"Antonio Meets His Match" is the second dvd I have seen in Max Lucado's Hermie and Friends series. I put this on to watch with my 18 month old daughter and it held her attention for quite awhile! I would recommend this for young children up to age 8.
Antonio is the strongest and bravest ant in the garden. One day some kilt wearing foreign ants move into the garden and Antonio's first response is to have them leave. Antonio and the others in the garden begin a journey of learning the very important lesson of loving your neighbor as you love yourself. This may be easy if your neighbor is a nice person, however this is more difficult if the neighbor is annoying and mean. Antonio learns that no matter how annoying or mean his neighbor is, he needs to love his neighbor. This is all learned through a series of unusual competitions and situations that result in everyone learning the important lesson.
The "love your neighbor" concept is woven throughout the entire story. Anyone wanting to share this message with his or her child should watch this dvd.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
Book Review - "The Choice"
Get ready to enter the world of Lancaster County! Suzanne Woods Fisher draws you into this fascinating world in her latest novel, "The Choice," book of Lancaster County Secrets. Sol, the man who Carrie loves, is asking her to leave the familiarity in life, their Amish community, to join him as he follows his dream of being a baseball player. Carrie, left to raise her younger brother, following the death of her father and not wanting him to be left in the clutches of her step-mother, Carrie makes a decision that she believes will be in the best interest for her brother as well as herself. However, Carrie will struggle with her decision and will be forced to make this choice once again at a later time.
Fisher shares a story that is unlike many of the other Amish novels that have been written. Tying in relationships not only among those living the Amish lifestyle, but also the "English" living in the same area gives a realistic feel to the entire novel. Be prepared to experience a whole range of emotions as you experience Carrie's struggles, heartaches, joys and love. There were several times throughout the novel that I felt frustrated and upset due to the heartache that Carrie was experiencing, and then at times felt so hopeful for her as life seemed to be looking up.
The reader is quickly drawn into this novel and Fisher's style makes it easy for the reader to get lost in this world. I am greatly looking forward to book 2 in the Lancaster County Secrets series. I received a complimentary copy of this book.
“Available January 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”
Fisher shares a story that is unlike many of the other Amish novels that have been written. Tying in relationships not only among those living the Amish lifestyle, but also the "English" living in the same area gives a realistic feel to the entire novel. Be prepared to experience a whole range of emotions as you experience Carrie's struggles, heartaches, joys and love. There were several times throughout the novel that I felt frustrated and upset due to the heartache that Carrie was experiencing, and then at times felt so hopeful for her as life seemed to be looking up.
The reader is quickly drawn into this novel and Fisher's style makes it easy for the reader to get lost in this world. I am greatly looking forward to book 2 in the Lancaster County Secrets series. I received a complimentary copy of this book.
“Available January 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Book Review - "The Lightkeeper's Daughter"
Mystery, romance, family relationships and history are all a part of Colleen Coble's latest novel, "The Lightkeeper's Daughter," a Mercy Falls novel. Addie Sullivan grows up a daughter of the lightkeeper at the lighthouse and lives a happy life although she cannot understand why her mother does not appear to love her. Upon recusing a man, Addie learns that she may not be whom she has always thought she was and her parents may not be her parents. As Addie trusts God and the man she helped rescue, things begin to make sense in Addie's life - why does her mother not love her, why does she has recurring nightmares of being in a boating accident?
Addie follows Mr. Driscoll, who claims to be her uncle to an estate under the pretense of being the new teacher for her nephew as someone has been paying for Addie to be taken care of away from her biological family. However, she desires to really get to know her family, especially her father. Addie does not plan to fall in love with her charge's father and discover secrets that question her mother's disappearance and supposed death. Through many twists and turns and emotional moments, Addie discovers who in her life can actually be trusted on and who her true family really is. I highly recommend this book! The characters are not as they appear to be, you will want to read this to find out truth in Addie's life! I cannot wait for another Mercy Falls novel!
Addie follows Mr. Driscoll, who claims to be her uncle to an estate under the pretense of being the new teacher for her nephew as someone has been paying for Addie to be taken care of away from her biological family. However, she desires to really get to know her family, especially her father. Addie does not plan to fall in love with her charge's father and discover secrets that question her mother's disappearance and supposed death. Through many twists and turns and emotional moments, Addie discovers who in her life can actually be trusted on and who her true family really is. I highly recommend this book! The characters are not as they appear to be, you will want to read this to find out truth in Addie's life! I cannot wait for another Mercy Falls novel!
Monday, December 7, 2009
Book Review - "An Amish Christmas - December in Lancaster County"
A new must-read for Christmas if you love Amish Fiction and/or Christmas stories! I was very excited to receive this collection of 3 novellas from Thomas Nelson to read and review. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I began reading "An Amish Christmas - December in Lancaster County" as the 3 novellas are all written by different authors (Beth Wiseman, Kathleen Fuller and Barbara Cameron), but the stories are intertwined.
In the first novella "A Miracle for Miriam" the story focuses on a young woman Miriam whom is struggling with low self-esteem and is confused by the attention that she is receiving from Seth, who previously made fun of Miriam and broke her heart with the teasing. Miriam must trust God and Seth and learn that he has changed since the teasing days in the schoolyard. Although, the focus is on Miriam, Lydia and Sarah are both introduced in this story. Lydia's character is revisited and focused upon in the 2nd novella "A Choice to Forgive." Lydia has suffered much heartache - first her true first love left suddenly leaving only a note behind. Just as suddenly he returns to Lancaster County and is finding his way back into Lydia's life and heart, however during the 18 years he has been gone, Lydia married his brother, yet the brother has passed away. Will Lydia allow herself to listen to her heart and her first love?
The third novella focuses on Sarah whom is struggling with not being able to conceive a child. During a snowy Christmas an English couple is brought into their lives, the wife who is very pregnant. Will Sarah be able to put aside her own fears and longings to be able to help this couple? Sarah soon learns that both couples will learn a great deal from each other.
I loved this collection of stories and the journeys that these women and couples experienced throughout the Christmas season.
In the first novella "A Miracle for Miriam" the story focuses on a young woman Miriam whom is struggling with low self-esteem and is confused by the attention that she is receiving from Seth, who previously made fun of Miriam and broke her heart with the teasing. Miriam must trust God and Seth and learn that he has changed since the teasing days in the schoolyard. Although, the focus is on Miriam, Lydia and Sarah are both introduced in this story. Lydia's character is revisited and focused upon in the 2nd novella "A Choice to Forgive." Lydia has suffered much heartache - first her true first love left suddenly leaving only a note behind. Just as suddenly he returns to Lancaster County and is finding his way back into Lydia's life and heart, however during the 18 years he has been gone, Lydia married his brother, yet the brother has passed away. Will Lydia allow herself to listen to her heart and her first love?
The third novella focuses on Sarah whom is struggling with not being able to conceive a child. During a snowy Christmas an English couple is brought into their lives, the wife who is very pregnant. Will Sarah be able to put aside her own fears and longings to be able to help this couple? Sarah soon learns that both couples will learn a great deal from each other.
I loved this collection of stories and the journeys that these women and couples experienced throughout the Christmas season.