Ashley Boulais

So if I had room to add it to my goals,  I might add being more self confident.   But then,  goals are supposed to be attainable and I don't know where to start. Seriously,  I am the meanest person I know - at least to myself.  The self talk inside my head is terrible and relentless. It's about my grey hair. It's about my fat legs and flabby everything. It's about the stretch marks on my stomach from those two miraculous boys of mine. It's about my stubby chewed fingernails and long cuticles and hangnails. It's about my my dry skin. It's about the bags under my eyes. It's about the dirty dishes in my sink,  the piles of laundry, the unwashed linens, the toys and clutter everywhere. It's about my lack of energy to make a change.  My constant "resolve" that never actually affects anything but my belief that "nothing will ever change,  so why try?" It's about my moodiness. It's about my selfishness. It's about...

I was in the mood for something light-hearted and this fit the bill. Finding Jesus, by Winston Rowntree,   has essentially no words,  minus the intro,  which honestly I could have done without.  The book is basically Where's Waldo only one is looking for Jesus.  I knew it might be a bit borderline blasphemous but the intro was the worst of it.   I actually enjoyed the pictures a lot.   The detail was incredible and I loved the Biblical references - Jesus waving to Moses or Noah, or turning water into wine.   It was clever,  creative and overall a fun way to pass the time. At first I wasn't sure exactly what I was looking for.   Jesus doesn't have the same obvious attire that Waldo sports, and sometimes Jesus isn't even in color,  but once I spotted him I just knew. It's a fun book,  but be careful if giving it as a gift.   I could see it being offensive to some. I received a free copy of...

Courtney Defeo, author of the book In This House We Will Giggle , wears many hats. She is a devoted wife, the doting mother of two girls, an avid blogger and the mastermind behind ABC Scripture cards. In this book she is seeking to empower parents to be intentional about raising children who exhibit the kinds of characteristics we all hope to see in our children. There are twelve chapters, and twelve virtues, each of them coordinating with the theme of the month. January - Joy February - Love March - Forgiveness April - Faith May - Patience June - Perseverance July - Respect August - Responsibility September - Service October - Humility November - Gratitude December - Generosity Each virtue has a definition that is easily remembered even by a young child,  a memory verse, discussion questions, and a suggested reading from The Jesus Storybook Bible. ( Which FYI is an absolutely amazing book! It is a must-read! ) Each chapter also includes an activity and prayer. This ...