You've Got Mail Monday

Blogging has taken a backseat to getting the garden planted. Plus it was Greek Easter this past weekend, so we were at the in-laws. With Mother's Day coming on Sunday, my sister-in-law and I are plotting some gardening work in my mother-in-law's yard. She loves flowers, but just can't do as much as she would like these days.

I ended up buying some soil and plants for her and brought them over on Sunday. Today, I bought two large whiskey barrels to replace the broken ones she has, and another smaller one for a plant she has on her deck that has outgrown its pot. On Mother's Day, I'll visit and do some planting in front of the deck. They have more shade than sun in the backyard, so it's been a challenge for her to find just what she wants. I'm hoping she'll enjoy the new plantings.

Speaking of plants and gardening, the last few plants in that garden plan I am working on arrived on Friday thanks to the postman. With the spring vegetables and some herbs now planted, I can get to work on the front yard. Here is my before picture. The tall bush is getting pulled out and placed in the backyard to hide our generator. The lower vine-like ones are going to be donated to a new flower bed we're creating at church on Saturday. This will all be flowering plants when I'm done with it.

The Lil Diva's (11) bathing suit arrived from Land's End last week, too. We're taking them to Disney this month and I swear that child has grown out of everything she owns. So, bathing suit shopping was on the agenda. I like that their bathing suits are modest, whereas some of the ones I find around here show way too much skin than I am (and she) are comfortable bearing.

My May/June 2013 issue of Gardening How-to arrived early last week, in addition to my May/June 2103 issue of History Magazine. Catalogs from Bluestone Perennials (where most of my new plants came from), Ballard Designs, Grandin Road, Land's End, and FrontGate also arrived.

That's it for this week's edition of You've Got Mail Monday. Hope you have a lovely week.

Mothers of the Bible Speak to Mothers of Today by Kathi Macias--Book Review

If I could only recommend one book for mothers, it would be Mothers of the Bible Speak to Mothers of Today by Kathi Macias.

In this uplifting study of some of the most well-known and some not-as-well-known mothers of the Bible, Kathi Macias provides an in-depth look into what we can learn from Eve, Sarah, Hannah, The Proverbs 31 Woman, Jesus's mother, Mary and others.

While I strive to make my reviews objective and not overly personal, there are some books that touch my heart in such a way that it's impossible for me not to speak of my personal feelings. Such is the case with Mothers of the Bible Speak to Mothers of Today.

In my own reading of the Bible and as a Sunday school teacher I have had the chance to study some of these Biblical mothers, but Macias's books always manage to teach me something or provide me a perspective that I had never thought of before. From the author's chapter on how Eve was a mother without a role model to how Eunice and Lois--like all mothers and grandmothers--train up a child in the way he should go and then make the hard decision to pass the torch onto the next generation, Macias discusses the traits these women of the Bible exhibited and how they worked into God's plan.

As a mother of a full-grown son, one strong-willed daughter, and a youngest daughter who I can easily relate to because I am a former youngest child, there have been many moments in my journey of motherhood where I have stumbled, lost my way, and felt like a failure. Reading this book has allowed me to feel better about my role as a mother, has enouraged me along my Christian journey and given me hope for the future.

One of the chapters is dedicated to the virtuous woman from Proverbs 31. Macias wrote an entire book on her journey to become like the virtuous woman--you'll find our review of that book here--and what she learned along the way. Some of that is featured in Chapter 14 of Mothers of the Bible Speak to Mothers of Today. It is wise that she includes the virtuous woman in this book as well because as Macias says on Page 231, "Understanding that this 'perfect woman' is more of a composite of many women, rather than a portrait of one, makes looking in the mirror and searching for her reflection a lot less discouraging...Even the most devoted wife, woman, mother, and/or businesswoman can't do it all--and certainly not all at once!"

Each chapter is preceded by a quotation from a variety of people, and each chapter ends with more quotations that fit the chapter's theme, questions to "think about and enter in your journal" and "A Mother's Prayer".

Mothers of the Bible Speak to Mothers of Today by Kathi Macias will inspire you, lift you up, and encourage you along your journey as a Christian mother. A perfect Mother's Day or birthday gift, no mother will be left untouched by this book!


Title: Mothers of the Bible Speak to Mothers of Today
Author: Kathi Macias
Publisher: New Hope Publishers
ISBN: 978-1-59669-215-2
SRP: $19.99 (U.S.)

Book Review: Mothers of the Bible Speak to Mothers of Today by Kathi Macias

If I could only recommend one book for mothers, it would be Mothers of the Bible Speak to Mothers of Today by Kathi Macias.

In this uplifting study of some of the most well-known and some not-as-well-known mothers of the Bible, Kathi Macias provides an in-depth look into what we can learn from Eve, Sarah, Hannah, The Proverbs 31 Woman, Jesus's mother, Mary and others.

While I strive to make my reviews objective and not overly personal, there are some books that touch my heart in such a way that it's impossible for me not to speak of my feelings. Such is the case with Mothers of the Bible Speak to Mothers of Today.

In my own reading of the Bible and as a Sunday school teacher I have had the chance to study some of these Biblical mothers, but Macias's books always manage to teach me something or provide me a perspective that I had never thought of before. From the author's chapter on how Eve was a mother without a role model to how Eunice and Lois--like all mothers and grandmothers--train up a child in the way he should go and then make the hard decision to pass the torch onto the next generation, Macias discusses the traits these women of the Bible exhibited and how they worked into God's plan.

As a mother of a full-grown son, one strong-willed daughter, and a youngest daughter who I can easily relate to because I am a former youngest child, there have been many moments in my journey where I have stumbled, lost my way, and felt like a failure. Reading this book has allowed me to feel better about my role as a mother, has encouraged me along my Christian journey and given me hope for the future.

One of the chapters is dedicated to the virtuous woman from Proverbs 31. Macias wrote an entire book on her journey to become like the virtuous woman and what she learned along the way. Some of that is featured in Chapter 14 of Mothers of the Bible Speak to Mothers of Today. It is wise that she includes the virtuous woman in this book as well because as Macias says on Page 231, "Understanding that this 'perfect woman' is more of a composite of many women, rather than a portrait of one, makes looking in the mirror and searching for her reflection a lot less discouraging. Even the most devoted wife, woman, mother, and/or businesswoman can't do it all--and certainly not all at once!"

Each chapter is preceded by a quotation from a variety of people, and each chapter ends with more quotations that fit the chapter's theme, questions to "think about and enter in your journal" and "A Mother's Prayer".

Mothers of the Bible Speak to Mothers of Today by Kathi Macias will inspire you, lift you up, and encourage you along your journey as a Christian mother. A perfect Mother's Day or birthday gift, no mother will be left untouched by this book!


Title: Mothers of the Bible Speak to Mothers of Today
Author: Kathi Macias
Publisher: New Hope Publishers
ISBN: 978-1-59669-215-2
SRP: $19.99