She Runs By Faith

W wore a "man bun" while reading about Mr. Hamilton (must have been the style back then!). Besides being the face of the $10 bill, I knew very little about Alexander Hamilton until reviewing Jeff Wilser's book, Alexander Hamilton's Guide to Life . This book is a comedic biography that gives the reader a look into the personality, personal life, and attitudes of our first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury. Each chapter is broken into topics from self-improvement and career advancement to romance and leisure. Alexander Hamilton's Guide to Life paints a picture of this arrogant, assertive, and brilliant man's life and puts the fun back into biography reading. He sounds like a pompous jerk but he knew his stuff. And, no, he wasn't one of our Presidents ;) Learn more about Alexander Hamilton's Guide to Life . I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review. All opinions are my own. 

October 25th is an exciting day for football fans and football not-fans alike! Why? Because it's the big release date of Tim Tebow's book, SHAKEN! Personally, I couldn't care less about football (making me one of those football non-fans). Regardless of that, I have really enjoyed reading this book. In SHAKEN , Tim shares the triumphs and the trials of his journey and, most importantly, he tells us about the Rock who has brought him through it all: I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. PSALM 16:8 SHAKEN is an inspiring and relatable read because we have all been through the storms of life. Even before reading this book, I have been impressed by Tim standing true to his faith despite criticism and for blazing the trail for homeschooled students to participate in public school athletics. SHAKEN certainly doesn't disappoint. Tim's writing is authentic as he shares the struggles that have tr...

People of all ages appreciate beauty, whether it be a painting, classical music, photography or nature. My family has enjoyed paging through the beauty in Art Wolfe's book,  Photographs from the Edge . Wolfe's photographs take you on a journey across the world from mountain peaks and lava beds to indigenous tribes and wildlife. Wolfe and Sheppard share the story behind each photo along with information about the subject and photography tips. Reading  Blueberries for Sal (numerous times a day!) has spurred on our 3-year-old's fascination with bears. Lately we have been admiring all of Wolfe's bear pictures to learn more about the mother and cub that Sal encounters on her blueberry picking excursion. His wildlife pictures are absolutely amazing and the story behind each one makes them even better! Photographs from the Edge is a breathtaking portfolio of Art Wolfe's work that takes you all over the world while sitting in your own living room. Beautiful w...

Chase the Lion by Mark Batterson presents a bold message to step out in faith, off the path of least resistance, and to chase after God's calling on your life and the dreams He has placed on your heart. This book has challenged me in my faith and encouraged me to press deeper into my relationship with the Lord and to dream big, God-sized dreams. I know the Lord is able to do far abundantly more than I could ever even dream up - now it's time to live like it! Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. EPHESIANS 3:20-21 I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review. All opinions are my own. 

I am a doodler, always have been and hopefully always will be. There are notebooks upon notebooks full of my drawings of horses, cartoon people, imaginary creatures and faraway places! It's my way of getting creativity out of my head and on to paper. Even better, doodling is very relaxing. Our three-year-old and I have been dabbling in Doodletopia: Cartoons over the past couple weeks and we have had so much fun! He scribbles cartoons that mostly resemble tornadoes and requests that I draw superheroes for him. Lots and lots of superheros. Doodletopia author  Christopher Hart  has filled this instructional book with cartooning prompts and creative inspiration. He gives helpful tips and tricks and then leaves the creative door open for his readers. I really enjoy Hart's sense of humor. My favorite page spread instructs you to draw your "coolest-of-the-uncool"  clothes for a hipster. Yes,we have to poke a little fun at the hipsters! This book is an excel...

The little ones and I have been working on a Father's Day art project this week and my latest book to review, Simple Calligraphy , was a wonderful inspiration! My oldest did all kinds of hand printing and painting for the background of the project. Then came time for the lettering. Simple Calligraphy is a short and sweet guide through the basics of calligraphy. Judy Detrick walks you through the art of lettering, numbering and creative flourishes. She equips the reader with the skills to create their own elegant invitations, custom cards and personalized designs. I do recommend investing in a calligraphy pen if you choose to purchase this book. Seems like common sense, but I didn't have one just laying around! While I wasn't able to get the full feel of calligraphy, I was inspired by the beautiful typography in this book and used a similar style in our Father's Day creation! My "freehand calligraphy"... Calligraphy pens are recommended! The ...

This week I have been exploring the book "Home Cooked" by Anya Fernald and Jessica Battilana. From a graphic design perspective, I LOVE this book! The photography is wonderful, the spreads are well-designed and the copy isn't just about how to cook the food — each recipe is a story in itself. The recipes vary in difficulty and include the step-by-step process along with beautiful accompanying pictures. For non-gourmet chefs like me, there are simple yet delicious such as the Asado Potatoes, Buttermilk Biscuits, and Buttery Piecrust recipes. Plus, there are plenty of more complicated recipes for the advanced cook. Today my husband made the Asado Potatoes for lunch. Did I mention he's an awesome cook?! The ingredients were simple: potatoes, butter, salt and pepper. After slicing the potatoes, he arranged them in a spiral in our cast-iron pan. He poured half of the butter over the potatoes and then seasoned with salt and pepper before roasting. The ...

Organizing and re-organizing the same amount of stuff over and over will only get you so far. How much "stuff" do we really need? The More of Less by Joshua Becker has been an eye-opening read about the counter-cultural and often misunderstood concept of "minimalism". He points out that our excessive possessions are not making us happy and, even worse, they are taking us away from the things that do! In this book, Becker explains the misconceptions about minimalism, the benefits of living with less, and the steps to making it your own — because minimalism looks different for each person. "I don't advocate getting rid of everything humanly possible. Instead, I encourage people to get rid of what isn't necessary so they can better pursue their goals." Joshua Becker, The More of Less , p. 20 This book was a great motivator for my family and I to sort through our possessions to determine what we really need. I highly recommend this book fo...

Having listened to many of Pastor Steven Furtick's sermon podcasts from Elevation Church in the past, I was excited to read his new book that was released this month — (Un)Qualified . Throughout the book, Furtick makes solid biblical points about who we are, how we see ourselves and how God sees us. In a culture full of self — self-help, self-discovery, self-improvement, self-promotion — many fall into the trap of trying to "find themselves" outside of God. Yet knowing ourselves outside of God, our Creator, is an impossibility! "But apart from God, it's impossible to get a clear picture of who we are, because our identity is so intimately and intricately and inseparably bound to his." Steven Furtick, (Un)Qualified What initially drew me to this book was his statement that "God loves unqualified people." As a quite unqualified person myself, I find such hope in knowing that God has used unqualified people in the past — such as Jacob, Peter,...

We live in a busy and hectic world with a million messages and images whirling through our minds every second. How can we find peace amongst the noise? Social media and technology are great tools but they can add to the noise. In our technology-savvy culture, we are presented with a unique challenge: to escape the world's hamster wheel of busyness, quiet our minds and find peace we must be disciplined and intentional. We must take the time to listen to God's voice. "Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world." PSALM 64:10 NLT Whatever is Lovely  is truly a resource to "color your way to peace", as the book's introduction says. While the book's author is clear that this is not to replace the time you spend reading God's Word, Whatever is Lovely  is a supplement that presents Scriptures and encouraging quotes for meditation, reflection, and a time of openness to whatever God w...

Since becoming a parent almost 3 years ago, the most surprising things have come out of my mouth. I'm not talking inappropriate things, but just... well... surprising. A few recent examples include: "You need to at least wear underwear if you want to sit at the table." "Quit riding the baby!" "No, you can't eat a candle." "No, you can't sleep with your hockey skates. How about the stick instead?" "The lightsaber is NOT coming into the grocery store." There is never a dull moment in a house with little ones (especially the ones called "toddlers")! Nathan Ripperger 's book, "Things I've Said To My Children" , hit the nail on the head when it comes to random and hilarious parent-and-child conversations. He wrote and designed each page of this book from his own experience as a father of five boys who are all under the age of 10. One of my favorites from Ripperger's book is "No ...