Kaylea Hutson's Blog, page 36

Blog Tour: God Gave Us Love (review)

Little Bear is at it again, this time wanting to learn about love.

Using the antics of a set of mischievous otters, Grandpa Bear tries to explain what it means to love others - even when they annoy us.

What I Really Liked
I like the Little Bear series because the illustrator, Laura J. Bryant is incredible. Her illustrations are both beautiful and detailed. I LOVE picture books and this illustrator rocks.

The Rest Of The Story.....
Overall, I liked this book.I also liked the story line -with some exceptions......

I didn't like about this book is how it "crams" a HUGE amount of text into the story line.

I picked up this book to read it to the preschoolers, hoping it would be a "chapel" story during February's love theme.

I grew frustrated, as I read it aloud at how the text "jumped" from one big subject to another. Honestly, there's a huge amount of content in this book - way more than kids can grasp as you read it. Everything is good, but I think the book could be "simplified" and still be a great story with a message.

Unfortunately, in the group setting the story failed to capture the kiddos attention. I guess if you are reading it to your own child, rather than a group of children, and find yourself reading it over and over....that they would eventually "get it."

The book's size (board book) is also geared for a single child. I ended up blowing up the pages on 11x17 inch paper, so the group could see the beautiful illustrations.The smaller size, read to a single child, would work better because the kiddo could also really "dive" into the illustrations and check out all of the details.

Overall, I like the idea behind this book - that we should share with others a "God-Sized" love. I just wish it didn't have "HUGE" ideas to translate to a young child.

On the scale of one to five, I give this book a three. I probably won't try a third book for the chapel time, but I might purchase a board book to give as a baby gift.

More About This Book
As Little Cub and Grampa Bear's fishing adventure is interrupted by mischievous otters, the young polar bear begins to question why we must love others… even the seemingly unlovable.


In answering her questions, Grampa Bear gives tender explanations that teach Little Cub about the different kinds of love that is shared between families, friends, and mamas and papas. Grampa explains that all these kinds of love come from God and that it is important to love others because…


"Any time we show love, Little Cub, we're sharing a bit of his love."


This sweet tale will warm the hearts of young children as they learn about all the different sorts of love, while the gentle explanations of each provide a valuable opportunity to encourage children to share with others a "God-sized love."

Also available in the God Gave Us series:
God Gave Us Two
God Gave Us Christmas
God Gave Us Heaven
God Gave Us You
God Gave Us So Much

About The Writing Team
Author
Lisa Tawn Bergren is the best-selling, award-winning author of over 30 books, with more than 1.5 million copies sold. She just finished writing a Colorado historical trilogy (the first book, Breathe, Sing and Claim), and has begun a teen series called River of Time (Waterfall, book 1, comes out in February 2011).

Bergen's time is split between managing home base, writing (including a fair amount of travel writing), consulting and freelance editing (with a little speaking here and there). She's married to Tim, a liturgical sculptor, graphic designer and musician. They have three kids–Olivia (15), Emma (12) and Jack (7).

All five of the Bergrens make their home in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Find out more about Bergren at http://lisatawnbergren.com

Illustrator
Laura J. Bryant attended the Maryland Institute of Art, where she received a strong foundation in drawing, painting, and print-making, with supplemental education in children's writing and book making. Illustrating children's books has provided her with both a rewarding and creative career.

Bryant's clients have included Simon & Schuster, McGraw Hill, Steck-Vaughn, and Penguin Putnam books for Young Readers, among others.

She currently lives with her husband nestled in the Shenandoah Mountains of Mathias, West Virginia.

Find out more about Bryant at: http://www.laurabryant.com/

Online Resources
God Gave Us Love Coloring Page
Buy it at Amazon
Note: As a freelance journalist, I was provided a copy of this book by Blogging for Books.. This review was not influenced by a free book - just in case you (or the FTC) were worried about this detail.

Sunday Thoughts: Upward

Technically I'm writing this on Monday, but I was thinking it last night as I reflected on today's Upward Sports celebration.

Honestly, I need to think more about the season and reflect on what I learned.

But I know one thing - I did this for the kids.

A dad sent me this video, and it's just a taste of the season. (If you look closely at the beginning you'll even see me!).

Just look at the determination and pride on the kiddos faces.

That alone makes Upward priceless.

Enjoy

Blog Tour: Sarai (Review)

Last month I was struck by the ironic.

I found myself not only reviewing this book - a novel based upon the life and marriage of Sarah and Abraham, and also teaching a lesson about the same Biblical characters during MAD+ (a younger elementary ministry).

To say it was interesting to read the novelized story of Sarah along side the Bible lesson is well, an understatement.

In Sarai, the first novel in the Wives of the Patriarchs series, Jill Eileen Smith has created a tale that brings the Biblical story soaring off the pages.

She helps breathe new life into a familiar tale by humanizing Sarai, Abraham and even Hagar. Though fiction,   the details in the story highlight Smith's commitment to being Biblically and historically accurate.

She portrays Sarai as a woman torn by the love of her husband and the desire to be a mother. It also shows how it wasn't always easy for people like Abraham and Sarah to follow God's commands.

If there's one "complaint" I have with the book, is how it ends right at the birth of Issac, the promised child. I wish she had expanded it a wee bit more - but that may come with the second book,  Rebekah.

As with her previous series - Micah, Abigail and Bathsheba - Sarai sets the bar high. If the previous books are any indication, the new series will open up new lines of discussion concerning these strong Biblical women. It definitely made me want to read more into Sarah's story through Biblical research.

On the scale of one to five, with five being the best, I give this book a solid four. I look forward to the next installment of this series.

More About Sarai
(From The Publisher)
He promised her his heart. She promised him a son. But how long must they wait?

When Abram finally requests the hand of his beautiful half sister Sarai, she asks one thing--that he promise never to take another wife as long as she lives. Even Sarai's father thinks the demand is restrictive and agrees to the union only if she makes a promise in return--to give Abram a son and heir. Certain she can easily do that, Sarai agrees.

But as the years stretch on and Sarai's womb remains empty, she becomes desperate to fulfill her end of the bargain, lest Abram decide that he will not fulfill his. To what lengths will Sarai go in her quest to bear a son? And how long will Abram's patience last?

Combining in-depth research and vivid storytelling, Jill Eileen Smith brings to life the beautiful and inscrutable Sarai in this remarkable story of love, jealousy, and undaunted faith.

More About The Series
The Wives of the Patriarchs is a three-book biblical fiction series set in ancient Mesopotamia, ancient Egypt, and ancient Canaan. Each story is a fictional rendering of the biblical account, focusing on one or more of Israel's four matriarchs.

Enter a world where love isn't always what it seems, and sincere longings can lead to devastating choices. Meet Sarai, Rebekah, Rachel, and Leah, all amidst a backdrop of deceit and control and a struggle to make a united family. Sometimes we must be careful what we wish for, as many of these matriarchs discovered much too well.

More About The Author
Jill Eileen Smith is the author of the bestselling Michal, Abigail, and Bathsheba, all part of The Wives of King David series.

She has more than twenty years of writing experience, and her writing has garnered acclaim in several contests. Her research into the lives of biblical women has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in Old Testament times.

Smith lives with her family in southeast Michigan.

Online Resources
Find Jill Eileen Smith online
"Like" her on Facebook
Buy it at Amazon
Find it at Barnes & Nobel 
Read a Reading Group's Guide to Sarai
My Review of Abigail
My Review of Bathsheba (and Interview with Smith) 

Note: As a freelance journalist, I was provided a copy of this book by Revell Publishing, a division of Baker Books. This review was not influenced by a free book - just in case you (or the FTC) were worried about this detail.

Pigs In Space (And Angry Birds)

Oh my... another game I can become wretchedly addicted to.....
Angry Birds Space.
Coming March 22.

Photo Flashback: Ella's First Birthday (July 2009)

Flashback photos. Photos taken in July 2009 of Ella's first birthday. From my photog blog.

I had a great time snapping a few pics of Ella for her upcoming first birthday. She's grown a lot in the last year. Some are the same shot, with different photo actions/styles.

I Am Second: Scott Hamilton

February in Review

Photos captured for my Project 365. I need to go back and add some captions this week - before I forget why I took some of the pictures - but otherwise I'm still capturing my life one pic at a time.

Quote of the Day: Volunteers

Source: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1159101: Volunteers are paid in six figures... S-M-I-L-E-S.  ~ Gayla LeMaire
Tonight I'm gratefully thinking about the volunteers (coaches, refs and more) who helped make the 2012 Winter Season of Upward Basketball a success. 
The season is coming to a close this weekend - and it has been a success because of the volunteers. Period.
There's truly no way I could thank these men and women for the time they've invested in the ministry in either funds or gifts. 
Instead, this quote sums it up.
Their payments will come in "six figures." 
S M I L E S.
So here's to the volunteers who make a ginormous difference in the lives of the children I work with.
May your days be filled with an unlimited number of smiles.

Praying In Color

During a recent children's ministry conference, I ran across a "new to me" resource for students - Praying In Color for Kids. A visual, creative and even meditative way to incorporate prayer and art.

In fact, it's the "student" version of Praying In Color: Drawing A New Path To God by Sybil MacBeth.

Praying In Color is a unique way to look at prayer. Using a series of doodles and color, MacBeth encourages people to use drawings to connect with God.

In fact, MacBeth states on her blog: "Maybe you hunger to know God better. Maybe you love color. Maybe you are a visual or kinesthetic learner, a distractable or impatient soul, or a word-weary pray-er. Perhaps you struggle with a short attention span, a restless body, or a tendency to live in your head."

I find this very intriguing. I bought the kids' version at the conference - only to discover a co-worker not only had it on her bookshelf, but also the "grownup" version as well. (So I've read both books in the last two weeks.)

I think what I liked most about the "kids" version is that MacBeth has included two pages of "doodle" suggestions for students to try as they explore the creative side of prayer.

The grownup version focused on the different styles of Praying in Color - from using it as guided prayer to Lectio Divina -- reading the bible for spiritual growth.

In the last week, I've sought to "understand" how to incorporate this into my prayer life. I've broken out a blank notebook (I bought it last month to try some visual journaling) and a box of colored pencils.

I'll admit, I've probably been "over thinking" it. (People who know me well will just laugh at this statement.) Somehow this practice works best when you just "let go" and really let yourself just relax and just create. In other words, I think I'll need to find a way to turn my "multi-tasking" brain off. I might even need to quit trying so hard.

For now, I've tried Praying In Color a couple of times. The first time, I created a "visual" page during a worship service - starting with black and white graphics and then slowly adding color - not perfect or great, but a start.


The second attempt came on a day when three friends kept coming to mind. I just felt drawn to draw out their names and add colors that reminded me of them.


One of the things MacBeth points out in her books is how the visual picture "sticks" in your brain, helping you continually think of the people or things you were praying for. It ultimately seems to become a way to immerse yourself completely in prayer.
She offers a "Lenten" calendar version on her blog - a way to incorporate this into the rhythm of the current church season. (I'm not being very successful in this practice yet....my calendar has lots of "blank" spaces.)
I really hope to incorporate this as part of the upcoming mission trip (for older elementary students). Somehow I think students will be open to the creative nature of this prayer practice.
This is a new spiritual discipline I hope to completely incorporate into my life. Right now it's not "second nature." But I assume, like all things, the more you do it, the more it becomes as natural as taking a breath. I hope so. 
More About The AuthorSybil MacBeth is a doodler, dancer, and former community college math professor. She is the 2010-2011 Varnell Artist-in-Residence for Memphis Theological Seminary.

During 2009, Sybil wrote a daily Prayer Blog for Rick Warren's website, the Purpose Driven Connection: http://blog.purposedriven.com/prayingincolor
Her new blog, "The Praying in Color Blog": http://www.prayingincolor.com/blog/, includes meditations, reflections, and ideas about Praying in Color.
She is a confessed non-artist and cannot draw a cat. Years ago a friend put a pen and colored markers in her hand and gave her permission to make improvisational drawings. Making abstract, sometimes even ugly drawings, has given her many hours of pleasure and relaxation. The prayer practice Praying in Color was born when her need to invite her body into intercessory prayer intersected with her love of color and doodling.
MacBeth is the mother of two adult sons. She lives in Memphis, Tennessee with her husband who is an Episcopal priest.
Online ResourcesVisit the Praying In Color websiteVisit the Praying In Color blogBuy Praying In Color at AmazonFind Praying In Color For Kids at Amazon
Note: As a freelance journalist, I am often provided a copy of books for review on my blog. This feature, however, was not influenced by a free book - since I purchased Praying in Color for Kids and borrowed the "grownup" version. So, the only thing that influenced this feature is a desire to try a new spiritual practice - just in case you (or the FTC) were worried about this detail.

Photo Flashback: Jasper County Youth Fair July 2007

Flashback Pics: Moving pics from my photo blog to this blog.
Some past photos, from the Jasper County Youth Fair, July 2007.