Thank you for stopping by my blog. Lately I have been reviewing books and haven't had as much time to scrap. Hopefully soon I'll get back to scrapping and creating some new files. Thank you for your patience.

I have made files available at absolutely no charge. I do this for fun. I am learning the wonderful Make The Cut (MTC) program and trying to improve my skills. Most of the files have been created from free coloring sheets online. You will need MTC software in order to cut these files. Please use these files for your personal use only and if you want to share them with others please direct others to my blog. I hope you enjoy these files. Comments are always appreciated. If you are not a follower please consider doing so. I have lots of new files that I want to add over the next few months.



PLEASE DO NOT USE MY FILES AS YOUR OWN AND DO NOT POST THEM ELSEWHERE. IF YOU WANT TO SHARE MY WORK WITH OTHERS PLEASE DIRECT THEM TO MY BLOG. THANK YOU

Thursday, December 7, 2017

A Prairie Girl's Faith

 
A Prairie Girl’s Faith gives us an insight to Laura Ingalls Wilder’s faith. Most of us are somewhat familiar with the Little House on the Prairie series and the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder this book elaborates on her spiritual journey which was researched by the author Stephen Hines.
 Her family was a big source of where her faith was learned because they weren’t always close to a church. They often faced hardships in their lives but their family had faith in God and they taught their children. If you are a lover of all things from Laura Ingalls Wilder grab this book and add it to your collection.
I received this book at no charge in exchange for an honest review from bloggingforbooks.com. You can get your copy here.
 

NKJV Unapologetic Study Bible

 
NKJV, Unapologetic Study Bible, Hardcover, Red Letter Edition: Confidence for Such a Time As This
 
 
NKJV Unapologetic Study Bible has over 220 articles near relevant scripture passages, quotes from historical figures and profiles of historical figures.  It addresses relevant issues in today’s society focusing on different areas such as family and church issues as well as government, and education along with other areas. The bible includes an index of “features for canonical study” and “features for topical study.”  It includes colored charts.
I enjoyed this bible I wouldn’t think it would be my primary study bible but it will be a good addition to my library and helps with a better understanding of a biblical stance on things going on in the world today.
I received this bible at no charge from booklookbloggers in exchange for an honest review.
 
 

May the Faith Be With You Holy Bible NIRV


 
 
May the Faith Be With You Holy Bible NIRV says it is geared toward ages 6-10 I would say more on the higher end of that age range. The print is quite small.
If you have a Star Wars fan this would make a great gift. Although, I’m not a huge fan of the NIRV printing of the bible this one is still very nice. Throughout there are colored, space themed pages with bible verses for various subjects. It includes a dictionary at the end but no concordance. Jesus’ words are not in red which is something I prefer but it isn’t a deal breaker.  There aren’t any kind of footnotes or study notes other than the few colored pictures so I wouldn’t say it is a good study bible but a good beginner bible.
This would make a nice gift for a young boy. It is probably not one I will keep in my library though.
I received this bible at no charge from handlebar publishing in exchange for an honest review.

In the Middle of the Mess

 

Get Out of That Pit

Get Out of That Pit by Beth Moore is described as a “stirring message of the sheer hope, utter deliverance and complete and glorious freedom of God.”  It’s “straight talk about God’s deliverance”
We all from time to time get into that pit whether it is by our own doing or because of circumstances around us, but we don’t have to stay there. The author shows us scriptures and personal experiences to lead and direct us. Ultimately, the choice is ours and we have to make the choice to get out of that pit. We just have to let God lead us out.
Get Out of That Pit also includes scripture prayers to pray at the end of the book and also a section broken down by chapter that includes questions to help you reflect on each chapter.
If you are looking for strength to get out of the pit grab this book and give it a read.  I received this book at no charge from handlebar publishing in exchange for an honest review.
 
 

Saturday, November 4, 2017

The Master's Mind

The Master’s Mind by Lance Hahn asks “Why are so many of us insecure, depressed, and confused?” This is not the condition God has in mind for us.
Many times we let our minds control us in ways that we really shouldn’t. Lance Hahn a pastor addresses this. He reiterates how God wants us to be much more and that we need to take control of our minds and have a more Christ like mind.
Our minds need to be renewed. The author reminds us this and gives us biblical views on how to have a better mindset.
This book helps us to understand how God intends us to live. At the end of the book there is a section called Getting Down to Business. The author shares 6 steps to gain “mental toughness and a victor mentaility”
If you need to renew your thoughts and get back on the right track, and let’s be honest most of us do, this book may help get you going on the right path.
I received this book at no charge for an honest review from Handlebar Publishing.
 

Ordering Your Private World

Ordering your Private World by Gordon MacDonald is a newly revised work to “equip a new generation to live life from the inside out, cultivating the inner victory necessary for public effectiveness.
I know in my world everything is hectic and very, very busy. We rarely take time to enjoy our lives, most days we struggle just to put one foot in front of the other and push our way through our responsibilities. We rarely take time to reflect on our inner self and our spiritual well being.  Life happens and we miss so much.
The author takes the time to show us the importance of evaluating our lives. Teaching us to slow down and reflect on our inner self, teaching us the importance of taking care of our spiritual well being.  He hit my family hard with this book. He could be writing about us easily.  One thing he said that stuck out to me we can start by listening. I find it so hard to listen because I am forever more thinking of what I need to say or do next.
It’s time to slow down, do some self evaluating, and a lot of praying.  There has been a study guide to help this journey included in the back of this book. I believe most all of us need to stop and reevaluate what is truly important.
I received this book at no charge in exchange for an honest review from Handlebar Publishing.
 

Kristen Kish

Kristen Kish Cooking: Recipes and Techniques cookbook is a gorgeous cookbook. It has beautiful photography throughout.  It begins with a quite long introduction giving you some insight of her life. Then it proceeds to Techniques and terms. She does a very good job describing various techniques including making meringue, poaching, smoking, searing etc.
Recipes include Snacks, Beginnings, From the Sea, Pasta and Grains, Meat, and Sweets.  I have to admit I’m not extremely familiar with these recipes but the ingredients are easy to find and the recipes are very easy to follow.  I haven’t personally fixed anything yet and I’m not real sure this will be a cookbook that I will keep in my collections. Although it is very beautiful it probably isn’t the cuisine my family would eat. There is a recipe for octopus and my family would probably kill over if I served this to them.
I believe this cookbook would be great for the true foodies out there which my family and I are not we prefer simple southern food.  That being said I can’t say anything negative about this cookbook. It is very nice quality, full of great information and recipes, and overall beautifully done.
I received this book from bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for an honest review. You can get your copy here.

Sunday, October 22, 2017

Adored: 365 Devotions for Young Women

Adored: 365 Devotions for Young Women is a devotional book geared more toward upper teenage girls to early 20s. There are 365 devotions, each devotion includes a NIV bible verse. There is a very small spot at the bottom of each devotion for a thought or note.
Topics that are included range from things such as bullying, friends, dating, social media, having god-like traits, and God’s love for us. This book would make a great gift for the teen girl in your life.
I received this book at no charge from Handlebar Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

The Sacred Slow

The Sacred Slow: A Holy Departure from Fast Faith by Alicia Britt Chole is “formatted as fifty-two experiences in unhurried honesty with God.”  Reading through this book I realized that we indeed do live in a hurried world or at least I do.
I believe this book is designed to slow us down and let God’s love overflow on us. It could be used individually or even as a small group study. I believe it could be most effectively used by literally slowing down and taking time to ponder and do each exercise included. I think take each chapter one week at a time although you could go quicker if you desire. 
For purposes of reviewing I went through it quickly ( so not the intent) but it will be much more advantageous to go back through it and slow down. If you are looking for something for a small group or just something to help you slow down and cherish God’s word pick this book up and give it a try.
I received this book at no charge from Handlebar Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

My Vinyl Record

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Indescribable: 100 Devotions about God and Science

Friday, September 22, 2017

Understanding Color in Photography

Any opportunity I get to check out Bryan Peterson’s photography books I jump on it.  I absolutely love every book I have by him and Understanding Color in Photography is no exception.
My photography goal in life is to capture the image in my camera without having to go through the editing process later. I have not mastered this skill as much as I want to. When I picked up this book I noticed one thing Mr. Peterson said. He echoed the fact that he wants to spend more time photographing and not editing. He wants to capture the image correctly in camera. Of course he is capable of this. J
In his books he breaks things down in easy to understand terms. The book is filled with beautiful photography and examples of the concepts he is writing about. He writes in a way that anyone can understand the concepts. In this book he explains how different colors can affect the mood of the photographs you are taking whether you are photographing blue tones, orange tones, red tones etc.  He also gives wonderful ideas on how to get proper settings for different settings. How to achieve the perfect skin tones, perfect exposures, capture movement effectively, how to balance your pictures.  He fills his books with a lot of information.
I highly, highly recommend any of Bryan Peterson’s books if you are looking to improve your photography!!!They are perfect for the beginner, novice and experienced.  I received this book from bloggingforbooks.com at no charge in exchange for an honest review. You can purchase a copy for yourself here.
 

Thursday, September 21, 2017

KJV Know the Word Study Bible

KJV Know the Word Study Bible offers 3 different ways to study the bible: Book by book, verse by verse or topic by topic. I really like the layout of this bible. I do wish there was a guide to help understand how to use this bible affectively. But I believe after looking through it and reviewing it I figured out how to navigate through.
Each book starts with a summary of the book and a “How to study” each book.  There are sections throughout each book that helps to study the book as a whole. At the bottom of each page there are notes on the verses, but not all verses have this note and the scripture itself doesn’t seem to be marked to allow you to know there is a note to go along with the verse. There is ample study material all through the bible.
One area that I’m not sure I would qualify this bible as a topic by topic study bible because of a couple of reasons. First there is a list of topics at the very beginning of the bible. There are only 21 topics listed. I’m not sure that is adequate to study topic by topic. Each topic has a “notes” section in the book that helps study the specific topic. I just feel like there should be more meat to the topics and more topics to make this qualify for a topic by topic study bible. That being said it does seem to cover each topic with at least 5 supporting notes and scripture. And the topics covered are relevant and popular topics to study.
This bible doesn’t have any illustrations through it but does have a map section in the back.  There are a few weights and measurement tables and a concordance. Overall, I will say this is a very nice study bible and gives a lot of good study opportunities.  I would recommend it as a study bible.  There are a couple of places that there could be improvement but nothing that would deter me from recommending it.
I received this bible at no charge from booklookblogers.com in exchange for an honest review.
 

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Thomas Nelson KJV Study Bible

 
 
 Thomas Nelson King James Study Bible: Full Color Edition is absolutely gorgeous!!!!! I have the large Print version which is much easier to read. There are full color illustrations throughout the entire bible. I believe this is my new favorite bible in my collection
It is a little larger than most bibles because of the larger print and the many illustrations included. The Thomas Nelson study bibles are among my favorite study bibles. They are extremely easy to follow and use and this one is no exception. This one is bound to lay flat when open. I love this feature, no worries of the pages flipping or closing. Christ’s words are in red.
I just can’t say enough about this bible. It is one of the most complete study bibles I have come across. It has several index sections in the back including an index to Christ and the gospels, and index to Paul’s letters, there is a concordance. There is just so much meat to this bible.
If you are looking for a wonderful study bible I HIGHLY RECOMMEND  this one!!!!
I received this bible at no charge from booklookbloggers.com in exchange for an honest review.
 

Hello Stars

Colored pencil Painting Portraits

A beautiful art instruction book, Colored Pencil Painting Portraits by Alyona Nickelsen is for those who want to learn to use colored pencils as their media. The book is full of information and probably geared toward a more experienced artist. I’m not sure it would be for a beginner in the art world. It would be a beautiful addition to a collection for instruction.
The book begins by explaining different media to use with colored pencils and also gives comparisons of various pencils. It does seem to lean toward Prismacolor Premier pencils, which at this time are my personal favorite. It then goes into blending and mixing colors. You will need a working knowledge of drawing in order to gain from this book unless maybe you just want to up your skill level in the all popular adult coloring book world. It gives step by step examples on achieving specific effects.
The book is full of beautiful works by different artists. It is so hard to tell pencil from actual photography in some examples. The pages are printed on a very nice quality paper . The cover damages very easily though. Mine already has the coating peeling off and I am very careful with books.  Overall, this is a beautifully done book and it will remain in my collection. I would recommend this for an intermediate or advanced artist. But a beginner could very well benefit from it also but it wouldn’t be my go to book for a beginner.
I received this book at no charge from bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for an honest review. You can purchase a copy for yourself here
 

Tuesday, August 8, 2017

NIV Beautiful Word large print bible

The NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Bible with large print is wonderful. It is a journaling and coloring bible combined. The slightly larger print is easy to read especially for aging eyes like mine. There are hundreds of pages that have line are and coloring pictures. The paper is slightly thicker than a regular bible to make it easier to color with less bleed through. There is plenty of room for your own personal journaling to use your own creativity. 
I have the cloth covered hard back version. It is gorgeous but it is very heavy to carry. The font is 10 point so I’m not sure I would consider it large print but it is larger than most normal bibles. There are no reference notes or study notes built in. It is a very basic bible other than the addition of coloring and journaling pages. The pages are still pretty thin so I would think the best media for this bible is going to be pencil and I’m pretty sure if you have a heavy hand you will be able to see through to the next page. ‘
If you like coloring bible this one is a nice one. There are a few full pages to color but the majority of it is margin sized coloring and mostly text art.  I wouldn’t say this is my favorite coloring bible that I have but it is a very nice addition to my collection and would make a nice gift.
I received this book at no charge from booklookbloggers.com in exchange for an honest review.

Friday, June 23, 2017

The Beautiful Word

The Beautiful Word Creative Coloring & Hand Lettering adult coloring book by Coloring Faith is a very nice book. It is full of inspirational quote, scripture, and pages to teach you hand lettering.
The pages are double sided. One side is normally some type of picture such as mandalas, wallpaper (covering the entire page) flowers, birds, etc.  Most pages are full page images with a lot of opportunities to color. The facing page has quotes or scriptures
The paper is a smooth, thick paper and should take most media well. The pages are also perforated if you prefer to remove to color or frame.  The images are mostly drawn with thick, dark lines which may be a turn off for some people.   The lettering pages are similar to grayscale.
If you are looking for an inspirational/Christian coloring book this one is really nice and enjoyable to color. I received this book at no charge from booklookbloggers in exchange for an honest review.
 

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Kids' NIV Visual Study Bible

Kid’s Visual Study Bible, NIV, is absolutely one of the best study bibles for kids that I have seen. Although I prefer the KJV because that is what we use in our church I still love this bible. I wouldn’t say it was geared toward young kids but more toward young teens. Even I feel like as an adult I can learn from it.
The bible is full of information: timelines, genealogy trees, maps, lessons, contrast comparisons,  etc. I don’t even know where to begin to tell all that is included. I can say I will definitely be using this bible to help my youngest study when he is older.
There isn’t a concordance or dictionary included but I would say it would make it much too thick to include such, but there is and infographic index that is a good substitute and a map index.  The biggest downfall in my opinion is the weight of this bible I guess because it is a hard covered bible. At the same time the cover is much sturdier and probably will hold up better in younger hands. The print is kind of small which should be okay for younger eyes.
I would love this same bible in the King James Version but I will use this one anyway.  I highly recommend this bible to anyone who wants to study the Word.  I received this book at no charge from Handlebar Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
 

Thursday, June 15, 2017

The Apache Wars

Monday, June 5, 2017

Quilts, Barns and Buggies

Quilts, Barnes & Buggies: Amish Quilts and Proverbs illustrated by Julianne St. Clair is a beautiful adult coloring book. It is full of pictures of country type scenes, quilt patterns, animals, insects, barns, houses, plants.
The book is printed on every page. There are bible verses or inspirational quotes on every other page.  The paper it is printed on is very nice. They are pretty thick with a very smooth tooth.  The images are very intricate and detailed. There are a few easier pages but for the most part I would say this book has very small details and may prove a little tedious for some people. I personally love the intricate details and the challenge. I would think this book would work best with colored pencils and maybe gel pens but I haven’t tried them and they may smear easily since the pages are really smooth. 
If you love inspirational coloring books you will love this one. If you love quilts and barns with a few country scenes you will love this one.  I know it is among my favorites at this time. I received this book at no charge from booklookbloggers.com in exchange for an honest review.

Monday, May 8, 2017

Friendship Blessings Collection

The Berenstain Bears Friendship Blessings Collection is a 5 book in 1 collection. It includes Perfect Fishing Spot, Reap the Harvest, Faithful Friends, Kindness Counts, and God Made You Special. I absolutely love Berenstain Bear books and this one is no exception.  This is a wonderful collection to teach children the beauty of friendship. 
Each story has a different lesson on how to be a good friend, how to include others and make new friends, how special others are even in their differences.  The differences make us all special.  There are 3 Activity and question pages to help teach children to retain what they have learned and have special discussions as a family.
I loved each story but God Made You Special was my favorite. It celebrates the differences in each of us. And teaches that God made each one of us the way He wants us to be. I treasure all of the Berenstain Bear books and this one is among my favorites.
I received this book from booklookbloggers at no charge in exchange for an honest review. 

Monday, March 13, 2017

You Carried Me

When God Made You

When God made you by Matthew Paul Turner is a beautiful children’s book and is beautifully illustrated by David Catrow.  I absolutely love the message in this book. It is a message that God made you special. It displays our differences and how God created each person and it was His pleasure to make us just the way He wants us.
The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous with beautiful, bright colors throughout. I see lots of opportunities to discuss the pages and what is going on. There is a lot of potential with this book and I am so glad to have it in my collection. It will be one that I keep and hopefully one day read to grandchildren. I just can’t say enough good about this book.
If you are looking for a good book to teach children about God and his love for us and how he made us special this one is perfect! This would be a good book to boost confidence and to let a child know just how wonderful they are in God’s eyes. I highly recommend this book!!!!!
I received this book from bloggingforbooks.com at no charge in exchange for an honest review.

Thursday, February 9, 2017

Jesus Calling Coloring Book

A Boy Called Christmas

A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig read by Stephen Fry is a different story about “a few things you should know about Santa Claus”
To be honest I really tried to get into this story and I will try it again but I just couldn’t get into it. Maybe it was because I received it right after the Christmas season and I was really over all of the holiday season. The story was a little dark for me and a little sad. Maybe I needed to put a little more effort into listening to it and I will go back at a later date and try it again maybe I will have a different perspective on it.
It is not something I would recommend to others although reading other reviews it seems many have had differing opinions and really loved it.  I can say the narrator has a nice voice and was easy to listen to. I received this audio book at no charge from bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for an honest review.

NIV Holy Bible for girl: Journal Edition

The NIV Holy Bible for girls Journal Edition Bible is an adorable bible that would be a wonderful way to get young girl into studying and journaling God’s Word. This Bible would make a really nice gift bible for the young girl in your life. I would say probably anywhere between the ages of 12 up to college age.
The edition I am reviewing has a hard cover done in a beautiful pastel aqua color with foil accents. The pages are thicker than a typical bible so that you can journal in it but I do believe certain markers and media will bleed through. You can see through the pages so pencils or pastels would probably work best on the pages.
The bible begins with an explanation page on how to use the bible. It has a nice ribbon marker and an elastic closer to hold the bible closed.  The font is quite small and very close together but should be fine for very young eyes. There are some footnotes and references included throughout but I wouldn’t say it is a full study bible.
I would recommend this as a gift bible or a bible for a girl who wants to journal or just someone who wants to take notes while studying God’s Word. It is lovely. I received this bible at no charge from handlebar publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Friday, January 13, 2017

A Spectacle of Glory

A Spectacle of Glory: God’s Light Shining through Me Every Day a devotional by Joni Eareckson Tada and Larry Libby is a daily devotional for every day of the year.
Joni is a quadriplegic who deals with daily pain. She has “learned to glorify God in the toughest of situations” This devotional is designed to help you find your eternal purpose; a way to show his glory through yourself every day.
Every passage has a scripture for you to look up and then a short devotion followed by a prayer. The devotions help you to see no matter what your situation is God is there and he will help you through it.  You can glorify him even in your storms.
Since the scriptures are written out you can use any version of the bible you like to follow along. But if you are looking for a devotion that has the scripture right in front of you then this one may not be for you.
I think if you need an uplifting devotional  to help you weather the storms in your life and still glorify God this is a good one to use. With a new year just beginning I would recommend this one .  I received this book at no charge from Handlebar Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

The Beginner's Bible KJV