Prophecy's Heir review

Prophecy’s Heirs, the first book in the Arualian Archives series by Emily G. Watson, introduces us to Crown Prince Walter, Princess Airdella, and Princess Amy. Due to turmoil in their country, they are sent to stay with retired knight, Sir Dorrian. Away from a life of luxury and privilege, the teens and younger sister, Amy, begin learning to do things for themselves, including skills used for knights. This leads to a series of adventures and a quest to protect their kingdom from an evil enemy and restore their father’s health.

Watching the kids grow as a tighter family unit as they learn more skills and protect one another is an excellent lesson for the age group intended for this series. As they lean more on one another, they also learn to differentiate between friends and foes along the way. When things fall apart, they each learn the ability to reason as they search for solutions. I also liked the addition of Aaron to the group of youngsters. He is also on a quest and has additional skills to round out the group.

For me, the book had times that I couldn’t put it down, but also chapters where I would lose interest. I am not the target audience, so tweens and teens who love fantasy and exploring new worlds should love the series. It would also be great for homeschoolers or families who enjoy reading books together.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Prophecy’s Heirs from the author. Opinions are my own.

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You Better Get Ready...I'm Coming Home!

Repost from Aug 8, 2010 Cindy's World:

"You better get ready, I'm coming home!" Those were the words I heard on the phone a few minutes ago from Kote!!

Next was, "I got money for my birthday, so I'll be buying my own stuff now!! Wait!! I want to buy a phone, but YOU can keep buying the rest of my stuff!!" 😎

He is hilarious.

But it did trigger a few thoughts about my life. How often, when things are going good, do I want to tell God that I can handle it now? Just as quickly, I want to put those words right back in my mouth. I can have nothing nor do nothing without Him!! I learned that lesson the hard way...and, because I am mule-headed, more than once!

While only God knows when I will be heading toward Heaven, I think of loved ones already there: my son... parents ... grandparents... a miscarried grandchild. I wonder who else is waiting on me? Most important --- my Savior!! Without Him, there is no way I would get there on my own.

I may not know the day or the hour, but I want to look toward Heaven and joyfully shout...........................................

"YOU BETTER GET READY, I'M COMING HOME!!!"  

ADORED: 365 Devotions for Young Women

Adored: 365 Devotions for Young Women by Zondervan tackles tough topics girls face, from bullying and social media to friendships and dating, all the while showing readers how infinitely precious they are in God’s sight.

Each day contains a devotion that is relative to a young woman's life with room to journal for an even more personalized experience. Scripture is also included that is perfect for memorization, a starting point for daily Bible reading, or to simply remind the reader that the Bible still connects with our lives even hundreds of years later. Adored will resonate with girls searching for truth and guidance given with honesty and a touch of humor.

It's a wonderful gift for tweens, teens, and young women with it's compact size and beautiful, foiled cover, with two-color interior pages. The hard cover is durable and the pages are strongly bound (in my case, tested and proven by a curious 2 year old) to easily handle every day use. I also love that it does not have a specific date, making this a good gift for any time of the year AND you don't feel like you have to play catch-up (or simply abandon the book) if you miss a day or more. My only complaint was that it seemed like it would be a bit awkward to write in and I would like more space for journaling.

For a 7 day download, go to Zondervan - Adored devotional
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GIVEAWAY! Enter to win a copy for yourself or as a gift. Leave a comment on this blog post (or on the social media post where you found this by end of day December 7, 2017.

“Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255:  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway.  Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller /FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days on the same blog, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

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Cody's 12th Birthday or...Cody is growing up. :/

It is so incredible to believe how quickly the past 12 years have flown by. I was in the room when he was born: 1 of the first to see him, 1 of the first to hold him. I never dreamed that less than 2 years later, he would be living with me. And the joy Cody has brought into my life is amazing!!

Since he had problems speaking as a preschooler, I became fascinated by the way he would act out things to help me understand. As his imagination grew, I rediscovered mine. His favorite story was The 3 Little Pigs..... we read it at least once a day for over a year. One day, I read Little Red Riding Hood to him, but he didn't seem interested. Several weeks later, central air conditioning was installed. I noticed a nervous look on his face, but thought nothing of it until I went to the door to take out the trash. Suddenly, Cody threw himself between me and the door and exclaimed, "Nooooo! The Big Bad Wolf is out there......and he eats grandmas too!!!" Have you ever tried explaining air conditioning to a 4 year old? It was a while before the trash made it to the curb. :)

Cody's love of superheroes is also well-known. He prayed for them all every night. Dressing up was an everyday occurrence. I never knew which superhero would accompany me to the playground, the store,....church (you pick your battles!). On the other hand, I never dreamed that I would catch his enthusiasm when he attended Head Start through 1st grade. I would show up as The Cat In The Hat, a lepruchan, an elf, ...whatever the theme was!! My adult children were so grateful that they missed my costume era when they were little. :)

Now he is outgrowing all of these things that were so delightful. Over the summer he has gotten a bit taller than me......meaning the superhero costumes are all now too small. His action figures have been played with less and less....and he is more interested in grabbing my phone.

Now his interests are moving into a direction I am not ready for yet. Recently, Cody asked if we can move to France. I regretfully informed him that I just didn't see that happening. Out of curiosity, though, I asked why. I was told,  "France has 'hot' girls!"  when I told him to forget about the hot girls of France, he mournfully answered, "But, Nana, That is ALL I can think about!!!"

Have mercy! Chakote Matthew Navarro.......you amaze me. Y'all pray...'cause the next 6 may be more dramatic than the past 12 combined!