“The Blessed Woman” {a Review}

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I’ve been looking for a few good books, that discuss the women of the Bible, their stories and God’s work in their lives….applicable to today. Just a slightly tall order.

Surprisingly The Blessed Woman, by Debbie Morris, came quite close. Chapters were short, well organized, and a good balance between stories and application. It was good, but not perfect.

A variety of issues are tackled throughout the book: Allowing God to use us, giving our children to God,  overcoming our own insecurities,  services and more. Each one is addressed by a “mentor” in the bible, whether Eve, Naomi, Mary, Hagar or others. Even women who I was not at all familiar with.

I felt that despite how good it was, that it was lacking something that stuck with me. I think if I was to do this book as part of a group study {a study guide is provided in the back of the book} that it would greatly improve the depth of the book.

Would I recommend The Blessed Woman? Yes, I would. Particularly for a small group study.

You can find more from this author here:
*Author's Website
*Author Podcast
*More Info
*Read Chapter One
*Author Bio

I received this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah, as a part of their Blogging for Books program. The opinions I shared here are my own. If you would be willing to rate my review there I would great appreciate it.

17 Months

One more month and we’re closer to 2 than to 1 :-(

Henry
*Weighing in at 32lbs
*Wearing 3T bottoms {clothe diapers will do that to ya’}
*Wearing a size 7 shoe {needs it in the width}
*Has 11 teeth, although 11 isn’t all the way up. 12 and 13 are hot on it’s heels.
*In addition to Mama, Dada, Baba, Do {dog}, his new favorite word is bub-bo {bubble}, which he loves when I blow bubbles.
*Can do the stairs, but doesn’t like to…I think the few times he’s fallen has made him nervous.
*Will not sit in the tub. He’ll squat, but he won’t sit on his bottom. I’m not sure why, but I’m curious to see how swimming lessons go.
*Doing a bit better with eating, but he’s still having issues keeping food down sometimes. It goes away, but comes back when he has a cold or is coughing.

James
*Weighing in at 29.5lbs
*Still fitting into 2T bottoms, but they’re getting a bit tight.
*Wearing a size 8 shoe {although he still can fit comfortable in a 7, depending on what brand/style
*Has 7 3/4 teeth in the front…that front-right-bottom one just does NOT want to come up. He’s working molars…I think he has 1 up, maybe 2.
*No longer climbing out of his crib. Found the idea online to put him in a sleep sack, so that he can’t get his legs up. It’s been working for the past 3 weeks now.
*Does the stairs like a pro! He doesn’t even crawl up them, he most of the times walks up, holding the railing.
*Still climbing everywhere.
*He’s my cudddler…oh my. I love it! He’ll just come up to you, climb in your lap, putting his head on your shoulder and sit there.
*Not too many words, but he will answer questions with a “yesth”. Babbles like he’s having a full on conversation.
*Will eat almost anything, but does take to throwing his food on the floor for no reason.

Elanor
*Weighing in at a whopping 24 lbs!
*18-24 month clothes are starting to get a bit tight, if they’re one piece or a onesie. We might just hit 2T before she turns two! Although she’s going to fit into Avie’s 6-9month bathing suit this summer…go figure!
*Wearing a size 5 or 6, depending on the brand/style.
*Has 9 1/2 teeth. 8 in front, 1 molar and a partial molar. She’s working on 2 or 3 more teeth, so she hasn’t been too happy lately.
*Climbs up the stairs
*Running like a champ…she’ll still crawl if she doesn’t feel safe where she is.
*Loves, loves, LOVES! the water!
*Eating a bit more, but still very fussy and picky.
*Turned her car seat around, because she kept having screaming fits when you would put her in. She’s much happier now.

*All 3 of the kids had their first bottle-less bed time last night.
*They love being outside.
*James sleeps through the night and loves sleep. Ellie is doing a lot better and rarely wakes up. Henry has been good the past few nights, but still is up sometimes, usually only once.
*In the afternoon, if the dogs bark…all 3 of them immediately look at the back door and start saying “Dada”. It’s awesome!

And just because I couldn’t leave Avie out: Miss officially 3 1/2 now!

She’s certainly something. The things that she comes out with are dumbfounding. We’re driving with the windows down the other day and she informs me, “This is the life! A girl could get used to this!”
*She’s weighing in at 33lbs, wearing size 9 shoes, and 4T/5T clothes.

Our Amazing Race

You have our passports, right?" Oh yes, those words were mentioned while travelling internationally. Not good.

In May of 2006, Matt and I went on our dream trip: Two weeks touring around Scotland and Ireland {with C.I.E tours}. It almost came to a screeching halt, what I am sure would have resulted in our being in jail, when we realized that we were missing a very important document needed for international travel.

We flew out of Newark International Airport at 6pm on Friday, May 19th, on British Airways. It wasn't the first time that either of us had traveled internationally and wasn't the first time that I had been to Ireland. But it was the FIRST time we had traveled so far away together {we went to Jamaica for our Honeymoon 6 months earlier}.


I hate flying to Europe. It takes WAY too long, and I don't sleep on planes....of course Matt was snoring quite peacefully as I began the 4th movie of the night, oblivious to the world. I watched the mini screen on the back of the seat in front of me, constantly checking to see where the little plane was on the map of our flight.

We landed in Heathrow, thinking we had a bit of time before our connecting flight to Edinburgh  when we realized that not only were we in the wrong line or terminal, we were in the wrong "town". We finally figured out where we were supposed to be, watching the clock tick closer and closer to our flight leaving for Scotland, perhaps without us.

We were all but running. Tick tick tick. We finally reached the gate, only to be told that they would be boarding the BUS, a BUS!, in a few minutes. A brief reprieve as we wheeled around the tarmac and we were running again. Not only was there a bus…oh no, that would’ve been too commonplace, but there was also a TRAIN that we needed to take to get to our plane. 

A train…across the whole of London-Heathrow Airport, just to get to the right terminal. Huffing and puffing, with our 2 weeks worth of luggage, because you have to transfer it yourself {and recheck it in}....tick tick tick tick.

The train comes to a stop and we bolt. "You have our passports right?" Matt reached in his pocket and his face blanched, "$hit!" I was standing near a door on the train, that hadn't closed yet, and jumped in the doorway so it couldn't close, fleeing with our passports.

Matt ran back several cars to our seats and there, tucked nicely in the C.I.E Tours folder sat our passports.

Finally, we were at the final place, luggage being checked, falling into our seats with mere minutes to spare before take off.

TWO HOURS! That's how long it took us to get from one flight to another in London Heathrow, and that is why I will avoid that airport at all cost.

Funny to think that’s it’s been 7 years, today since that Amazing Race. At least the rest of the trip went smoothly.

If you want to see more of our pictures from Scotland and Ireland, you can go HERE.