I’m really looking forward to reading this work when it arrives!

Summary:

You already know it’s not easy being a single man in this culture today. But it is easy to be overwhelmed, to feel helpless and hopeless about living by God’s high standards for singles. It’s easy to cave in to the pressures of this sex-soaked world and accept defeat—blaming the media, the culture, even girlfriends who don’t know how tough it can be.

But many men have read books like Every Young Man’s Battle and Tactics and have committed themselves to stand strong and pure in the power of God, and to go on the offensive against the onslaught of negative stereotypes. Some have suffered. Some have fallen. But many have experienced victory—and you can be among them.

What makes those committed men so desirable to women? “Be Her Hero” is their motto. From best-selling author Fred Stoeker, along with his son Jasen, come the straightforward insight and real-life examples you’re looking for to help you take personal purity to its logical conclusion. Here’s straight truth with irrefutable evidence of what makes an ultimate hero to women who long for men of faith—men who stand by their convictions and make their world a safer and better place.

Are you ready to accept the challenge?

Author Bios:

Fred Stoeker is a best-selling author of several books, including Every Young Man’s Battle and Tactics, the president of Living True Ministries, and a popular conference speaker who challenges men to become sexually pure, to reconnect in true intimate relationship with their wives, and to train their sons to become godly men. A graduate of Stanford University, Fred lives in Des Moines, Iowa with his wife, Brenda, and their children.

Mike Yorkey, a writer living in Encinitas, California, has collaborated with Fred Stoeker in all his books for the Every Man’s series.

Jasen Stoeker is a popular conference speaker who challenges young men to be heroic in their relationships with women and to be a Christian, rather than just seem like one. Jasen is a graduate of Iowa State University with degrees in Computer Engineering and Computer Science and now lives in Minneapolis, MN, with his wife Rose.

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Well, we’re just going to hang tight for a few days. Parts are on the way! My parents will be paying us a visit with the new starter on Saturday (tomorrow). With an older truck it can be difficult to find parts that don’t need to e ordered in and since today is Friday, we’d be looking at at Monday at the earliest for parts in Westlock. Now we are praying for our parents to make it here without breakdowns!

Thanks for keeping us in your thoughts .

Nursing is one of the most ‘romantic’ career choices around. For over a hundred years young women have been captivated by the prospect of helping those in need – caring for them emotionally and physically.

A new beta version website, Scrubs, is dedicated to all things nursing. From how to select fashionable ‘scrubs’ the standard nursing uniform to physical and mental health for nurses as care providers.

There are also tie-ins to entertainment including a poll I took this morning asking my favourite televised portrayal of a nurse character. Now I’ll admit, medical shows are not my strong point (and we don’t have cable), so I went with Margaret Houlihan of MASH…maybe she’s amongst the most notable, because she’s in second place.

A Tip Jar section includes useful advice for nurses on the job. Each selection begins with “How to Deal With” and topics cover the gamut – from “How to Deal With a Weak Stomach” to “How to Deal With Postpartum Depression”. I left a comment on the latter topic, it’s so important for healthcare providers to offer compassionate care to women suffering from this often misunderstood biochemical condition.

Whether you’re a nurse, thinking about pursuing nursing as a career, or interested in peeking into the life of a full-time care-giver, check the site out today.

Hmmm. We were planning a trip to town today – mail, laundry, groceries, water – the usual. I was actually thinking of going alone until Larry decided we’d all go together. However, when we all piled in and tried to start our old Betty Lou, brr, brrr, brrrrrr. Uh oh – the starter is broken! So now we’re stuck at home, which wouldn’t be bad if we had a second vehicle . Please pray that our truck either experiences a supernatural mechanical healing, or that we can find a neighbour to drive Larry to Westlock for parts.

Thanks!

Some women are gifted homemakers.  They naturally have a passion for homemaking, love to bake, live eat and breathe the domestic arts.  Sadly, I’m not one of those women – though there are days I wish I was!  Sisters, if you’re with me on this, you might be interested in some of the simplest baking mixes on the market.

Dr. Oetker‘s Shaker’s are baking mixes that come in a plastic bottle. Just pour in milk or water, shake and you’ve got batter. Pour it into your cups, pop it in the oven and you are ready to go!  Surprise company – no problem!  Sudden birthday invitation – you’re set!  Asked t night before a church event to bring a treat?  You’re on!  The applications for these little jewels are endless, the convenience alone is well worth keeping a few on the shelf.

Not only can you do chocolate and vanilla cupcakes, but pancakes, chocolate chip pancakes, and a great selection of muffin mixes are also available.  Banana bran, chocolate chip, blueberry – yummy!  Now you don’t need to worry about rounding everything up, just add liquid, shake and go!  They also have a fairly healthy ingredient list and provide fiber and have no trans fats. It just gets better and better!  Have any of you ladies tried these mixes?

If you visit their website you can also enter every day for your chance to WIN a $1200 Visa Card for your next family fun weekend or 1 of 10 Dr. Oetker Shaker fun packs.

Sarah was our largest baby at birth.  Now at 11 months she’s our smallest child and earliest walker.  She is toddling ALL over the house!  She also has two teeth through (her bottom middle two) and her top middle two look like they are on the way through as well.  Ah, they grow so quickly.  Some days I feel like we’re just waiting on God for our next one, other days I feel like He knows where we’re at and there’s a reason why we’re not expecting again yet.  And of course – He does!

While 80% of all women experience some degree of postpartum depression after the birth of a child, this common mood disorder is still viewed with disdain amongst some sections of the Christian community as well as in the world at large. Many women are told to ‘buck up’, pray more, and get it together. The shame a woman feels when accused of spiritual shortcomings only compounds the problem when the cause is often biochemical.

Thankfully Dr. Paul Meier is on a mission to change all of that for Christian women, and as a woman who has and does experience postpartum depression in spurts, his work has blessed me immensely. The writing team of The Postpartum Survival Guide approaches depression from a medically oriented perspective, though they include suggestions for nutritional and lifestyle changes as well. Meier is both a psychiatrist and ordained minister, Dr. Todd Clements is also a psychiatrist, and Lynne Johnson is a psychiatric nurse. The strongest voice is that of Dr. Meier; when personal illustrations are shared they are drawn from Meier’s experiences. Johnson’s touch can also be felt through some of the feminine touches, though her role was primarily the compilation of case studies and translating them into story form.

This concise guide to postpartum depression is an excellent primer to the illness. The authors share both an introduction to the disorder, sections written specifically for husbands, nutrition and lifestyle advice, and suggestions for further treatment. Written from a Christian perspective, the presence of God at work in the lives of each patient is a given, but you’ll not find heavy theological musings here. Eminently practical suggestions are shared throughout, alongside true-life examples from depression survivors.

Having suffered from postpartum depression following two of my three pregnancies, I deeply sympathized with the women who shared their stories of struggling through the darkness of depression. Dr. Meier’s work has equipped me to tackle afresh my symptoms, and I have already found much improvement through further research into the suggestions made in the Survival Guide. The authors are quick to suggest appropriate medications throughout, but those interested in trying a natural approach will also find many helpful suggestions within.

However excellent the title is in general, I was disappointed to find the authors making some inaccurate statements concerning midwifery and breastfeeding. Midwifery is portrayed as dangerous, and nursing past six months as somewhat foolish. As a mother of three home-birthed babies I can attest to the safety of homebirths in most circumstances, and I’ve also been delighted to practice extended breastfeeding with my children.

Despite these statements, I highly recommend The Postpartum Survival Guide to any mother struggling with sadness, lethargy, and moodiness following delivery. Just read it with a pinch of salt. Based on the symptoms and strategies shared within I’ve finally discovered a likely cause for my extensive hair-loss. By pointing out thyroid malfunction as a cause for hair loss amongst postpartum women, I’m now supplementing my diet with additional iodine, which has resulted in a miraculous improvement in mood and energy. With a more complete understanding of brain biochemistry I’m also now supplementing with vital amino acids as Dr. Meier recommends for all of his patients.

While your symptoms may differ from mine, I’m confident that this work will touch upon your particular needs. While it is not the most comprehensive work dealing with the issue, it is certainly well-rounded, providing natural as well as medical interventions and explores all of the salient points. I feel extraordinarily blessed to have read this work, the lifting of unnecessary shame alone well worth it.

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Laura Ingall Wilder’s Little House on the Prairie series is amongst the most often recommended read-alouds in homeschooling circles. In fact, the complete nine-book series provided our family’s earliest chapter book read-aloud experiences. Since that time we’ve re-read favourite books from the series – particularly Farmer Boy - but we’ve never sought to mine the historical treasures to be found in these beloved fictional autobiographies.

The next time we read through the Little House series we’ll have Margie Gray’s excellent unit study The Prairie Primer in hand. Gray provides an in-depth study of the series that can be completed in one or two years alongside the novels and other recommended supplementary resources. Incorporating history, language arts, science, domestic arts, Bible, character development and fine art, this guide for students in grades three through six can easily be adjusted to involve older and younger students for an educational experience the entire family can enjoy.

Clearly organized for easy use, Gray makes the lesson planning process simple for busy mothers. If you’ve tried planning your own unit studies from scratch you’ll appreciate the effort that goes into choosing appropriate resources, developing activities and conducting research. Gray’s provision of a general overview to each book (including relevant historical and background information), weekly planning guides that are invaluable in gathering knowledge and material in advance, and the clearly laid out daily lesson plans with scheduled readings, comprehension questions and a plethora enrichment activities are the keys to a simple unit study.

While the presentation and organization pull everything together for homeschooling parents, the content is excellent as well. Reading through the Primer provided an additional level of depth and understanding as Gray tied together Ingall’s life with historical events, revealed the actual chronological order of the events of the books, and shared additional background information from Ingall’s life. Reproducible worksheets and forms are also included for suggested learning activities which correlate with the portion of text studied that day.

The daily activities provide far more options than a typical homeschooling family will be able to accomplish in a single day. Many times lengthy assignments are suggested, involving research, report writing, and presentation – a project requiring more than a single day’s effort. Picking and choosing from the available activities will result in your children learning through a variety of modalities (visual, hands-on, tactile, auditory etc.) while working in a number of subject areas each day.

Of particular interest to Christian parents is the integration of applicable Bible passages and scripture memorization suggestions that are tied into the study of the text, enlivening the selected passages. I still recommend a systematic Bible study in your home apart from thePrimer, as the verses examined are topically included, serving more as character lessons than deep study. This focus upon character and illustration allows for profitable use of the material by Christian families of a wide variety of denominational bents Major doctrinal issues are generally left unexamined while the author maintains a conservative, Christian worldview throughout.

As a homeschooling mother herself, Gray has pulled together as many features to simplify life for the teacher as possible. One such inclusion is an extensive appendix of suggested suppliers for the many recommended resources Gray shares throughout the Primer. Last revised in 2000, some of the suppliers are no longer in business (where am I going to find dry owl pellets for dissection now?), and parents will need to do some extra scouting to find replacement suppliers.

Whether you are interested in using The Prairie Primer to tackle several major subjects for the year, or simply want to use it in conjunction with your family’s read through and take advantage of the background information and some light activities, Gray has penned an invaluable resource. The ease of use paired with Ingalls much beloved series guarantees a delightful educational experience for both you and your children.

Sample files for The Prairie Primer and additional Christian unit studies for homeschoolers are available for free download at the Cadron Creek website.  Reviews for this and additional Cadron Creek unit studies may be found at The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew blog.

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After having the opportunity in the past to review a Sleepy Wrap and give one away, we’ve bought them for friends and recommended them widely to one and all.  This is absolutely my most favourite carrier for newborns on up to toddlers from a comfortable front carry.  The Sleepy Wrap is so comfortable and is very easy to use, even for those new to baby-carrying.  There’s a picture of Sarah as a newborn in the wrap to jog your memory .

Now I’m excited to share a coupon code for this fabulous baby carrier with you, as well as an opportunity to vote in accordance with your love for this comfy, convenient wrap.

Sleepy Wrap has been listed on the Pregnancy & Newborn Magazine Readers Choice Awards! Readers from all over the world may vote online at the Pregnancy & Newborn Magazine Website for their favorite baby and maternity products.  Pregnancy & Newborn Magazine Reader’s Choice Awards will determine the top brands in many categories of baby and maternity products based solely on the input received from voters such as yourself. We hope that with your help, Sleepy Wrap will have it’s time to shine! 

So, what do you need to do to vote the Sleepy Wrap up?  Head on over to Pregnancy & Newborn Magazine and register for an account there (free of course).  After you activate your account, and log in, click on the big pink words Vote Now In Our Readers’ Choice Awards! under your name, and you’re off!

As their way of saying “Thank you!” our readers get a 15% off coupon code for the beautiful new Organic Sleepy Wrap! The code “ivoted” (no space!) is good until May 31st when the Pregnancy & Newborn RCA poll CLOSES! 

When you Vote now you can also enter to win Pregnancy & Newborn’s GRAND PRIZE SELECTION OF THE WINNING GEAR! So have fun, vote on the categories you’re familiar with, and if you love Sleepy Wrap’s, keep them in mind!

We have two recent winners!

Carla Pullum is our finalist for the Mothers of the Bible blog tour contest, and will be going on to compete for the grand prize drawing.

And Marla T is the winner of a copy of The Treasure Principle.

Congratulations ladies!  Thanks to everyone for entering!

Please stay tuned for more great contests, just around the corner.