Memorial Day

 [️MEMORIAL DAY] In honor & memory of those who gave their lives during military service to our country. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten.

[FIRE UP THE GRILL!] Planning a barbecue for this Memorial Day? Go with the basics of hamburgers and hot dogs or search for the latest cookout-friendly recipes for grilled starters, patriotic drinks and desserts to kick off the unofficial start of Summer! 🌞

 

Memorial Day can be a dichotomy. A day of mourning and remembrance of those who lost their lives in the service of our country is starkly different from a 3-day weekend filled with fun, parties, pools, shopping, and the frivolous. that brings on the unofficial start to Summer. Mourning vs Merriment.

To me, though, it's not difficult to combine all that make this holiday special. We should always give honor those who gave their lives to protect and defend our freedom and rights. In the past, many families spent Memorial Day bringing flowers and cleaning the graves of loved ones. It took several hours of work and quite often meant sharing a meal while there. The sense of community with family and friends paying respect to the dead, sharing memories and meals was also a means of support in grief.

Each Memorial Day be sure to remember those who sacrificed their lives, but including a picnic with family and friends to celebrate life and freedom is not meant to dishonor the memory and sacrifice of those men and women. We Americans live in the land of the free because of the brave who sacrificed their own lives. Take time to remember those who died and celebrate the gift they offered their fellow citizens with family, friends, neighbors. Their lives made a tremendous impact. #MemorialDay

Abigail: The Belle of Bravery

Abigail, the Belle of Bravery is the third book in The Adventures of Rooney Cruz. Bible Belles highlights five "superhero" women of the Bible: Hannah, Esther, Abigail, Ruth, and Deborah. Each of these women has a super power to they use to serve God and this series highlights that to teach young girls a valuable lesson. These books were created by Erin Weidemann and illustrated by former Disney illustrator, Rob Corley.

 In this story, Rooney is back again with another adventure, and another lesson to be learned. When Rooney's brother Anthony deliberately angers the boys across the street, she is afraid that more trouble will be coming. What does she need to do? Her angel Mari has already taught her about the superpowers of prayer and patience, and now she has another story to help Rooney. Through the story of Abigail, Rooney learns about being brave enough to do the right thing. Just like Abigail, God will give her the courage of God to boldly face any problem with the confidence that He will see her through it. (Read about Abigail in 1 Samuel 25)

Another great story from the Bible Belles series. I love seeing stories of the women of the Bible being taught and directed to girls so that they have examples they can follow. I actually just re-read the story of Abigail in my own daily Bible reading recently, so I was delighted when offered the chance to review the version for younger children. Adults know how little things can escalate into large problems out of circumstances that we don't always understand. The lesson here of being brave and doing the right thing is perfect during a time of great misunderstanding, and one that needs to be learned early. Just as Abigail was able to wisely diffuse a threatening situation, Rooney was able to ease the growing tension and help bring peace to her neighborhood. Little things can make a difference, but being brave can seem scary. Teaching a child that God can give her the courage she needs to act boldly and do what is right---and on a level that is easily understood---is awesome. I highly recommend "Abigail: The Belle of Bravery" and the entire Bible Belles series.

Check out their other great books at BibleBelles.com

I received a copy of this product from Bible Belles. I was not required to give a positive review.
They have also authorized a giveaway copy to one of my readers. Please respond by November 30, 2016.