The Look and Tell Bible

The Look and Tell Bible published by Thomas Nelson is an extremely fun and creative board book written to engage young children in well known Bible stories.

This book includes all of the Bible stories we've all heard many times! But they are being told in a new way in this book! There are many pictures! You can tell what each picture is and it's not too busy like some other picture books.

The pages are board pages, so this is toddler proof! It's so hard to find good books with tough pages... my little ones are rough on books.

On the left side page, there's pictures and labels of what the pictures are underneath them. On the right side page, there's the story. In the story, they replaced some of the words with the pictures that are on the left side of the book. This helps the little ones be more interactive with the story and understand more.

Each story isn't too long and they aren't just a few sentences. They are a good length to get the whole story across and keep them interested. The pictures within the story really help with that.

I was super excited to share this with my little ones, but I haven't shared it with my oldest yet. I let my youngest (1 year old) look through it and he didn't want to give it back so I could put it back up for my oldest's (will be 3 years old) birthday this coming up Monday! I can't wait to show him, because I know that he will LOVE it!! Especially the David and Goliath story!

I recommend this book to all those families that love sharing Bible stories, lots of pictures, and durable books!

I was given this book in exchange for an honest book review from booklookbloggers!

Who am I??

Do you ever get that lump in your throat when you think about things in your past?
I'm talking about those guilty feelings that you get because you know that you did something wrong or did wrong to someone in the past and you wish that you didn't do it.
Those things that make you feel like vermin on this earth and you can't believe that you made it to this day being who you were to who you are now.

Sometimes little things like familiar songs, faces, names, and even smells, take me back to moments that I wish I could've been more prepared for. Moments that I could've taken myself out of and looked down on with the bigger picture in mind.

We are so small minded in each given moment, it's hard to make sure that we don't make the same mistakes that we did before. Or even hurt the same people that we did before. So we keep making them and that leads us to even more mistakes.

Yes, I've made a mistake. Yes, I know you have too. Yes, I have hurt people and no, I'm not perfect or proud of those facts.

Even though I feel bad and I'm not proud about these moments and mistakes, I don't regret them. I don't want to go back and change them. They have shaped me into who I am today. They were stepping stones to the BETTER choices that I've made to get where I am right now.

When those mistakes creep up on me and form that lump in my throat, I can't help but to feel bad about them again. I can't help but to want to wallow in the wrath of myself. I get hard on myself and turn against myself. It makes me ask, "Who am I?"  "Am I the same person that made those mistakes?"

I usually ask myself those questions and expect myself to have the complete answer... always feeling incomplete and inadequate. Yes, I will always be the same person that made those mistakes! But has something in me changed? Have I learned to do better? I believe so. But I still feel bad about myself, because I am my own biggest critic.

Really, the best answers to those questions are better left to the one who created me. The one who knows every little thing about me, even my DEEPEST DARKEST secrets. He knows every nook and cranny to my being and soul. He knows about my mistakes and my shortcomings. He knows the NUMBER OF HAIRS ON MY HEAD!! He even knows about my tomorrow, because He's already there before me.


So why have I become so reliant on myself to overcome those mistakes that I've made? And answer the questions about who I am?

Here's what God says about who I am to Him:

I am God's child. (Galatians 3:26)

I am Jesus' friend. (John 15:15)


I am a whole new person with a whole new life. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

I am a place where God's Spirit lives. (1 Corinthians 6:19)

I am God's incredible work of art. (Ephesians 2:10)

I am TOTALLY and COMPLETELY forgiven. (1 John 1:9)

I am created in God's likeness. (Ephesians 4:24)

I am spiritually alive. (Ephesians 2:5)

I am a citizen of Heaven. (Philippians 3:20)

I am God's messenger to the world. (Acts 1:8)

I am God's disciple-maker. (Matthew 28:19)

I am the salt of the earth. (Matthew 5:13)


I am the light of the world. (Matthew 5:14)

I am GREATLY loved!! (Romans 5:8)

When I stop looking at things through MY eyes and begin to look at things through GOD'S eyes, I can see them for what they really are. It not only encourages me to stop wallowing and start worshipping, but it helps me help others see themselves through God's eyes as well!

You see, God has a plan for me. That plan is bigger than anything I'm dealing with right now. The same for you!! God has a plan for you too! And no matter what mistakes you've made or what you're dealing with right now... He will always lead you to where you need to go to fulfill the plan that He has for you.


Our destination is HOME. Our destination is God's KINGDOM! Our destination is HEAVEN. When we set our destination for Heaven, we set our paths straight and God will lead us there with Him, if we let Him take the driver's seat and if we don't be "back seat drivers".

Let's pray:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for another day of your grace and mercy. Thank you for allowing me to wake up to this beautiful life you've given me. Please, Lord, help me to see myself through YOUR eyes and not through my own eyes. I know that I am not perfect, but YOU are! I know that I have failed many times but you HAVEN'T! Please, help me to find encouragement through your word each and every day. Help my readers and followers to find the same! Help them to see who they are through your eyes and not their own! Thank you, Lord, for all that you have done, are doing, and all that you will do for me and my life.

For it's in your name that I pray, Lord.
Amen.

Mama's SLEEP Mode

*YAWN*

Do you ever have those moments when you don't want anything to do with anyone? Those moments when you just want to lock yourself in your room and bury your head under a pillow with the blankets over you? The moments when you want to shutdown and restart? Yeah, I'm sure you have. I know I have!

Those moments usually come when my toddlers are both screaming and getting into stuff at the same time. Or the dogs are tearing up something that I won't be able to fix. And mayyybe during those times when my husband is mad or upset with me because of something I said or did... and I don't want to confront him.

It's in those moments that I wish I could shut down and restart.

As a parent, I'm never able to really "shut down" or "restart", much less both at the same time.

Let me explain: Do you know how a laptop has the option for the "Sleep Mode"? There's "Sleep", "Restart", and "Shut Down".

When you put the laptop on "Sleep", you can close the laptop and the screen will shut off, but the laptop is still on, using the battery. If you open the laptop back up and push a button, the screen will instantly come back on and you can get right back to what you were doing before you put it on "Sleep Mode". To save time, it's best to leave your computer in sleep mode when you know you're going to use it again soon.

When you put the laptop on "Shut Down" or "Restart", there's a period when the laptop has completely shut off and the battery is not being used at all to keep it on. It takes it awhile to come back on and reload when you turn it back on. To save battery, it's best to shut down your laptop when you know you're not going to use it for awhile. Also, when you're making updates to the laptop with the software, it's best to restart or shut down the computer to let the updates finish what they need to do.

As a mom, I never sleep completely... but when I do, I don't "Shut down" or "Restart" like most people do when they sleep. When I hear a child cry in the middle of the night (or get up and go into the living room to watch tv, or get into the food cabinets), I wake up and go see what's wrong. I could be dead asleep and still hear the noise and wake up instantly ready to find out what's going on! It's in my instincts as a mother.

Even though it is called SLEEP mode on a laptop, I think it should be called "Eyes closed but I'm fully aware of what you're doing" for us parents. Because what is sleep without actually SLEEPING?!

We may get our time to wind down and rest or possibly have times when someone else looks after our kids and SOMETIMES we get to spend time with our significant other. Those times are refreshing and enjoyable. They're more special than they've ever been.

But our babies are still on our minds, on our hearts, and they're always going to be there. We constantly worry if they're getting the care that they need or if they're happy or if they need a kiss for their booboos that they might get while doing something they're not supposed to. If they're being taught how to act right or if they're getting the attention that they deserve(especially if they have siblings). No matter where they are or who they're with!

It's NEVERending.

I'm not complaining at all. Because if this is what it's like to not ever truly SLEEP again, then I'm content with that!

I will have my days when I gripe and complain about doing this and doing that for these little boogers. I will have my days when I will want to give up and go hide under those covers. BUT I will not give up and I will NOT hide under those covers! UNLESS I have my little monsters under there with me and we're building us a blanket fort with books and a flashlight.... that's acceptable.