When Ed Dobson heard a radio interview with A.J. Jacobs, author of the bestselling The Year of Living Biblically, he was inspired. Touched by the dedication of someone whom isn’t a believer digging into the Word and literally living it out sparked a desire to do the same thing in his own life – only this time with a New Testament perspective. The Year of Living Like Jesus – Ed planned on taking ‘What Would Jesus Do’ to a new level for one entire year – while living with ALS.

From January through December Dobson sets off on a course to examine Jesus’ life and to do his best to follow in His footsteps. Written in an accessible, personal diary format, Dobson chronicles his journey and his reflections. He vulnerably shares both his triumphs (few) and his shortcomings and all-too-human shortcomings (many).

As a relatively new believer it was actually comforting in a sense to read of another’s struggles to follow Jesus as Lord while living in the flesh. Jesus is perfect, we’re not, and thankfully Dobson explores the deeper aspects of heart attitudes and temptations rather than leaving things at growing a beard and celebrating Jewish holidays.

Of course, there is a certain amount of that. Dobson sets out to do some fasting, dress modestly, keep the Sabbath, and much more, while aiming to read through the Gospels each week in an effort to more fully understand Jesus’ life here on Earth. His focus on keeping the Old Testament laws might be disconcerting to some, but Dobson is clear in his writings that believers are saved through faith and not through any obligation to keep the Law.

There is a groundswell of interest in the Church to recover her Hebraic roots. Believers are seeking to understand Jesus’ life as a Jewish man, the cultural understandings which shaped His parables, the setting in which Jesus fulfilled His calling. If you’re interested in doing the same I recommend Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus over this work.

Dobson seeks to live like Jesus in a modern setting – instead of wearing a long robe and sandals, washing his feet when he arrives at work, he wears clothing similar to that of an Orthodox Jew. He seems to do little research into actual first century Judaism and refers to modern texts on Judaism, and the advice of a local Rabbi, Orthodox priest, and Roman catholic priest for advice on a range of spiritual issues. Both the included aspects of his written journey and the closing notes and bibliography prove this out. Being admittedly inspired by The Year of Living Biblically, I was expecting a more literal adherence to first century practices in this regard.

Oddly while he neglects some of the ‘easier’ topics he could have addressed during his “Jesus Year”, Dobson veers off into a strange journey of using ritual, repetitive prayers. Picking up the rosary, Orthodox prayer rope, and Episcopalian prayer beads, this new technique of praying stays with Dobson throughout most of his book. For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out what any of this had to do with living like Jesus apart from a tenuous connection to praying the scriptures. His preoccupation with the rosary was even somewhat disturbing to me, as Jesus never indicated that any believer should pray to anyone other than God.

After reading The Year of Living Like Jesus I feel like I know Ed Dobson in some small way. His transparent confessions and struggles with sin display a great deal of humility on his part to be able to share these tender parts of his life openly. As a slice of life spiritual memoir, it’s a great read. However, if you’re looking for a good deep digging into first century Judaism, or a spiritual journey that is limited to scripture alone (sola scriptura), this likely isn’t the book for you.

This review copy was provided by Zondervan as part of a blog tour.

Visit Ed Dobson’s website, Living Jesusly here.  Read what other bloggers thought of The Year of Living Like Jesus here.

CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW AT CHRISTIANBOOK, OR AMAZON.COM!

This is a Mama Buzz review. The product was provided by Lisa M. Cotrell-Bentley for this review.

Meet the Wrights – a fictional family of homeschoolers exploring the U.S.A. by RV as they ‘road-school’ their way across the nation. Wright On Time: Arizona, the first in the series, finds author Lisa M. Cotrell-Bentley seamlessly blending mystery, suspense, and adventure with a thoroughly educational exploration of cave rock formations, bat habits, minerals, desert climate, acoustics and much more.

Think the Magic Schoolbus series of educational chapter books, but for homeschoolers, and much better. Rather than presenting educational facts in ‘chunks’ or obviously lecture-style explanations, learning opportunities are woven into the dialogue, interests, and discoveries of the characters. As a matter of fact, the very writing style mirrors the philosophies of the delight-driven, lifestyle led method of education that the Wright’s use to much success with their children.

With the boy/girl gender split in the Wright family, there’s a good balance of themes and interests to appeal to both groups of readers. Aidan, the family’s exuberant seven-year-old, can’t wait to see the bats he hopes to find deep within the desert cave. Nadia, a research-driven 11-year-old, is fascinated by the prospect of mining for minerals and hopes to find some malachite (her favorite).

In keeping with the characters’ ages, children between six and 12 will likely be the most drawn to the series, but our entire family enjoyedArizona as a read-aloud — even my three-year-old and my husband were kept engaged by the short, fast-moving chapters and cliff-hanger chapter endings that kept the pages flying. This is the first book my six-year-old has wanted to savor: “Let’s only read it every few days Mommy. This book is so exciting, and when we only read a little at a time – it’s even more exciting!”

From a design perspective, the Wright on Time series has it all together. Bright, full-color cover features wonder-filled artwork from illustrator Tanja Bauerle who also supplies the opening illustration for each chapter. It was her work on the interior title page, and the beautiful drawings on the Arizona reference page and map that the book opens with that I knew I was in for a treat.

I don’t judge books by their covers, but the care and detail that have been given to producing the flagship title of the series are much appreciated. The interior cream-colored pages that make reading easier for children, the careful layout, the glossary, the facts about Arizona — it all adds to what is already an exciting, suspense-filled story.

With 50 books planned for the series (one for each state), we’re looking forward to following the Wright family across America in their road-schooling adventures. In fact, I’m hoping they might continue their journey by taking a quick trip across the border to explore the provinces of Canada! We denizens of the far white North can always hope.

If you’re homeschoooling, you won’t want to miss this new series. In the words of our oldest, it’s, “…perfectly great, and fantastically perfect.” Or as Aidan would say, “Freaky Cool!”

To read more reviews of Wright on Time: Arizona, Book 1, visit Mama Bzz!  Lisa also has a fascinating website for Wright on Time where she shares glimpses into RV life, updates about the series, and a variety of other fascinating posts!

CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW AT AMAZON.COM!

Towering pillars of rage, claws extended, maws gaping – the bear in all of its raw, powerful glory. That’s the look Jill Greenberg was going for when she set out to compose a selection of photographs profiling the bear. Burned by some harsh criticism of her latest portrait exhibit, celebrity photographer Greenberg set out to encapsulate the human aggression she was receiving on a canvas of bearskin. One look at the cover of Bear Portraits is enough to let you in on the fact that she changed her mind during the process.

The collection I now hold in my hands is a minimalistic, photographic essay of 12 working bears of varying species in a series of poses and facial expressions that yes, do at times reflect pure bear power – but at other times are somewhat reminiscent of looks we’ve seen on our own faces or that of our loved ones. I’ll admit that I don’t particularly resonate with some aspects of Greenberg’s new mission such as drawing connections between human and animal behaviour, but that doesn’t much matter – it’s the photos I’m after.

After a one-page introduction to her work, it’s straight into amazing bear portraiture! Though sprinkled with takeaway quotes from notable thinkers ranging from Emerson to Homer Simpson, the stunning bear photography is always front-and-center. Any adult opening the book is first-most taken by the nearly otherworldly appearance of the bears, clean and refined, they appear more like anatomically correct teddy bears than the real deal at first glance. “Are those real bears?” my husband asked. The poses are so unique, the facial expressions so quizzical at times that the question is entirely understandable.

Make no mistakes – this isn’t nature photography, it’s carefully lit, set against studio-like monochromatic backgrounds, and the bears are guided by trainers as Greenberg looked for her shots. If you’re looking for bears catching fish or rolling around in mountain glades, this isn’t the collection for you. I’ll admit that as much as I’ve enjoyed the portraits I do find myself wondering if I’d ever see bears looking so dumbfounded, thoughtful, happy, or bemused as they often appear in this title. The huge, roaring bear stances I expect, as well as the sleepy bear, but it’s just these unexpected shots, and the contrast between gentle and giant that really make Bear Portraits what it is.

While every member of our family has spent large chunks of time immersed in Greenberg’s work, her biggest fan around here is my 16-month-old daughter. Any time she spots Bear Portraits it’s off the shelf, dragged across the floor and into a lap – either hers or mine. She turns the pages, laughs, coos, babbles happily, and has mastered the word ‘bear’ as we discuss the creature on each page. I literally have to put this book out of sight if I don’t want to see it dragged around our home. Thankfully it’s a sturdily bound hardcover with pages of a substantial weight. It could easily be considered a coffee-table book due to its rich and intriguing photographic content, but its smaller size (10” by 8”) makes it easy to read together while cuddling on the couch.

Also included in Bear Potraits is a ‘Who’s Who’ section at book’s end. Listing each subject by photograph, followed by name, species, height, weight, residence, and professional credits, each model is given credit for his or her  work. A fun game of finding which pictures belong to which bear can then ensue. Some are easy like the 800 lb. Agee the possessive Polar bear, the adorable Amos, a 4-month-old European Brown Bear, and Koda with a distinctive Grizzly shaped-face. An additional four breeds are also represented: Kodiak, Black Bear, and Russian Brown Bear.

My children love the cubs the best of course, while I find Agee’s striking coloration and dignified poses to be show stoppers. No matter which of the bear species is your favorite, or what bear mood you delight in, Bear Portraits is a diverse and fascinating exploration of bear-kind.

CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW AT AMAZON.COM!

It’s that time of year again; soon radio stations and shopping centers will be broadcasting inane, nonsensical, and at times down-right deceptive tunes as hymns of praise to the holiday season. As a Christian family who dearly loves Jesus and believes in his birth as a baby to a virgin in Bethlehem, this is an awkward time of year for us as believers who don’t celebrate Christmas. I won’t be going into that here – it’s a long convoluted story that’s outside the scope of this review, but keep that fact in mind as you read on.

When Worship and Adore: A Christmas Offering arrived in the mail, I groaned internally. Sadly many Christian compilations of holiday music are little better than secular paeans to the god of consumerism, and I was afraid to see what I might find included in this collection. After scanning down the list of tracks I noted straight-away that this collection of eleven offerings of praise are free of Santa songs, free of Christmas trees, and free of – well, everything except worshiping the Son of God. Being so far reassured, I dug in.

Unlike most holiday-focused albums, Worship and Adore represents not the work of a single artist or group, but is a collaborative effort from the praise and worship musicians represented by Integrity Music. The opening track “Offering (Christmas Version)” pulls together the entire ensemble in a Christmas version of Paul baloche’s well-known “Offering”. Kari Jobe, Glenn Packiam, Christy Johnson, Lincoln Brewseter, Kathryn Scott, Vicky Beeching, Joel Auge, Don Poythress, Paul Baloche, and Jared Anderson combine their talents on the first track, before they each contribute a track where they are prominently featured.

Offering up a collection that mixes reworked traditional songs with fresh, new reflections upon the incarnation, the feel of the album is heavily weighted towards introspective, thoughtful songs of worship. Lincoln Brewster’s “Glory to God” is one of the few exceptions, an upbeat number that captures the exultation of the heavenly host upon Jesus’ birth.

Kari Jobe sings “Adore Him” a re-working of the traditional “Come Let Us Adore Him” that is a subdued, bittersweet, and haunting song that will go with you throughout the day. Glen Packiam’s performance of “The Beautiful Body and Blood” which looks forward from Jesus as a baby to the fulfillment of His purpose on earth made me sit up and take interest. Though I’ve heard Packiam’s work on Counting on God with Ross Parsley and the Desperation Band, this solo offering with its laid-back musical accompaniment really highlight the quality of his voice.

Likewise, Jared Anderson can count me as a new fan of his solo work after being captivated by his “Messiah’s Song” featuring subtle, rich harmonies, and a tender, understated melody that somehow kindles an intense desire for the Savior; this is easily my favorite track on the disc.

The delight of this compilation is the opportunity to discover previously unknown artists. Paul Baloche – though well-known – is a new voice for me. His heart-felt and authentic expressions of praise in the closing “We Adore You” is so warm and straight-forward that it’s impossible not to be moved.

While many Christmas albums are rather shoddy efforts that are quickly tossed together, a great deal of care shines through on this disc. The majority of the music has been newly written this year, helping Worship and Adore delve into fresh new territory while avoiding any appearance of being derivative, or merely repackaged.

It would truly be a shame if Worship and Adore is shelved after the holiday season due to the word ‘Christmas’ in its title and liner art consistently associated with the month of December. Songs that encourage believers to reflect upon Jesus’ birth, to worship Him, to adore Him, are appropriate all year round. It’s into this precious place of thoughtful worship that Integrity’s artists lead us into – one that I hope to revisit frequently.

An accompanying digital songbook on CD is also available for purchase separately from Integrity Music.

Track Listing:

1. Offering (Christmas Version)
2. Adore Him
3. Glory To God
4. He Is Wonderful
5. The Beautiful Body And Blood
6. He Made A Way In A Manger
7. Joseph
8. Messiah’s Song
9. Gloria (Mary’s Song)
10. Holy Is The Child
11. We Adore You

CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW AT CHRISTIANBOOK OR AMAZON.COM!

Thanks to everyone who entered our contest for a $25 gift certificate to Naturalpod.com!  Congratulations to ky2here who is looking forward to buying a branch raft boat.  As always, there are more great contests scheduled for the near future, so stay tuned for updates .  Don’t forget that you can sign up for email updates of the blog in the right hand sidebar, or follow me on twitter for the latest posts (random musings, prayer requests and family updates included at no-charge)!

There’s a wave of change moving through the church and it’s relation to finances.    This move to reform our financial lives is spear-headed by big names like Dave Ramsey, Crown Financial Ministries, and others – but it is blossoming in the hearts of believers continent-wide.  This movement to eliminate debt and to owe no man nothing but love is a common sentiment that I find amongst my blogosphere travels.

One of the most popular techniques for managing a monthly budget is the envelope based budget system.  I’ve seen these in action, and they’re very helpful for ‘segmenting’ monthly spending, and not ‘borrowing’ from other areas of the budget.    Neobudget is a very affordable online envelope budget software that costs only $2.50/month.  Most of these cost $10/month, so if you’re looking for this sort of solution, you should check them out!

Saturday is normally a day where we are more heavily involved in domestic pursuits than usual.  We have our family-only Keepers at Home meeting (irregularly, must be more consistent!), work on developing forgotten domestic arts, and do some bulk cooking.  Not to mention getting caught up on the dishes – still have the laundry to go though!

Today we had a surprise addition to our domestic activities.  There aren’t many children in our neck of the woods, most farmers in Alberta are 60+ and we’ve seen the evidence of that.  Our new neighbours to the North are the only children other than ours that live right around us.  There was a homeschooling family down our road with 4 boys but they moved soon after we came here to life.

The two oldest girls came down for a visit – and to learn to knit today!  At our visit a few weeks ago the subject came up, I mentioned that Kaelynn is learning to knit (she’s great!) and everyone was so excited!  The oldest daughter (12) made it through around 20 stitches and is getting the hang of things, I’m going to pick up some better ‘beginner’ supplies for her though, because Kaelynn is using our ‘big’ needles and yarn.  I taught myself to knit from books, and from a few minutes of help from Larry’s mom – it makes a HUGE difference having someone ‘on-hand’ to help out.  It’s thrilling to pass on art-forms that are no longer widespread to the next generation, I only wish I knew more!

Isn’t that a headline that every woman loves to read?  The combination of chocolate and pregnancy is certainly enough to get my attention!    Not that we really need an excuse to eat more chocolate, right?  Truly though, current research is showing the benefits of eating potent dark chocolate – it’s full of minerals and antioxidants – I know it’s bitter, but it does give a hit of that theobromine goodness.

The latest news about chocolate comes from Elizabeth Triche of Yale University and her colleagues. The researchers studied 2,291 pregnant women who gave birth between 1996 and 2000. They asked the moms-to-be how much chocolate they ate in their first and second trimesters and tested blood from their umbilical cords for theobromine, a telltale component of chocolate. Women who ate the most chocolate were about 70 percent less likely to develop preeclampsia than those who eat the least, the researchers report in this month’s issue of the journal Epidemiology.

Chocolate = Good, Preeclampsia = BAD.

Enough said.

So my dear pregnant friends, share this information with your husband when he next raises an eyebrow at your chocolate nibbling ways.

If you’re looking for some particularly sumptuous chocolaty treats, you can find some yummy dark chocolate for pregnancy at Intentional Chocolate, but you’ll have to wade through some new-agey sentiments to get there – please ignore those, chocolate will do it’s job just fine without being infused by ‘spiritual energy’, thanks very much.

Despite our plans to head down to Larry’s parents for his brother’s memorial we were rudely interrupted by a gallbladder attack last night.  Larry started a traditional Hulda Clark gallbladder cleanse that lasted through last night and this morning, and is now feeling greatly relieved from the pain/discomfort from the distended gallbladder, but is still regaining his strength from the fast.

Sadly we missed the memorial though our thoughts and prayers were with his family.  We’ll have to be more faithful on regularly flushing that naughty gallbladder out so that surprises like this don’t come up in the future.

CONTEST CLOSED

Thanks to all who entered!  Our winner is laurhd who is also interested in trying Tropical traditions Red Palm Oil!  Congratulations!

Our family has been enjoying healthy and delicious virgin coconut oil in our home for years.  As public awareness continues to increase about the dangers of trans-fatty acids and consumers search out healthier fats that aren’t polyunsaturated, brands of coconut oil have been popping up like toadstools after the rain!

Despite the bombardment of brands (which quite honestly makes our family confused when we’re shopping at the natural foods store), Tropical Traditions was there first (you can watch this youtube clip to learn more).  They are the first brand of coconut oil our family used, they remain the most affordable, the most reliable, the most consistent, and the most delicious! They’re also believers!  You can read founder Brian Shilhavy’s testimony here.

We’ve tried the other brands, and no matter what fancy terminology they use for their processes I haven’t found any that beat Tropical Tradition’s traditional hand-processing of coconuts into oil.  Their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is the creme-de-la-creme of coconut oils, perfect for eating raw, blending in smoothies, sauces, and all sorts of recipes – personally I love the delicate flavor it adds to our gluten-free chocolate cake!  If you’re not sure how to use it, there are many free coconut recipes available in their online collection, and it doesn’t hurt that they also seem passionate about providing gluten-free recipes either!  Our family also uses it as a sumptuous skin lotion – quick tip, rub it into cradle cap to soften, then brush gently with a surgical nail brush to remove, fast, gentle and effective!  It’s also great for dry skin of any type.

The ultimate source for all things coconut oil-related if you’re just getting started is Tropical Tradition’s book - Virgin Coconut Oil by Brian and Marianita Shilhavy, with over 70,000 copies in print, it contains testimonies, health benefits, and over 85 recipes to help you reap the benefits of coconut oil in your daily life.  You can receive a FREE copy of this title with your first order if you are a new customer by entering my sponsor ID – 2597923 - in the ‘Referred by a Friend’ field in the “How did you hear of us?” box during your first online purchase.  This book will be sent right out to you for free, a $15 value!

In the meantime, I do have a contest for my US/Canadian readers to win 1 – 32 oz. jar of Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Oil!

CONTEST DETAILS:

Thanks to Tropical Traditions I have 1 – 32 oz. jar of Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil to give away to one blessed winner in the U.S. or Canada!  To enter, visit Tropical Traditions online and let me know one item other than the Gold Label Oil that you’d like to try.

For additional entries:

1.  Subscribe to Tropical Traditions email newsletter to stay updated on sales, new products, and more (they have SUPER sales!)

2. Subscribe to this blog for updates – see the left hand sidebar. Leave an additional comment letting me know you’ve subscribed (or if you already subscribe).

3. Write a post on your blog promoting and linking to this contest. Leave an additional comment with a link to your post.

4. Add the Quiverfull Family button (see the code box in the right hand sidebar under BUTTON UP!) to your blog’s sidebar, or let me know if you already have the button displayed. Leave an additional comment with a link to your post.

5. Digg, Stumble, Tweet, Facebook or otherwise share this post on a social networking site. Leave an additional comment indicating how you shared this post.

6. Follow me on Twitter or let me know if you are an existing follower.

Each additional step taken counts for 1 additional entry. A total of 7 entries are available if you complete all of these steps. Please leave a separate comment for each entry!

The contest will close at 12 a.m. MST on Wednesday, December 02nd, 2009. One (1) winner will be randomly drawn for the 32 oz. jar of Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil on Thursday, December 03rd, 2009 and notified by email. Please fill your email address in the comment form when you are completing your comment so that I can contact you. The winners must respond with a mailing address within 72 hours of my email, or a new winner will be chosen. This contest is open to those living in the US/Canada.

I look forward to seeing God bless a reader with this fabulous oil!