the PBS hit, Downton Abbey, I would recommend The Dilemma of Charlotte Farrow to you, with a little history lesson besides.

    If your book club or reading group would like a reading group guide for this book, here you go!

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Revell Publishing has provided me with one copy of this book in exchange for Joy In Our Journey's honest review.  No other compensation has been provided.

0 Comments

Abel's Field:  Christian Family-friendly DVD giveaway

1/18/2013

12 Comments

 
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    Left motherless by tragedy and abandoned by his father, high school senior Seth McArdle (Samuel Davis) faces enormous pressure as he strives to support his little sisters.  At school, he endures the daily bullying of the football team.  But fighting back only finds him singled out for punishment and assigned to an after-school work detail under the supervision of the reserved groundskeeper, Abel (SOUL SURFER's Kevin Sorbo).  Much to his surprise, Seth discovers that Abel may be the only one who truly understands his struggles.  As dark times lure Seth toward desperate measures, the reluctant Abel may be the one person who can point him back toward the light.
    It's hard to find DVDs for families to not only enjoy, but learn something from.  This new release, Abel's Field, is a keeper in our book...and in our DVD collection.   :)

    Abel's Field moves at a slightly different pace than some of the more recent Christian movies we've seen, but we all enjoyed watching it.  My heart just ached for this young man, Seth (Samuel Davis), who is struggling so hard to keep his family together despite having no parents in the home. 

    Now, while the movie trailer, below, looks like this movie is all about football - it isn't.  Yes, there are a few brief scenes of a football game on the field, but 98% of the movie is about Seth's daily life.  So for the sports nut, you'll find a bit in there for you, and for the romantic and the adventurer, you'll find what you're looking for as well!

     And see these adorable twin girls?  You're going to enjoy the movie just from watching these two twin girls!  Oh, my!  :)  They're dolls!

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    I feel blessed to be able to give away one brand new copy of Abel's Field to one of you!

    This is a movie I'll enjoy watching more than once, so I'm glad that I have my own copy.  Sorry, I'm not sharing!  :)



It's now that JOYful time of the blog post where I'm able to give away one copy of Abel's Field!

    To enter this giveaway, you'll need to live in the United States - and be 18 years of age or older.  Use the Rafflecopter form, below, to enter the giveaway in the various methods of entry you wish to use.  Leaving a comment in the "comments" section, below - but not clicking on the Rafflecopter form - will not be considered a method of entry...just so you know.  I will be validating the winning entry, to confirm that the entrant completed the requirements of the giveaway method he or she chose.  If you choose to enter one of the entry methods by subscribing to an email subscription from Joy In Our Journey, please check your email inbox/spam folder for a confirmation email from Joy In Our Journey/Feedburner to confirm that you have indeed signed up as a free subscriber.  You'll need to click on that email link to confirm that you are now a subscriber.    Email subscribers will want to click back to the original post to enter the giveaway.

    This giveaway will end on Sunday, January 27th, 2013 at midnight (Pacific time)!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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I received one copy of Abel's Field mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog.  Regardless, I only recommend products or services that I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.  I am disclosing this with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255:  "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

12 Comments

Waiting for Spring:  Christian Fiction Book Review

1/17/2013

2 Comments

 
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Author Amanda Cabot
    I agree with Thomas Jefferson when he said, "I cannot live without books." Some of my earliest memories are of my parents reading books to me or -- in the case of my father -- telling stories he made up.

    When people ask why I write, the answer is simple: it's part of who I am and who I was meant to be. I truly believe this is God's plan for me, and that's why it is my fervent prayer that my books will touch my readers' hearts and strengthen their faith in Him.

     This second story in the Westward Winds series - Waiting for Spring - takes place in Cheyenne, Wyoming, during the fall-winter-spring of 1886-87.  Charlotte Harding is a beautiful young widow with a very young son, David, and very few resources of her own.  She is intent on creating a new life for herself and her child after her husband was killed in Fort Laramie, and the killer would be seeking her for the “fortune” she must have acquired from the unscrupulous dealings of her late husband and a man called “The Baron.”  Charlotte has no idea what or where this “fortune” may be but is running for her life and trying to be very inconspicuous in her new setting of Cheyenne.
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    Charlotte manages only enough financial resources to buy a small building where she sets up a very lovely dress-making shop.  She is an expert seamstress and soon has eager customers to support her business.  She is fortunate to meet another widow, Gwen, who has a young daughter, and in return for Gwen providing care for both children and maintaining their upstairs apartment, Charlotte is able to provide for all of them with her dressmaking skills.
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    Charlotte’s young son is blind from birth, and her huge concern is giving him the very best of care and protection during a time when people nearly automatically put such handicapped children into an asylum for life.  She has determined never to do that and to do her very best to educate him and help him to become independent.

    The book refers to much background from the first title in this series (not read by this reviewer) and some of the mysteries of the past are only slowly revealed. 

    Charlotte cultivates some special friends, Mariam (the daughter of the town’s newspaper publisher) and Marian’s beau, Barrett Landry.  This becomes an interesting story of misplaced love and awkward relationships, career intentions, disappointments, and expectations.

    Charlotte’s quotation at beginning and end of this story is, “We can’t change the past, but if we make the present the best it can be, we can influence the future.  Whatever we choose to do with our lives should be done with that in mind."

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    The attraction between Charlotte and Barrett is mutual, though both hide it in order to spare Mariam.  There are some great surprises in this book and some very scary moments as “The Baron” discovers who Charlotte really is and becomes very serious in his quest to find her “fortune.”

    Throughout the story, seeking guidance of the Lord is paramount and as each person’s story becomes known, it is easy to see how God’s hand is upon each one and His guidance is giving them strength and commitment to their individual futures.  This is a lovely Christian novel with very appropriate romance scenes, nothing at all offensive.  This is a great story and an interesting look at some serious social issues.


Waiting for Spring is available as of January 2013 at your favorite bookseller - from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
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I was provided with one copy of Waiting for Spring in exchange for my honest review of this book.  No other compensation was provided.

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Love Finds You in Glacier Bay, Alaska ~ winner announced!

1/15/2013

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    We have a winner in our giveaway for Tricia Goyer and Ocieanna Fleiss's newest book, Love Find You in Glacier Bay, Alaska!

    Congrats go to Kristina S. for being selected by Random.org as our newest winner here on Joy In Our Journey.com.  Actually, Kristina was the second name that Random.org (via Rafflecopter) selected.  The original winner who was selected had signed up for an email subscription, but didn't follow through and confirm that email subscription, so it was left in "unverified" status...meaning that I needed to select a new winner.  Congratulations, Kristina!  Your book will be in the mail soon.

    For those of you who didn't win the giveaway, this was a compelling story.  I could hardly put it down!  My mom felt the same way.  Love Finds You in Glacier Bay, Alaska is a book that will offer healing and encouragement to many of its readers.  It's not just a "fluffy" romance, although there is a touch of romance in the book - all appropriate, though.  There are other deeper parts of the story that give great meaning to life in general.  I hope you'll enJOY it as much as I did.  I've already read a second book in the Love Finds You...  series because I enjoyed this one so much.  Both were excellent!

    Have a joy-filled day!

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I received two copies of Love Finds You in Glacier Bay, Alaska in exchange for my honest review and for holding this giveaway.  No other compensation was provided.

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The Lesson:  Amish Fiction book review

1/6/2013

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    Centered on one of Suzanne Woods Fisher's most loved characters, this is the story fans have eagerly anticipated. The precocious Mary Kate Lapp is all grown up (well, almost) and ready to take on the world – with surprising results. Fisher's trademark plot twists and turns are as unexpected and satisfying as ever in this third book in the Stoney Ridge Seasons series.

    In her wildest dreams, spunky and impulsive nineteen-year-old M.K. never imagined herself behind a schoolteacher's desk. A run-in with the schoolteacher compels her to act as a substitute teacher, just as her restless desire to see the world compels her to apply for a passport . . . just in case. The only thing of interest to M.K. in the sleepy Amish community of Stoney Ridge is the unexplained death of a sheep farmer that coincided with the arrival of a mysterious young man into the community. Frustrated that no one takes the crime seriously, she takes matters into her own hands. Unfortunately, as tends to be the case for M.K., she jumps headlong into trouble.

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    Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of The Choice, The Waiting, The Search, The Keeper and The Haven, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace. Her interest in the Anabaptist cultures can be directly traced to her grandfather, who was raised in the Old Order German Baptist Brethren Church in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Suzanne is a Christy Award finalist and a Carol Award finalist. She is the host of internet radio show Amish Wisdom and a columnist for Christian Post and Cooking & Such magazines. She lives in California. For more information, please visit www.suzannewoodsfisher.com and connect with her on Twitter @suzannewfisher.


Joy In Our Journey's review:

    Oh, another Amish book.  I said I would read it, but really, the characters are always so good and proper, always doing the "right" thing.

    But what a surprise!  This book is different!  Characters that have life and are not what we have come to expect from an Amish book.  Suzanne Woods Fisher in book one of her Stoney Ridge Seasons series, The Lesson, has a lesson for all of us who think that to be Amish is to be prim and proper, and just a little boring.   We all need to meet Mary Kate Lapp, better know as M.K.  This delightful young lady can hear a murder being committed, and run into her school teacher with her scooter and knock her into a ditch all in one afternoon!  Boring is not a descriptor of this character! Then, for her punishment, she is told to take the school teacher's place.  And, she hated school!  It was boring!  And now she has to be the teacher?  NEVER!


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    How M.K. becomes what she was never going to be, a school teacher, and learns to love it, provides a chuckle if not an outright laugh.  She also meets a very understanding and desirable man who is the father of one of the students.  Could he be the one?  Maybe, maybe not.

    For a fun read, enjoyable story and a completely different take on the life of an Amish girl, make The Lesson a must-read book.  Since it is book one of the Stoney Ridge series, I believe that Mrs. Fisher has more stories for us to enjoy.  Read on!


    The Lesson is available as of January 2013 at your favorite bookseller - from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
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Julieanne
Joy In Our Journey.com

    I received one copy of The Lesson from Revell in exchange for Joy In Our Journey's honest review of this book.  No other compensation was provided.

2 Comments

Vanished:  a Christian fiction mystery

1/6/2013

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    What would happen if the victim of a deadly car crash on a secluded country road simply disappeared? Vanished opens with a shadowy figure caught in the beam of reporter Moira Harrison’s headlights – followed by a solid thump before she loses control and crashes into a tree. But when Moira regains consciousness, the victim is nowhere to be seen.

    The police say the disappearance never happened, but Moira can’t forget the look of sheer terror she saw on the person’s face in the instant it was caught in the glare of her headlights. Now her only hope of discovering the truth is a former police detective turned private eye—and her own investigate skills.


 
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    Irene Hannon, a former communications executive for a Fortune 500 company, left the corporate world in 2003 to focus on her growing fiction brand. While continuing to write contemporary romance, she also delved into suspense. From the beginning, her romantic suspense books have garnered rave reviews. Booklist named Deadly Pursuit (Revell, 2011) one of the top ten inspirational fiction titles for 2011. The final book in her Guardians of Justice series, Lethal Legacy (Revell, 2011) received a starred review from Library Journal, which praised the book for its “compelling characters and edge-of-your-seat action.”

    She is the author of more than 40 novels, including the bestselling Heroes of Quantico and Guardians of Justice series. Her books have been honored with two coveted RITA awards from Romance Writers of America, a Carol Award, a HOLT Medallion, a National Readers’ Choice Award, a Daphne du Maurier Award, a Retailers Choice Award and two Reviewers' Choice Awards from RT Book Reviews magazine. She lives in Missouri.

    To find another new series by one of my favorite authors was an early Christmas present I didn't expect.  Irene Hannon has outdone herself in Vanished, book one of her new series, Private Justice.  Vanished is a tightly plotted, fast-moving mystery that leaves the reader wishing there were at least a couple more chapters to enjoy.  In reality, we will be able to observe Moira and Cal at a distance in the next book in this series, which will be out next fall!

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    Moira is a gutsy reporter who runs into some trouble on a dark and rainy night.  She sees a face, but before she can stop, she has hit the person and run off the road.  A good Samaritan stops to see how she is and if she were injured - and then disappears.  Who was he, and why can't she remember?  Moria's instincts as a reporter drive her to hire a private investigator, Cal, to help her solve the mystery.

    To say that this is a book I just couldn't put down sounds trite, but it is true.  As with other books I have read by Irene Hannon, this is a well written, well researched book that I, for one, will reread just for the pleasure of an enjoyable story.



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Vanished is available January 2013 at your favorite bookseller - from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

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Julieanne
Joy In Our Journey.com

    I received one copy of Vanished for the purpose of sharing Joy In Our Journey's honest review of this book with you.  No other compensation was provided.

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Free 2013 Calendars you can easily customize

1/3/2013

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    I like to keep a small 8.5 x 11" one-page yearly calendar by the computer desk.  That way, when needing to look to the months ahead for dates, I don't need to flip page by page on my regular calendar.

    HP has offered free customizable calendars on their website for many years now.  You'll find calendars with themes from Disney, Pioneer Woman blogger Ree Drummond, and a whole host of other popular themes.

    Here's the new one I just made this week for 2013.  It's a single-page calendar, so it doesn't take as much ink as the monthly page calendars.  The colors on the calendar page I printed out are actually quite a bit bolder than here, but this is the scanned version, so the colors aren't quite as crisp and clear.

    (Email subscribers may need to click back to the original post here to view the calendar I made and to see other links and graphics.)

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    For a customizable calendar, FREE is always a great price!  :)  EnJOY!  :)

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Julieanne
Joy In Our Journey.com

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    ​​Hi!  I'm Julieanne!
    You'll find me in the kitchen
    ​trying new 
    Trim Healthy Mama recipes, loving God, and carrying out that love as I bless my husband and teen daughters. ​


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