Defenders of the Family - LDS Book Review

I received this book free to facilitate this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

“Defenders of the Family” Summary:

Defenders of the Family, assemble! God’s magnificent plan for us rests upon the strength of the family. In this engaging children’s book, discover the roles and teachings needed to unite your family, from devoted parents to extended members, all centered on the power of the gospel. Help your children see their families as they can be: incredible, empowered, eternal followers of Jesus.

Our Thoughts:
Defenders of the Family is a fun hardcover comic book/graphic novel written by Benjamin Hyrum White and illustrated by Jay Fontano. This 32 page book shows children and adults alike how to be defenders of the family and stand up for what we as Christian LDS members believe in. I see this book as a simplified version of "The Family: A Proclamation to the World". It also reminds me of a General Conference talk by Bonnie L. Oscarson where she encouraged Latter-day Saint woman to defend marriage, the divine roles of parents, and the sanctity of the home. This book goes into our foundational beliefs surrounding the family and what we should be doing to protect and strengthen this sacred entity.

We enjoyed the fun colorful illustrations. I loved how the defenders wore capes like superheroes and that there were a number of different races and family dynamics shown. Teela, my eight year old daughter, had no trouble at all in reading this book herself and the words get straight to the point.

I highly recommend this book that shows individuals how to be "Defenders of the Family". We all need this book, especially at this time when it seems that the family unit is only being ridiculed or ripped apart.

BUY IT


DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this book for free to facilitate this review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

The Sacrament Is For Me - LDS Book Review

I received this book free to facilitate this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

“The Sacrament Is For Me” Summary:
The sacrament is the most important part of the Sabbath day-and our week. Teach your little ones about the sacred sacrament and how they can apply it in their everyday lives, from the playground to piano lessons. Help your children start each week right and understand the reason behind the reverence of Jesus’s eternal sacrifice, love, and example.

Our Thoughts:
The Sacrament Is For Me is an adorable hardcover book that teaches small children the importance of this symbolic ordinance. It is written by Jessica B. Ellingson and Illustrated by Chase Jensen with 32 pages. I love how the text is in rhyme and the illustrations are relatable. The picture of the boy pulling his sisters hair with the wheel of his toy car was funny, but I can empathize, being a parent. This book goes through and tells why we take the sacred sacrament, what the water and bread represent and should remind us of, how we should act during the prayers and partaking of the sacrament, and what other things we should do to follow Jesus Christ to receive blessings. Besides taking the sacrament, it talks briefly also about the importance of reverence, the temple, baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost, remembering Jesus, sharing the gospel, being like Jesus, loving others, serving others, following the promptings of the Holy Ghost, and choosing the right.

The last couple Sundays Zari, my youngest, has had trouble sitting still in Sacrament Meeting. I finally brought The Sacrament Is For Me book with us and Zari stopped being so fidgety. Instead she quietly looked at the pages of this book while the sacrament was being passed. This book would also be great to use with Primary or Family Home Evening lessons that focus around the sacrament. I highly recommend The Sacrament Is For Me.

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DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this book for free to facilitate this review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

My Preparedness Calling

Brian and I have a new shared calling in our church. We have been wanting to do this ever since we were first married, but I guess the Lord had different plans for us then. We have been given the preparedness calling of the church. We can have an open curriculum. My husband and I are gearing up for teaching classes, disseminating helpful information, and planning ways to get our ward members more involved in the community to get people more prepared in case of any emergency that comes our way.

My church, The Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter Day Saints (LDS/Mormon Church), have been very vocal about how being prepared is so very important. We as members of the LDS church have been counseled to have a year's supply of food supply and life's necessities for every family member, just in case. On May 21st of this year, before we were called to this calling, there was a Preparedness Fair at our church. I attended, but didn't demo anything because I wanted to see what would be offered and be a student instead. We were taught about Canning Beans & Potatoes, Smoking Meats, Food Storage, Preserving/Sprouting Foods; Water Filtering, Storing, & Alternative Sources; Ham Radio, Alternative Heating Sources, Sanitation, Fires & Alternative Ways to Start Them, Alternative Methods and Sources for Cooking, Sources and Storage for Fuel. They also had displays for a 72-Hour and Basic First Aid Kit. I hoped that we would have had more come from the community, non-members and members alike, but we still had a good turnout. I brought home a packet of information and some notes I wrote. These were helpful demonstrations for the novice beginner and even I learned some things while I was there.

Our background: 
Brian and I are both Master Gardeners. We have been to Soil School taught by Oregon State University (OSU) and other mini courses taught by the local extension service. I have also taken a course in Permaculture, sustainable landscape design also taught by OSU. I am currently in study about wilderness foraging, organic gardening, cool season gardening, gardening year round, companion crops, herbal/natural medicine, etc. I have been volunteering at the Rainier Oregon Community Garden, Hope Gardens, to give food back to those that are in need of it. Brian is learning about aquaponics, a system where you raise fish or other aquaculture (aquatic animals) and the waste produced by them supplies nutrients for plants grown hydroponically (in water) that in turn purify the water. We are placing a aquaponics system at our farm. We are also preparing our farm to be more self-sufficient as well so we can showcase ways of doing so. I will be posting more about preparedness and updates on our farm as well. In the meantime, please see my post on Planting a Fruit/Nut Orchard and Edible Garden with Food Stamps (SNAP EBT).

Some other helpful links:

• Provident Living - Self-Reliance and Welfare Resources
• Prepared LDS Family - A blog on Practical Food Storage and Preparedness Ideas (not just for LDS/Mormon)
• Emergency Preparedness - LDS page about how you can prepare both spiritually and temporally for an emergency.
• 32 Preparedness Quotes from LDS Church Leaders - from the Purpose Driven Motherhood blog
• Emergency Preparedness Family Home Evening Lesson - from LDS Daily
• If Ye Are Prepared Ye Shall Not Fear - October 2005 Talk by Gordon B. Hinkley
• LDS Preparedness Manual - a collection of information from different authors compiled by Another Voice of Warning

Live Love Lead: Your Best Is Yet To Come! Book Review

I received this book free to facilitate this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

Brian Houston, founder & global senior pastor of Hillsong Church, has written more than 12 books. His latest book, LIVE LOVE LEAD: Your Best Is Yet To Come!, inspires us to follow Christ as He guides us on our journey through life. Brian Houston shows us how to LIVE fully, LOVE completely, and LEAD boldly  - the hallmarks of Jesus' time on earth.  This book tells Houston's and Hillsong's story throughout their ups and their downs, but never faltering from their faith in Christ. His wisdom, encouragement, vision, and passion for living a faith filled life gives us a roadmap of sorts to our living as Christ did.

I love the book LIVE LOVE LEAD: Your Best Is Yet To Come!! The book has so many powerful and inspiring messages that are so profound. They are messages that I really needed to hear. Houston is so very honest, sincere and full of humility in telling about his life. The faith lessons and biblical truths surrounding his life-tested personal experiences are refreshing, empowering, and enlightening. Even though I am from a different Christian church denomination than the author of this book it was definitely well worth the read and quite fascinating to learn about the pastor behind the Hillsong music that I have been loving listening to.

Taya Smith of Hillsong United speaks about the book:
https://youtu.be/aIaR0Dde648

Live Love Lead Testimony video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUkr041k5ss

BUY IT


If you purchase Brian Houston's Live Love Lead before 9/31 there is a free song download from Hillsong Worship’s upcoming album, LOVE ON THE LINE (limited # of downloads, first come, first serve basis). http://ow.ly/Slx9x

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this book for free to facilitate this review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

Wordless Wednesday Sunday Dress and Horses

My kids and I dressed for church. It has happened, my teenage boys have both surpassed me in height, LOL!

The horses were curious at what we were doing.

Horse lovers in training :)

Wordless Wednesday Church Pews to Repurpose

We are repurposing these oak church pews for different things around our farm and home.

Rainier, Oregon Christmas Toy and Gift Exchange

This is my friend's son's Eagle scout project. They've collected an amazing amount of toys, books, games and other gifts. Anyone you who is struggling this Christmas is invited to come and pick out some of the items for your child(ren). It is today at my church chapel! Also, they will be having the exchange again on Tuesday December 18th from 4-7:30pm at the LDS church chapel. Although they are requesting donations for the foodbank, no one will be turned away for lack of ability to make a donation.

For more information click on the above image to make it larger and then you will be able to read it. Thank you!!

Festival of Nativities - Free Events

While I was at church this past Sunday I heard about an free event for the public for the holidays and ever advancing Christmas season. The Longview LDS Stake Center is having their very first annual Community Festival of Nativities. I have been to one of these festivals when I was living in Ohio and it is really something to behold. People donate their unique nativities to be displayed for the time of the festival. Longview hopes to have literally hundreds of different Christmas nativities from around the world on display for people to come and view. They will also have music from talented local performers.

• What: 1st Annual Community Festival of Nativities (FREE Event)
• Date: Friday through Sunday, November 30th-December 2nd, 2012
• Time: 4-9pm (OPEN HOUSE)
• Place: 900 11th Ave. Longview, WA, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
• Are You Going? Let Them Know: FB Events Page

If you don't live in my neck of the woods there is also one located in Vancouver Washington and Gladstone Oregon that is closer to Portland. Both Vancouver and Gladstone will also have a live Nativity and a room with activities for the kids to do.

• What: 12th Annual Festival of Nativities (FREE Event)
• Date: Thursday through Sunday, November 29th-December 2nd, 2012. The live nativity will be held outside the building on Saturday, December 1st, at 6pm and then again at 8pm on the northeast lawn.
• Time: 12-9pm (OPEN HOUSE)
• Place: 10509 S.E. 5th Street Vancouver, WA, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

• What: Joy to the World, Festival of Nativities (FREE Event)
• Date: Thursday through Monday, December 6th-10th, 2012
• Time: Thurs-Sat 1pm-9pm Sun-Mon 4:30pm-9pm
• Place: 8331 Cason Road, Gladstone, Oregon, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
• Other Info: FB Page

These events are a great way to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ with your nearby community. If you do not live nearby one of these churches just inquire of an LDS church close by you to see if they know of a Festival of Nativities that you can visit in your area.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I became aware of these events and was also given more information by email about this. Thanks to everyone involved for these events. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any compensation for posting about this event. The above art is used with permission by Longview LDS Stake Center to advertise their event. It is ©Joseph F. Brickey and is called "A Savior is Born".

LDS 182nd Annual General Conference

Join with me to watch or listen to the 182nd Annual General Conference, a semiannual gathering of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints members and friends from around the world to hear God's words through His prophet. It starts on March 31–April 1, 2012. The four general sessions will be held on Saturday and Sunday at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. mountain daylight time. The priesthood session will be held on Saturday, March 31, at 6:00 p.m. mountain daylight time.

In biblical times, God spoke to His children through prophets. God loves His children today as much as He did anciently. In our day, He has called prophets in our day to teach and testify of Him. The Prophet and President, Thomas S. Monson, of my church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, will be speaking along with other leaders of my church.

If you want to learn more about my church you can go to the LDS website or to the Mormon.org website.

Wordless Wednesday Jaedan's Baptism

Jaedan turned 8 years old on May 15th, 2010. He was baptized by his father on July 31st, 2010; received the Holy Ghost, and confirmed a member of our LDS church by his Papa. We are very proud of him!!

If you are participating in Wordless Wednesdays, click on the Mister Linky image, enter your name and URL in the form, and press Enter.

Eight Years Old

Delbin, my oldest son turned 8 years old on September 5th, 2008. On September 28th, 2008 he was baptized and confirmed a member of our church the same date that my youngest daughter, Teela, was blessed. We are so very proud of him!

One of the things Delbin gets to do now that he is 8 is attend Boyscouts. He was so excited to get to be a Cubscout! In Boyscouts he has already made and raced a boat in the Raingutter Regatta, but out of everyone in our family only he was able to attend the race. He also just had his very first Boyscout Pinewood Derby on Tuesday, January 20th, 2009 and this time our whole family got to go to see the festivities.

Even though he didn't win the medal for first, second, or third he did get a certificate that said, "Most colorful curvy car."

Delbin had fun and didn't care that he didn't win any of the big prizes. He just wanted to race his car! His pack had a very antique looking track. It was made of wood and bracketed together. It also had to be adjusted often especially if the cars jumped the track because of the notched places in the track sticking up too much and needing to be physically pushed down. They also decided that this time because of this they would only race two-three cars at a time...rather than all six and that some lanes would not be used at all.

Brian, my husband, said that when he was in Boyscouts they had a deluxe track with laser reader, time count down, and everything. They did things by the book back then and everything was done on a grand scale. It sounds to me like the Down & Derby movie I saw :) Brian also mentioned that we needed to build a new track for next year. Yes! Put that on our long list of to dos...along with building our own six-masted sailing vessel to live on and do dolphin communication and owning a horse or mini pony!