The Infinity Dreams Tag

Hello, readers! I have another tag today to share with you. Abi from The Left-Handed Typist nominated me for The Infinity Dreams Tag! It looks super fun, so thanks, Abi!
Disclaimer: The is the longest post I think I've ever written, so please stick around and don't be disappointed when next week's post is much shorter!
Okay, here goes: 

~Rules~

1. Thank the blogger who tagged you.

2. Tell us 11 facts about yourself.

3. Answer the 11 questions given to you.

4. Tag 11 bloggers and give them 11 new questions to answer.

~Facts~

11 facts about me? Whuuuut? Okay, okay!)

1. I'm trying very hard to think of 11 things that you might want to know about me that I can share with you...

2. I broke my wrist when I was 6 years old.

3. I have a thing for notebooks- I love to collect pretty ones, but I'm afraid to start writing in them, because then they'd be messed up and I think it may have worked better for that subject........

4. My hair does.not.curl. It doesn't matter if it's heat curlers, rag curlers, or whatever! (FYI, it's because my hair is so heavy. I could cut it off to shoulder-length so I could curl it, but that would not be my thing.)

5. I love peppermint ice cream. Not mint-chocolate chip, but peppermint, the kind with chunks of real peppermint in it.There's a big difference. *drools*

6. I love to cook and bake, and have been doing so since I was about 7.

7. My bookshelves must be arranged neatly. Books in a series belong together, with everything in descending height and size. I am not a particularly tidy person in other areas (as my desk can attribute to!). but I must have my bookshelves in order!

8. I don't like raw spinach. I've tried and tried to like it -and I keep on trying- but I'm just not there yet!

9. I am a speed-reader, and am currently trying to reduce my natural speed a bit, so I can enjoy my books longer and rad more carefully. (Fellow speed-readers, any tips?) ;P

10.  I never wear heels. I guess partly because I'm already rather tall and I don't like people commenting constantly about it,  and partly because I just  prefer cute flats! =)

11. I love thunderstorms! Don't you? ;)

~Abi's Questions~

1. What is your favorite month of the year?

Hmm, probably September or October. I love the early fall months!

2. When buying a book cheap, do you prefer an e-book or a used paperback?

Unless it's super torn-up, I normally prefer real books you can hold. So a used paperback. ;P

3. If you could smell one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Well, I'd much prefer to have a variety, but I love the fresh smell in the air after a storm. 

4. Have you ever read a Shakespeare play (in old English)? If so, which one(s)?

No, I haven't ever read a complete one!

5. What are your birthday traditions?
The birthday person gets to pick what's for dinner, and they get some special privileges (like no chores that day.... :) Yeah, nothing epic, but it's fun!

6. Do you prefer to write by hand or type things up?

I like to write my first "extremely-rough-drafts" by hand, then from there I normally type things out :D

7. What is your favorite style of house (cabin, modern, Victorian, beach, etc)?
I love old Victorian-style houses, but I'm not sure I'd actually want to live in one all the time! I'd probably prefer to live in a huge country farmhouse. ;) 

8. Wide rule or college rule paper?

College rule! I just write better on it somehow

9. What is your least favorite chore?
Well, I'd have to say cleaning bathrooms-- specifically, cleaning bathrooms after 3 little boys have used them! I'm working being cheerful on that one. :D

10. How long have you had your blog and what is one tip you would share?

I've only been blogging for three months, so I'm still pretty new to the blogging world. But prior to actually publishing my first post, I was planning for quite a while!  One thing I wish I would have known when I first started thinking about a blog is to stop comparing your blog to others! It only makes you dissatisfied with what you have, and everything isn't equal! 

11. If you could visit one fictional world, which would it be?

Ack. must I decide?!  I'd have to say  Avonlea... for the moment! EDIT: NARNIA!!!!! 

~My Questions~

1. What is your favorite name that starts with K?
2. What are your birthday traditions?
3. Do you prefer to write by hand, or type things up?
4. Do you collect anything?
5. What is your least favorite chore?
6. How long have you had your blog, and what is one tip you would share?
7. Do you prefer to read short blog posts, or long ones, and why?
8. What is your favorite month of the year?
9. If you were given $100, what would you do with it?
10. If you could visit one fictional world, which would it be?
11. Do you write your blog posts way ahead of time, or do you tend to write them on the spur of the moment?

I Nominate:

I skipped this part on the last tag, so I'll actually do it this time! But remember, if you don't want  to do this, or have already done it, then you aren't obliged to do so! ;)  

Abigail Grace @ Author of My Hope 

Anna @ Step by Step 
Anika @ Anika's Avenue 

Hannah @ Ink Blots & Coffee Stains

Julia @ The Barefoot Gal 

Loren @ Blue Eyes, Gray Eyes 

Michaila @ Mic's Room 

Mikayla @ The Bubblegum Ballerina 

Morgan @ The Day the Lord Has Made\

Sarah @ Forever Changed

Shelby @ Every Bit of Lovely  

I  also wanted to mention a giveaway for a Kindle Paperwhite and Christian fantasy books that Rachel Starr Thomson is hosting! If you'd like to enter, just click here.

Hope you have fun, and thanks for reading! =)

Book Review | Shadow of His Hand

Author: Wendy Lawton

Series: Daughters of the Faith

Genre: Biography 

Published: 2004

Publisher: Moody Publishers

Pages: 160

Age Group: 10 +

Anita Dittman dreams of becoming a ballerina. It's not long until the reality of being a Jewish girl in Nazi-ruled Germany dashes those dreams. When her Aryan  father abandons his Jewish family, Anita's life becomes the stuff of nightmares. "Don't draw attention to yourself", her mother often whispered. "If they don't notice you, they'll leave you alone". But no one hides from Hitler's fury.
As the persecution intensifies, Anita and her family must leave everything and everyone they love- even each other. Will no one hide them from this Holocaust? In the midst of unimaginable suffering, Anita discovers that even when the whole world dissolves into chaos, her heavenly Father continues to hide her in the shadow of His hand. 

Books that capture my attention and force me to slow down and savor them always rank high in my opinion, And Shadow of His Hand, part of the Daughters of the Faith series, is just such a book. The first time I read it, I knew I'd found a keeper.

Shadow of His Hand tells the remarkable story of Anita Dittman, a young half-Jewish girl living in Germany just before WW II. Anita dreams of becoming a ballerina from the age of five, but she can't understand why her German father always disagrees with her Jewish mother. 

When her father leaves her, her mother, and her older sister, Anita's life changes. Now she must give up her dream of dancing and adapt a strange new life, one where she has no friends and lives in fear, ready to slip into the shadows at any moment.

When Anita visits a church on Easter Sunday and meets Jesus for the first time, her life is changed again--for the better. She now has  Friend how will help and protect her, hiding her under the shadow of His hand. As the years pass by, life is still very difficult for Anita--being rejected from school, telling her sister goodbye, and suffering from the many cruelties of the war.

 A bright spot for her is when her mother becomes a Christian--some time after which her mother is taken to prison. Now Anita must provide for her mother, until she herself is taken to a work camp. Thinking that everything is over, Anita must remind continually remind herself of the safety she has in Jesus Christ, despite when everything around seems to be crumbling to pieces. 

Even after the dreadful war was over, Anita never forgot the time when she was so vividly sheltered in the shadow of His hand. 10 out of 10 hearts-♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Have you read Shadow of His Hand, or any of the other Daughters Of The Faith books?  If so, did you enjoy them?

The Mystery of the Midnight Trespasser Cover Release

Hello to all my wonderful readers!
Today, I am participating in the new cover release of The Mystery of the Midnight Trespasser by Hosanna Emily, which comes out on April 26!
I haven't read her book yet, but I am very eager to do so, and the new cover makes me even more eager to read it. It looks so good!

The Cover....

RELEASE DATE: April 26, 2016

About the Book....

"Rosy growled, and I knew she was pacing the porch. I sensed her uneasiness. Something was wrong. Rosy never barked at cars; why would she choose this one?" 

13 year-old Emily Kessler believes in God, but when she discovers someone trespassing in the middle of the night, can she learn to trust in Him completely? Will she have the courage to solve the mystery with her friends? And when everything falls apart, will Emily be able to keep those she loves safe?

About the Author....

Hosanna Emily wrote her first novel at age fourteen.  She is a homeschooled, independent author who is the oldest daughter in a family of eleven.  She enjoys exploring the sparkling creek by her home in rural Kentucky, reading, drawing, learning American Sign Language, and spending time with her family and with her Creator.

To learn more, visit her blog at:

HavingaHeartLikeHis.blogspot.com

Presenting Poetry, April Edition

Hello, readers!
I wanted to let you know that from now on, you can expect my posts on Fridays. If I have anything extra, that will be on Tuesdays, but Friday will be my main day. Just wanted to let ya'll know!
And yes, this post is extremely short, but it's better than nothing.... ;) I've been very busy this week, so my "post writing time" got cut a bit short.

Okay, now on to the topic for today. It's time for the April edition of Presenting Poetry. The poem this month is:

PASS IT ON 

By Henry Burton

Have you had a kindness shown?
Pass it on;
 Twas not given for thee alone,
Pass it on;
Let it travel down the years,
Let it wipe another’s tears,
Till in heaven the deed appears—-
Pass it on.
Did you hear a loving word?
Pass it on;
Like the singing of a bird?
Pass it on;
Let its music live and grow,
Let it cheer another’s woe,
You have reaped what others sow—-
Pass it on.
Be not selfish in thy greed,
Pass it on;
Look upon thy brother’s need,
Pass it on;
Live for self, you live in vain,
Live for Christ, you live again,
Live for Him, with Him you reign—-
Pass it on.

 I think this poem is a good reminder that everything belongs to God. The poem doesn't directly state that, but of course, it's true. Whenever God blesses us through something or someone else, we should take the time to pass it on! Whether it's through a kind word, a random act of kindness, an unexpected surprise, or whatever He sends our way, we should reflect Him back to others. Sometimes it's just too easy to receive and not to give, but it's "always more blessed to give than receive" (Acts 20:35).

So there's my  quick thought on that poem. I hope you enjoyed this poem, and you can expect my next post to be a bit longer! Thanks for reading!

The 3 Day Quote Challenge, Day 3

Hello! I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend. Today, I have the last quote for the 3 Day Quote Challenge that Katie nominated me for. Thank you again Katie!


Rules:
-Thank the person who nominated you
-Nominate 3 new bloggers everyday
-Post a new quote everyday for 3 consecutive days



Here's my quote for today:

I nominate:
~ Abigail Grace from Author of my Hope
~ Anika from Anika's Avenue
~ Clara from Reasons to Smile 

Thank you for reading, and have a blessed Sunday!

The 3 Day Quote Challenge, Day 2

Hello, friends!
I'm back again today with my second quote for the 3 Day Quote Challenge, which Katie kindly nominated me for. Thanks again, Katie!!


Rules:
-Thank the person who nominated you
-Nominate 3 new bloggers everyday
-Post a new quote everyday for 3 consecutive days


Here's my quote for today:

I nominate:

~ Sarah from Forever Changed 
~ Julia from The Barefoot Gal
~ Bethany from A Great God and Good Cocoa 

Oh, and if you haven't already, I'd love it if you could take my new blog survey. It's a page at the top of my blog. Thanks!

See you tomorrow for the last quote! :)